Bayfield 29

[Aspy]

In my quest to buy a good coastal cruiser, I have looked at several. I am in the research stage and will probably look at several more.
A nice boat has just caught my eye. It''s a 1988 Bayfield 29. Does anyone in this forum have an opinion on this boat.
As an novice sailor I appreciate any insights that you can provide.
Thanks, Aspy...

[msl]

You can "Google" Bayfield 29, check out Sailnet''s "Boatcheck" section. This month''s "Good Old Boat" has an article about it (although it isn''t an evaluation, exactly).
Try www.yachtworld.com for comparison prices/values.
Good luck.
msl

[splitmind]

www.bayfieldyachtowners.org

Register and ask the many owners here questions on the forums.

Where are you located? On the owners website above you can find sail-ins in Florida this month and near Toronto in July. Look under upcoming events.

[WHOOSH]

Aspy:

The Bayfield 29/32 designs have a shippy, somewhat traditional look to them and it''s easy to see how it ''caught your eye''. They also enjoy popularity where the buyer wants a combination of a shallow draft and a full keel. Their mouldings were relatively well built for the time. OTOH you will find its sailing performance quite limited (it''s all that wetted surface and shallow draft...) and the interior volume small (especially so given more contemporary designs, but it was small even more its day & displacement), offering less comfort and amenities than many other boats. I think it''s one of those choices where the aesthetics need to be strongly felt in order to overcome its real-world limitations.

Jack