Let's talk motorsailers/pilothouses

[PCP]

Talking about pilot houses, there is a new one that raised some interest in Europe....and that I think that would have raised a lot more on the American market. It is a small boat (8M), a coastal one and it is an inexpensive boat (about 50 000€). It's the Triaskell









Regards

Paulo

[Cabatach126]

May be worth thinking about

decent sized engine but sails much better than a motor sailor

Hard top version with back half canopy is almost as good as a motor sailor cabin and certainly ticks the indoor helm position box

draft less than 5'

Fits the budget over here anyway

[PCP]

Originally Posted by jrd22

In my opinion Paulo, the problem of definition is that the terms have evolved over the years to mean different things in different models (confusing). Originally, motorsailors, were any design that had inside steering and many were much more "motor" than "sail". Later, designers that felt there was a market for sailboats with an inside helm didn't want the stigma attached to the slow/non sailing motorsailor so they started marketing their designs as Pilothouse sailboats. Fairly recently the Decksaloons have blurred the picture even further to the point where as you correctly point out you can have complete mingling of design components labelled as any of the three. Personally, I refer to a boat that can sail but was designed primarily to motor as a motorsailor and a sailboat (by hull and rig design) with two complete helms (inside and cockpit, wheel steering and engine controls at both) a pilothouse (irregardless of where saloon is located, ours was sold as a Pilothouse (1988) and has the dinette,galley and inside helm up). The Decksaloon (another marketing separation from the dreaded "motorsailor"?) to my way of thinking obviously has the dinette/saloon up to take advantage of light and view but whether or not it has any type of inside helm seems to be a variable depending on make/model/options.


This is just my own understanding of the different terms and the evolution, not meant to be the definitive historical progression .

Yes, I agree. Much more important than the definition of pilothouse/decksaloon is the definition of Sailing boat/Motorsailor. Modern sailboats sail much faster than older sailboats, especially on light winds.I guess that compared with boats from the 80’s and 90's all European Decksaloons/pilothouses are sailing boats, with the exception of older designs still in production, like the Fisher, or the old line of Nauticats. On the States there are some modern designs that would better be named as Motorsailors.

I also would like to point out that in Europe the Decksaloon designation is more popular while in the USA it seems that the Pilothouse designation is more used and I am referring to boats with a raised saloon and an inside second steering position. To complicate things, now they also call a decksaloon to boats that doesn't have neither a raised saloon nor an inside steering station, like the Jeanneau DS, or the Bavaria Vision.

Regards

Paulo

[dwilbar]

Have always considered a Nauticat a great moored live aboard for the islands. As dinghies are the vehicle, has anyone figured out an easy way to get on and off, given relatively high freeboard, and no walkthru? Thanks, Dave

[christyleigh]

Dave,

If you mean by "no walkthru" .... no walkthru transom then you are surely correct..... and I had them on my last 2 boats and miss them badly As for boarding you can see in my picture the Folded Up transom ladder (standard on all Nauticats I know of) that when folded down goes well into the water for an 'easy' 2 story climb . Also on each side there is the standard, as in most boats, the 'lifeline gate' walkthru as you can also see. I also have a 6' SS ladder that has hooks on it for boarding from the bow pulpit that I made a removable mount for that attaches to the lifeline stanchions at the side gates for boarding without fear of heights issues - no pictures of that.

[R29Willow]

Originally Posted by Faster

Right you are, Marty... here it is



More in line with the 29 than the Garden designed 32 I'd say.

I thought I wanted one of these for a while when I was shopping so I dug quite a bit into their pedigree. Most likely story I have been able to piece together is the Newport 27 (NOT 28) hull mold was used to make the Gulf 27, and the same hull was extended to make the 29.

Newport 27 was an ok little boat but doesn't set the world on fire performance wise, and the Gulf is heavier.

Still neat, maybe I'll get one when I'm 80.
(and transplant the pilothouse deck onto a faster boat!)

[Faster]

Originally Posted by R29Willow

.....Still neat, maybe I'll get one when I'm 80.
(and transplant the pilothouse deck onto a faster boat!)

You're a long way from 80, young fella! (I oughta know!)