Boat Reviews - Please Participate

[Cruisingdad]

I would like to propose that owners of boats (strongly prefer pictures) post their review(s) of their boat. We will try to link similar boats and models.

We should have a LOT of material coming in from L&A on this soon, but I realy think it would be a great tool for those that are shopping or dreaming. Please list in the Title the boat manufacturer and model only... ONLY! Otherwise this can be too difficult to follow. I will end up changing any titles that do not follow these rules.

Please be honest!! Try to come up with some negatives too. Every boat has them, period. Also, if you want to alk about modifications you have made that have worked well, feel free to do that too.

I will preiodically award prizes to those who participate in this, including caps, shirts, other merchandise, and coupons from Sailnet. It will be our way of saying thank you for taking the time to make a post.

Just to be clear - I cannot send these out to everyone. I am not sure if the criteria for receiveing these awards will be based upon content or just a random drawing, but I will do what I can.

Thanks for your help.

- CD

[saildork]

Great idea, Brian. Could you suggest a standard format or outline to follow. This would help folks organize their input and keep them from going off on tangents....not that anybody on SN ever does this.

Pat

[camaraderie]

There is already a boat review section on Sailnet separate from the forums. Could this data be used as a start to this process?

[RhosynMor]

Ok, I'll bite.
boat; 1979 Jeanneau Gin Fizz 38. LOD 37'9", Beam 12'4" Draft 6'8". Center cockpit. 15'600 displacement ( list) Ketch Rig.
The Good: THe somewhat flat underbody, semi skeg rudder and deep fin keel make her a joy to sail , responsive, light on the helm and tracks very well. Built before Bene took over Jene, the hull is very thick, especially below the waterline. Despite the very low cabin top ( about 6" off ther deck) there is 6'3" headroom down below- this due to the almost non existant bilges. Because the cabin sole is at least 24" below the waterline the interior of the boat stays quite cool, berths are just below the waterline keeping them cool at night. The cockpit is large , very deep and comfortable. it is possible to step from the saloon into the cockpit and not be exposed too much in heavy weather. Goes to weather like a witch despite the ketch rig. nice wide(ish) side decks with a good toe rail. Jeanneau used to reckon that she sleeps twn, but in reality 5/6 is about the most, however the saloon table is huge, I have sat 11 round it for dinner quite comfortably. Lots and lots of storage. 365 ltr flexiblwe water tank under the sail locker, and 160 ltr flex tank under the quaterberth.
The Not so good: fuel tank at 200 ltrs is too small. ALuminum steering wheel feels a little flimsy. THe shallowness of the aft cabin means that installing a below deck auto pilot is challenging. Chain plates needed beefing up. The soft aluminum bow plate is easily damaged and the rollers are not staggered so keeping two anchors on the bow is tricky.
All in all a very good bluwater cruising boat that carries a lot of supplies. Ideal for a couple. The draft does limit its coastal cruising capability
somewhat
[IMG]//http://www. picasaweb.google.com/rhosynmor/Desktop?authkey=Gv1sRgCP76oKGvyL7i0QE#535172585440 9829554[/IMG]

[Vitesse473]

2002 Beneteau 473
Regular main, high aspect 110, genoa, assymetrical and symmetrical spinnaker
deep draft keel
Volvo Penta 75hp turbo diesel
bow thruster
4kw Raymarine radar
E120 chartplotter
B&G wind, depth, autopilot
Magnum 100amp/2000w charger/inverter

Likes: Very comfortable for our family of five. Lots of room in the cockpit which can easily fit eight people under sail. Love the two wheel helmstation set up. Important for such a wide beam. Also makes getting on/off very easy when sterned in. Especially with small kids. Really like all the hatches and portholes. Very light and airy down below. Very much like the finish woodwork and 3 cabin layout.

Absolutely love the way this boat sails. She's very fast and very well balanced in up to 25kts of wind flying regular full batten main and high aspect 110. Rigged the boat for regular spinnaker and wow what a difference. Sailed over 700 miles in 15-22kts and 6-8 foot seas and she just loves to surf. Not a surprise as the 473 was designed by Groupe Finot, designers of almost all Vendee Globe boats. You do pay a bit of a price, though, for the beam and relatively flat bottom isn't as friendly going upwind in moderate to heavy seas. Her weight, length and speed do help here, but buyer beware.

Dislikes: Refrigeration is sub par. Position of primary winches is a bit quirky. High freeboard can be very tricky when maneuvering in high winds. The bow thruster is almost a must have for this boat. The three cabin layout limits your sail inventory storage. Aft lazarettes are huge, but it's often hard to get stuff in/out since they are so deep. Stock deck blocks are cheap. Have been upgrading as I go. Could use some larger tankage (fuel & water). Engine is really difficult to get too for servicing. I also can't figure out why I'm burning 2gph at cruising RPM. Think it's probably the prop pitch.

All in all the boat is a head turner with her blue hull and teak decks. Lots of compliments on the lines. I'd definitely endorse this boat to anyone looking for a very comfortable, very fast, very capable coastal cruising boat. If you don't cruise in shallow waters (like me), I'd recommend the deep draft keel and regular main if you want to maximize performance.

[Cruisingdad]

Hi everyone - and thanks for the interest in participating.

We need seperate threads for this (not in my thread). The Title should be the make of your boat. Same boats should go under the same title as replies to the thread. That was my thought.

We are also vamping up a MUCH better boat serach function and classifieds. I hope this can completment it and what we currently have.

Brian

[WouldaShoulda]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

There is already a boat review section on Sailnet separate from the forums. Could this data be used as a start to this process?

Indeed.

There are already nearly 1k boat reviews, including my own here...

http://www.sailnet.com/boatchk/showp...cat=444&page=2

[rockeesta999]

Stay safe and active guys...

[pmar98]

We have a 1985 Oday 39. This particular boat works great for my family. We have 2 boys ages 5&6 so the 3 cabin layout is a must. The boat sails well especially when the wind picks up. We actually took a 3rd place in the 2009 figawi race and that was with old sails and lots of beer on board and a 9ft inflatable and outboard stuffed in a cockpit locker. The boat does tend to have a lot of weather if the wind is over 15 knots. You need to drop the traveler to spill some air off the main to minimize it. I have the shoal draft model (4.5 draft) so I believe this is not the case for the deep draft models. The boat is not a light air rocket ship since her displacement is 18,500 but respectable none the less. The boat is strong under power with a 44 hp universal diesel. There are 2 huge cockpit lockers that are almost 4 ft deep. They can fit a fairly sizeable inflatable and lots other equipment. The cockpit itself is also very large. The seats are well over 6 feet and great for napping. There are also 2 huge water tanks under each aft cabin bunk. 150 gallon total capacity. This comes in handy for extended summer cruises. Overall I am very pleased with the boat. Over the last 2 summers we gone for a 2 week cruise to Nantucket and plan to go again this year. One of the negatives I have on the boat is the heads are the small side. No seperate shower tall etc.

[Cal28]

Originally Posted by WouldaShoulda

Indeed.

There are already nearly 1k boat reviews, including my own here...

http://www.sailnet.com/boatchk/showp...cat=444&page=2

Well I checked the list and didn't find one for my Cal 28 (flushdeck). When I get to know her well can I write one?