Wing 25....advice needed!

mrplastic

mrplastic

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Hi All,

After more than two years of being boatless I have finally given into my cravings and decided to buy another boat. This time however I am resisting the urge to spend and eventually lose another small fortune so am curbing my wants and concentrating on my needs....to day sail with my lady around Walton, Harwich, River Stour and the occasional jaunt up to the Deben. Maybe the odd overnight stay on board if the weather holds.
I have come across a very nice restored Wing 25 which appears to fit the bill but I know nothing about sailing such a small craft let alone one with a long keel and tiller. I would appreciate some good advice from anyone who has sailed such a boat or has any relevant advice to give me. At the moment she still has hanked on sails which is not something I am familiar with so am considering upgrading to a roller furler and slab reefing with a stakpack....again your thoughts would be welcomed. Lastly even though she's only 25' I am concerned about her manoeuvrability within a marina, that longish keel will increase her turning circle.......

Many thanks

MrP
 
Don't bother with a furler. The sails are so small it should be easy to handle them without spending lots of money on unnecessary gear.

I can't speak for that design, but long keelers of that size should be easily maneuverable provided the rudder is large enough .... only a little worse than a fin keeler. It's the big and heavy long keelers of 40' + that tend to have a mind of their own when going astern. Just think of all those Folkboats and Contessa's in the marinas.
 
The whole boat as been professionally restored from keel to masthead, the boat looks and smells brand new! A brand new Nanni 10hp engine fitted and not yet run so that should be fine. It's not so much speed I want as stability....will she roll around with that keel? I have previously owned a 29' Jeanneau with a lift keel and that was very skittish but only had a displacement of 2750kg. The Wing is apparently nearing 3 tonnes so I would think a more stable craft?
 
mrplastic said:
The whole boat as been professionally restored from keel to masthead, the boat looks and smells brand new! A brand new Nanni 10hp engine fitted and not yet run so that should be fine. It's not so much speed I want as stability....will she roll around with that keel? I have previously owned a 29' Jeanneau with a lift keel and that was very skittish but only had a displacement of 2750kg. The Wing is apparently nearing 3 tonnes so I would think a more stable craft?
Click to expand...

sounds ok to me
 
mrplastic said:
The whole boat as been professionally restored from keel to masthead, the boat looks and smells brand new! A brand new Nanni 10hp engine fitted and not yet run so that should be fine. It's not so much speed I want as stability....will she roll around with that keel? I have previously owned a 29' Jeanneau with a lift keel and that was very skittish but only had a displacement of 2750kg. The Wing is apparently nearing 3 tonnes so I would think a more stable craft?
Click to expand...
Comes from a period when design was moving away from shapes based on wooden boats and designers exploring the possibilities of GRP construction. Good designer, but the boat struggled to find a place in an over crowded market so very few were built. Likely to be steady and unexciting to sail. In practical terms, the new engine is a big plus, but worth considering converting to roller foresail reefing. Don't need expensive gear - Plastimo will be fine.
 
I remember reading an article about the Wing in one of the sailing comics years ago, in which the enthusiastic owners said it was one of the few boats of its type/size that could fit a deck chair on the foredeck!

Hoskyn's Yacht Directory/Good Yacht Guide (c1990?) says " Very pretty trad. long keel cruiser by Colin Mudie and Van de Stadt. Good performer, surprisingly roomy inc. headroom. Original engine was an air cooled Lister diesel - well ducted and sound proofed but still noisy. Pioneered by Wallace Clark in mid 1960s. 25' x 8' x 3'7". "
 
Wing 25

Thanks Littlesister! Yes she's a very pretty boat (pic attached) thanks for the info!
 

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What a fantastic looking boat, probably quite interesting in reverse but manageable at that size, looks like a mini Nic 32

I would definitely fit a furler, and slab reefing, a tiller mate would be handy if you don't fit an autopilot.

http://www.tillermate.com/introduction.htm

Just had a mooch around the brokerage ads, she does look bit special.
 
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The Wing 25 has a very good reputation and will certainly look after you in a blow.

My only reservation might be the shallow waters you intend to sail.

I wouldn't bother with a furler, with hanked sails you get better performance to windward and you know the sail is going to work as advertised, not maybe jam at an awkward moment; a foresail downhaul line to the head of the sail is handy and all you need.

If you're happy with keeping to deep water rather than drying out on mud, grab her !
 
A nice looking boat, last of the era so probably quite nippy for what she is...

I would not change anything on her for the first year...

Buy her sail her, she is old and has that much time and experience put into her...

I have gone from 19' boat with hank's to a 24' boat with roller furler now I am on a foil and changing head sails again. No plan to go roller furling, for most sailing I do not need to change head sails.

Try the hanked sails they will not be that big, have there advantages and disadvantages. Same same with the main try it see if you like it, roller furling was all the rage for quite some time.

One I would seriously think twice about not fitting is the stack pack, IMHO on small boats they add allot of wind-age and look terrible.

The main on her will not be that big and should be easy enough to stow without.
 
On small boats one major advantage of roller headsail is that you dont need to find space for sails below deck. For me this was a big factor. I'm short of stowage space and getting 3 or 4 sailbags out was a huge improvement. Also, all my headsails were kind of old and worn out. Maybe if I'd had a nice suit of crispy new ones I'd have been less keen...
 
One on the mooring nxt to me in a reasonably exposed bay in Scotland. We had an immense storm last yr and although she was dismasted she survived where others did not. Tougher than old boots, seriously pretty and as for stability she sits well on her swing mooring.
 
Get a furler to make life easier and don't expect great astern control - long keel (any size) means you won't get it. Think of it as a challenge, not a problem, as has been said, hundreds manage. Perfect boat for what you are looking to do and a bit more IMO.
 
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