Which are the best good old daysailers?

[jimshipsky]

My friend recently bought a Catalina 25. He sailed her for three months this summer. He's concluded she'll be fine for weekend or longer cruises on the Maine coast. He loves the cabin space, but she's, shall I say, less than a sprightly performer? So he's looking for a daysailer that will be more fun to sail.

Having invested in the Cat 25, he's looking for a budget daysailer. Something in the 14-19' range. I'm thinking a boat from the 70s, 80s, maybe 90s to suit his budget. A boat where you sit down in the cockpit, not on top of the hull like a Sunfish or Laser, etc. A cuddy for storing boat gear.

He can place a mooring in Bremen, ME harbor, so the boat will only need to be rigged once in the Spring. If rigging takes a while that's OK. On a good day he'll get out into Muscongus Bay's waves and swells, so a boat with a ballast keel, preferably fixed, would be great. Think Herreshoff 12. Just kidding.

There must be plenty of boats fitting this description out there for sale in Maine or New England. My question is: which ones are really a joy to sail?

 

[dlochner]

For simplicity and fun to sail, consider a Flying Scot. Older ones were built in the 1970s and they are still in production. As a one design boat, most if not all of the parts and pieces are still available. There is also an active Flying Scot Association. The organization is very family friendly.

Home | Flying Scot Sailing Association

fssa.com

Sailing a Daysailing boat that has one of the worlds largest racing classes

The Flying Scot Is The Perfect Daysailer Racer! It's great for sailing with your family. You can sail her with the spinnaker or without, and/or with motor.

flyingscot.com

 

[jimshipsky]

Thanks Dave. I agree. I raced on Scots and they perfectly fit the bill. Unfortunately they remain popular and really hold their value. But a Scot will top my list.

 

[dlochner]

Here's one in the right price range and it is more or less in your neck of the woods.

Free Flying Scot in Maine! | Flying Scot Sailing Association

fssa.com

Look for a low hull number and be willing to travel a bit.

 

[jimshipsky]

Dave,
I just shot him an e-mail. That July end date is long gone, but I gave it a shot anyway. Definitely my price range. I'm willing to drive 2 hr. and fix two flat tires for a Scot!
jim

 

[shemandr]

Rhodes 19 with a keel? I don't know if it's self bailing or not, but I don't think the Flying Scot is either.

 

[jimshipsky]

I'm adding the Rhodes to my list. Lots of sailors love them. Lots of clubs have fleets. That's gotta be saying something.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I learned to sail on a Flying Scot. Can't say anything bad about them. Others: Rhodes 19 (stated already above), Precision 15 or 185, Tanzer 16, Lightning 19 and if cat boats are a consideration, there are many to choose from.

 

[jimshipsky]

B. Bill,
Thanks for those suggestions--I'm adding them to my list. I know nothing of the Precisions nor Tanzer. If I spot a good deal on one locally now I'll know to check it out.

 

[jssailem]

If day sailing fun is the goal, I always thought it would be interesting to play with one of the International 2.4 meter boats. Commonly called a Mini 12 Meter.



Excitement…

And a bit of history.

 

[jimshipsky]

Ken does want a boat he can sit IN, not ON. The Mini ticks that box!

 

[capta]

Especially for those cold northern waters you can't beat a Rhodes 19. They come in many configurations (keel, centerboard, etc.) and they are nice, forgiving, and safe small sailing boats.
You aren't going to win any races (unless you are sailing against other Rhodes 19s), but I think they are just about the perfect 1st boat for many sailors.
I also like the Colgate 26. Many consider the Colgate 26 to be absolutely the best value you'll find for a daysailer and racing keelboat in the 22' to 30' range. With her positive foam flotation and durable fiberglass construction, the Colgate 26 is unsinkable. But remember, that's what they said about the Titanic, too.

 

[jimshipsky]

Colgate 26 just went on my list. Thanks.

 

[dlochner]

The Colgate 26 was designed by Jim Taylor for the Colgate sailing programs. Taylor designs attractive fast boats that are easy to sail.

Designs by Jim Taylor Yacht Designs with Photos, Plans & Details

 

[PaulK]

If you're considering a Colgate 26, have a look at a Soling, too. Most will be rigged with self-tacking jibs, and will likely come with trailers. (This makes winter storage quite simple.) Since they're no longer an Olympic class they can be found pretty cheaply all over the East Coast. They sail and handle beautifully, and will plane if you can get enough wind to make it happen.

 

[jimshipsky]

Thank you Dave and Capta. Colgate 26 and Soling now on my list. I used to see Solings sailing in Boston Harbor. Sailing school there used them. Lovely!

 

[stickinthemud57]

I'll throw in a good word for the MacGregor 26S (not to be confused with the X or the M).

Pro's
-Being a water ballast boat, it is very lightweight when trailering. 1650 lbs for the boat (with ballast tank empty) and 800 for the trailer, it trailers nicely behind my Dodge Grand Caravan.
-Easy setup when using the gin pole with attached winch, or use your trailer winch with a mod I developed. I will send you the link if you are interested.
-Full queen-sized berth under the cockpit - VERY few boats offer this. No tangling with the Admiral's feet like in a V-berth. Has sleeping space for five, but frankly I would three grownups is about the limit for overnighting. Four if you are really good friends.
-Performs really nicely. I have taken first place in several races.
-Very affordable. In good condition, they go for about $8000. If you are patient, you can probably find one for a lot less.
-Points pretty well (though not as good as a J-boat, of course). With the airfoil rudder and decent sails, it points as well as the other boats I race against.
-With the centerboard and rudder up, draws 1.5 feet. Great for shallow or unknown waters, and can be beached easily. Both the centerboard and the rudder kick up if you strike bottom, so grounding is far less a problem than fixed keel or swing keel boats.
-Parts (and helpful advice from a knowledgeable source easy to find at bluewateryachts.com.
-Self righting, and factory-installed flotation renders it practically unsinkable.
-Active and helpful forum at macgregorsailors.com.

Con's
-Not a blue water boat
-Will heel more than a fixed keel or swing keel boat

I look at ads for other boats all the time, but I have yet to see a boat that I would rather own than my MacGregor 26S.

 

[jon hansen]

fits all the OP's questions

person ensign

 

[shemandr]

Ensign is a good boat. She’ll take care of you. But like a lot of boats mentioned here, not self bailing and not really trailerable. The OP did mention keeping the boat on a mooring so self bailing would be nice - not mandatory but nice. OP did not ask for trailer-ability.

 

[dLj]

There must be plenty of boats fitting this description out there for sale in Maine or New England. My question is: which ones are really a joy to sail?

So with all the good suggestions already put out above, I've really not much to add except: Why this sounds like just about the best excuse to go sail as many boats as you can of as many different designs that happen to be available.

Kind of like when I was choosing wines for an important dinner. Several close friends and I had to drink a lot of different wines over a few months to settle on which ones we wanted to have available at the dinner.....

dj