Which one is best?

[baggywinkles]

Of these for boats in the 25-26'' range, all possible things being equal, which is probably the best for coastal AND offshore:

Ranger - circa 1970''s,
Morgan - circa 1960''s,
Tartan,- circa ?
Bristol circa ?
I don''t want to get too complicated with this as my technical knowledge of this subject is very slight. But any obvious suggestions that correct my thinking are welcome. Is this even a sensible question to ask, though???
jim

[sailingfool]

baggywrinkles;
RE: "best for...AND offshore". To give some answer to this Hobson''s choice I''d want to better understand the circumstances that force such a choice on you. Are you facing deportation, or in debt to a bad crowd, or under some other form to threat to your life if you don''t get out to sea? Otherwise, the best choice is to get real and understand that the best of any of these boats, in that size range, would a roll of the dice in terms of offshore use - how did Dirty Harry put it in the movie, "So are you feeling lucky today...".

Good luck.

[baggywinkles]

Ha! ha...Point taken. However....we''re not planning to cross the Atlantic or circumnavigate, just cruise offshore from Port Charlotte to the Keys a few time a year. These were four types of boat that came up as reliable, safe and seaworthy. You don''t agree?

[WHOOSH]

B:

Assuming you are looking at boats comparable in cost, they will all likely have been heavily modified in the last 30+ years, they will all need substantial upgrades OR be priced to reflect that work already having been done...and thus, any given boat may represent by now a significant departure from the stock boat it originally was when built. I remember that Bill Homewood raced a Ranger 26 in one of the Bermuda One-Two races from Newport (he kept getting squirted thru the hull-deck joint when below...), and small Tartans have been circumnavigated...but those anecdotes surely don''t make those designs nor all similar sisterships offshore capable. OTOH as you point out, your use of the term ''offshore'' isn''t really correct, as sailing across Florida Bay can be done on an overnight with a stable forecast in your pocket before you decide to depart.

Assuming you''re located in SW Florida, the selection of boats available to you will govern your choices far more than a theoretical preference for one brand or model over another. E.g. smaller Morgans, Irwins, Endeavors and Catalinas are abundant in your area, while Bristols, Rangers and Tartans will be less so. This fact will not only affect your selection when buying but the ease with which you can later sell.

Jack