What is the worst boat?

[Nostrodamus]

What is the worst boat you have sailed and why?

 

[Seajet]

Express dinghy. Rolled like a ***** no matter what one did with board & kicker, and the 'buoyancy' tanks filled when it capsized at the end of the death roll.

As for cruisers, I've never found a boat without some sort of redeeming feature/s, though there are some I wouldn't crawl over broken glass to have a go on.

 

[G12]

Creightons, the ex-Whitbread Maxi.

Just after her "refit" in about 2001. Leaked like a seive, nothing worked, reconditioned engine blew all its oil seals, owner was massively penny pinching and even asked us to go to sea with no cabin sole fitted which thankfully was refused.

We did get 18.5 kts out of her with just an old No5 headsail up somewhere in the region of Dover when it started howling though. That was before that sail shredded itself and was replaced with another No5.

I stayed onboard for a few days after that when we got to St Katherines dock and then just left. Dire boat, dire pay.

 

[Scotty_Tradewind]

I've never found a boat without some sort of redeeming feature/s, QUOTE]

+1

 

[Twister_Ken]

Had a Sunsail Benny 311 on Greek bareboat once. I'd have happily taken that off soundings and opened the seacocks.

 

[Sybarite]

What is the worst boat you have sailed and why?

Thankfully for the last 20 odd years I have only sailed my own boat. Which is great.

Before that two memorable horrible boats chartered were :

- first generation Oceanis 320. Sailed like a pig, a longitudinal galley which was unuseable at sea and a genoa furling drum that was in the chain locker which put a huge amount of friction on the furling line;

- Espace 1000 - it needed a gale to get it going and you had to stand whilst helming if you wanted to see anything.

 

[johnalison]

I hope he's not reading this, but it was a friend's Trapper 500 with bilge keels.

She was heavy and unrewarding to helm and needed constant attention; an unskilled crew could easily induce seasickness by giving a corkscrew motion. Nothing worked easily. The winches didn't help much and weren't self-tailing, hauling up the main cut into your hands and deck fittings such as cleats and boarding-ladder were a pain to use. There was nowhere comfortable to sit inside and its only saving grace was that my mate had fitted an Epersbacher, about 30 yrs ago. I think the engine was only about 8hp until he changed it too.

 

[flaming]

As for cruisers, I've never found a boat without some sort of redeeming feature/s.

Then you have clearly never sailed a Mac 26.

 

[Kelpie]

I hope he's not reading this, but it was a friend's Trapper 500 with bilge keels.

She was heavy and unrewarding to helm and needed constant attention; an unskilled crew could easily induce seasickness by giving a corkscrew motion. Nothing worked easily. The winches didn't help much and weren't self-tailing, hauling up the main cut into your hands and deck fittings such as cleats and boarding-ladder were a pain to use. There was nowhere comfortable to sit inside and its only saving grace was that my mate had fitted an Epersbacher, about 30 yrs ago. I think the engine was only about 8hp until he changed it too.

You might want to tell the starter of this thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=300317

 

[r_h]

I've never found a boat without some sort of redeeming features,

Then you have clearly never sailed a Mac 26.

The little protuberances that stick out the bottom in place of keels are great for drying out on the level.

It's amazing how different the Mac 27 is to sail, with the benefit of tank testing and (significantly) deeper draught.

 

[Sybarite]

You might want to tell the starter of this thread:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=300317

Must be the bilge keels?

 

[flaming]

The little protuberances that stick out the bottom in place of keels are great for drying out on the level.

It's amazing how different the Mac 27 is to sail, with the benefit of tank testing and (significantly) deeper draught.

Little confused...

For the avoidance of doubt, I meant this....
http://www.macgregor26.com/

 

[r_h]

Little confused...

For the avoidance of doubt, I meant this....
http://www.macgregor26.com/

ah - as opposed to the Macwester...

 

[Blueboatman]

French catamaran built for the charter Market, an Edel at around 35ft.

Complete ****e, every single bit screamed 'chav', 'flash', bloated blobby acreage of plastic, nasty, unloved, unlovable, flimsy, poorly assembled, pig ugly, rubbish sailer, noisy, jerky, erratic, er....

There should be a culture tax against such impingements on a beautiful anchorage

 

[Seajet]

flaming,

you're right, I have never tried to sail a Mac 26.

There's a reason for that....

 

[Twister_Ken]

It's amazing how different the Mac 27 is to sail, with the benefit of tank testing and (significantly) deeper draught.

I tried tank testing a Mac 26. Unsurprisingly the Challenger 2 won.

 

[johnalison]

Must be the bilge keels?

I think you are probably right, which is why I mentioned the bilge keels as I didn't want to damn the class overall. Part of the reason for my lack of enjoyment was that the boat's equipment was old and outdated even back in the '80s. I sailed on her a number of times in different weathers and the contrast to my then current fin-keeled Sadler 29 was very marked.

 

[Seajet]

johnalison,

I test sailed a Trapper 501 with twin keels and she went very well; it was about F5 and we got the odd wave thump on the windward keel, but we had exactly the same trying the Sadler 29.

I'd most certainly prefer the Sadler, but thought the Trapper fine for what she was, and I reckon they're something of a bargain secondhand nowadays.

Suspect you were unlucky with the particular Trapper and maybe how she was sailed.

 

[Rum_Pirate]

Costa Concordia


It rocks.

Ex Francesco Schettino (Capt'n)

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Costa Concordia


It rocks.

Ex Francesco Schettino (Capt'n)

Costa Cruises ... the cruise line with the biggest turnover.