Ideas for a big daysailor

[Norton]

Frequently, in the regular "which boat should I buy threads" the originator of the question is asked their intended uses for the boat to be purchased. The answers tend to be more slanted toward cruising and the occasional passagemaker in the threads I've read. I want a giant, comfortable daysailor with a head. I have an O'Day 23 and the cabin area is somewhat wasted space for me. The accommodations it has do not lure me to overnight on the boat. I'm big and 6'3" and live on the gulf coast where it is hot most of the time. My boat is an hour from my home, so I am already "away" when I get to sail. If I had the free time to travel to some gorgeous location perhaps the hot, cramped (for me) quarters would seem more inviting. My daydreams are often of coastal cruising, or long passages, but I realize for the time being I will, for the most part, be a day sailor. While the O’Day is a fine boat that suits most of my needs I would prefer more cockpit room. I would like a shoal draft boat, big enough to accommodate 8 or more, to be somewhat stiff yet small enough to singlehand and not be outrageous to maintain. A Pearson Commander is along the lines of what I am thinking about, but I am wondering if there is something similar in the 28' to 30' range? What other options exist along these lines that might bring a bit more performance to the table?

 

[Bill18593]

Cal T2...

might fit the bill. Olsen 30 comes to mind, but maybe not for singlehanding and might need a little more water than with a shoal keel.O'Day 30s are nice but maybe a little small in the cockpit for 8.

 

[Russell10327]

Try this for a Day Sailor

Now this is my kind of day sailor!

 

[Ward Niffenegger]

Colgate 26

You may not like it, but this boat is EXACTLY what you describe.

 

[Al]

just what you want

go find your self a Newport 30 or 33, it has just about everything your asking for exccept the shoal keel. I've had mine for 3 years and have weathered some storms of lake erie. Sail it singlehanded every so often. sleeps 6 or 7 if they're kids

 

[HukilauMike]

I agree with the Colgate idea

My good friend has the Colgate; the cockpit is enormous and can easily fit 6 adults with comfort, and 8 if they are friendly. It was originally designed as a boat for sailing schools, made to allow a large number of adults to sail and move about comfortably in the cockpit. Wide side decks aft also allow for comfortable sitting above the cockpit. Also, the boat's stern pulpit wraps all the way around the cockpit, making it a safe place. The boat is fairly stiff and nice to sail too. If daysailing with a large group is your thing, you will be delighted with this boat. A couple of quibbles with it: no privacy for use of the porta potti unless you close up the cabin hatchboards (a big drawback for the Admiral); also, the open transom with afterdeck combined with the relatively forward placement of the tiller means that the outboard is too far from the helmsman for easy control. It really takes two to manuver the boat comfortably under power: one to steer, and one to control the throttle/gears of the outboard. I think you could overcome this by getting an outboard that has the throttle and gear shift combined on one control, and then adding an extension.You might also want to look into the Oday Tempest. The boat is 23 feet like your current boat, but the cabin is smaller and the cockpit bigger. Not as big as a Colgate, but bigger than the 23. It is a heavy boat. The Ensign is also a 24 footer with a small cabin and big cockpit. Depending on your budget, you might also want to check out the Alerion (a 28 foot daysailer from TPI) or that Hinckley.

 

[Warren 22]

Ensign

If your not going to "trailer".....Look for a used Pierson Ensign.

 

[Wanderer138]

A couple of options

I'm a huge fan of the Flying Scot, which I think would address all your needs except possibly the size. Check their website at www.fssa.org. There is also a larger version of this boat called a Highlander but they are pretty rare.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Chris Burti]

Cal 27-T/2

Our last boat was one of these Lapworth designed 1/2 ton IOR racers. In a lot of respects, they are like a mini Cal-40. They are an absolute hoot downwind. Very stiff and well balanced. I've been on a broad reach in wind with gusts to 35 knots while flying a 135 with full main and no broaching or rounding up.I'm 6'2" and there is lots of cockpit room, though headroom is very restricted in the cabin.It sails just like a big dingy and I have smoked a Tartan 40 in a light air tacking duel while single handed. I have also soloed the chute on it.Draft is 4'6"

 

[Don K.]

