Which bilge keel cruiser would you recommend for us?

[akyaka]

SWMBO has now added the Mirage 28 to the list!

6 foot headroom and table folds away against bulkhead to give you loads of room in the saloon and large cockpit. Strong sturdy boat with properly designed bilge keels not just "two pieces of steel stuck on" and sails well.

Saw this in the marina the other day and looks in looked after condition and believe has been reduced to £9,500.00 .

http://yachts.apolloduck.co.uk/display.phtml?aid=317546

and this is the link to the Snapdragon/Mirage Association site.

http://www.snapdragonmirage.org.uk/

 

[Scillypete]

A biased view, unashamedly, but the performance of bilge keelers has been improved dramatically since the Macwesters and Centaurs. Add to that your wish for a more suitable accomodation plan and you need look no further than the Hunter Horizon 26 or the later and better (more weight added to the bottom of the keels) 27 . . . . . now comes the unashamedly touting bit in the form of a video



the price has since been reduced btw

 

[Seajet]

Horizon 27; check if ones' head is lower than feet in the ' aft cabin ' which has the rudder tube between occupants, also check the floor of the internal grp module doesn't show signs of parting company with the rest.

 

[Scillypete]

Horizon 27; check if ones' head is lower than feet in the ' aft cabin ' which has the rudder tube between occupants, also check the floor of the internal grp module doesn't show signs of parting company with the rest.

you say that every time, a) the berth is level and b) the rudder post is NOT between the occupants it is beyond the end of the after berth . . . . . see it on the video

The GRP module thing is not a known common fault at all in fact quite a rarity I would say, but any good surveyor would highlight any problems of which there would be likely many more from the older designs.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Get a Macwester Wight; it will get you anywhere, its solid, good value for money, loads of room.

 

[Quidi Vidi]

A biased view, unashamedly, but the performance of bilge keelers has been improved dramatically since the Macwesters and Centaurs. Add to that your wish for a more suitable accomodation plan and you need look no further than the Hunter Horizon 26 or the later and better (more weight added to the bottom of the keels) 27 . . . . . now comes the unashamedly touting bit in the form of a video



the price has since been reduced btw

What a fantastic video, thanks for sharing it. It's everything I could want in a bilge keeler and it will sail well too, a little bit out of my price range but certainly food for thought.

 

[Laurie]

Balsa cored decks?

As do 90% of boats.........why would the same be considered in itself, a problem? Certainly most of not all the alternatives proposed will be of similar construction......

 

[Seajet]

you say that every time, a) the berth is level and b) the rudder post is NOT between the occupants it is beyond the end of the after berth . . . . . see it on the video

The GRP module thing is not a known common fault at all in fact quite a rarity I would say, but any good surveyor would highlight any problems of which there would be likely many more from the older designs.

I'm relating what I found on a test sail, using the acid test of lying on the bunks; the snag with the interior module was reported on these forums.

Hopefully the sole parting was due to a duff batch, but it needs checking.

 

[akyaka]

What a fantastic video, thanks for sharing it. It's everything I could want in a bilge keeler and it will sail well too, a little bit out of my price range but certainly food for thought.

They are quite tender , excellent if you like racing; and are you happy with effectively one large cabin?

 

[Scillypete]

I'm relating what I found on a test sail, using the acid test of lying on the bunks;

Well clearly this one test sail was on a home completed boat, unlikely, or you have confused it with a completely different make/model, highly likely.

there is six foot six of bed length from the aft of the engine box to the foot of the bed, then there is the rudder post and the cockpit drains either side. Lie on the left of the berth and you get 7 yes 7 foot plus of bed length.

 

[tyce]

They are quite tender , excellent if you like racing; and are you happy with effectively one large cabin?

No they are not tender, they are actually quite stiff for a modernish TK. Use'd to have lots of fun racing mine when i hadf it, they go well.
The thing about the sole is debateable as well, i remember the post, its the first and last ive heard of and it was questionable if it was delaminated at all.

