The Comfortable Pocket Yacht 
|
|
|
Flicka Sailing
|
Topics
The Consideration List I am living in the Mid-West while searching for a small coastal or Blue Water cruiser. Accordingly, the few local brokers view me as a nut case. Local selection is generally limited to the Hunter/Catalina variety of light weight inland cruising sailboats. When I get really serious about a move up to a longer distance cruiser, I'll need to travel either to the east coast or up to the Great Lakes to crawl the marinas in search of a bargain. LOA: 25 feet Designed by Carl Alberg and built in the early to mid 1980’s, the Cape Dory 25D has a loyal following of devoted owners. This vessel is somewhat unique with it’s forward placement of the fully enclosed marine head and associated wet locker storage. The 25D should not be confused with the Cape Dory 25 which was a totally different design without standing headroom and only available with outboard auxiliary power. The interior design of the 25D is said to accommodate 5 people but I feel this to be a wild exaggeration. Basically, this vessel is well set up for the needs of a cruising couple. Access to the diesel behind the companion way steps is similar to many others in this class. I really like the looks of a classic Carl Alberg design with the full keel. This boat has been described as a coastal cruiser version of the Flicka. According to the information I have seen, only 182 were built so this boat is not easy to find on the used market. LOA: 28 feet
The Com-Pac 25 is said to use the hull mold from the Watkins 25 and a cabin top mold from the Com-Pac design group. The interior is also from the Com-Pac design group. This vessel was intended to be transportable rather than trailerable in the sense used by other Com-Pac designs. The manufacturer’s literature refers to placing the boat back to it’s trailer for the trip home at the end of the season. The boat is designed for coastal and protected waters cruising and the shoal keel configuration will result in more leeway than others in this consideration list. The standing rigging and related hardware is not of the caliber found on the Flicka or Fisher or Frances. LOA: 27 feet 3 inches I have been remiss in not considering the Dana 24 in this list. I must admit, the price of a used Dana 24 is enough to scare me off. But it is really not that far out of line in comparison to the Nor'Sea 27 so I should at least consider it. The Dana was designed by Gentleman Bill Crealock and is a classic in every sense of the word. With a full keel and 3,200 pounds of lead ballast, it is in it's element on the Blue Waters. I have so far only seen Dana's from the outside and they appear Huge next to the Flicka 20. Photos of the inside of a Dana are enough to make my mouth water. After living on a Com-Pac 19 for three weeks, a Dana with it's 6' 1" headroom would be like a royal palace. While the Admiral has a requirement for a marine head - the Dana even has a shower pan in the head compartment to make her feel right at home. The 40 gallons of fresh water storage contribute to the feeling of luxury, and the 6' 6" long quarter berths would make sleeping comfortable even for me. The Dana is designed for an 18 horsepower Yanmar freshwater cooled diesel engine. The other parts of her systems are equally complex so I would have to give up on some of my "Keep It Simple Stupid" rants if I went this route. While complex, and relatively large, it is not too large or complex to singlehand so that is not an impediment. I would just need to insure that all lines were run aft so that sails were handled from the safety of the cockpit.
