Whicyh 25 footer?

L

LORDNELSON

Well-Known Member
Joined
6 Sep 2002
Messages
908
Location
West Sussex, England
Visit site
I am loking for a grp boat, sleep 2, reasonable headroom, lifting keel, good bathroom/heads, any age, good sailing performance to be used mainly in the Solent/Spithead. Would be kept in Chichester harbour. Does such a boat exist and, if so, what suggestions have you? Thanks
 
There are loads of 25' ish boats around with a swing / drop keel. It's the bathroom bit that is gonna be the killer, you want a bathroom on a 25 foot sailboat!!??

Leave wifey at home and buy a bucket! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No, ok joking aside, I think you mean a reasonably sized heads? That's a tough one really, if you would accept a bilge keeler, or even a fin keeler I would say have a look at maybe summat like a Westerly Centaur 26 foot with loads of room for their size.

But if swing / drop keeler it must be, I think you may have a problem, it's the heads, and the headroom, that will be the stumbling blocks, I think.

Trouble is, all this is very subjective, reasonable headroom to me is about 5' 11" to 6', but I think it was Uffa Fox that said, "If you want to stand up, go on deck" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Be interesting to see if anybody has any bright ideas, but it's 0500 on Sunday morning, and I am fresh out!
 
I was in a similar position as you I wanted a lift keeler around 25 ft. My sailing area is the east coast a lift keel for me of course is ideal for shallow water and beeching.

I was lucky recently to find and purchase a boat not many people know much about an Anderson 26, which at the moment looks promising to suite my needs.

Prior to buying the Anderson my mind was pretty well set on a Super Seal 26, everyone I have spoken to who owns one doesn't have many bad words to say against them.

The only other boat I did consider was an Evolution 25 which like the Seal are pretty quick!
 
The feeling 720 is a good suggestion.

We have a Jeanneau Tonic. 23ft which has worked well for us. "Boaty feel" open plan interior, with usable separate heads compartment, the solid door to the heads gives about the most privacy you will get on a boat of this size. It has a substantial cast iron stub keel weighing I believe some 450Kgs giving a draught of 2ft 6" when up out of which swings a metal plate taking the draught to 4ft 6". It is trailerable weighing approx 2300kgs on the trailer. We have had it 5 years, an alternative might be the Benneteau 235 which is I believe similar.

A newer model is the Jeaneau 24.2.
 
I would second the Evolution 25.

There is a separate heads compartment in the usual place.
It is a bit narrow but you wold not get thrown about much in a seaway.

You don't see many up for sale.

If you want a look at ours send me a PM.
She is under my bed for the winter.

Their natural home, along with the sister design the Evolution 26 is Christchurch.
 
Hunter Delta

Have a look at the Hunter Delta 25
Separate heads
Sails extremely well, a killer to windward and will out point many boats longer than 25'
very stable with keel up.
Excellent stowage down below.
Only down side is they all came out with an outboard. Some have been converted to inboard and these will fetch a better price.
I owned one for a couple of years. Would have bought a Superseal if I could have found one at the time - just that bit bigger with full standing headroom. And the keel retracts into a keel box.
The Hunter keel retracts into the cabin, which makes things smelly if there's mud about. Advantage is that you can use the space above the keel box with keel down.
Oh, and Hunter boats are still in business, so you have support if you need spares or advice.
 
I like the Uffa Fox quote - sounds just like him! You can just imagine him changing into his dinner jacket, in the 'cabin' of his cramped 22 Square Metre...
 
Re: Hunter Delta

Second the Hunter Delta, we sail ours from Chichester Harbour, good up wind, excellent drying out, genrally seem to be better put together than the evolution and not as heavy as the superseal but with the balast in the keel, ie stiffer but slower in the light stuff. Like the outboard as it is much simpler to service etc. but be aware you may not be able to motor into a heavy sea above 5-6, however as it sails so well in these conditions this is not usually an issue. Like our a lot.
 
Re: Hunter Delta

We looked at a hunter delta when we where boat hunting.
Found one that seemed under priced.
When we asked why it turned out that she had capsized and sunk when left on a drying mooring with the keel up.

We crossed the Delta of the list!
 
Re: Hunter Delta

You may find that the Hunter delta and the Evo 25 / 26 both suffer equally from sinking when capsized on the mud with the keel up as neither have encased keel cases, please corret me if I'm wrong. I belive that they have very similar amounts of balast and simlar hull shapes so are likly to have the same stability with their keels up. The Evo 25 undoubtedly has better head room and in my opion a more honest coach roof line. PS we bought one that had sunk, due to being holed(2ft square) in the side at the water line while on its mooring, and had subsequently capsised, this is a risk with this type of boat.
 
Re: Hunter Delta

The Evolution has only 1/2 its ballast in the keel the remainder is lead shot cast in resin under the cabin sole this keeps the center of gravity low even with the keel raised.

I understand that all the Delta's ballast is all in the keel and thus when it is raised the Centre of Gravity is a lot higher and the boat is more susceptible to capsize.

I believe that the Delta that I was talking about was capsized by high winds and then sank due to down flooding.

I don't believe that the open top keel box should cause either type of boat to sink unless it had some other problem that reduced its buoyancy enough to allow water to flood in.
i.e. If heeled to 90° without any other problem the keel box (and the keel would be above water level.

With all the above I would not want to leave my boat unattended on a drying mooring.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top