 

[Seajet]

Well clearly this one test sail was on a home completed boat, unlikely, or you have confused it with a completely different make/model, highly likely.

there is six foot six of bed length from the aft of the engine box to the foot of the bed, then there is the rudder post and the cockpit drains either side. Lie on the left of the berth and you get 7 yes 7 foot plus of bed length.

It was a pro' built boat, demonstrated by Peter Poland.

 

[Scillypete]

It was a pro' built boat, demonstrated by Peter Poland.

well if that is so then you must have extremely long legs to have even reached the rudder post, unusual in a wafu

And there was me being convinced that you were confusing the Newbridge pioneer, which has an aft double where the rudder post goes through the berth, with the Hunter Horizon 27 where it definitely does not. http://www.newbridge-owners.org/downloads/Pioneer/Sailing-Today-Pioneer.pdf

 

[grumpy_o_g]

No they are not tender, they are actually quite stiff for a modernish TK. Use'd to have lots of fun racing mine when i hadf it, they go well.
The thing about the sole is debateable as well, i remember the post, its the first and last ive heard of and it was questionable if it was delaminated at all.

I'd agree with that. In fact I found the 273 to be a little under-canvased with just the jib and mainsail in light airs if anything, which surprised me after sailing some of their earlier and smaller boats. In fairness it's certainly not slow, in fact I'd say it's a fast cruiser, but it feels a bit like a car whose chassis can take a lot more power unless you set a cruising chute or gennaker when the winds light. There's one of Yachtsnet's excellent archives for it here http://www.yachtsnet.co.uk/archives/hunter-horizon-273/hunter-horizon-273.htm with a very clear picture of the aft berth with mattress/cushions showing the size of it and how unobstructed it is.

Hunters (the UK ones) have a pretty good reputation I think - not overengineered certainly but bits don't fall off them and they are about the easiest of any boat to sail and maintain. Interiors are light and airy and mostly wipe clean if a little sterile until you personalise them. Very easy to sail and pretty easy sail well too, not much hull or keel slap either. Lovely boats...

 

[Quidi Vidi]

Thanks Grumpy, that's a good site for comparing yachts

 

[Nicholas123]

As do 90% of boats.........why would the same be considered in itself, a problem? Certainly most of not all the alternatives proposed will be of similar construction......

Not so.........the ones the op will be looking at within his stated budget will be the older ones before balsa cored decks became popular & then they used to build'um thick just to be on the safe side.You hear some terrible stories about balsa cored decks & I would'nt touch an old one with a barge pole.
Boats like Macwesters Centaurs Sabers & Colvic sailers are I'm pretty sure all solid decks & built like brick *hithouses.
Other things to consider op I would suggest are draft construction of keels etc.

 

[akyaka]

Thanks Grumpy, that's a good site for comparing yachts

It is but only covers boats which have been in their brokerage.

 

[Laurie]

It is but only covers boats which have been in their brokerage.

tis strange, cos awhile ago, when I was running the JOA, I asked if they would like a whole load of info/reviews on the J27 and/or others: I thought it would be of help......to which I received a very enthusiastic reply. So several hours later, after correlating and editing some stuff on the 27 as a starter, I emailed it all off. To which, despite asking, in case it was not what was wanted, I heard nothing. Absolutely nothing. And of course nothing appeared on site either. Oh well.......

 

[bendyone]

We had a Hunter 26 for a few years, good boat well built and plenty of room for it's length.
The only slight concern was it was underpowered by the GM10 which we replaced with a Nanni 14. Transformed the motoring ability when pushing against the tide and wind.

 

[Laurie]

Not so.........the ones the op will be looking at within his stated budget will be the older ones before balsa cored decks became popular & then they used to build'um thick just to be on the safe side.You hear some terrible stories about balsa cored decks & I would'nt touch an old one with a barge pole.
Boats like Macwesters Centaurs Sabers & Colvic sailers are I'm pretty sure all solid decks & built like brick *hithouses.
Other things to consider op I would suggest are draft construction of keels etc.

I believe Centaurs, Marcon (Sabre), Colvics (26/sailors etc) Jaguars, and Cobras have balsa cored deck/coachroofs with ply pads /backing pads in areas of high load or stress.