For a family of 4 - Islander 28 vs Catalina 30

[Familycruisers]

Yeah ,I just lash the tiller now, until I can get the st1000 installed. I never knew what I was missing with roller and self tailing, the Centaur just happen to come that way. Man, does it just make things easier! Selftailing is just wow(from never having it before)

[jimgo]

FINALLY had a chance to see the Islander 28 today, and WOW, what a disappointment. It was actually kind of disheartening.

She was bottoming out in the bay where she was docked, which made getting aboard interesting because she had settled about 2 1/2 feet from the dock, and my wife isn't particularly tall. Once we were aboard, the cockpit wasn't bad, though the exterior woodwork all seemed in worse shape than I had expected. No soft spots were noted on the deck, but the sail covers both looked like they'd seen better days (I chalked that up to Sandy). So far, things weren't looking too bad. Then we went inside.

One of the first things I did was to pull back the rug and check the bilge, and it was full of water. Not only was it full to capacity, but both layers of floorboards over it were VERY damp. Upon closer inspection, there was clear evidence of at least 6-8" of water having been in the bottom of the cabin (there's a line that goes all around the woodwork at the bottom of the settees, the nav station, and the bulkheads), and comparing the pictures that are in the listing to those I took today, it seems clear that the water is recent (my guess is the hurricane). It doesn't seem to have gone as high as the engine, but the folding table is ruined and it's hard to tell what damage happened to the bottom of the bulkheads. The port side chainplates also show a lot of water entry issues, and the washers backing the chainplate bolts are sunken in pretty far into the bulkheads. Fortunately, though, the bulkhead still seem solid. However, it's clear by comparing the pictures that the bulkhead had previously gotten wet around the port forward chainplate, but that it has gotten a lot worse. The port side windows/ports also seem to have problems, and the nav station is both warped and there's a huge crack on the forward side.

It's such a shame, because she was really a beautiful boat, and I really was very excited to go see her. My theory is that there's a hole somewhere and, when she sits on the bottom (as was the case today), the water drains out to just at the bilge level. But when the tide is in, or when there's a storm that gives more water under the boat, then she takes on more water until she's sitting on the bottom again, so she's just filling and emptying with water as the tide changes (the tidal change in that area of the bay is only about 8-10"). Unfortunately, there's no way to prove this other than to move her to a marina (she's at a private dock) and have her hauled, if she even makes it as far as the marina without sinking. I don't think she's worth that kind of investment, at least not at what the seller has thusfar been willing to take. If I can get him to come down REALLY low, then maybe. But, otherwise, I think I'm off to find another prospect.

Anyone know of an S2 9.2C or another center cockpit boat that's in decent shape and available for under $10K? My wife was aboard a 9.2C recently and she loved it. Otherwise, I think we're probably looking at Catalina 30's or Hunter 30's/33's from the Cherubini era, or MAYBE an S2 9.2A if I can find one in decent shape. I'm open to other suggestions, too!

[chef2sail]

Damn...I hope it isnt my old boat

Was it a wheel/ tiller? Didnt the table come out on a rod (hidden from view tucked into the bulkhead?

Sorry you got your hopes up, but there will be other boats. Look also at the older Tartans, Sabres and C&Cs if you like the designs of the Islanders.

Dave

[jimgo]

It was a wheel, but it looked like a retro-fit. The wheel was transom-mounted, which really opened up the cockpit. But you could access the rudder shaft for an emergency tiller. Plus, the box surrounding the wheel mechanism was great, and if you sat on it you had great visibility forward. I thought my kids would enjoy sitting there.

[Alex W]

If you like the layout of the Islander then you should also be looking at Pearson 28-1, Yankee 28 and 30 (not sure how common those are on the east coast), C&C 29 (the 30 is missing a quarter berth), Cal 29 and 31, and Islander 30s. There are more too, it is a pretty classic setup.

Sorry to hear about the condition of that one, online ads can be very misleading. I'm on the west coast and can't imagine how Sandy has changed the boat shopping market. I'm sure that many boats are being advertised with outdated photos now. I will say that many boats that we looked at were disappointing when we saw them in person.

