Thoughts on the Flying Scot

kito

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
I am toying with the idea of selling my C22 and get more of a day sailer that would be easier to tow to different lakes and to setup. My H30 will be ready for the water soon and really don't need a C22 and a H30. I am looking for something fun but stable and can handle at least 4 comfortably. I never been on one but the Flying Scot comes to mind. Looking for comments on this boat as far as how it sails, rigging time, stepping the mast etc.
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,470
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I don't have the details you need, but a 50-something couple I know love theirs. They trailer it whenever they go sailing and take others out with them. A much admired boat design.
 
kito

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
What I have read is that they are one of the most stable centerboard daysailers around. It take a lot of wind and a huge brain fart to capsize one. It's and older design but I kind of like the big bow area. You can duck in there if caught in a storm. It could probably get by with a small electric trolling motor too.
 
Rick Webb

Rick Webb

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Jun 2, 2004
3,464
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
May be a good time to buy one.

The GYA (Gulf Yachting Association) has changed it's standard boat from the Scot to the Viper. The GYA is made up of clubs along the Gulf Coast from Houston to Tampa. Many individuals and clubs are now buying Vipers and selling off their Scots.

http://www.gya.org/?page_id=13

I imagine the price of a used Scot has dropped precipitously down around here. If nothing else you can use that to leverage to negotiate a better price where you are.
 
Scott T-Bird

Scott T-Bird

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Oct 26, 2008
6,220
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Sounds like a good choice to me and you should have no problem finding one to suit your budget. Only knock I read is that they aren't particularly performance oriented. For stability, comfort and good overall performance, though, it would seem to be hard to beat it.
 
Sandy Stone

Sandy Stone

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Jun 2, 2007
404
Beneteau First 375 Slidell, LA
Not the best boat upwind, but reaching in a breeze they are amazingly fast, and will plane. Mast stepping is pretty much a 2-person job. We recently had a juniors race where a 30-knot squall came through the fleet, and only 1 boat flipped. Just look closely at the execrable dual reel winches for the halyards and see if you can live with that.
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Take a look at the Rhodes 19. Ballast ratio similar to, half the weight, higher performance, and more cockpit than the C22. The flying Scott (unballasted) requires an attentive crew.
 
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markwbird

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Nov 26, 2012
1,654
C&C 40-2 Berkeley
Fun Boat. I recommend it. This is a board boat not a keel boat. You have to use your body weight to keep it upright like a Sunfish.
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

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Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Keep in mind it IS a dinghy. A stable dinghy, but a dinghy nonetheless. If you're not careful it will go over. Fast. A world away from say a Hunter 20.
 
Brian S

Brian S

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Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
kito said:
What I have read is that they are one of the most stable centerboard daysailers around. It take a lot of wind and a huge brain fart to capsize one. It's and older design but I kind of like the big bow area. You can duck in there if caught in a storm. It could probably get by with a small electric trolling motor too.
Click to expand
I've raced them. About as reasonably stable as you'll get in an unballasted centerboarder. Not horrible to rig. You'd have to do A LOT of ducking to get under the foredeck. With some form of masthead floatation (FS sells a foam "diaper" pocket to go over the head of the mainsail) the boat will float dry on her side, and recover dry. Don't let the mast tip go below the water, or you will be towing a semi-submersible vessel home. There's no recovery from a full turtle or full swamping. Big cockpit allows for more than 4; I vaguely remember 6 kids and 2 counselors at camp... or maybe it was 4 kids.

There are plenty of daysailer boats out there. I'm always a fan of the Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.2, but the seats are the side decks, whereas the Scot has seats below the side decks. When racing in a decent breeze, you're sitting on the side decks of the Scot anyway.
 
Sandy Stone

Sandy Stone

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Jun 2, 2007
404
Beneteau First 375 Slidell, LA
BTW, I wouldn't call the Scot unballasted. The centerboard must weigh a couple hundred pounds at least, but it's not hard to raise with the tackle provided.
 
kito

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
Thanks for all the input so far. The Rhodes 19 and the Boston Whaler look interesting too. I may have to broaden my choices since there are not many Flying Scot's for sale. Lake Norman has a fleet but none for sale.
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,470
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
kito said:
Thanks for all the input so far. The Rhodes 19 and the Boston Whaler look interesting too. I may have to broaden my choices since there are not many Flying Scot's for sale. Lake Norman has a fleet but none for sale.
Click to expand
That's because sailors luv their Scots :p
 
Gunni

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
The Scot centerboard has enough weight (maybe 75 lbs) to keep it down and the boat on her lines when the sails are down. But that old style long-footed main rides on a very long boom, like 12 feet. Between the inertia of that boom swinging across, the relatively large mainsail area, no reefing, and no ballast this is nice 60's era dinghy sailboat good for a limited range of conditions. Once the wind pipes up you have your hands full.
 
Kermit

Kermit

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Jul 31, 2010
5,669
AquaCat 12.5 17342 Wateree Lake, SC
Our club has a Flying Scot fleet. I sailed on hull #2. Immaculate condition and apparently the same design as new ones. I would consider one but don't have answers to your questions. Just got excited to see that you're considering a boat that is popular at our club.
 
Justin_NSA

Justin_NSA

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Jul 7, 2004
8,470
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
I wonder how many sailors named Scott have named theirs "Flying Scott". Just had to put that out there.
 
walt

walt

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Jun 1, 2007
3,532
Macgregor 26S Hobie TI Ridgway Colorado
I think age influences what you might get. I dont know much about the Scot but I had several Hobie cats (14 and 16) and while they were very hard to get to go over, once they did.. they are not easy to upright. For someone young.. no problem to upright and get going again. For someone older.. could be a big problem. Also, even if you have a float at the end of the mast and can upright the boat after a capsize, its easy for a young person to climb back in, not so easy for an older person.
 
kito

kito

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Sep 13, 2012
2,011
1979 Hunter Cherubini 30 Clemmons
Justin_NSA said:
I wonder how many sailors named Scott have named theirs "Flying Scott". Just had to put that out there.
Click to expand
That's funny! I actually first looked into the Flying Scot because my last name is Scott :biggrin:
 
Warren Milberg

Warren Milberg

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Dec 1, 1999
2,391
Hunter 28.5 Chesapeake Bay
Many years ago, I taught sailing on Flying Scots. Great little boats that just about impossible to turn over.
 
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