Project boat

How about a project boat? Do you have any boat building skills or anyone that does? Mini-cruisers are designed to 'jam' in as many berths as a selling tool. If you had 6 berths - just think about it - where are you going to put your gear, extra sails. I like your idea of a large cockpit daysailer. How about making a project by purchasing a sailboat with a good hull and a poor deck (they are around). Remove the deck and build a deck with a cuddy cabin and a self-bailing cockpit. You could take 10 friends along and have a great time. Most people only day-sail with 23-26 foot trailerable boats anyway. This would be a FUN BOAT!

 

[Wanderer138]

Sorry, wrong info

I provided the wrong URL for the Flying Scot website. The correct URL is in the link below.A search for information about the Highlander on Google under "highlander sail" turned up some promising results. Here are a couple:sailhighlander.org/about/http://www.sailhighlander.org/There were also links to classified ads and I saw several boats for sale under $2000 (they go all the way up to $6200.PeterH23 "Raven"

 

[Lee Bar 30trailer]

30' trailersailer that will launch at a ramp lift

A old design from 1977 that has 4 berths that are 6ft6in.each,12v lift keel 2ft.draft up and 5ft,down,6ft.standing head room ,a head in it's own room,50% of total boat is the keel,can be sailed by only one man EZ(if he know what he is doing)total boat is 4500lb.s 30ft X 8ft. beam and came with a selftecking roller jib .OK what is it???? C&C MEGA 30,1977 to 1980 they built about 200hows that one for fitting the bill

 

[Don K.]

Hey Lee Bar

The answer is also a very cheaply built Cliper 30 that needed reinforcement in the bow to keep the hull from oil canning.

 

[Lee Bar 30trailer]

Don,?Clipper Marine 30 is the one?

It's OK for Clipper Marine 30 for what it was made to do,but was a super low cost 30' and had same rig as CM26,so was very slow,I don't think Clipper Marine was designed even near as well as the C&C's were. C&C's trailsailor was a hot rod at the time,but in the very late 70's and first of the 80's 100dered of boat co.s whent belly up,things had been going strong in mid 70's lots of sailboat sale for all,by 79 was a bad time to sell new ground braking designs. like the Mega 30,but who know the bottom would fall out of all sailboat sales,took till mid 80's for things to pick any.Clipper M 30 had no ligft keel,but the cabin was roomy,it just sailed slow.

 

[Norton]

re ideas

Thanks all for taking the time to respond. I think the Colgate is closest to what I am looking for, but probably not stiff enough for what I have in mind, and stradling the mast to use the head would not work. As for a project boat maybe one day, no time now. I sure liked that Hinckley, hum, maybe if one sinks and is salvaged and then gets repo'd, and then I bid at the sheriff's auction.....

 

[Kes]

Rob ... how often do you intend to sail with 8 people aboard/ Do you intend to overnight with 8 people aboard? If your amswer is "YES" to both of these questiona, then I can't help you.If most of your sailing involves just one or two people, my I suggest you take a lok at the MAC25? It offers a great combination of size, safety, compfort and PRICE. Read the Mac25 Owner comments on this website for a "feel" of how their owners feel about theis fine ship!

 

[Don K.]

Back again Re. Project Boat

I restorerd a Chrysler 26 with a swing Keel just recently and now I have a good boat on deck and below. If I had more wisdom how I was going to use this boat I would have gone the project boat route. I have a friend (power boat)that is doing just that. He found a great hull and removed the deck and is building a new deck with a small cuddy cabin with two berths and a head and posibly a shower. I have many friends that like to daysail with me but the cockpit is so small. A boat with a swing keel about 28' that I could take out 6+ Guests would be a real fun boat without sleeping room for 6 down below.

 

[Norton]

Don your on the same page as me.

Any hull ideas?

 

[Don K.]

Rob

Start out by scouting out all the boatyards and storage yards. Every boatyard has some boats stored that have good hulls but the decks are shot. It will take some looking around on your part. They are not advertised and the yards would like to get rid of them.