Which 50 year old in-shore cruiser?

[PaulGS]

I'm in the diverting position of haunting the internet in search of a capable, safe and forgiving first cruiser around the 26' mark. The same boats crop up repeatedly in searches (Westerly Centaur; Snapdragon; Sabre; Macwesters, to name only the most prominent). I'm not envisaging ever having more than two persons afloat. Any advice as to the relative merits of these and similar vessels will be much appreciated. Any buying tips similarly (I'm already pretty much resolved on locating a boat with a reasonably low-hourage engine).

 

[LittleSister]

Condition will be more important than exact model. How well it's looked after, amount and age of sails, instruments and other equipment, etc., and especially engine type/condition (replacing it could cost more than the boat).

Low engine hours is not very important - few if any engines in such boats have ever worn out - they die from neglect, or inability to obtain spares for some old models. In any case, many of those boats would never have been fitted with an engine hours meter, or it may have been added later. If the engine's old, and you could reliably know the engine hours were low, you might wonder why.

Of those you mention, the Macwesters and Snapdragon have less thrilling sailing performance, but are good roomy cruising boats (for their era) and still give many owners lots of pleasure. (The Macwester 26 has poorer performance than the later 27 and some smaller Macwester models.)

You don't say where you're based, which will affect availability, and could affect choice of boat (e.g Westerly Chieftain is a Centaur but with a fin keel, rather than bilge keels).

 

[Andibs]

Have a look at a tomahawk 25 as a first cruiser

 

[PaulGS]

Have a look at a tomahawk 25 as a first cruiser

Okay . . . . but what's distinctive about it?

 

[Supertramp]

Think about bilge keels versus fin keel - mooring location might dictate. Budget also a factor.

Sadler 26 is a great Centaur/Snapdragon alternative with better sailing performance.

Moody 27 is a nice yacht but relatively expensive.

British David Thomas Hunters 24ft to 27ft are another option although more lightly built than the very solid Snapdragon/Macwesters.

As you said, condition and the absence of expensive repairs is most important. A popular model like Centaur will have greater choice of conditions to choose from.

 

[Tranona]

As suggested already, don't get hung up about specific models or designs. If you want a usable boat within an inevitably limited budget then condition is the prime factor. Your choice is no different from when the boats were new - some were better performers than others, some were better built and generally the boats that meet buyers; needs best sold more. It is not difficult for example to work out that an Achilles 24 is a very different boat from a Centaur but that a Centaur and a Sabre were direct competitors. There are very few "bad" boats but when you are buying something 40+ years old and you want relatively trouble free boating for the least cost buy something that basically works and is close to where you are.

 

[Stemar]

I agree with most comments above. What I'd do first is decide where I'm going to keep the boat. A marina strikes me as extravagant for that kind of boat and budget. A deep water mooring gives you the ability to come and go as you please, but you will need a dinghy, unless your mooring has a water taxi service. but that limits you to when its running, so you'll still need the dinghy. Shallow or drying moorings should be a good bit cheaper, but limit when you can come and go, and may limit you to twin keel boats, though there are plenty on Portsmouth Harbour where a fin would just sink into the soft mud - and others where a fin sits on its ear at low tide - not so good if you're on board!

I've spent 20 years on a drying mooring with a Snapdragon 24, probably about as small a boat with a separate heads, which is definitely a bonus. The other boats mentions should have one too, but I'd reject any boat that doesn't for a couple.

Snapdragons go well enough off the wind, but their shallow, vertical keels limit how they go upwind - I'd consider them as motorsaiers. Nothing wrong with that, we loved ours and she took us across the channel, as well as looking after us when we found ourselves in significantly worse weather than we'd anticipated.

I've no personal experience of Macwesters, but their reputation is just as LittleSister describes. Westerlies - get a good'un and you won't go far wrong. Small pint of order, the Chieftain is a centre cockpit Centaur. Basically, it has a boot on the back and you access the quarter berths through that. A useful shed, and it gives you a spare bedroom, but you still get twin keels. There is a weakness in the keels, especially for mud berths, which do put a fair bit of strain on splayed keels, but I'd expect most to have been fixed. A Sadler's a great boat, but the head is only separated from the forepeak by a curtain - not ideal, but if that doesn't bother you, you could do a lot worse.

I think the best you could do would be to look for the boat in the best condition from a list of suitable models, rather than saying I want boat X and then looking for a good version of X. Most things can be fixed, but a duff engine is going to need a fair amount of luck to make it a viable repair on a boat of this sort of value.

Good Hunting!

 

[Concerto]

The Westerly Centaur would certainly be on my list and you could also look at the Westerly Griffon as it replaced the Centaur and the Merlin at 28ft.

Other boats to add to your list should include.
Hunter Horizon 26
Hustler 25.5 and 30
Sadler 26
Trapper 500/1

If you could provide more details as to your budget and the intended area to berth and sail, you should also get more specific advice.

