Colvin Gazelle

[flicker]

Does anyone here have experience sailing a Colvin Gazelle? I like their looks, full keel, shoal draft, raised cockpit, aft cabin and engine room. My only performance concerns are basically (1) are they tender and (2) do they point well in a strong breeze?

Of course, I''d be interested in any observations one can give me on their performance.

Chas

[Jeff_H]

I have not sailed on one but I have observed them under way. The do not appear to be especially tender but they don''t point very well. It seems to me that I have seen both gaff and junk rigged versions. The junk rig version in particular sticks in my mind as pointing particularly badly and making huge gobs of leeway.

They have always struck me as a good boat for a slow reach up into the Arctic Circle to get iced in for the winter, but with minimal ventilation, a low weather deck ht, a high center of gravity, and comparatively small accomodations for their size and weight, not much use besides that.

The most recent Colvin Gazelle that I observed underway I beleive was called something like Surrender and I think that she is still for sale in Annapolis, Maryland.

Jeff

[flicker]

Thanks, Jeff. I''ve seen the Surrender on the hard and I did like her aft cabin and open aft deck, though she does seem cramped for her size.

I just assumed that her narrow beam would make her a little faster than other 42s and her high ballast/displ ratio and hard chine would help make up for her narrow beam.

And, although Gazelles have the reputation for being quite seawothy, I really didn''t want to investigate the fabled sailhandling superiority of the junk lug sail over the standard marconi sloop rig.

Thanks for your comments.

Chas

[schnicklefritz]

In a strong breeze, with a heavy steel (cruising) boat, you probably wouldn’t want to point high, would you?

These boats are designed for cruising at slow speed off the wind and downwind while occasionally bouncing off of stuff along the way.

[alpheus]

I am Gazelle owner and can answer your questions. I can be reached at 561 866 2974.
Best Regards,
Albert Hackett

[Sailingdiver]

Colvin's are workhorses. Tough, can carry alot, but not going to point high, ever.

[Migrant]

I sailed the Colvin Gazelle "Migrant" from Bellingham, Wa. to Phuket, Thailand. It has average tenderness for the first fifteen or so degrees of heel. However at that point she gets on her chine and stiffens considerable.
She does not go to weather in big seas and a blow. In 35 knot reinforced trades she tacked through 170 degrees and made leeway. On a beam reach, once I gave up trying to beat into the trades, she flew along at 8-10 kts. Going down the Oregon coast in 35 kts my son got her surfing at 11 kts. Dick Johnson, the original owner reeled off 200 mile days. She is not a slow boat.

[WanderingStar]

Interesting reports, but this thread is years old. I looked at a Colvin Pinkie before buying my ketch. I loved her looks, but needed more interior room, and wanted better performance. I got it.