Pocket cruising boats

It's an absurd, of course. But it is what is obtained applying a well known formula to estimate AVS (http://www.sailingusa.info/cal__avs.htm). This may mean that formula is not applicable to all kind of sailing boats (Unless I've made a mistake in the calculations).

I'll try to work on the posted designs (Raggi, Seafarer, etc) tonight. Quite busy these days....
Cheers.

 

Two more for the list:
http://www.chuckpaine.com/pdf/24CAROL24.pdf
http://www.chuckpaine.com/pdf/26FRANCES26.pdf

 

I have asked Cafe Yachts, no answer yet.

 

Raggi,
There is a sweden boatyard buildiing a 31 and a 37 versions of the folk boat.
http://www.kf-yachts.se/

By the way: I do not find that 'café-au-lait' boat a proper cruiser, although that's only my personal taste, of course. She's rather sporty with lots of sail area. Good for weekend club regattas, but I'm not so sure for extended cruising.
Although we may think that a 25-30 footer does not need to be very seaworthy, because you are really not going to use it for ocean crossings. For coastal cruising maybe it is good to have a point of sailing speed as to escape quickly from a bad weather, thinking shelter is almost always at hand. Or maybe that should be better granted by an efficient engine (motorsailer) and a higher displacement, making the boat able to face up demanding situations, as an strong headwind and waves when entering a difficult harbour? What do you think?

Following Seafarer 24 post:
Data analisis for the Francis Drake 24,
D/L = 322,5
SA/D = 15,95
6*HP/D = 6
HSPD = 6,57 Kn
CSF = 1,83
MCR = 28,61
SSV = 27,84
AVS = 132,42º

She's a nice and safe auxiliary with full headroom through all accomodation, sleeping 4-5. Cutter rig is, from my point of view, ideal for an all around small cruiser. Because of the narrow stern cockpit seems to be too small by today standards, not nice for some 'al fresco' dining for 4 people, or other activities. Too low engine power from my point of view (10 HP), for when things are rough.

AMIGO 22 is also another very interesting design, with the same philosophy, offering a lot of boat for such an small size.

 

More pocket cruisers (sail) to review:

Vancouver 27
Sabre 27
Albin Vega 27
Twister
Sadler 29
Westerly Konsort
Elizabethan 30
Moody 29
Halmatic 30
Contessa 26
Island Packet 27
Orion 27
Alberg 30


Analisis for Vancouver 27, the original thing for Vancouver 28

LOA 8,23 m
Lwl 7 m
Bmax 2,63 m
Draught 1,3
HD 0,5 m (guessed)
Disp 3946 kg
Ballast 1586 kg
Sail area 32,9 m2
Power 20 HP

D/L = 320,88
SA/D = 13,39
6*HP/D = 13,78
HSPD = 6,42 Kn
CSF = 1,68
MCR = 31,3
AVS = 130,05 º

Nice pocket voyager, as described in: http://www.boats.com/content/boat-articles.jsp?contentid=1028

(This is a slow moving thread, and I will review boats one by one, slowly. I will take my time. Not in a hurry. Just gathering info from my ownn search and with the greatly appreciated help of friends in these forums. Maybe when I have enough models we'll do a poll to find out which one's the best)

 

I spent a week in Lofoten in an Alibin Vega, many years ago, four boys and the skipper's girlfriend. I remember it as a comfortable boat (for it's size) and we felt very secure even some heavy winds and large waves.

 

Thanks, Raggi.

Here Albin Vega 27's data:

LOA = 8,25 m
Lwl = 7,2 m
Bmax = 2,46 m
Draught = 1,17
HD (body) = 0,5 m (guessed)
Disp = 2300 kg
Ballast = 915 kg
Sail area = 31,7 m2
Power = 13 HP (asumed)

D/L = 171,87
SA/D = 18,49
6*HP/D = 15,37
HSPD = 6,51 Kn
CSF = 1,88
MCR = 19,56
AVS = 133,7º

She is considered as one of the best cruising boats in the range, although I find her MCR (Motion comfort ratio) quite low

Owner's Association: http://www.albinvega.com/

 

As a suggestion go for the smallest boat that will carry the crew and keep
them happy as it means the sailing will last longer and the boat is easier to handle and is less to buy and maintain. In the marinas you find the "Grotty Yotty's" as we were known sailed at every opportunity with 1 to 4 in the crew. I lived for 31/2 years on a 25 ft and had a fine time. Current boat is 30 ft with long keel and cutter rig for ease of sail handling. Boat comes in at 41/2 tons and has 500 sq ft of sail. We do OK in local races and can cruise at 5.5 knots very easily. Engine is 20 HP which gives 5.5 at 2200 revs with 1L/hr fuel consumption. It is easily handled by 1 and we cruise with young child. Over the years have met cruisers from Hunter 19 up and seaworthiness has not been an issue.

