Island Packet

[CBinRI]

IP owners seem to be very loyal. My thought is that in that price point, you can get something well-built that will perform a lot better (Tartan or Sabre, e.g.). And about the racing, I don't do a ton of racing but I don't recall any IPs doing all that well.

[donradclife]

I just came through the Cap Cod Canal and sailed up to Provincetown for the 4th of July. When I exited the canal, we had 5-8 knots of wind on the nose for the 20 mile passage, so we started sailing. There was an IP right behind me, who ended up unfurling his staysail, but motored the whole way.

It took us 5 hours to tack our way up to P-town, and the IP probably got in an hour before us, but I had an enjoyable day. If the IP's motor had failed, it would probably still be out there.

We have a Beneteau First 456, which is a joy to sail and and has a PHRF rating of 60. We have taken it around the world, and it has come through a lot of heavy weather without problems or damage.

Buy whatever boat you fall in love with, and you will be happy wth her, but if you would prefer motoring to sailing, buy the IP.

[hphoen]

I respectfully disagree with everything that JeffH has stated about Island Packets. Everyone has an opinion. Here's how I've developed mine, so you can judge how much weight to give it.

Boats that I've sailed: Beneteau, Sabre, Ericson, Pearson, Bayfield, Comet (36' Italian sloop), ODay, Columbia, Moody, and Island Packet. I've owned an Island Packet 380 for six years. Four of those years, we lived on the Chesapeake Bay and cruised it extensively. We've also made several offshore passages between the Chesapeake to/from Bermuda and to/from the Caribbean. We've cruised up and down the Lesser Antilles numerous times. I've even run aground two or three times!

I've sailed about 12,000 nm on my IP 380 in every condition up to Force 9. All of it was either single-handing in the Bay and the Caribbean (my wife doesn't want to sail the boat), or standing single watches with crew offshore. My longest watch was 11 hours in continuous squalls up to 50 kts, and confused, steep waves in the Gulf Stream. I'm 63 years old, in average condition. The boat is a joy to sail, comfortable, dry, and definitely does not "wear me out". Quite the contrary. The all roller-furling cutter rig allows me to set the perfect amount of sail, and adjust it easily from the cockpit, in any conditions. In light air, I have a cruising spinnaker. Fun sailing 5 kts in 7-8 kts of wind! Passage times to the Caribbean from Virginia (1,400 nm) have been 8.8 days and 9.8 days, not too shabby. We were first in class and seventh overall in the 2004 Caribbean 1500, beating several larger boats on elapsed time, including a Saga 43.

I do agree with Jeff on one thing. If you're deciding between an Island Packet and a Catalina, you haven't really thought this through. Get some more sailing experience on each of them, including some cruising, if you can.

[Architeuthis]

I respectfully disagree with everything that JeffH has stated about Island Packets.

Same here but he helped to sell me on Island Packets. I think his posts deserve a review by anyone considering an IP. No need to read them all as the same themes are reoccurring, themes which may or may not be top considerations for the individuals next purchase.

From a certain perspective I suspect they are correct but not for me. I can tell by his concerns that we do very different sailing in very different conditions as a result we would not agree on what is correct or better when it comes to sailboats.

I know many think there are correct answers when it comes to sailboat design and there are in the big picture (keel is better than no keel) but I have learned from past experience that the Zen of an activity does not come from using the best, latest or most expensive machinery. There is a beauty that can be experienced from a “perfect” machine but that is not always the best goal to have, it can be frustrating and expensive.

It is something I learned from decades of motorcycling. Only a motorcyclist might understand but I see many parallels. The perfect motorcycle is by definition light, fast and responsive. A machine that enables the rider and motorcycle to become one unit executing technically perfect maneuvers, a machine that challenges and rewards the rider who has superior riding ability. To that end there are certain specifications and combinations of specifications that are better than others and there are some that are simply wrong and no motorcycle should be built with those specs.

Or so I thought for decades.

My first motorcycle was a Harley Davidson, a project bike that I never did get to ride but one that left a bit of a soft spot for H-D’s. I never owned another because H-D’s are simply wrong. They are way too heavy, handle like tractors, dragging bits and pieces through every corner, heck some do not even have suspensions as modern bikes know them and they are slow. Agonizingly slow with large underpowered lumps of air cooled metal for engines. Just how wrong was clearly shown to me one dyno day when I was getting a baseline for my new stock motorcycle. My buddies H-D with more $ in engine work than my total purchase had 100ft/lbs of torque, 60% more displacement and 30% less power and it still handled like an H-D.

Why would anyone buy an H-D or the numerous knock-offs? Yet many did and it was clear to me that they enjoyed motorcycling as much as I even if it took them an extra hour or two to catch up at the end of the day.

Slowly over the years I learned that riding is not about the bike but the whole experience. People like H-D’s for many reasons, most of which will not show up in a list of technical specs. I also learned that the “technically” inferior bike is often the superior bike for a given task or person. The Zen or pinnacle of motorcycling can be experienced, is more often experienced, on a “lesser” motorcycle.

The correct motorcycle is the one the rider likes, damn the specs! “It” isn’t about the motorcycle. "It" is about the ride. I suspect the same holds true for Sailing.

So while IPs to not spec out as well as the latest racing designs they are superior in so many ways that they will remain popular for a long time to come.

[fullkeel7]

I would keep an eye on your chainplates IP owners, their sealant anyway. And those considering an IP should have them carefully inspected. I was looking strongly at a '85, 31'er five years ago and found the PO had a chainplate failure on the starboard side. Instead of a proper repair, he had someone mount the plate outboard. I got an estimate of $4k for cabinet removal plus the cost of the chain plates. (one side)

These things are totally imbedded (glassed) into the hull with no way of removal or inspecting without major dismantling of the cabinetwork. If there is any water intrusion into those chainplate wells, you'll have big problems and will not know it....well, 'til something breaks. I'm not sure how one is supposed to inspect the chainplates other than x-ray vision. Hopefully, IP doesn't do that any more with later models.

Also, to my eye, IP's have the thinnest full keel I've ever seen on a boat. It just seems like a poor trade off of strength to all that wetted surface as opposed to more traditional full keeled boats (and me likes full keels ). Otherwise, they look like very well laid out quality boats and they are quite PROUD of them too.$$$$ . BTW, I passed on that boat and never looked at another IP.

Bob

[Architeuthis]

I never bought a H-D, to each his own.

EDIT: BTW the only inspection the IP chainplates need can be done each year when they are resealed or inspected as per the owner manual recommendation.