Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The Boat List

So now that I have some criteria, we can look at some specific models. I have been doing plenty of searches throughout the net and around my area and have a good idea of the type of boat I need to narrow it down. But to keep myself on track, I have been using a list developed by Mahina Expeditions and the cruisers who post on Sailnet.com. The list includes all known SEAWORTHY boats. It excludes those who have known full-time cruising deficiencies. The original list can be found here. The list below is chopped to only show the boats in my size range.

Whenever I am searching for boats, if it ain't on this list, I will skip it. If any of my friends or family come across a boat for sale and think "I wonder if this would be good for Erick?", consult this list. If it is within my budget...LET ME KNOW ABOUT IT! It should be noted that any of these designs that are bigger than the models listed here will probably do as well.

Here is the list:

  • Able 32 * USA Superb quality, expensive. Chuck Paine designs.
  • Alajuela 33 * USA Good value, well built
  • Alberg 30, 35 * USA Early f /g boats. Well proven, not expensive.Narrow, short waterlines, graceful overhangs.
  • Alden 38 * USA Classy, well built, beautiful & expensive.
  • Allied 30, 32, 33, 35, 36, 39* USA Good value. Functional, practical.
  • Amel 36 * FRA Strong, well designed. Excellent passagemaker, great value. Low maintenance.
  • Amazon 29, 37 * CAN Steel boats, attractive modern designs.
  • Annie 28 * USA Every boat built by Morris is a work of art!
  • Aries 32
  • Bayfield 29, 30 32, 40 * CAN Good value. A bit “plasticy” interiors but ok.
  • Bowman 36 * ENG Strong boats. Excellent passagemakers.
  • Bristol 27 * USA Good boats. Later models were better quality.
  • Bristol Channel Cutter 28 USA Well built, not my personal choice. Good company.
  • Cabot 36 * CAN Ted Brewer design
  • Cal 30, 34, 36, 39, 40 * USA Bill Lapworth designs. Many 2-46’s have circumnavigated.Comfortable, reasonably priced but look very carefully at bulkhead attachment.
  • Caliber 28, 33, 35, 38, 40 USA Fairly well built. Michael McCreary designs.
  • Cambria 40 * USA Fast, well built, gorgeous and expensive.
  • Camper Nicholson 31, 32, 35, 38, 39, 40 * ENG Out of business except for shipbuilding. Watch for serious blister problems on all models.
  • Cabo Rico 34, 36, 38, 40 *CRI Crelock and Paine designs. Expensive, semi custom.
  • Cape Dory all models * USA All models are well designed & built.
  • Cape George Cutters 31, 36, 38 USA Some owner completed. Strong & fast. Sometimes great value.
  • Cascade 36 USA 1965-67 design still being built. Narrow. Many owner-finished.
  • Centurion by Wauquiez (not Beneteau) 36-59 FRA Centurion’s built before Wauquiez sold to Beneteau are solid, but w/limited tankage. Later Beneteau-built models are not appropriate or impressive except for dockside living.
  • Contessa 26 & 32 * CAN, ENG Tania Aebi & B.J. Caldwell both circumnavigated in 26's.
  • Contest 31, 35, 36, 38, 40 HOL More common in Europe. Well built, new boats are very attractive.
  • Corbin 39 * CAN Roomy and strong, but watch for hull blisters.
  • Crealock 31, PH 32, 34, 37, 40 by Pacific Seacraft * USA Good value and well built. Graceful overhangs, canoe sterns, short waterlines means these boats may hobbyhorse upwind.
  • CS36T
  • CSY 37 * USA Sturdy, roomy & reasonably priced but old.
  • Deerfoot Yachts * Var Fast & innovative, aluminum & fiberglass hulls.
  • Dickerson 36, 37, 40 * USA Nicely proportioned & well built boats. Earlier 36’s are very reasonably priced.
  • Downeast 32
  • Endurance 35, 38, 40 * Var Peter Ibold design, some owner completed. Built by various yards in ENG, USA & Canada.
  • Esprit 37 by Nordic * USA Perry design. Comfortable, well proven, good value.
  • Fast Passage 39 USA Some built in Canada, some by Tollycraft. WA. Excellent boat.
  • Freya 39 * USA Good value. Many owner-completed, so quality varies. FAST, full-keel design capable of 200 mpd!
  • Fuji Fuji 32
  • Gladiateur 33 * FRA Very sturdy, short on tankage, Waquiez built.
  • Goderich 35, 37 * CAN Attractive Brewer steel boats. Short production run.
  • Gozzard 31, 36 CAN Good design & construction. Totally committed quality company.
  • Hallberg-Rassy, 31,312,33,35,352,36,38,382,39 SWE
    Well built, comfortable, with good tankage & storage. Newer Frers designs have better
    sailing performance than earlier Enderlien boats. Excellent resale value. Excellent
    systems integration and detail.
  • Halmatic 30 * ENG Similar to Nicholson 31. Watch for blisters.
  • Hinkley 30-64 USA Attractive, highest quality, and expensive. Hold their value well. Modest tankage & storage.
  • Hood 38 * FRA Waquiez built, Hood design. Strong, fast, & attractive. Short on tankage.
    Centerboard rattles downwind. Solid choice
  • Island Packet 32, 35, 350, 37, 38, 40 USA Roomy & comfortable with good tankage & storage but some odd features. Continually improving. Good value, exc. company.
