Advice for a 27'-31' classic monohull for coastal cruising

[brokenotbroken]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

Don’t spend your entire budget as all boats require money to be thrown at them. Personally I would save back $10k of that $30k. My current boat still consumes boat bucks even after 4 years of steady improvements with little increase in sale price. There is no finished boat.

That's sound advice but soooo hard to do. I know you're right though.

[YOLO110]

Catalina 27 :>)

GREAT cruising boat, tons of room and storage. 'Shoal' draft wing keel less just over 3 foot draft. Stable. Lots available for great prices. I love my 1989 version with the diesel.

They sold over 6,600... numbers speak for it's success :>)

[jmce1587]

suggest looking for a shoal draft mid eighties H31 or 28.5. great coastal cruisers and plenty of room for a family of 4.

[jen1722terry]

Hi,
I didn't read all the responses yet, but I do recommend the Cape Dory 31. We have owned one for 5 years and love it. Why?

Well, we live aboard in coastal Maine all summer and needed a bit more room than the CD 30 offered. The 31 is nine inches wider and you really notice it when you go below. The V berth is large enough for both of us (we're both 5'9" and slender to medium in size).

Besides the extra beam, we love the large aft head at the foot of the companionway ladder. It means 4 people can sleep aboard and no one has their head right next to the head compartment. It's also great for hanging wet foulies without dripping all over the cabin. We easily fit a composting head (with liquids plumbed to the large holding tank (24 gallons)) and can still stand up in the head.

The downside is no tiller, but you could probably fit via the emergency tiller port.

The 31 is pretty, very pretty with almost the entire interior in teak. We also like the full, enclosed keel - great if we hit a rock (or coral in Florida).

We actually like the cutter rig. If the air gets heavy, we often furl the yankee, reef the main and just use the self tacking jib, which makes for very easy tacking with just a turn of the wheel.

The only downside is availability. Only 84 where built and they do command a premium over the more common 30s. Prices vary from mid 30s to high 50s depending on condition.

We also like the Nonsuch 26 and 30, but we also have health issues which make handling the very large single sail problematic.

Good luck.

Jenn and Terry

[Don55]

I think she would be too small for the 4of you. She really is designed as a weekender for a couple with no or very small children. Her galley is mimimal although with a grill on the stern rail it’s no big deal. As mentioned not a lot of real cooking gets done on our trips. I added roller furling but kept the jib boom. She is perfect for us as we are empty nesters and the cockpit is fine for taking grandkids on a day sail but I sometimes wish for two extra feet!!

[Pliny]

I mainly sailed my Catalina 27 in protected waters. But at least one has been sailed around the world. Not that it would be my first choice for that. Because the initial price is low you can spend more on extras and fixing up a Catalina to pristine condition. A few other drawbacks that are eliminated on larger boats, but certainly a viable pocket cruiser.

[Don55]

Originally Posted by Don55

I think she would be too small for the 4of you. She really is designed as a weekender for a couple with no or very small children. Her galley is mimimal although with a grill on the stern rail it’s no big deal. As mentioned not a lot of real cooking gets done on our trips. I added roller furling but kept the jib boom. She is perfect for us as we are empty nesters and the cockpit is fine for taking grandkids on a day sail but I sometimes wish for two extra feet!!

Somehow lost the first sentence of my post which is: We have a Cape Dory 28 and although it is a beautiful boat...

[NormanMartin]

The nicest small cruiser I ever sailed is the J28. Had one for almost ten years.

J/28 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

I am a professional sailor and I sail a lot of boats!

Norm

[Penna]

This may be more than you want, but I have a Bristol Channel Cutter 28 that I actually sail on a large lake in Montana (Flathead Lake). She's a small ocean sailer about as seaworthy an classic as you can get and still have a fiberglass hull!

[Pizzazz]

There are always trade-offs in this size range. You need to get on the boat, stay on it for an hour or so, then you either fall for it or you move on.

