Thinking of buying.

woodster · Jan 12, 2012

jho11381 said:
What kind of quality is the S2 in the 30 to 37 footer range? Does S2 make a quality blue water boat for long sailing? I just don't know anything about S2s and I'm looking at one to bye. Any input of any type would be helpful. Now I sail a Catalina 22. We are looking for something larger more suitable for long sails over nighters.

from what i have found out they were and still maybe in the top 5 production boats...i am refitting one now .....mine is 32 years old ...it has a good thick hull...and my deck gelcoat is in very good shape....mine was a salvage boat out of texas and had been sitting for a long time with water in the inside about a foot deep over the cabin sole....so i have had lot of work to do ......depending on what you are looking for and the price you are willing to pay you might find theses very good deals....check for water in the balsa core.....hope this helps

regards

woody

BobM · Jan 12, 2012

Long sails vs. blue water

I certainly agree that S2 builds a good boat, however there is a big difference between a good boat and a blue water boat. What is the proper definition of a blue water boat? You can argue that it should have a full keel with a protected rudder, small ports and a keel stepped mast. However, plenty of people have circumnavigated without all those things.

It depends on you really. The 11.0 is a bit different from the 9.2 in that it has a keel stepped mast rather than deck stepped.

There is a really good price on an 11.0 in TX on yachtworld. It has recently bee repowered too. You may have a tough time finding S2's in your neck of the woods as they were made in MI.

Jackdaw · Jan 12, 2012

I've owned an S2, they are usually well built. Some of them sail well, some of them are flat out pigs. Generally the G&S models were good sailors. Avoid any pure shoal keel models without a center board. Otherwise you will learn firsthand why many say that S2 stands for 'Slowly Sideways'.

I'd also get a much better fix on what you are looking for and why. No one seriously shops for a boat in the 30-37 for range. There is a HUGE difference in the operational and upkeep cost between the two. A sail for a 37 will cost twice what a sail for a 30 costs. Slip, bottom painting, rigging, transport, all much more.

How many people? Most S2s (even 37s) are traditional layouts with one true stateroom. Weekend cruising on the two would be the same; owners in the Vee, kids in the saloon.

Oh... any S2 owner knows about the entertaining S2 '13 page letter'.

http://www.angelfire.com/mi/loosecruise/S2/13pageletter.html

ewoden1 · Jan 12, 2012

Stupid question maybe but when you say blue water boat are you really talking about making passages from coast to coast across big stratches of open water? or are we talking about ICW, outer route, and say some trips to the carib. Islands.

Folks at times buy boats with such robust design and construction parameters and never sail them beyond coastal waters. Every boat is a compromise and yes Bob is correct, barring real shoddy examples, successful passagemaking is highly dependant upon seamanship.

If the true use of the vessel will be under more forgiving conditions, dealing with the limitations and cost of heavy intercoastal open water passagemakers might not be worth it to you.

bugbitten · Jan 13, 2012

Well, Greg Nestor does recommend the S2 11.0 in his "Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere," but I think most blue-water folks would come up with a very long list of alternatives they'd prefer.

Take a look at John Neal's site: http://www.mahina.com/cruise.html#boatselection, if you haven't already.

Good luck and enjoy your shopping. There are amazing bargains to be had out there.

John

patrscoe · Jan 13, 2012

S2 does not make a 37', 36' is the largest model i.e. 11.0 meter.
Like any production sailboat, if you're planning to sail offshore, you will need to make modifications; increase cockpit drainage, replace standing rigging, reinforce or inspect chainplates, offshore sails, etc...
Also bluewater sailing is not just about the sailboat but about how experience the sailor is. You can go offshore in a heavy solid sea-worthy sailboat but without solid experience and knowledge, you will most likely struggle upon your first real offshore heavy weather situation or if something breaks and you're unable to jerry-rig a repair.
There was a sailing article about a husband and wife sailing in the Atlantic on a newer 48' plus solid sailboat and the engine broke down; they ended up calling for a rescue.

My previous sailboat was a Pearson 35 which everyone would admit that it is not a bluewater sailboat but the previous owner was 90 yrs old and sailed her to the Bahamas, Bermuda and up and down the NE coast. There was no modifications to the sailboat, he was able to do this because he was a very experience sailor.
Good luck... btw I love our S2 11.0, very solid, well made sailboat.

Jackdaw · Jan 13, 2012

jho11381 said:
Well I'm looking for a fixer-upper boat that would be safe and able to one day do trans atlantic. Strong and able to withstand
all types of weather.

That's a great dream to have. work it!

Two ways to go from your current position and knowledge.

One is to buy a boat that is known to be blue water capable. That way you can grow into it, knowing in advance that the boat will be ready for it when you are. Start your selection here:
http://bluewaterboats.org/

Two is to get a mid-sized learner boat, and then pick your blue-water boat when YOU are able to make the decision about what boat is right and capable.

Maybe you would decide that the S2 is up for it. Some have. You might also figure you want more boat under you.

jrowan · Feb 2, 2012

Actually I believe that I already recommended this website to "JHO" as we already had this long discussion on the Catalina Owners site. JHO, you really need to do some of your own research on the web & books, and not just rely on opinions. Its also not a bad idea to talk directly to sailors in your area with bigger "Blue water" boats, & maybe ask to crew for them. There is no substitute for hands on experience sailing a specific boat to know its characteristics. "Blue water" boats are great to sail when there's very heavy weather blowing. But in normal day to day coastal sailing, with less then 10 knots of wind, they can be real sloths. Sailing a big bathtub can be a real drag in light air. Most folks who have 40 ft+ size boats do s because they are liveaboards. They are a lot of big boats that are great as a floating condo. but aren't worth a darn when they can't point upwind hardly at all due to the resistance of their full keels.

sailcruiser · Mar 15, 2012

Jho I own the 11 meter and no I wouldn't take it on a trans Atlantic type journey. Bahamas or Carribean sure but I think it would need serious modification for me to trust it crossing oceans. It is a great boat and I love mine but I would call it more of a coastal cruiser than blue water boat myself. It is a solid well built boat for this purpose but not what I'd want for trans Atlantic travel.

Affordable fixer upper...check out Pearsons and Bristols both good boat for this idea as are cape dorey, tartan and such.

If you want a S2 to get good experience I'd say absolutely because as mentioned above a lot of blue water sailing is the sailor and not the boat.
SC

BobM · Mar 15, 2012

The reality is that Mother Nature can kick your ass despite almost anything you can afford to put in the water. The best feature a boat can have is a Captain at the helm smart enough to operate within the realm of his/her experience when it counts. Risk management is a big part of the job. Note that nobody got experience sitting at the dock waiting for nice weather. Put a reef in and go out close to home when it is a bit rough out. You will learn a lot about sailing and what your boat can do.