  • J-Boats/32, J/42 USA Fast, light. Excellent sailing performance. Minimal tankage and storage. Fast downwind, pound heavily upwind. Ck keels!
  • Jason 35 from Miller Marine * USA Some owner completed. Several have cruised extensively.
  • Justine 36 * USA Gorgeous Paine design, Morris built cruiser.
  • Kaiulani 34, 38 * USA Lovely steel Brewer & Yohe designs. Very limited production.
  • LM 27, 28, 290, 30, 315, 32, 380 DEN Some have inside steering. Well built and impressive.
  • Linda 28 * USA Gorgeous design, Morris quality.
  • Leigh 30 * USA Very well built, attractive Morris.
  • Luders 33, DOVE * USA Older, well built by Allied.
  • Malo 36, 38, 39 SWE Quality offshore boats with good sailing performance. Attractive, reasonably priced. Strong company, good service.
  • Mariah 31 * USA At least one circumnavigation. Pacific Seacraft built.
  • Mason 33 * TAI Some of the very best Taiwan built boats.
  • Mercator 30 * USA Inexpensive, obscure. One has circumnavigated
  • Moody 38 * ENG Good designs but some quality-control issues.
  • Morgan 382, 383 * USA Excellent Ted Brewer design for around $60K.
  • Morris 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 USA Chuck Paine design. Superb quality, highest quality US yard building cruising boats. Expensive. Semi-custom.
  • Najad 330, 361, 370, 390 SWE Quality, attractive boats. Excellent sailing performance. Good tankage, storage and high level of craftsmanship.
  • Niagara 31, 35 * CAN Well built & roomy. Superb value.
  • Nordic 34, 40 * USA Attractive boats, some solvable problems with mast step deflection on the 40 & 45.
  • Norseman 400 * TAI Strong, fast, and attractive. Have held their value well.
  • Orion 27 * USA Offshore capable. Pacific Seacraft built.
  • Pacific Seacraft 34, 37 * USA Well built boats, good resale. Graceful overhangs.
  • Pearson 35, 365 * USA Fairly well built, not flashy but reasonably priced.
  • Passport 40 TAI Modem Perry cruising design. Good storage/tankage.
  • Pretorien 35 * FRA Strong, fast & attractive. Built by Waquiez. Best value for a boat under $85,000. Modest tankage.
  • Rafiki 37
  • Regina of Vindo, 38 SWE Attractive, well built, quality deck saloon. In a class of their own for quality and design.
  • Rival 36 * ENG Strong, good-looking and sailing boats.
  • RobinHood 36, 40
  • Rustler 36 ENG Totally impressive, quality boat and company.
  • Sabre 34, 362, 38, 402USA Built in Maine, great quality, but limited tankage and storage.
  • Sadler 34 * ENG Unsinkable, fast, great performance. Good choice.
  • Saga 35* CAN Modern Perry design. Fast innovate and narrow. The 43 is a very tried and proven design.
  • Saturna 33 * CAN Attractive, Bill Garden designed pilothouse cutter.
  • Scanmar 35 * SWE Limited production but good design.
  • Seawind 30, Seawind II 32’ * USA Excellent boats. Good value. First. Built by Allied Yachts
  • Shannon 32, 36, 38, 39 USA Good reliable boats. Hold their value well.
  • Southern Cross 28, 31, 35, 39 * USA Good boats. Attractive designs. Fairly well built.
  • Spencer 35 * CAN Older, solid boats, built in Vancouver, B.C.
  • Shearwater 39 RSA Strong, traditional and attractive.
  • Tayana 37
  • Tartan 3500, 37, 3700 * USA Well proven several 37’s have circumnavigated. Some designs have centerboards.
  • Tashiba 31, 36, 40 * TAI Perry designs. From the best yard in Taiwan.
  • Trintella HOL Roomy and well built. Newer designs are aluminum and exp.
  • Triton 29 by Pearson * USA Good value, sturdy. Earliest F/g production boat.
  • Valiant 32, 37, 39, 40 nUSA Major blister problems on Valiant 40 hull numbers 116 250. No problems with any of the excellent Texas built boats. Proven designs, strong company.
  • Vancouver 27 * CAN Also built in Taiwan & England.
  • Vangard 32 * USA Good value. Phil Rhodes design, built by Pearson
  • Vega 27, by Albin Marine * SWE At least six have circumnavigated. Inexpensive, fast.
  • Victoria 30, 34 ENG Chuck Paine design, Morris built.
  • Vindo 29, 34, 38, 39 SWE Attractive, well built, but high maintenance.
  • Vineyard Vixen 30, 34 * USA Attractive design.
  • Willard 8 Ton
  • Westerly 26 36 ENG Not flashy, but fairly well built boats.
  • Westsail 28, 32, 39 * USA Sturdy boats. 39’s are rare & attractive. Perry design.
  • Yankee 26, 30 * USA S & S designed. Inexpensive and capable. Great value.


2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Something you may want to add to your list:

Williard 8 Ton:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1978/Willard-8-Ton-1417137/Galesville/MD/United-States

Live Aboard said...

I am a live aboard boater (power). I am in Ohio so the whole sailing thing is not really big here. I am hoping to switch from power to sail when I retire. I should mention that moving south will also be part of that retirement. I am glad that I found this list because it is never too early to start researching!