[christianvargas1982]

Hi all,
I've been sailing Biscayne Bay for about a year and a half on my 1979 Compac 16. Biscayne Bay is great and I want to be able to do weekend sailing a little more comfortably. I am currently looking to get a bigger boat with a shallow draft but no swing keel or centerboard (I'm not a big fan of having to maintain these pins or other moving parts that live permanently underwater other than the hull). I would like to see what boats you may suggest, my budget is about 6K, I would not really want a draft much more than 3'6", and I'm looking for something where a 2-4 people can sleep. So far, after alot of research, it seems that a boat that matches these characteristics is the Compac 23. What do you guys think? I've been told that a J/24 might also be a good option for this, although i've read that its interior is not great. Any suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,
Christian

 

[xsboats]

You would have to cut 6" off of the keel of a J-24 to keep within your 3'6"draft parameters. Precision Yachts builds some boats which you might want to consider. There are also numerous boats built with wing keels and Scheel keels which might suit your needs for shallow draft but I've not seen a production wing keel that worked as it should. They do make fine anchors when run aground,however. There are many older Westerlies that are very seaworthy boats,sport shallow draft due to having twin keels, and are within your price range. I once had a Tyler 29 ,also a twin keeler , which would have been ideal for your needs. Check the Good Ole Boats or Sailing Texas classified. They have many classic plastic boats at reasonable prices that will at least give you an idea of what's out there.

 

[sailingdog]

Sounds like you're looking for a small cruising cat...

 

[xsboats]

That would be my first choice, but it is a hard sell to those who have only sailed unimarans.The price range cv1982 is shopping in limits them in the multi market to something that would be a real fixer-upper. I did see a nice Cross 24 tri in Fl. that would meet their criteria.

 

[Brucerobs2]

C22 or C25?

A couple of obvious boats options could be a fixed keel Catalina 22 or even an older C25. Both might fit your needs and decent examples of both could be found within your budget. A C25 might make any refits a little tight but it can be done and you would probably appreceate the space and added displacement. Lots of value in those models.

Tons of both around as they made thousands of them. They have reasonable drafts, lots of space for their size, they sail pretty well, and can even be easily raced. Also, parts are readily available from Catalina, even for older models.
I grew up sailing a C25 and always thought it was a great boat for our needs.

 

[christianvargas1982]

Guys, thanks for all the replies, I like multihulls but they seem to be difficult to come by, and usually seem to be more expensive than monohulls...

 

[christianvargas1982]

in the event of running aground, arent twin keels and wing keels almost just as problematic?

The reason I've included J/24s in my list even though they have more draft than I wish is because they have been highly recommended...

I did see the norman cross 24 trimaran for sale on sailing texas, that would have been a good fit...

 

[christianvargas1982]

A couple of obvious boats options could be a fixed keel Catalina 22 or even an older C25. Both might fit your needs and decent examples of both could be found within your budget. A C25 might make any refits a little tight but it can be done and you would probably appreceate the space and added displacement. Lots of value in those models.

Tons of both around as they made thousands of them. They have reasonable drafts, lots of space for their size, they sail pretty well, and can even be easily raced. Also, parts are readily available from Catalina, even for older models.
I grew up sailing a C25 and always thought it was a great boat for our needs.

I had mostly seen Catalinas with swing keels... I had not realized that they do have some with fixed keels... will definitely look into these more closely...
thanks.

 

[Brucerobs2]

Catalina keels

Lots of 25's with fixed keels, but fixed 22's are rare as it makes them harder to trailer, which is why lots of people buy them. There is actually a 22 fixed keel on my dock for sale so I know there are some around. Here is his listing on craigs from our club website.

1988 Catalina 22

Im not a huge fan of retractable keel/centerboard for the same reason as you, but there are a lot around here on the Chesapeake, are great for thin water, and sail better to weather than a shoal keel. Ive sailed on lots of them and they just have to be maintained. Our C25 was fixed.

I dont know the owner of the C22 I linked very well to but but the boat was in excellent shape on the outside.

 

[christianvargas1982]

what do you guys think of this Glander Cay? I've never heard of them before...

http://www.sailingtexas.com/sglandercay24100.html

seems like it meets my criteria... although it is a bit older than most of what I've been looking at...

 

[xsboats]

I restored a Glander 33 for a client. It was an extremely solid boat. Never had a chance to sail her. She had nice overhangs.I'm not sure about the 24, but the 33 is a centerboarder. Built in Tavernier, Fl., they were designed for Biscayne Bay. There is also a Glander 33 for sale around Key Largo.

 

[christianvargas1982]

I had not logged in for a while, I ended up buying a Pearson 26, it has a 4 foot draft (deeper than what I had originally set out to get), but it has turned out fine. Although my draft has definitely stopped me from trying to go into the harbors at Boca Chita and Elliot Key...
Thanks for all the replies and advice...
Christian

 

[sailingdog]

Congratulations and thanks for letting us know how it turned out.