S2 11 C

Sep 7, 2017
9
S2 S2 9.2 C Medford, Oregon
Hello to everyone here.
I previously started a thread searching for an S2 9.2 Center Cockpit to tour before deciding to purchase. Thank you to everyone who helped!

We found an owner in Portland (We live in Medford, Oregon, 250 miles from the nearest coast line)., who graciously gave us a tour of their boat. WOW! What a difference between listing photos and experiencing the real thing in person! Tresa and I LOVED the layout, but were surprised at how small the interior was compared to the photos we saw. Especially the aft cabin: We could barely sit up, let alone stand!

We've since decided to go for the 11 meter (36'), Center Cockpit, especially after watching a you-tube video tour where the person shooting the video included himself in some of the footage. He was 6' tall and could easily stand up in the aft cabin!

We're now hoping to find an owner of the S2 11 Center Cockpit between Portland and the Southern California area, willing to give us a tour of their boat. We're going to fly down to Los Angeles between Christmas and New years, so anywhere in the southern California area would be great! (We'd be willing to drive down to San Diego if needed.

Please note: We've seen listings for S2 11 Center Cockpit boats that turned out to be the 35' version... VERY different boat! (Balsa cored hull, different head and aft cabin layout). We're not looking for that boat! ;) (We're also not interested in the "A" version, aft cockpit).

If anyone owns or knows of anyone who owns an S2 11 (36') center Cockpit that would be willing to let us look at their boat, Tresa and I would be so grateful!

Thanks!
Richard & Tresa
 

BobM

.
Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
There were only 66 built vs. 156 9.0C's ever built. S2's were very popular near where they were built in MI on the Great Lakes but it may be tough to find a boat to tour.

I know you are both experienced, but buying a boat based on head height in the aft cabin, never mind a tub on a sailboat (my Mom once bought a camper because it was the smallest one she could get with a tub and she NEVER used it) is mistaken prioritization. You didn't mention a budget, as I recall.

A boat with an integral keel that drafts 5.5' may also be a challenge in the Caribbean and ICW due to high potential for grounding. At least lead will bend. When you damage your integral keel you usually need a haul out in a hurry. And a boat suitable for New England (heater) may not be best in the Caribbean (AC).

At 60+ common sense suggests prioritizing ease of handling and safety (wide decks, high coamings, tee shaped cockpit preferably with a walk out transom and swim platform to ease boarding) so you cruising adventure is a long and enjoyable one. My friend had a smaller Freedom and the stayless Cat rig with a self tending jib was criminally easy to sail and a heck of a performer in light air with the huge main (lots of area up top). It may not be a brand you are familiar with. The only issues are cored hulls and carbon fiber masts (never heard of a mast failure though).

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1994/Freedom-Yachts-35-3135362/Beverly/MA/United-States#.WdKxmFtSxrQ

I find the open floorplan on my 9.2A much more liveable than a cabin full of furnishings. Liking the Freedom but not the carbon fiber mast may make this odd duckling attractive and this is pretty local. Hunter isn't anyone's idea of a blue water boat, but you aren't really saying blue water cruiser in your posting.

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/198...96862/Bremerton/WA/United-States#.WdKzEFtSxrQ

Decent 11.0C in CT now for cheap ($25K, looks nice), but original engine...probably not used much though.
http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1983/S2-36-3125759/Westport/CT/United-States#.WdKtzFtSxrQ
 
Sep 7, 2017
9
S2 S2 9.2 C Medford, Oregon
Hi Bob!
Laughing here (not at you! More about laughing at how I appear sharing the priority of standing headroom in the aft cabin as the basis for choosing a boat! LOL!)
Tresa and I have a long history of blue water sailing and I've refitted several boats One that really started from a hull and deck only!
We have searched around on the internet looking at LOTS of boats looking to find something (maybe other than the S2 11C), and we keep coming back to the S2... Yes, I'm familiar with the Freedom... Like the S2 35C, I don;t even wan t to think about a cored hull and not sure I trust a CF mast (although I work with composites with experience building home built aircraft and composites can be super strong.) It's not just the standing headroom aft, but the entire boat. We absolutely LOVE the layout below (and on deck). We're looking more at live aboard and "exploring" rather than true "cruiser"... We're willing to trade less than stellar sailing performance for livable comfort below. I'm familiar with the pitfalls of the free-board and raised cockpit and only pray that I don't have to deal with high wind dock/slip approaches (well, at least not often! LOL!)
As my research notes read, the S211C also came in a shoal draft version at 4' 8"... This is a MUST for us!
The boat listing you shared has been on our bookmarked page list for a while. I've also been eyeing a freshwater S2 11C with the shoal draft (I think it's in Wisconsin?) with an asking price of $35k... I think that's about our limit price-wise based on survey.
Our cruising territories will be the ICW, Bahamas, gulf coast and "maybe" further south into the Caribbean.
The reality is, Tresa has 2.5 years before she retires, so we are doing our "homework" WAY in advance ... on all fronts.
OK... got to get back to work... Just handed another prototype project due in four weeks that could actually pay for most of the boat we're looking for... (Don't be too envious! I usually work 18+ hours a day, 7 days a week until I meet the deadline... and the stress? You don't even want to know! ;)