Good luck with the search. The 9.2C is an interesting boat that gets tons of interior space in a 30' boat. You are giving up all outside storage though (it has no lazarettes), engine access isn't great, and it has a lot of windage from being tall. I've not seen one listed here for under $20k, but I think S2 boats are more common in the east than the west. I liked the concept a lot on paper, but looked at a couple in person and decided they weren't for me. I can see how it could be a good design for a family though. O'Day also made a 32' center cockpit boat that might be worth checking out if you decide that you like that design.
O'DAY 32 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

[jimgo]

Thanks Alex! There's an O'Day 32 that keeps coming up in my searches. It's up near Rhode Island. It turns out the guy sold it almost a year ago, but he can't get all the ads taken down!

[jimgo]

Had a chance to visit an S2 9.2C, Pearson 30, Cape Dory 28, and a Lancer 29 today. The 9.2C was disappointing for me. She's a real "diamond in the rough" - needs all of the liner removed, woodwork completely re-done, and new cushions throughout. Except for the liner, it's all stuff that I've done before, but the scope of the project isn't something that I could knock out in the next month or two (knowing how slowly I handle some jobs). She'll be a great boat for someone, just not for me. And that's what's disappointing - we (my wife and I) really like the 9.2C lot, and I had hoped we'd be able to be sailing one this spring, but that doesn't seem likely.

The Cape Dory was surprising - it had a single backstay that knocked me in the head when I was at the wheel. So, I would need to split the backstay or get used to steering from the side all the time, which didn't seem the best way to use the boat. The cockpit also seemed a bit small for our purposes, and the companionway stairs were both too steep and too small for me to feel comfortable having my wife and kids climb them. Otherwise, she was in decent shape. She was probably the nicest of the boats I saw today, though she wasn't without her issues. If the cockpit was a little bigger, and if the backstay wouldn't have banged me in the head all the time, I'd probably have made a run at buying her today.

The Pearson 30's cockpit was also strange - with the wheel as far forward as it is, you can only seat 2 (one on either side) in the cockpit. Keeping a seat clear on either side of the wheel for the captain, you're then out of room in the fairly large cockpit because of the traveler, which is mounted across the back "seat" in the cockpit. The wheel being so far forward did make it easy to access all the sheets and lines, which is great, and the backstay wasn't a problem, either. If it weren't for the "funky" cockpit layout, that could have been a good boat for us. If anyone is in the market for a Pearson 30 in the Baltimore/Annapolis area, send me a PM. The seller was very nice, and the boat seems (to my very novice eye) to be in good shape. I'd like to help him find a buyer.

The Lancer's cockpit was nice. Not huge, but enough to fit 6 adults with some approximation of comfort. She wasn't set up that great for single handing, but she would do in a pinch. Some condensation/minor leaking issues, but I didn't see anything too major. I was even able to peek inside the headliner and, much to my surprise, it was actually pretty clean. Decent size head, too, and over all a clean looking boat, but the deck-mounted chainplates scare me. As much as I like the idea of them being "leakproof", I think I'd be more comfortable if they were attached internally. In addition, the cabin was small. The V-berth would have been a VERY tight fit for me (I'm 5'10"), and that means I'd have to come up with a solution in the salon area, since there's no quarterberth. She's also not a bad boat, just not the boat for me.

All of the boats that I saw are under $10,000. If anyone else is interested in them, I'd be happy to PM you links to the boats (where they exist), and to post my pictures of the boats on a semi-private site so you can review them.

[chef2sail]

Sorry n one of them were up to snuff. Keep looking the right one will come your way. Dont settle.

Sounds like that Islander wasnt mine then as mine had a factory wheel.

Dave

[kwaltersmi]

jimgo - Thanks for the updates on your search! Your story reminds me of ours, as we started with two kids on a 25er and currently sail a 28er (Irwin). Size-wise she was tight but very doable for a family of four. In fact, we spent 3 consecutive months cruising the Great Lakes in 2010 and never really felt too cramped, believe it or not. However, we now have a third daughter and are on the prowl for something bigger.

In any case, best of luck with your search!

[Alex W]

I do find that I often sit on the side of the cockpit when at the wheel, not in the centerline of the boat. This is especially true when single or double handing because this keeps the jib sheets in reach. You might consider that for the Cape Dory.

Was the "Pearson 30" really a 303?
PEARSON 303 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

It does look like they have the wheel very far forward. The 30 looks like it came stock as a tiller boat, perhaps you could convert it back?
PEARSON 30 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com