Folkboat 26

[Southern Star]

I owned and loved an FRP folkboat built by Whitby Boatworks in Canada (also builders of the Alberg 30, 37 and Whitby 42). It was called the Continental 25 and was 25'3" in length, 7'3" beam and had a coachouse raised aft a la the Alberg 30 (and Pearson Triton, etc., etc.). I believe they were built from 1960 to 1969, the year mine was built.

Some have already mentioned the Contessa 26, another FRP Folkboat which did not have the raised house but was otherwise almost identical dimensionally and in terms of performance. Tania Aebi ,of course, circumnavigated in one. I must say, my Folkboat was the best balanced boat I have ever sailed - she would beat or close reach on her own better than any helmsperson could ever steer (up in the puffs, back to course in lulls). She had a wonderful motion in heavy seas and and was pretty to boot.

As a liveaboard, you will find it cramped. Mind you in my boat, I was able to lower the cabin sole about 6 inches into the top of the keel cavity and had about 5'11" headroom under the companionway sliding hatch (yes, when closed) at the galley. To me the price quoted seems rather high, but of course it depends upon vintage, condition, inventory etc.

Anyway, good luck in your quest. You may find her hard to live aboard, but if she is constructed like mine was, she can take you anywhere.

Brad

PS I don't believe the Contessa 26 had higher freeboard than the original designs (and I have rafted off a Swedish built lapstrake folkboat and a Contessa 26, for what it is worth).

[thomas chapin]

Just bought a fiberglass hulled frisco flyer. I love her lines and shee looks fast. I was very pleased to hear all the great chat about her sailing charachteristics. How does she handle down wind? Has anyone rigged a spinnaker?

[thomas chapin]

I didn't get any comment, a frisco flyer is a folkboat. Mine is generation 2

[Cheechako]

I had the f'glass Contessa 26. A sweet little boat in some ways, and pretty on the water. But the narrow folkboat design is really dated. Wet , wet, wet (did I say wet?) very limited room below due to its beam and short water line. There are just so many other boats in that size around that have more room and sail well.......

[nautical62]

By the way, it was experiencing a folkboat that made me decide to go with a Westerly Centaur instead for my first boat. It's still only 26 feet but has 5-10 foot standing headroom. I lived on it a couple summers and had many great trips on the Great Lakes and Bahamas on that boat. Several have crossed the Atlantic and I read that some even circumnavigated. They can be purchased incredibly cheaply these days. Everytime I get on my friends folkboat, I'm reminded how glad I am I went with something a bit more volumous. in fact, I refuse to go cruising wtih him on it because of the limited space. The Centaur is a bilge keel boat which I like, but they also made a fin keel version of the same boat. I can't be sure, but it might be the "pentland"

I know the folkboats are great traditonal boats, but just wanted to throw another perspective out there for you to consider.

[Maine Sail]

Cool boats but very, very small down bellow!

[keelbolts]

My first boat was a wooden Folkboat. You can't beat a Folkboat. There are, of course, many other boats out there that are good for many reasons, but there isn't anything BETTER than a Folkboat. Faster? Bigger? Flashier? yes, but not better.

If "roomy" is a high priority item for you, you might want to look elsewhere.
I have a Westerly Pageant, Centaur's little sister. It's wonderful for what I want to do at this point in my life, but, compared to a Folkboat, she is a pig under sail.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by nautical62

The Centaur is a bilge keel boat which I like, but they also made a fin keel version of the same boat. I can't be sure, but it might be the "pentland"

Pembroke was the fin keel Centaur. Didn't make a great deal of them. They also did a couple of aft cabin Centaurs . and 1 or 2 ketches are around (not sure if factory or not).

Pentland is the 32 footer - same style as the Centaur, except 6 foot bigger - and with a (very small!) aft cabin and usually Ketch rigged.....cracking good seaboats and sail a lot better than they look (kinda like the Centaur ). and bilge keels too!

[Talbot]

Practical Boat Owner are doing a run down of all the westerly's in last month and this months editions.

[anglooff]

For a boat to learn to sail or as a weekender, you can't beat them.....To live aboard.... would not ever be my choice. $14K is rather high in my opinion although you didn't mention year... this may be a recent edition. This design in its many versions has been extremely popular in Europe since I was a lad....and that is a long time ago.

Try and get more info and update us.

Regards


Alan

[Talbot]

I know someone who has lived aboard a Folkboat, but it would not be my choice.

$14k seems expensive even if it is in top condition and is a modern grp version.

Contessa 26 do go for this sort of price.

[swagman]

IMHO a brilliant yacht.
Believe it was designed in 1940's by a Scandawegian - but today most are produced in GRP both with clinker and smooth hulls.
The designer was asked to fill a weekend / camper role so not really suited as a livaboard - but they certainly sail well and rate even better. If racing in a mixed fleet you'd be into the silverware pretty quickly.
Not sure I appreciate the various design changes as a higher freeboard IMHO takes from her good looks.
We had one leave Canaries with us last year to cross the Altantic double handed. Took us 16 days in our 46 footer and they arrived maybe a week later.
All lovely stuff - but maybe not as a livaboard.
JOHN

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by sluissa

I've got to ask, what would be the advantage of a higher freeboard?

Within reason, higher freeboard makes for a drier deck, perhaps some increase in reserve buoyancy, stronger boat (hulls usually being stronger than cabin-tops) and conceivably a bit of extra confidence for the crew… this assumes that the higher freeboard results in a lower coach-roof… regrettably, in contemporary plastic this is not always the case, so if the higher freeboard is designed to get more interior room, then likely the windage cause by the higher coach-roof increases noticeably… Somewhere (Skene’s, Herreshoff or Colvin, can’t recall…) there was a calculation of optimum freeboard based on the waterline beam of the vessel…