Capitol/Gulf Yachts

[gwp]

Looking at this 86' Capitol/Gulf 29 for family cruising.
http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listi...quick&is=false
Not finding much info on the net. Anyone who knows anything about these yachts.....please advise. Construction methods? Sailing characteristics, etc. Thanks much.....Gary

[BarryL]

Hello,

For info on all things Capitol Yachts, visit this site:

http://capitalyachts.info/

I had a Newport 28 for a few years. Typical production type boat, similar to O'day, Catalina, S2, etc. It was perfect for my uses, and I only sold it because I wanted to spend a week or longer on board with my family of 5.

Good luck,
Barry

[Faster]

A member of our yacht club sails a Gulf 29, mostly singlehanded (he's over 80). He seems quite happy with it.

If I remember correctly, the 29 has a higher performance underbody than her full-keeled sister the 32. You do lose some space to the inside steering station, and on a 29 footer that's a bit of an issue.

[bwindrope]

There is a Gulf 29 moored right next to our Gulf 32 here in Friday Harbor. The 29 is a completely different boat in every way except the similarity of having a pilothouse and some internal things. I've read that the 29 uses a Newport hull, with a fin keel, and is quite light and tender, like the Newports. Typical trade offs of being faster and pointing better etc. The 32 is a very heavy keeled cruiser (disp. 16,000) with a crazy high comfort ratio and stability profile. Super forgiving.

The 29 is a day sailor for most folks, and will take considerable skill to use her in all but benign conditions.

I don't mean to imply better or worse here, just very different. Most importantly, the 29 is not a smaller version of the 32!!! I think the 29 would be a great boat for weekend trips and faster day sailing with the benefit of a pilothouse for shoulder season trips and such.

Best of luck in your search.

[gwp]

Thanks much for the very helpful comments! Looking forward to getting back into the game.

[Moonfish]

The G29 has the Newport 28 hull, with a foot added to the transom. The hull is a C&C design, so yes, it has good performance qualities that are combined with the Gulf's cruising amenities. My first boat was an '84 Newport 28, and a previous owner had raced her quite a bit on the Columbia River. They are surprisingly agile performers for the "racer/cruiser" compromise. I suspect the G29 would fare equally as well, albeit with a tad more weight.