I believe the Hunter 31 is the perfect boat in this range but that is to me, others may feel different. Whatever you do, stay true to the designer's vision. The best parts I love about the H31 are more headroom than most, great interior where you do not have to fold the table to pass to the front, great rear cabin with 8 ft of space (I am tall), nice balance between real and plastic. It looks like a home.

[ColinIOM]

Hi, one boat not mentioned so far is the Vancouver 32 (or 34 which is the same boat with two feet added to the stern so it can have wheel steering) the 32 is transom hung rudder and tiller. Its basically a scaled up V27. We have owned ours for 6 years now and lived full time aboard cruising the last three summers. They are solid built and can, when required cruise the world, although it is very easily single handed, with all controls coming back to the deep safe cockpit. I have done it a few times now over decent distances when required. They are cutter rigged although a bit sluggish in light winds but with a cruising Chute, its brilliant. A good unaltered one may be a bit above the price range and will be scarce in the US (we are in Scotland) but it will do everything you need, there is a surprising amount of space (seating) in the saloon, and full headroom throughout, and a full sea going galley.
Good luck finding something suitable, and you are correct, your boys grow up much quicker than you think, make the time, you and they will look back with happy memories.
All the best
Colin

[Freedom32]

We have a Freedom 32...for 20 years.

Great for single handing, our family of 5 regularly goes down ICW and to Bahamas...often one wins the Bermuda 1-2

Freestanding carbon fiber rig - great to sale, rather bulletproof.

Highly recommend it.

Scott
Ft Lauderdale & Silicon Valley
s/v Girlfriend
/s

[Trekka]

This not so traditional looking, but meets your other requirements. Sturdy build, stiff, very roomy for the size. And within your price range.

Westely Berwick, or aft cabin (walkover) Pentland.

Twin keel, will stand upraight if caught in shallows as tide going out. (Great for walking around the sand bars). 3 interiors, one with aft galley, other two on side midships. Built to Lloyds standards for crusing in the North Sea.

I owned the little brother 26ft Centaur for over 25 yrs. Great boats for Chesapeake Bay and Bahamas. Any area with a lot of shallows.

You might also consider the later Westerly models like the 29ft Konsort. (Personally, I'm partial to the earlier Laurent Giles designs).

[Cruiser123]

You might consider adding the Bayfield 29 to your list.

There are many freshwater examples available on the Great Lakes at prices that would justify commercial transport to NW Florida.

Currently there are 5 Bayfield 29's listed in Ontario on Kijijii.

Years of manufacture for the boats listed, range from 1983 to 1988 (the last year of manufacture) and range in asking prices from $17,500 to $29,900 CDN or, at the current rate of exchange, $13,440 to $22,960 US.

Bayfield was a Canadian company which manuafactured quality built sailboats from 25' to 40' that are highly regarded.

They were promoted as "coastal cruisers" by Bayfield and feature long-lived, reliable Yanmar diesel engines.

They include a fully-enclosed forward head. Some models have a full galley and one quarter berth, others have a two burner cooktop and two quarter berths.

In my experience they are great boats for couples or small families.

I know of several owners that have taken their Bayfield 29's from the Upper or Lower Great Lakes down to the Bahamas and back.

You will be able to GOOGLE diagrams of their layouts and any number of photos of these boats.

Please feel free to contact me if you wish any further information.

The Bayfield 29 has a large fully enclosed forward head

[Mark Fontaine]

Consider the Hinterhoeller HR 28. She has 4 foot draft, galley amidship (starboard side), sleeps 5, head compartment. Very good sea boat. I've owned two and have no fear taking her out in almost any weather (full gales and more excepted). An older boat so the price is going to be lower, but that's good. go to Facebook and look up Hinterhoeller HR 28 and see what one owner thinks (not me, I don't know the owner either ). About 75 were built between 1965 and 1969 and most seem to be on the Great Lakes, but some might be in your looking area.