I just purchased a house in a water front community at the very tip of Severn River (Millersville). Because of the distance to the bay not sure if it makes sense to purchase a sailboat. How is the draft? Wind? If so, recommends on the type (Size/draft) I should get. I thought about a "hybrid" but that is very counterintuitive to my sailing persona. Thoughts?
Right Sailboat for Severn River??
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Perhaps a Hinckley B-40 with a good supply of Grey Poupon?
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I'm just across the river in Severna Park. You are 6.5 to 7 mi. to the mouth of the river. About 50-60 min at hull speed. From Millersville you will enjoy a great sail down the river and may be pleasantly surprised by Round Bay, a perfect place for sailing. There are a lot of sailboats in your area.
OK the Grey Poupon and Hinckley comment is silly. I truly want to help you so I am going to pose some "tough love" questions. I have lived all over AA County including Severna Park and was on the river a couple of days ago but I am not sure I "get" your question. It's a river. It's deep enough for most any sailboat but the bridges may present a problem for the larger ones. There is a clearly marked channel and as others have noted there is Little Round Bay. How can anyone regardless of whether they know the river well or have never heard of it recommend a size boat and type of keel for you? You may as well have asked us what kind of house you should have bought. It's not about the river! It's about what you want to do, what you are willing to spend, how many will normally sail with you and do you wish to cruise etc etc? If you are concerned about draft in a river where large sailboats go every day, then get a shallow draft or centerboard boat. How much water is at your dock at low ride and on your specific area of the creek/river is the real key. What is a "hybrid" and what does it mean for a boat to be counter intuitive to your sailing persona? What is your sailing persona? One respondent above sagely says buy whatever matches your goals but we do not know what are your goals. If distance to the Bay was a concern, it's already too late to buy closer to the Bay so please let us help you better by telling us a lot more about your sailing goals and skills. Thanks
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How much money can you spend? Do you have a dock access? What is the depth at the dock? How much sailing experience you have?
Intuitively I would start with a solid smaller boat (less money involved, easier to handle), swing keel (great for the shallow spots), and dependable outboard motor. For example, O'day 25 would fit that bill nicely. O'DAY 25 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
It is a safe, stable, and versatile boat that sails well.
Intuitively I would start with a solid smaller boat (less money involved, easier to handle), swing keel (great for the shallow spots), and dependable outboard motor. For example, O'day 25 would fit that bill nicely. O'DAY 25 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com
It is a safe, stable, and versatile boat that sails well.
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This thread will be useless until you tell us your budget and amount of water at your slip. I am also confused my Millersville. I did not know the Severn made it that far north unless you are talking Severn Run, in which case a canoe is about all you can do.
As for the Severn, the river is narrow between high banks with the exception of Round Bay. You tend to get the wind following the river one way or another, so you are beating or running except in Round Bay. When I lived on that river my standard after-work relaxing sail was to motor whichever way was upwind for 45 minutes, roll the jib out, and sail back home
BTW - conventional wisdom for the Chesapeake is you want 6 feet or less draft unless you need more for racing.
As for the Severn, the river is narrow between high banks with the exception of Round Bay. You tend to get the wind following the river one way or another, so you are beating or running except in Round Bay. When I lived on that river my standard after-work relaxing sail was to motor whichever way was upwind for 45 minutes, roll the jib out, and sail back home
BTW - conventional wisdom for the Chesapeake is you want 6 feet or less draft unless you need more for racing.
Krisscross You pretty much ask the same questions I posed in a post yesterday but then you suggest a particular boat--the Oday 25. Maybe I am missing something. Maybe he wants a big cruiser. Maybe he wants a wet boat. Maybe he wants a sailboard or maybe he does want the Hinckley B40. Maybe he wants an inboard engine. Maybe he wants a dinghy. Yes we are all trying to be helpful but until the OP poses some explicit questions and provides basic information I had to conclude my post with "so please let us help you better by telling us a lot more about your sailing goals and skills." Until then, we may as well suggest he buy a Fountaine Pagot (did I spell it correctly?) 68...is there one? Or maybe an Arab Dhow or a wooden schooner...a McGregor--that will start a real thread drift for sure...let's start talking Mantas versus Rocna's already--that will be fun...ok, so please OP help us to help you....
Yes--it is his first boat so the break we are giving him is suggesting all the things he needs to think about, questions he needs to ask and information he needs to provide. Everyone who has responded pretty much says that but already we've had two boats suggested after admitting we really have no idea what are his wants, needs, or constraints! So, until the OP provides that, why keep suggesting a particular type of boat?
