Wylie hawkfarm 28

winslow59 · #1 (**permalink**) 02-05-2004

What''s the low down on the Hawkfarm.

I''ve been offered a Wylie Hawkfarm here in Vancouver, BC that''s been in storage for 3 years. The price is good - the owner has moved and has decided not to return to the area. The boat is in very good condition and well equiped with sails and basic electronics. The diesel was properly prepared for storage. (Yes, I''d get a survey before purchase.)

I don''t have any experience with this model - and none of my friends have sailed on one either. The comments I get are: "I hear they sail well, especially upwind." - and - "I think they''re popular in San Fransisco."

Not much to go on.

There''s some expense and a fair amount of effort required to get this boat surveyed and sea trialed. So, I''d like to know more about the design before I get too far in.

How do they sail - strengths, weaknesses - tell me what you know -- or what you think you know.

Jeff_H · #2 (**permalink**) 02-05-2004

There are neat IOR era fractionally rigged half tonners. While I am not a big fan of IOR era boats the Hawkfarms have an excellent reputation. They offered very nice upwind performance and moderate reaching performance. They are not great light air boats.

They have a very simple but workable interior. With a few deck modifications these would be good single-handers. I have always thought that these were a lot of boat for the money. A Wylie Hawkfarm in good condition is worth something less than $10K.

Jeff

winslow59 · #3 (**permalink**) 02-06-2004

Thanks - your comments and others from different boards provide enough information that I think I''ll see if I can get the boat on the water.

AlCameron · #4 (**permalink**) 02-15-2004

I''m sorry I didn''t see this post sooner, been at a conference all week. My wife and I sail a Hawkfarm. We love the boat, handles the seas very well, is a bit tender intially but sails really well in a breeze. We like the fractional rig''s small headsails and love the power from the big main. Currently we live on Oahu, but I grew up on Puget Sound, I think this would be a great boat for sailing in B.C. or Puget Sound. I''ve been trying to find out more about the boats, there are a handfull of them here in Hawaii, seems they were used for some Cup Match races here in years past... Any news you''ve found would be greatly appreciated.

pplotz · #5 (**permalink**) 04-06-2010

I can't say enough good things about this boat! I've been sailing one for the last three years, and even after buying another boat, I have been reluctantly trying to sell mine, I sail them both about 50/50 because the hawkfarm is so fast and i nimble for a 28ft boat!

Oh ya, hawkfarmsailboats . com