[avm1955]

I'm interested purchasing a small sailboat for my wife and I to sail around on the lakes in my area. I am an experienced small boat sailor [ sailboards, Hobie 16, Force 5]. My last boat was a Force 5, a blast to sail single, but too small for the wife too, so I sold it. These 2 boats are available in my area[sort of] and I have not sailed [ or seen]either yet. Looking for a lively day sailer with a bit of comfort [sit in not on] The Buccaneer is a freshwater boat that has had little use [$900 w/ trailer] . The C-15 looks rougher , but has sails and a mast/boom from a newer boat [ $600 w/ trailer] A C-Lark 14 is also a possibility, but is 5 hours away and $1000. anyone have any experience with any of these boats? which would you choose? I know actually getting out on the water with the boat would be best, but the Coronado is pretty far away and I would have to meet owner half way.

 

[jwing]

I would say the C-15 is a sit-ON, not a sit-in, and for that reason, I do not like them.

I've never seen the other two, but they appear to be sporty. You may like that, but your wife may not, especially if she is inexperienced. Of the two, the Buccaneer looks more comfortable.

Since you asked which would I choose, my first answer is neither, but that is based on my wife, not yours. Beyond that, I recommend that you bring your wife along to look at boats and buy the one she likes the best. If you want something else in the future, you can change boats easier and cheaper than changing wives.

 

[avm1955]

I would say the C-15 is a sit-ON, not a sit-in, and for that reason, I do not like them.

I've never seen the other two, but they appear to be sporty. You may like that, but your wife may not, especially if she is inexperienced. Of the two, the Buccaneer looks more comfortable.

Since you asked which would I choose, my first answer is neither, but that is based on my wife, not yours. Beyond that, I recommend that you bring your wife along to look at boats and buy the one she likes the best. If you want something else in the future, you can change boats easier and cheaper than changing wives.

thanks. I agree, the Bucc looks more comfy, and since it's larger that makes sense.It looks barely used too. My other choice is a Potter 15, but that's a lot of boat and looks really slow, I like to go fast and I like a boat that handles well and is not too complicated. I don't think the wife would mind sporty, but putting her in the Force 5 on a high wind day was a mistake, she got banged up and fell out, and was a little put out when I didn't stop the boat and back up for her.She did like sailing on the Hobie though, so she's not opposed tho speed and spray. A nice clean cockpit without a lot of things for her to bang into would be a plus, as would a reasonable boom height.

 

[TJC45]

The Buc is a performance dinghy! It has a rep for getting spirited as the wind picks up. So if fast is your thing, that's a plus! it has a little sister, the Mutineer. Less of a handful, but still no slouch! Both boats are supported through National Associations.

Everything will feel slow relative to your Hobie. And, if you can handle the Hobie in mod to high wind nothing you are looking at will be a problem.

 

[avm1955]

thanks, the C-15 is supposed to be a performance [racing] dinghy too, and it supports a trap, which could be fun. I think I'm leaning towards the c-15 as it has newer sails and is a little lighter.

 

[Flamingo1]

I'm interested purchasing a small sailboat for my wife and I to sail around on the lakes in my area. I am an experienced small boat sailor [ sailboards, Hobie 16, Force 5]. My last boat was a Force 5, a blast to sail single, but too small for the wife too, so I sold it. These 2 boats are available in my area[sort of] and I have not sailed [ or seen]either yet. Looking for a lively day sailer with a bit of comfort [sit in not on] The Buccaneer is a freshwater boat that has had little use [$900 w/ trailer] . The C-15 looks rougher , but has sails and a mast/boom from a newer boat [ $600 w/ trailer] A C-Lark 14 is also a possibility, but is 5 hours away and $1000. anyone have any experience with any of these boats? which would you choose? I know actually getting out on the water with the boat would be best, but the Coronado is pretty far away and I would have to meet owner half way.

Our local yacht club has a racing class for the Buccaneer 18s. They look like they are relatively roomy - yet a lot of fun.

 

[bobmcgov]

We own a Bucc 18. The cockpit is very large, yet tacking or jibing does require a degree of agility from the crew, simply because the vang, mainsheet, and centerboard trunk create a moderately small window to dive thru.

that will give you an idea. Boom is mid height. Cockpit is very comfortable, either sitting or hiking. As for it being a 'sit-in' boat... not in anything over 7kts, it isn't. Hiking required from both crew. Fun boat to singlehand in light air, but the Bucc is a double handful of trouble in stronger breezes. Easy to right if it goes over, considering it is a 500# boat. I've done it myself @ 140lbs.

Either boat would be fine. C15 is closer to your F5; Bucc is like a Flying Scot with a mean streak.