Thanks again!
PS: As set as we might sound on the S2, we're always willing to take a look at another boat we may not have heard about! I am aware that there are not too many of these around. :(
 
Sep 7, 2017
9
S2 S2 9.2 C Medford, Oregon
PS: I'd describe our sailing/cruising intentions as definitely coastal in nature with one to two overnight long trips depending on destination and waiting VERY patiently for weather windows. (Think "Day sailing" without coming back to port. LOL!) Other boats we've looked at include Morgan OI CC (not my cup of tea, but...), Endevour, and Watson as well as several others, but we've really fallen in love with the S2 11C... With two years to find one, maybe being ready to purchase in one, I'm hoping we can find one that works for us. ;)
OK... I really need to get back tow work.
Thanks again
 
Nov 24, 2014
159
Catalina 310 Staten Island
If you are interested, there is a brokerage S2. 9.2c for sale in Huntington Long Island and the price is only 12k, looks to be in good shape. Would have bought it myself, if I did not already trade my Pearson 27 for a Catalina 310. IMHO, that S.2 is F*cking ugly but has a great personality. A steal at that price
 
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Sep 7, 2017
9
S2 S2 9.2 C Medford, Oregon
Thanks so much for thinking about us mentioning the S2 9.2! (Sure are a lot more of them around compared to the S2 11C! :(
The S2 9.2C was the "first" boat we "fell in love" with... (For OUR purposes and living style). We found one in Portland to tour and drove 450 miles one way to go see her in person... we're serious!
We were shocked at the difference between what we "thought" we saw in all the many listing photographs we collected, compared to the reality of walking around! To get to the aft cabin, you almost had to crawl though the passage, ducking really low... The berths were tiny, the main cabin was much more cramped than we had imagined, etc... So the 9.2 was taken off our list. We continued looking at other brands in the 30' to 37' range, preferably with an aft cabin and mandatory, fairly shoal draft.
The S2 11C has LOTS more room/space based on the video tours we've seen on YouTube. They were also made with a shoal draft (Which for us, reduces our chances of finding one.) We just want to experience an S2 11C first hand, before becoming fixated on it as we did with the 9.2.
Regarding the S2 center cockpit boats being "ugly"... It seems )in the many threads we've read regarding "aesthetics"), MANY sailors agree with you, that they're "ugly"... To us, she's beautiful! Mind you, my neck can almost snap my head off when I even sense that a truly beautiful boat like a Kettenberg passes our way! (I LOVE wood boats... from a distance! Way too much maintenance! LOL!)
Thanks again!
Best,
Richard
 
May 26, 2018
7
S2 9.2C Long Island, NY
If you are interested, there is a brokerage S2. 9.2c for sale in Huntington Long Island and the price is only 12k, looks to be in good shape. Would have bought it myself, if I did not already trade my Pearson 27 for a Catalina 310. IMHO, that S.2 is F*cking ugly but has a great personality. A steal at that price
I just bought this boat. She sure is ugly, and needs a little work, but she's in pretty good shape overall. I grew up sailing on fresh water lakes, so I was looking for something cheap to make my transition to coastal cruising and this little S2 fit the bill for me. It's a big transition going from 19 foot Lightnings to a 30 ft center cockpit; at least for me it is. I've never even owned a boat with an engine before! This boat was cheap enough that I felt I could comfortably risk learning on it and afford to make some mistakes. I'd be happy to show it to anyone thinking about buying an S2 though, so they know what they're getting in to. Overall I like it so far. It suits my modest needs.
 
Nov 24, 2014
159
Catalina 310 Staten Island
I just bought this boat. She sure is ugly, and needs a little work, but she's in pretty good shape overall. I grew up sailing on fresh water lakes, so I was looking for something cheap to make my transition to coastal cruising and this little S2 fit the bill for me. It's a big transition going from 19 foot Lightnings to a 30 ft center cockpit; at least for me it is. I've never even owned a boat with an engine before! This boat was cheap enough that I felt I could comfortably risk learning on it and afford to make some mistakes. I'd be happy to show it to anyone thinking about buying an S2 though, so they know what they're getting in to. Overall I like it so far. It suits my modest needs.
congratulations on the boat. Great choice, considering your needs and budget. IMHO, its major drawbacks are a complicated and difficult to service steering mechanism, something that is common to almost all center cockpit yachts. Also the original engine is a bit underpowered for the size of the vessel. Hope to see some pictures soon of your new yacht
 

BobM

.
Jun 10, 2004
3,269
S2 9.2A Winthrop, MA
Congratulations on the 9.2C! I was on board one down in MD five plus years ago. The owner had changed the engine (which was a huge PITA according to him) and sold me some spares for my 2QM15. We went for a brief sail, but there wasn't any wind to speak of.