Sea Sprite 34 / CE Ryder--anybody know?

sailthechesapke · #1 04-09-2001

I am interested in a 1983 SeaSprite 34 that was made by C E Ryder in Bristol RI. I had never heard of them. Does anyone have any knowledge of these boats? How were they built? How do they sail? Pittfalls? Things to look for?

If you want to see what it looks like go to www.matthewspoint.com/listings

Appreciate it!

Jeff_H · #2 04-09-2001

The Sea Sprites were reasonably well built traditional cruising boats. While the first Sea Sprites were Alberg designs, I think the 34 was a Luders design. Ryder had a good reputation for building solidly (if not terribly sophisticatedly engineered) built boats. That said, I beleive that quite a few of these boats were owner built. The only one that I saw was apparently owner finished pretty well but very quirky.

They have cut away forefoot- raked rudder post underbodies. This is my least favorite keel configuration. It lacks the directional stability of either a Full length keel nor the ease of steering and directional stability of a properly designed fin keel/skeg hung rudder.

Jeff

rbh1515 · #3 04-09-2001

Go to the following web site:
http://www.classicyachts.com
They charter Sea Sprites
May be able to give you info

VIEXILE · #4 04-09-2001

I believe C.E. Ryder also built the "renown" Southern Cross cruisers. I was on Paul Coble''s (a fairly well-known surveyor from Newport, RI) elbow during a survey of a Southern Cross and he didn''t seem all that terribly impressed, but the older boats, with substantial hull, are what you make them with rerigging and upgrades. As I recall, Coble had nothing good to say about the Taiwan built boats and surprised me with a couple of comments about Cape Dorys. Live and learn, I guess.....