Are Island Packets Really That Slow?

[ctl411]

You can sail heavy boats just fine on the lakes. They even have the advantage in the short wave period chop if you have the sail area to stay powered up. Keep the bottom clean and no big 3 blade fixed props. Get a drifter and a asymmetric spinnaker and even a IP will keep moving. You will have to work harder for the same or less speed as a higher performance boat but you will be more comfortable and if this is the type of boat you want that is all that matters.

[sailstoo]

Originally Posted by Tar34

Your point? Was that a Catalina 27?

My point is buy something weatherly, the answer is no, and why do you care what kind of boat it was?

[Greggegner]

...deleted smart ass comment...we do have a lot of low wind days on Michigan, but when the wind blows it blows hard. We end up with confused seas as we are often close to shore and have wind direction changes. On low wind days you are motoring to get any where. In fact we motor a lot due to wind direction. If you want to race get a cramped race boat otherwise an IP will do well. If you get down to Lake Erie then the heavy boat will support the steep waves well.

[Tar34]

Originally Posted by sailstoo

My point is buy something weatherly, the answer is no, and why do you care what kind of boat it was?

Just wanted to know what he considered not weatherly. Which would lead me to my next question, what you considered a weatherly option.

[sailstoo]

Originally Posted by Tar34

Just wanted to know what he considered not weatherly. Which would lead me to my next question, what you considered a weatherly option.

I own a C&C 34 which works well for me as a combination of value, comfort and performance in a coastal cruiser. He bought a pretty fin keeled/spade ruddered craft (Lippincot 30?) that goes to weather better then his old fuller keeled smaller boat (Ericson 27?) and better suits his requirements for cruising on Lake Superior. FYI, he owns an IP32 in FL.

[Tar34]

Originally Posted by sailstoo

I own a C&C 34 which works well for me as a combination of value, comfort and performance in a coastal cruiser. He bought a pretty fin keeled/spade ruddered craft (Lippincot 30?) that goes to weather better then his old fuller keeled smaller boat (Ericson 27?) and better suits his requirements for cruising on Lake Superior. FYI, he owns an IP32 in FL.

Well he's our go to guy. I know the Lippincott 30 well and the IP 32. Two very different class of boat. Like you, I'm a little sporty too, but there is a lot to be said for the other side as your friend knows.

[donradcliffe]

You can look up the PHRF handicaps for most boats, and they give you a pretty good idea of performance. They are in seconds per mile. The San Francisco handicaps will be a bit different than the New England Handicaps or the San Diego handicaps, reflecting the stronger winds in SFO. There is a Lake Michigan PHRF organisation, but their website doesn't seem to let you browse their data base.

[Tar34]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

You can look up the PHRF handicaps for most boats, and they give you a pretty good idea of performance. They are in seconds per mile. The San Francisco handicaps will be a bit different than the New England Handicaps or the San Diego handicaps, reflecting the stronger winds in SFO. There is a Lake Michigan PHRF organisation, but their website doesn't seem to let you browse their data base.

PHRF dosen't take into account beer stowage and cup holders. It's a totally arbitrary assessment of boat performance. That's just beer can races. It totally disregards afternoon cocktails and canapés offshore.

[s/v Beth]

Charter one. I used to charter IP's all the time. Great motion in a seaway. As for speed, I once kept a IP 40 at 11 knots all day. Near Gale force winds and we were getting out of the way of Erin. None of the crew got seasick below decks, and the is the only boat I have ever sailed I can say that on. I also won a tacking duel with another 40 footer in the Chesapeake. Maybe it was just our superior teamwork (HA!) but the boat helped. If you are really worried about light air, get a gen-spinnaker designed for your boat. Your boat is what you make it.

[forsailbyowner]

Nobody has mentioned the build quality of the ip which is way above most production boats. There's a reason for the high initial cost and the way they holdi their value. I wish I could afford one.

[CaptainBW]

We bought an IP40 2 years ago and sail primarily in western Lake Erie. Our previous boat was a Catalina 30. Bought the IP to go cruising...starting next year...and wanted to have a couple of years of IP experience and preparation before leaving. On Lake Erie we sail mostly where the wind takes us but also do short cruises to the islands or nearby destinations. We are not racers, but we don't like to drift either.

From what I have read the IP40 is the fastest of the IP models, so some of the previous posts are correct in that it will depend on the model (but not that much). Our experience is that you can sail on average about half of the true wind speed up to 8 or 9 knots of boat speed. Anything under 7 knots of wind can be pretty slow especially if there is a lot of boat chop (very common in light winds on western Lake Erie). We have an asymetrical spinnaker which can help as long as you have more than 5 knots to fill it. Where we sail we have more days of wind over 10 knots than under 10 and I have not considered our IP a bad choice for Lake Erie.

As you get wind speeds over 12 knots and especially over 15, the IP really performs well and will kick butt compared to the lighter boats. One previous poster is right on...they are excellent trade wind boats.

Fin keeled boats can turn on a dime but the IP, with modified full keel, takes at least 1.5 boat lengths to turn...not usually a big deal, but you need to keep that in mind. In reverse, the IP backs straight pretty much no matter what you do with the rudder. In my experience, this is better than the way my Catalina handled in reverse. You need a series of back and forth maneuvers to accommodate that or a bow thruster. Bottom line...she maneuvers very predictably.

IPs are very stable in a seaway (previous posts are correct), and the Great Lakes can really see some nasty seas (I am sure you know), especially Lake Erie. The stability over the Catalina is remarkable.

The most striking difference in the 2 boats is the quality, storage capacity, and the comfort of the cockpit and interior (excluding the price difference ). The IP is a high quality vessel and the amenities at anchor/docked are plentiful. In addition, there is a very strong IP community (on-line and off-line) along with great factory support, which has been a tremendous benefit when doing maintenance, projects and getting parts.

I really love the IP and would buy one again without any reservation.

[geoleo]

I had a IP44 for 2 years and it was fast and stable-however the IP 35 is kind of tubby Ive heard but the older IP31 is a good sailer.......plus all IPs are well built -not cheesy antwhere

[capttman]

You are sailing go slow who cares. Be comfortable

[zeehag]

why is boat speed important??
i sit peer pressure??
is it preference?
try sailing one and sail other boats then make up your mind about what you really want. resale isnt happening of late.

[SVNeko]

1. Most people who b*tch about an IP's speed have never sailed one. Someone above actually suggested it might be slower than a Westsail 32. We had an IP 31 for 10 years on the east coast and it was fast enough and weatherly enough for us to get anywhere we wanted to go. On a beam reach with a lot of wind, its long waterline will surprise people. Get opinions from actual IP owners - they'll be honest with you about the drawbacks.

2. Don't discount value. We sold ours for about what we paid for it 10 years later. It was second hand when we bought it.

3. To us, comfort counts for more than an extra ounce of speed. These boats, including (especially) the little ones you are looking at are designed superbly for spending time on. Its great in a seaway and at anchor. They are also great boats to learn (or get a reluctant spouse to learn) on. Stoutly built and forgiving, they will absorb many mistakes.

4. They also have great support. Even though ours was old, small and discontinued, we got factory support any time we wanted it. There is also a large and supportive community of owners out there.

You get these benefits and others mentioned in this thread in exchange for a small amount of speed. You may find a few owners who sold because they wanted that last knot, but probably not many.