 

[LittleSister]

Small pint of order, the Chieftain is a centre cockpit Centaur. Basically, it has a boot on the back and you access the quarter berths through that. A useful shed, and it gives you a spare bedroom, but you still get twin keels.

My mistake, it was the Westerly Pembroke that's fin keel version of the Centaur.

Snapdragon 24, probably about as small a boat with a separate heads, which is definitely a bonus.

Not quite! Some Samphire 23s - there are 3 different layouts - have a separate heads compartment (as did mine, plus an impressively large double berth for the boat size). The Newbridge Coromandel, 21 foot (or 21'6"?), a taller deck/cabin moulding and Junk rig on a Corribee hull, also had one, as did the mighty 19 foot Mk1 Mirror Offshore!

 

[Praxinoscope]

Sadler 26, excellent choice, although I prefer the lines of the Sadler 25.

 

[Daydream believer]

If you want a project boat with a working engine I know where there is a Hustler 25.5 WITH A ROAD TRAILER so it can be towed away & stored somewhere cheap.( back garden etc) It was being sailed this year, but needs tidying up. Leaky window, dirty decks, mouldy running rigging etc. Engine has just been out & back, for new Aquadrive fitting. The owner has bought a new boat & would take peanuts for it.

 

[PaulGS]

If you want a project boat with a working engine I know where there is a Hustler 25.5 WITH A ROAD TRAILER so it can be towed away & stored somewhere cheap.( back garden etc) It was being sailed this year, but needs tidying up. Leaky window, dirty decks, mouldy running rigging etc. Engine has just been out & back, for new Aquadrive fitting. The owner has bought a new boat & would take peanuts for it.

Thanks, 'preciate the thought .

 

[PaulGS]

Sadler 26, excellent choice, although I prefer the lines of the Sadler 25.

At my price point I won't be having a survey done so I'd be a bit worried about water hiding in the foam layer.

 

[PaulGS]

As suggested already, don't get hung up about specific models or designs. If you want a usable boat within an inevitably limited budget then condition is the prime factor. Your choice is no different from when the boats were new - some were better performers than others, some were better built and generally the boats that meet buyers; needs best sold more. It is not difficult for example to work out that an Achilles 24 is a very different boat from a Centaur but that a Centaur and a Sabre were direct competitors. There are very few "bad" boats but when you are buying something 40+ years old and you want relatively trouble free boating for the least cost buy something that basically works and is close to where you are.

I suppose mere relative numbers currently for sale would be a crude indicator of 1) their desirability (having sold well back in the day); and 2) their toughness (having survived to the present)?

 

[BobnLesley]

As noted, condition of the expensive bits (engine/rigging/sails) is the most important consideration, but beyond that an Albin Vega would be my first choice and another/different Albin Vega my second.

 

[Andibs]

Okay . . . . but what's distinctive about it?

Good sea keeping, fin or bilge, relatively inexpensive, good headroom and interior, choice of mark

 

[PaulGS]

The Westerly Centaur would certainly be on my list and you could also look at the Westerly Griffon as it replaced the Centaur and the Merlin at 28ft.

Other boats to add to your list should include.
Hunter Horizon 26
Hustler 25.5 and 30
Sadler 26
Trapper 500/1

If you could provide more details as to your budget and the intended area to berth and sail, you should also get more specific advice.

You're right - I should have specified a bilge keel (although so many boats seem to have different options of keel).

 

[Praxinoscope]

At my price point I won't be having a survey done so I'd be a bit worried about water hiding in the foam layer.

Then I suggest going for the Sadler 25, which I prefer and I think sails better than the 26, it certainly looks better.

 

[bitbaltic]

The forum has definitely moved on, a while ago this thread would have been full of knowing recommendations for the Anderson 22.

There’s a Hurley 24/70 on our pontoon which I’ve always thought is a clean and modern looking boat for its age. Otherwise at this age/price point I’d be looking for the best engine I could find and hope there’s a similarly well maintained boat wrapped around it.

 

[waynes world]

There are very few about but IMHO and biased opinion a Fairline Fury is a cracking boat. I say this and not even been out on mine. It was/is for sale but so many dreamers and pillocks asking about it, well it mite well stay now i have had a break and relove for it now i been away from faffing with it.

In the year ( around early 70s) and price range there a cracking set out. Good head roon for 25 foot boat. good performance with right engines. Mine is a twin VP AQ130`s. 260hp in total. guzzler but then what would you expect. They come in different engines choices from original spec but being so old whi knows whats out there.

This is mine and a link to original spec. they sell a good one for around £7k to £15k

https://www.jonesboatyard.co.uk/boat-sales/documents/Fairline-Fury.pdf


EDIT


MMM when i read it wasnt in the

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