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Looking for sailboat for bay that dries daily

9K views 21 replies 16 participants last post by  lazystar 
#1 · (Edited)
My fiancee owns a house on the water - on Puget Sound to be precise. That's great; however, the bay in front of her house dries out twice a day. Bottom is mostly mud with some clam, oyster shells. Incoming tide is very weak - no waves at all. Very protected bay. I'm dying to buy another sailboat - question is: Which boats can withstand those conditions? A little more on what I'm looking for: Something in the 22-28' range; sails well in light airs; points reasonably well; can be single-handed; comfortable enough for weekends; cruising, no racing planned. Anyone have ideas re: which sailboats I should look at? Thanks!
 
#2 · (Edited)
Mud harbours are pretty standard in Europe, esp the UK. For that reason bilge keelers are much more popular over there than here, and easier to find.

But if you can find a Westerly or a Vivacity, they would fit the bill. There's always been a few of those around the PNW. I have seen boats with retractable struts that can be used to prop the boat up in a 'tripod' arrangement with two struts and the keel. Requires that the boat is happy to sit on her keel, of course. I suppose many smallish boats could be so modified or adapted.

An example of a bilge keeler:



Here's an article about 'drying out boats'

http://www.yachtingmonthly.com/archive/398368/drying-out-your-boat

And here's another option:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f55/wow-look-at-the-legs-on-her-nsfw-70920.html
 
#14 ·
Mud harbours are pretty standard in Europe, esp the UK. For that reason bilge keelers are much more popular over there than here, and easier to find.

But if you can find a Westerly or a Vivacity, they would fit the bill. There's always been a few of those around the PNW. I have seen boats with retractable struts that can be used to prop the boat up in a 'tripod' arrangement with two struts and the keel. Requires that the boat is happy to sit on her keel, of course. I suppose many smallish boats could be so modified or adapted.

An example of a bilge keeler:



Here's an article about 'drying out boats'

Drying out your boat | Yachting Monthly

And here's another option:

Wow! Look at the Legs on Her ! (NSFW) - Cruisers & Sailing Forums
These drogue like keels are typical of what gives twin keelers the reputation for being slow. With properly designed twin keels, it is a different story.
 
#4 ·
Jimgo, that looks like a boat that didn't 'dry out' quite so nicely...

In the 22-28 foot range there would be a large selection of centerboard boats with retractable/removable rudders that would dry out safely enough, though ideally you'd probably want a board that fully retracted so the boat sits flat on her bottom.
 
#5 ·
I would think that you would want a a boat with more of a flat bottom, ie catboat. so you wouldn't have to worry whether it would "sit" right when no one is around. Do the westerly's "sit" well without help?

I saw that picture; then saw the mast in the background. WOW!! Hate to be that guy.
 
#8 ·
At the shorter end of your range (22'), there is the Marshall 22 catboat (Marshall 22). These are available in cat and sloop rigs (as in the photo here). They typically have an inboard diesel and have been in production since the mid-60's.

They are beamy (10'2")and arerelatively heavy for a 22 footer (5660# displacement vs. 2200# for a Catalina 22--which has a beam of 7'8"). The centerboard retracts completely and the propeller is protected by the keel/skeg.

They are not cheap, but hold their value better than most used boats. They will point better than most folks think, are very good in light air, and can be single-handed. You won't have standing headroom in the cabin, but you will have a generous cockpit and the boat will stay on her feet when beating.



I had an 18' Herreshoff catboat for 16 years, before moving up to my 35 sloop, but would consider the M-22 if I downsize in the future. The catboat started out as a workboat over a hundred years ago and is very user-friendly in most regards, as long as you reef (the cat rig in particular) when you first think about it.
 
#9 ·
Wow, looks like my first attempt at a reply didn't work. Let's try again.

Thanks again for all your great replies - I really appreciate it.
RE: the twin keelers, I agree - I've read that they are slower, and don't point as well. They're also tough to find, and resale might be tough too.

Re: a cat, I'd love to get a small cruising cat or tri, but they're tough to come by (most cruising cats are bigger and very expensive), and the tris are either screamer/racers (Corsair) or else pricey (Telestar).

Re: a catboat, I've never sailed one, and appreciate your thoughts as you have sailed one for some time. Checking out the PHRF (276) does make me feel like they're not that quick though.

I'm now thinking of foregoing the idea of having the boat right in front of the house, at or near the dock, and instead keeping it about 100 yards down the bay where there is always sufficient water. This would require getting a permit (I'm told it's easy) and setting up a mooring buoy, and probably needing to get it out of the water in the winter here (when the winds can really blow). I'd then paddle or row down to the boat, and bring it up to the dock when there's sufficient water. Not ideal, but by doing this I would open up a whole world of possibilities w/a fixed keel boat. If I go this route, I'll look for San Juan 7.7 and 28; C&C 27; Capri 25 (maybe the 22); Tartan 28-2; Pearson 28-2; etc.

This would keep the sailboat off the mud, which, even in a protected bay still means the hulls on the mud and shells twice a day. And that's gotta be tough on a sailboat.

Cheers,
BW
 
#10 ·
That's certainly an easier bill to fill, and as you say opens a wide range of possibilities... the boats you referenced would, by and large, be good candidates. It would also free you from the tide schedule as to when you can decide to come and go.

Moorings are yet another maintenance issue, but like most of them, manageable.
 
#11 ·
We've got a S2 7.9 with a fully retractable daggerboard keel and kick up rudder, seems like that might be an option? Pretty good in light air (20+ SA/Disp ratio). Fairly spartan on the interior as it is a racer/cruiser (as opposed to a cruiser/racer) (but since you are considering the Capri 22, maybe that isn't a concern for you). Just another to add to the list to consider!
 
#12 ·
If you are looking at newer boats, TES 24 available in Canada from TES Yacht might be a good candidate. She definitely meets your needs in terms of low water level, excellent overnight accommodations, CE B category for safe coastal cruising, single-handed operations and you can even go out on a few day long cruise. At about $47,000 new (including trailer and outboard) she will not break the bank either.







 
#13 · (Edited)




Yep, I think that our S2 would likely dry out much like that TES. Bilge is perhaps a bit flatter, and less freeboard, so may even dry out better. Ours is an inboard, that would be one thing I'd be concerned about, so to be safe I'd be looking for an outboard model if I expected to dry her out.
 

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#17 ·
Everyone, I'm renewing this thread with a new question:
Would you lay down a swing keel sailboat on a daily basis on a beach that's mud with some shells? Or would you be wary of getting mud and shells in the swing keel mechanism, and then having difficulty raising and lowering the swing keel?
There are heaps of trailer sailors out there, like the Catalina 22, Venture 22, etc., and if that would work, it would keep my boat in front of the house w/o needing to get a mooring farther down the inlet (where there is sufficient depth 24/7).
Thanks in advance.
 
#20 ·
I saw a west wight potter in Olympia a number of years back dried out!

An SJ 21 might be a good choice, as it has a rubber cover under the CB, so not as much mud might make it up the CB channel.

If you can go new......Jeanneau has a 33' boat that has a combo CB and twin rudders, and some older SO32's would work too, same setup.

Marty
 
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