Falmouth Cutter LOA: 30 feet 6 inches
This Lyle Hess design is the little sister to the Bristol Channel Cutter and has been said to have excellent sailing characteristics. The Sam L. Morse company (a link to their web site is available on the reference page) has been building these boats to a particularly high standard and if they ever come on the used market, they are snapped up rapidly. One exception was a boat located in the Virgin Islands where the inboard diesel had been removed (for extra storage as claimed by the seller) and the boat repowered with an outboard engine. The Falmouth Cutter is even available with a higher cabin for extra interior height (6’ 6" claimed). Once again, it is claimed to be all that a cruising couple requires. The bowsprit is retractible on this design so that you do not get charged 30 foot rates in a marina. Once retracted, the LOA is about 24 feet. Compared to other boats that I have been looking at, the Falmouth has more canvas and may be somewhat harder to single hand due to the number of sails and length of the bowsprit. Going forward to change headsails looks like a challenge for this old man. UPDATE:
LOA: 25 feet 3 inches
The only Ketch rigged boat in the consideration list so far.. The Fisher 25 is a heavy and solidly built motorsailor designed for the rugged conditions of the North Sea. This boat is very rare on the used market in the US but does come up more in Europe. As far as I know, less than 300 have been built. The vessel is still available on a custom basis from Northshore Yachts in the UK. A link to their web site is available in my reference section. As I see it, the pilot house has a strong disadvantage with the wind resistance from the large superstructure. Single handed docking in a cross wind would be a BEAR! However, the dual steering stations and interior comfort afforded by the Pilot House configuration will have much to recommend it when the weather turns foul. If I select cruising destinations in northern waters, this will be more important - especially as I get older. The safety afforded by a pilot house for a siglehanded sailor is also a strong positive feature. I will at least want to see one of these beauties in person before getting down to a short list. . LOA: 24 feet
The Flicka as built by Pacific Seacraft (a link to their web site is available on the reference page) has been available in a number of different configurations of sail (Gaff, Sloop, Cutter), auxiliary propulsion (Diesel Inboard or Outboard), and interior accommodations (Port-a-potty or Marine Head). Multiple options also existed as to the type of interior finish (such as bronze ports or plastic ports). During the last year (1998), this model has been taken out of routine production by the company (along with any other models with an LOA below 32 feet). Rumors have said that the company may once again produce these models when sufficient orders have accumulated. (Update: In December of 2000, Pacific Seacraft reintroduced the Flicka and Dana models for the 2001 model year). Talking to several owners of the outboard style, they have indicated an overall satisfaction with the operation of the boat. The only problem mentioned is when the weather gets rough, the propeller can come out of the water using a standard long shaft outboard. Some owners of the diesel powered boat have even indicated that they have had second thoughts and should have purchased an outboard powered model instead. This is because the maintenance of an outboard is much easier and the space dedicated to the diesel and it’s 18 gallon fuel storage tank is much better used for sail and equipment storage. I too would prefer the outboard model. The engine would be a Honda 4 stroke motor (8 or 9.9 Horsepower with the extra long shaft [25 inch], electric starting, and an optional small alternator). The motor mount would need to be customized so that I could mount an electric motor in tandem. The mount should also be electrically raised and lowered. Gear shift, speed control, and electric starting should be mounted remotely somewhere on the transom. From what I have been told, I would give preference to a boat built after mid 1983 when the cabin top mold was changed to add two inches of headroom at the crown (5’11" to 6’ 1"). Early Pacific Seacraft Flicka models were available as kits or partially finished and should be carefully evaluated for quality of construction incorporated by the owner. Flickas also exist as built by earlier manufacturers and some that were completely home built from construction plans presented in a series printed by Rudder magazine in the early 1970’s. These should also be carefully surveyed for construction quality and the care that their owners have given them in the years that followed construction. For diesel powered boats, the engine access is from a hatch in the cockpit. While awkward in some respects, this does allow for much easier all around maintenance activities at the cost of having to open a large cockpit hatch just to check the oil. Repowering the vessel is also easier if that should become necessary since the old engine can be lifted straight up. If I could find a boat with a "dead" diesel at a bargain basement price, I will have to seriously consider the possibility of a installing a diesel electric hybrid propulsion system.
LOA: 26 feet This Chuck Paine designed vessel has been built both by Morris Yachts in Maine and Victoria Marine in the UK. Chuck Paine designed it for his own use with the intention of sailing from Maine to the Bahamas and beyond annually. Chuck has been quoted as saying that two people really do not need more than the Frances for these purposes. The boat is a double ender and two models were built. They share the same hull and differ on the cabin top mold. The flush deck model lacks the headroom that I require while the trunk cabin model would meet my needs. Some of these vessels were sold partially finished and should be carefully evaluated for quality of construction incorporated by the owner. The access to the diesel engine is behind the companion way steps. The after portion of the drive train is accessed from a hatch in the rear of the quarterberth. The mast is keel stepped and so will require a crane or other lift device to step. Lowering the mast on the water will not be a possibility with this design. LOA: 27 feet Capital Yachts built a number of sailboats in it's time. They appear to be most well known for the Newport models but they also built a line of Pilot House models on the same basic hull as the Newport. The Gulf 27 was the smallest of this series. I have only seen one of these vessels in person (and that only from the exterior). My general impression is that the boat is designed for coastal sailing only. The hardware is simply not up to the standards for longer trips off shore. This said, it may be all I really need and the dual steering station does add a significant safety factor for singlehanding. LOA: 31 feet
