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Date Posted: 09:17:02 03/13/09 Fri
Author: Adam (hiding in the hills)
Subject: Re: opinions needed
In reply to: jbs 's message, "opinions needed" on 07:35:07 03/13/09 Fri

Hi J

You didn't say explicitly what you wanted to do with the boat, so I am going to infer cruising and gunkholing rather than living aboard permanently in a marina and daysailing. Also what's your budget?

If a 4lb 2-person tent is your base level of comfort, then a folkboat is cheap, would take you pretty much anywhere you could dream to sail, and goes like poop through a goose in a blow. It is a little smaller than your nominal 28-30 feet, but is well worth a look. It is tiny and has no headroom - how tall are you both?

The Albin Vega I can personally vouch for as that is what I plumped for in the end. At 27' she has plenty of room for 2 to live in for 6+ months with 4 berths over 6 foot. She sails beautifully, and seriously tears along to windward. She is easily managed by a 55kg woman and draws only 3'10" - so plenty of option for gunkholing. My wife and I have lived and sailed on our Vega for the last 4 years.

The contessa 32 is a name that is banded about alot so you end up paying a bit for the name. But they sail to windward really well, have plenty of room for two (bugger all room in the forepeak though if a marital bed is on the check list) and their reputation to stand up in a blow precedes them. They draw nearly 6 foot though.

The smaller contessa 26 has an equally big (and by all accounts deserved) reputation, but is only a little bigger than a folkboat.

Also worth checking out are: Rustler 31, Dufour Arpege, anything designed by Lyle Hess, Herreshoff H28, Halcyon 27, Trintella 29, Nicholson 31. In general, in these old-style boats, the bigger the boat the more they draw - so more comfort, but less gunkholing. I have never sailed anything with a centre-board so cannot comment.

A good place to start looking at what's available is John Vigor's book: 20 Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere.

State side of the pond there are a number of boats with fine reputations as cruisers, but I haven't had the chance to sail them. I am sure some others here will be able to fill you in.

Hope that gets you started,
Adam

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