Island Packet 349

[denizati]

What's the take on this fairly new (2018 release) Island Packet? Price aside, seems to me one of the nicest mono's under 40' out there. Solent rig addresses some of the performance concerns. Ditch the hoyt boom and load it up with some quality sails and you got yourself got nice coastal cruiser. You can even get it in white now. What am I missing ??

[kiwin]

You are missing the fact that it's a full keel boat shaped object with the hydrodynamics of a house brick. The hydrodynamics are from the century before last. It's dangerous. Are you going to be able to sail off a lee shore? What about in light airs? Dangerous.

[denizati]

Originally Posted by kiwin

You are missing the fact that it's a full keel boat shaped object with the hydrodynamics of a house brick. The hydrodynamics are from the century before last. It's dangerous. Are you going to be able to sail off a lee shore? What about in light airs? Dangerous.

Well, she might not win any races, but saying she's dangerous might be pushing it. With a 175 Reacher, she should be ok in light airs and regarding the keel, many value a full keel for better stability and heavy seas capability. At this stage of my life, I'm looking more for comfort than speed. Now my Leopard 45, she was a brick. Under 10kn true we usually had a motor on.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by denizati

many value a full keel for better stability

In what universe is a full keel more stable than a deeper fin keel that gets the ballast down lower (giving better righting moment for a given amount of ballast)?

[denizati]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

In what universe is a full keel more stable than a deeper fin keel that gets the ballast down lower (giving better righting moment for a given amount of ballast)?

Sorry, should have specified "directional" stability.

[kiwin]

I have sailedmany full & fin keel boats. Directional stability us more a function of hull design than keel design and the hull/rig interaction. The two most directionally stable boats I have sailed were both fin & spade boats. What they had in common was long narrow hulls with moderate stern sections. The modern trend toward double aft cabin Jlo sterns makes for horrible boats. Both the fin & spade boats I am referring to would hold a course for tens of minutes without attention to the steering if properly trimmed. I have sailed a couple of full keel boats close to this as well, both of them with symmetric underwater sections which did not appreciably change with heel. Given this it makes sense to choose a hydrodynamically superior underbody. Many modern fin & spade boats are too fragile. That is an outcome of poor build quality, not intrinsic to a fin & spade configuration. There are many solidly built cruising boats with better performance than an island packet. Island packets are very well built, but a well built bad idea is still a bad idea.

[denizati]

Thanks for your response kiwin. Could you elaborate specifically which boat(s) you would prefer over the IP ? Performance is important, but it is also not the only criteria with which to select a cruiser. Looking for something new, under 40'. Draft under 5'. Curious to see what you would come up with.

[Tetepare]

First time I’ve read any claim that an Island Packet is dangerous.

What’s a Hobie Miracle then, genocide?

Man, we really get them all on this forum.

[kiwin]

An island packet is a boat that can't get out of its own way in light winds, and is challenged in most conditions upwind. They just don't sail very well. For a sailing boat that is not a good thing. There are a few situations where an island packet is not going to get you out of trouble. Island packets are yet another triumph of marketing over common sense

[gonesail]

I think the reverse transom looks goofy on a full keeled plumb bow boat.

[denizati]

Originally Posted by kiwin

An island packet is a boat that can't get out of its own way in light winds, and is challenged in most conditions upwind. They just don't sail very well. For a sailing boat that is not a good thing. There are a few situations where an island packet is not going to get you out of trouble. Island packets are yet another triumph of marketing over common sense

This may well have been the case for the older IP's with the cutter rig. Have you been on a newer model with the solent setup ? That big code 0 up front really supposed to pick up the light air performance.

[kiwin]

So the SA/D is now 17. Which is...better, but not as good as it seems because the wetted surface area will still be high, and the leeway will be high due to the very innefficient keel. So the takeaway is that it isn't as bad as before....but still not great. I love the build quality, but why are they building such stupid underbodies?

[denizati]

I think that SA/D includes just the 95% jib, not the optional 175 reacher

[kiwin]

I think the way to think about island packet boats is that they are motorsailors. If you want to go upwind, then you need to use the motor. A motorsailor has limited options to go upwind. You had better make sure the motor is reliable. I have sailed some motorsailors long distances. A Fisher 25 from the UK to Corpus Christi and a Nordhavn 56MS from Puerto Vallarta to Auckland, NZ. They are ok, but not what I would choose.

[Wilyum]

Originally Posted by denizati

Thanks for your response kiwin. Could you elaborate specifically which boat(s) you would prefer over the IP ? Performance is important, but it is also not the only criteria with which to select a cruiser. Looking for something new, under 40'. Draft under 5'. Curious to see what you would come up with.

Sabre, Tartan, Caliber, to name a few that you could find fairly ‘new’.