 

That brings back pleasant memories. A friend and I sailed one from Rhode Island to England some years ago.

If you want to talk about desirable and undesirable points of design, the Vega and the 23 foot Alberg design Sea Sprite, which I also sailed to England solo a few years before crossing on the Vega, share at least one common characteristic. The center of buoyancy is further forward then is common today and the curve of area stays balanced as the boat heels. Both boats could self-steer without windvanes. In fact I crossed in the Sea Sprite without a windvane and the boat sailed herself 90% of the time. Today’s boats all appear to trim down by the bow and become unbalanced when pushed.
Robert Gainer

 

Thanks, Robert and Peter.

Robert, as you know bow burying and strongly assimetrical floatations are due to the nowadays favoured wide sterns and flat sections, bred in race fields. Not to satisfy my personal criteria for proper cruisers, but there are as many opinions as sailors....

Here data for Carl Alberg's design Sea Sprite 23:

LOA = 6,85 m
Lwl = 4,95 m
Bmax = 2,13 m
Bwl = 1,75 m (estimated as 0.82Bmax)
Draught = 0,92
HD = 0,4 m (guessed)
Disp = 1519 kg
Ballast = 635 kg
Sail area = 23 m2 (100% forward triangle or...?)
Power = 6 HP (assumed)

Calculated data:
Displacement /Length ratio D/L = 349,32
Sail Area /Disp. Ratio SA/D = 17,69 (Seems too high for the type. Due probaly to SA considered with overlapping genoa)
Power / Disp. Ratio 6*HP/D = 10,74
Hull speed HSPD = 5,4 Kn
Potential Maximum Speed PMS = 6,24 Kn (Same as for SA/D)
Velocity ratio VR = 1,16 (Same as for SA/D)
Comfort Safety Factor CSF = 1,87
Motion Comfort Ratio MCR = 21,31
Screening Stability Value SSV = 24,26
Angle of Vanishing Stability AVS = 138,06º

From Practical Sailor (http://www.practical-sailor.com/pub/1_1/boatreview/1239-1.html)

"The Sea Sprite 23 is a trim but rugged daysailer-overnighter from naval architect Carl A. Alberg that enjoyed a 25-year production run under several different Rhode Island builders, most notably Clarke Ryder. It's a typical Alberg design--narrow beam, full keel and conservative ballast-to-displacement ratio and graceful lines. This is a boat that still turns heads when it sails into a harbor.

The origins of the Sea Sprite 23 go back to 1958 when the small American Boat Building company of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, wanted to expand its product line, consisting at the time of the Block Island 40. Carl Alberg, then in the U.S. Coast Guard, came up with a 22 1/2-foot, full-keel design."


Peter: Which type was the 25 footer you sailed for 3 1/2 years? And your actual?...May I ask data for them...?

 

And here Cape Dory 28 (Also Carl Alberg's)

LOA = 8,58 m
Lwl = 6,77 m
Bmax = 2,7 m
Bwl = 2,21 m (0.82*Bmax)
Draught = 1,22 m
HD = 0,6 m (guessed)
Disp = 4080 kg
Ballast = 1586 kg
Sail area = 37,6 m2
Power = 18 HP (asumed)

Calculated data:
Displacement /Length ratio D/L = 366,75
Sail Area /Disp. Ratio SA/D = 14,96
Power / Disp. Ratio 6*HP/D = 12
Hull speed HSPD = 6,32 Kn
Potential Maximum Speed PMS = 6,71 Kn
Velocity ratio VR = 1,06
Comfort Safety Factor CSF = 1,71
Motion Comfort Ratio MCR = 31,49
Screening Stability Value SSV = 27,17
Angle of Vanishing Stability AVS = 133,3º


More info at: http://www.capedory.org/specs/cd28.htm

 

I didn't knew this place:
http://www.pocketcruisers.com/

An interesting article:
http://www.sailnet.com/collections/articles/index.cfm?articleid=caseyd0035

From there:
"The best advice I can offer, which is a recurring theme of mine, is to go cruising in the smallest boat that will accommodate you, not the largest boat you can afford.....There is an inverse correlation between the size of a sailboat and how often it leaves the dock."

 

I agree with you Guillermo, the smaller the boat, the more it's used and the less you have to worry.

I remember one summer I cruised alone for a week in a "Grimstadjolle", a 17 feet long (and narrow) lapstrake keel-boat, displacement 400kg, ballast 170kg outside iron keel. See pictures below

I had a bom tent, a sleeping bag, a small gas burner, a radio and Johan Bojer's "The last viking" (great book about the Lofoten fisheries in open boats in the 1880ies).

 

My friend have done the same thing, only with lasers

 

Ultimate 24. Close quarters, but good sailing. Clever interior. Can take a beating & survive. Might be too light for you, but light can be good. Consider Uffa and his voyages in his 30 square. (!)

Paul