 

[avm1955]

thanks,

 

[bobmcgov]

BTW, a friend of mine locally owns a Coronado 15, tho I've never sailed on it. Wasn't all that impressed with the construction ... but then the early Buccs were no great shakes, build-wise. Less stuff to break on the Bucc. Bucc's much faster, and it has an active & growing class association.

 

[eyeshotpar]

I have a 1973 C-15 here in North Alabama and love sailing it. My crew is just learning the trapeze, at 63 years old, and it has been fun. We do Portsmouth index racing against Daysailors, FSs, Thistles and Snipes. Thistle is by far the fastest, the rest are competitive, with the Portsmouth indexes helping. Most C-15s remove the round bar traveler, but I keep mine. It would definitely help the cockpit room, but I think it helps in the very light inland lake winds of summer. I really like the C-15 community, a yahoo group and the C15 Association Home Site. Also on Facebook, but the yahoo group is the best and has helped me get sailing. Our first race is in a couple weeks.
Sailnet wouldn't let me include the links, but easy to find online.

 

[avm1955]

well, for anyone interested I bought the Bucc 18.. seemed like a lot of boat for the $. beefy trailer, decent sails, hull in good shape, original jell coat. needs a good cleaning uo and a little varnish. hope to get her on the water soon. will need a little help figuring her out.

 

[bobmcgov]

Good for you! It is a fun boat with great people supporting it. New parts are available via Nickels Boat Works. Decent sails are a plus, esp. the mainsail, which is kind of a stupid design for this boat, but there ya go. Just keep the outhaul pulled tight in nearly all conditions, use the halyard lock if possible, you'll be fine.

Feel free to ask about the boat as you are setting it up; several posters here have owned Buccs. A few pointers to get you started: Check the centerboard for condition and play. The pivot pin tended to waller on older boats, and the leading edge gets chewed up from groundings. Either can cause the board to stall upwind, which is a major source of behavioral problems. When sailing, work the CB actively, as you would on a windsurfer. Some of the boat's initial stability lack can be overcome by kicking the board up halfway. It's a bit unnerving at first how quickly the boat goes to 40 degrees. But it generally hardens up there briefly, and a quick hand on the mainsheet should keep you from capsizing. In stronger winds, sail the main very soft. We put a reef in ours, which helps for squalls and for learning the boat. The Bucc18 sails like garbage on main only.

The original rudders had a tendency to jump their gudgeons and sink during a capsize. The original round bailers had a tendency to leak, tho frequent applications of Vaseline or silicone can work wonders. Boat points much higher if jib cars are moved to the seat fronts, but that's kind of a pain to live with. You can rig Barber haulers to approximate the effect. Enjoy your ride!

 

[avm1955]

thanks for all the info. what is the easiest fix for the keeping the rudder in? and I'm not familiar with a Barber hauler? also, the seller said to raise the mast from the front, but that seems unusual ?ON other boats, you attach the 2 side stays, then pull er up and attach the front.

 

[avm1955]

turns out m I bought a Bayliner / US 18, a buccaneer clone? , it does say buccaneer on it though. the mast sits on the small enclosed bow and looks to be raised fromk the front?

 

[bobmcgov]

turns out m I bought a Bayliner / US 18, a buccaneer clone? , it does say buccaneer on it though. the mast sits on the small enclosed bow and looks to be raised fromk the front?

Ruh-roh. That's an entirely different animal. I've written before the story of how Bayliner/US Yachts came by their 'Buccaneer' name -- very dishonestly -- but here is the quick version: after Chrysler Marine/TMI went tits up in 1983ish, Bayliner got hold of the molds (but not the rights) to the Bucc18. They produced some Buccs w/out license, were sued by Gibbs/MacAlpine-Downey, tried to muddy the waters by claiming theirs was a different "Buccaneer" 18, slapped together a hastily-contrived little boat to prove it, lost the lawsuit, had to surrender the molds.

Your boat is one of them hastily-contrived little boats. Sorry about that. I can't give any advice about Bayliner's version. (All their subsequent Buccaneers, which include some of the ugliest and most-jeered-at sailboats ever designed, were a stubborn attempt by Bayliner to maintain innocence. Some of their hull shapes were actually pretty good, esp. the US Yachts products which boasted names like Mull and Peterson. But the decks and rigs were uniformly stupid.)

 

[fstuart]

I had a c-15 for wife and I was a great boat but not without draw backs I raced in a local fleet which was why I choose it. It is not a socializing boat. We enjoyed our summer snow but we raced it and chased regattas around Colo on lakes. I guess it depends on what kind of sailing you will be doing. The c-15 is tough to single hand. It is a lot of boat.When kids came along the boat left.