The Lyle Hess designed Nor’Sea 27 has been built by several corporations over the years. It has been offered as a kit in various stages of finish and fully finished from the factory (a link to their web site is available on the reference page). The most common model is an aft cabin design with a center cockpit. The manufacturer has promoted this vessel as the largest truly trailerable sailboat. Several boats have made the circumnavigation, and there is a very loyal group of owners. Used models come on the open market only rarely and then at a relatively high price. The various manufacturing companies have had financial and production problems at various points in their existence and stories exist of poorly finished and partially finished boats having been shipped. Additionally, the kit boats should be carefully evaluated for the quality of construction incorporated by the owner. Early boats could have been shipped in a light displacement configuration with lower than optimal ballast (2,500 pounds instead of 3,000 pounds) and these boats do display tender sailing characteristics. After 1980, all boats were shipped with 3,100 pounds of lead ballast. Two rigs were once available, the short rig was designed for heavy air conditions and only used 335 sq ft of sail area on a mast that was 4 feet shorter that the tall rig version. My major objection to the aft cabin model is that it breaks up the interior too much. If you are in the aft cabin, you need to move up on deck and down to the main cabin to use the marine head. Not a pleasant thought late at night with a squall blowing through the area - and especially unpleasant if you are in a brightly lit marina with party boats moored on either side. The Aft Cockpit model is rare but if I want to consider the Nor'Sea, this model is much better suited to my needs. The Aft Cockpit model extends the cabin trunk further aft and has two quarter berths that extend under the cockpit area. These would make excellent sea berths. LOA: 27 feet 10 inches This vessel has long been considered to have excellent sailing characteristics and be very suitable for the conditions I anticipate. Unfortunately, it does not have the standing headroom I require and that is a non-negotiable item. LOA: 27 feet 6 inches I'm just starting to accumulate information on this model. The unique features include an inside steering station and a centerboard design. The vessel was built by Fairways Marine with Northshore Yachts doing most of the contract manufacture. A total of 148 units were constructed between 1975 and 1984. This model has been revised several times and is still being manufactured directly by Northshore as the larger Southerly 100/101 with about 1,000 pounds greater displacement and 32 Feet LOA. The older Southerly 28 included short bilge keels to allow the vessel to remain upright when grounded in tidal waters.. The reason to include this model in the consideration list is simply to add another alternative to the list with inside steering and the creature comforts of a Pilot House. The centerboard design adds significant potential for maintenance headaches with the benefit of a shoal draft when motoring into the extreme shallows found in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. After all, with the board up, this boat draws 2 inches less than my Com-Pac 19!. Many pocket cruiser have been designed over the years and the specific models listed above have been limited with an eye to my proposed budget. As I have said, my goal is a small boat and a suitcase full of money left over to cruise with rather than a big boat tied to "The Bank". However, I may stumble into an older representative of one of the slightly larger cruisers during my search where for one reason or another the current owner is more willing to negotiate. In that vain, I would like to check out: Vancouver 27 - LOA:27', LWL:22'11", Beam 8'8", Displacement:8960 pounds - This is the third boat from Northshore Yachts on my list - a pattern seems to be developing with my preference for the heavy construction of the British yachts. Westsail 28 - Care must be taken here since some of these could have been owner finished boats with questionable construction quality. I have been advised that if the hull number includes a "K" in the first 4 characters, it was a kit boat, otherwise the hull number would have an "F" as a factory finished vessel. Southern Cross 28 - Care must be taken here since some of these could have been owner finished boats with questionable construction quality. Shannon 28 - A beauty but this would be a true pipe dream to find a low priced Shannon in good condition. Cape Dory 27 - A Carl Alberg full keel cruiser. Actually, with some 277 of these having been manufactured, they are much more frequently available and often at lower prices than a Flicka. With an empty displacement of about 7,500 pounds and a beam of 8' 6", it could be as transportable as a Nor'Sea 27. From what I have read, the models built in the early 80's would be better than the earlier versions. Cape Dory 28 - Another Carl Alberg full keel cruiser. Due to the 8' 10.5" beam, this will require wide load status if you really try to transport it on the highway. However, with it's 9,000 pounds of empty displacement it will require a monster truck. This model was built until 1987 and my source indicates that 388 were manufactured. It has a bowsprit with anchor roller and was a little more popular with the cruising family crown due to the club footed self tending jib This page was last updated on March 20, 2001 07:59 AM |
|
Copyright © 1999-2002 Jobst Vandrey |
