37 island packet

[tgarber]

need opinions on 1996 island packet 37 excellant condition is in so. cal but seems very pricy 185k i know it is a quality boat but how does it perform-is it a slow boat ? i like the wide beam lots of room inside for this size boat for liveaboard 2-3 months ayear thinking of offering quite a bit less advice welcome

[Denr]

Is this boat slow? The unit of measurement to define speed for most boats is nautical miles per hour, the IP''s are rated in hours per nautical mile...get the drift? A great boat for trade wind sailing which I assume you''ll be doing a lot of if you''re considering this type of vessel. This is not a negative comment, I''m positiive it''s slow.

[SailorMitch]

As my good friend Denr points out in his eloquent way, IPs are not known for speed. If you plan to sail in Southern California, you''ll probably spend a lot of time motoring. IPs are heavy, full keel boats that take a good breeze to move. But as with all boats, there are trade-offs and compromises. If the accommodations are the drawing card and you like a heavy boat under you if conditions are rough, then IP is your boat.

The pros and cons of IPs have been discussed on here before. People seem either to love them or hate them.

As for price, assuming the boat is well cared for, I doubt you''ll get much of a reduction in the asking price. IPs hold their value very well. They are popular, high quality production boats and you have to pay for that.

[Jeff_H]

One big issue to watch for on IP''s are the rudders. IP''s actually have a post hung spade rudder with a fairly lightly built strap to prevent warps from getting to the rudder. In talking to yard owners, these rudders seem to be quite vulnerable as they are close to the depth of the keel where a more normal spade rudder is normally considerably shallower in depth than the keel.

They seem to be at their best in a pretty narrow range of windspeeds (14 to 20 knots of windspeed) In lighter air the IPs have a lot of wetted surface and a pretty small amount of sail area relative to their drag. In winds heavier than 20 knots, the large drag of these boats rears its head again, requiring the carrying of more sail area than the stability of the boat seems to warrant.

Jeff

[genereddick]

I own a IP38 1992 model. While it certainly true that it takes about 10 knots of wind to get the boat going, most people I sail with are surprised at how FAST she is for a heavy boat. In one race last summer we started almost dead last (my first race) since I did not want to start before I was supposed to. Within three hours we had passed most of the other boats and were into the bulk of the faster boats before I blew a tack and cost us a lot of time in getting back on course.

I might also add, in that particular race a big storm blew up... 65 out of 110 boats either quit or turned back. Nearly 40 knots of wind and 10-12 foot seas. We just sailed along, no muss no fuss, under a single reef and the staysail. One boat sank, another boat (J-boat) rudder came loose.

I am one of those owners who would not trade my IP38 for anything other than a larger IP.

Gene

[ipsailor]

i own a 29 IP and it sails to its number and is no slouch on the race circuit.. it of course does well with some wind and in 20 25 kts just keeps right on going with little heel or weather helm.. phrf of 219.. i''m extremely please having owned many boat and racing for 20 years. granted its not as fast as my humter 34 , but oh so much more comfortable............

[doubleplay]

Guys please,
I sailed an Island Packet from Bermuda to Norfolk....They are good quality purpose built boats but they are nowhere close to being fast.They can sail to their Phrf numbers but if that means you''ll come the last and still win the race I dont see much satisfaction in that.
Fair Winds

[wmiii]

I have a 1995 IP-37 and for my wants and needs it is perfect. I am a cruiser and I enjoy the comfort both at sea and at anchor. I have had a couple of Hunters (31 & 34) and find the IP a completely different animal. I sail the West coast of FL down to the Keys and looking forward to the Bahamas in the near future. This is the ideal boat for my wife and me. I have no regretts.

[bob-m]

tgarber

You might want to also look at the IP38. It feels alot roomier than the 37 and the layout makes more sense (IMO) if you intend to live aboard for extended periods.

Is it a slow boat? Well, you won''t get to join the "lets-go-fast club" but they are sweet sailing vessels and sturdy as they come. I''ve had the pleasure of sail aboard the 37 & 38 and they are hard to beat if you''re looking to combine performance with live-aboard comfort.

bob-m

[tackesailors]

Island Packets are cruisers not racers. If you want to go fast get a Farr 40 or Santana 52. If you want to cruise in comfort an Island Pickle, pardon me, an Island Packet is a great cruising boat. In light winds your better off motoring. Sails about the same speed in winds 2 to 8 knots, after that it moves ok. Pricey yes, but so is a Farr 40.
But then so are Roles Royce and Lambroghini. Two very different cars, built for different uses, you need to look at boats the same way.