I kept my 38 footer pretty far up the Severn (Saltworks Creek) for a year and a half and have sailed up the Severn on many occasions. As other have suggested the Severn is pretty deep and is wide enough to sail up easily. Round Bay is large enough that you could spend a quite a bit of time simply sailing around it in a small enough boat, that is if you so chose.
As others have suggested, it is very difficult to make recommendations without knowing your budget, the draft at the dock where you plan to keep the boat, your experience level, or any special interests you may have like cruising over night, or racing, or sailing with a family of four, and of which would be helpful in shaping people's recommendations and so on.
What I would say, as has been implied above, the prevailing winds in the river follow the river. They can be shifty and changable as the winds are buffeted by the shore. There can be mild currents in the river, but nothing scary. Once you learn the river, if you own a boat that points upwind reasonably well, you can get into sync with the river, being able to take advantage of the jogs in the shoals to take longer tacks than you might expect.
As a result, if I were buying a boat to sail on the Severn I would want a boat that sails well in a range of breezes, especially light air, and which can quickly adapt to gusts and lulls. I would want a boat which can point well, and moves well on a run or deep reach. I would want a boat that was relatively easy to tack and jibe. As others have said, there is a height limit to the bridges but that should not be an issue of you are considering boats of a size which could be a 'hybrid'.
Jeff
As others have suggested, it is very difficult to make recommendations without knowing your budget, the draft at the dock where you plan to keep the boat, your experience level, or any special interests you may have like cruising over night, or racing, or sailing with a family of four, and of which would be helpful in shaping people's recommendations and so on.
What I would say, as has been implied above, the prevailing winds in the river follow the river. They can be shifty and changable as the winds are buffeted by the shore. There can be mild currents in the river, but nothing scary. Once you learn the river, if you own a boat that points upwind reasonably well, you can get into sync with the river, being able to take advantage of the jogs in the shoals to take longer tacks than you might expect.
As a result, if I were buying a boat to sail on the Severn I would want a boat that sails well in a range of breezes, especially light air, and which can quickly adapt to gusts and lulls. I would want a boat which can point well, and moves well on a run or deep reach. I would want a boat that was relatively easy to tack and jibe. As others have said, there is a height limit to the bridges but that should not be an issue of you are considering boats of a size which could be a 'hybrid'.
Jeff
And you are raising the same points others have raised, but then you still go out and give him a suggestion for a specific boat without knowing anything more than his original post. And after two days he has not responded. It makes me wonder if it's worth bothering to try to be helpful. Anyhow, I'll just go along and give him a suggestion. I think you should get a 96' Baltic Schooner. Solid, Proven sailing vessel. Great for heavy weather. Or maybe a big catamaran with six cabins and a 100' mast. Or maybe a skipjack. A laser? A sunfish? A sailboard? Oh heck, maybe a twin engine sportfisherman for all we know. Ok. Ok....I'm just adding some humor here...lets wait and see...OP where are you? I'm sure there's one of whatever he may want on yachtworld.
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To fit OP's sailing persona; definition from Wiki: A persona (plural personae or personas), in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical mask.
Considering the waterfront homes along the Severn can run several million dollars, I just thought a Hinckley would be perfect, silly or not. The gray Poupon admittedly was silliness.
Considering the waterfront homes along the Severn can run several million dollars, I just thought a Hinckley would be perfect, silly or not. The gray Poupon admittedly was silliness.
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Relax people. It's a conversation about a sailboat, not the Spanish Inquisition.
For the Severn River, I would try to get a shoal draft sailboat (5'6" or less). This is also helpful outside of the river if you want to explore other inlets and rivers. Per my earlier post, the River provides great sailing in itself ... not just a means to get out to the open Bay. But it's a relatively short sail to get out into more open water. Welcome to Severna Park!
For the Severn River, I would try to get a shoal draft sailboat (5'6" or less). This is also helpful outside of the river if you want to explore other inlets and rivers. Per my earlier post, the River provides great sailing in itself ... not just a means to get out to the open Bay. But it's a relatively short sail to get out into more open water. Welcome to Severna Park!
This is staring to get fun. Now it's being compared to The Spanish Inquisition and we're told to relax. LOL....Keep providing advice to the OP...who may or may not be real, care of even be reading. Keep suggesting specific boats. I think of 5.6" as NOT shoal draft for The Chesapeake or the Severn but that's just my opinion of course. If he's way up the Severn, why not something even less drafty? (Is that a word?) but hey, this is fun, so the "bottom" line is we have an OP who we wish to help and he won't help us help him. It's not about the specific boat... it's about what he wants to do and I am not sure he knows. Signed, Tomas de Torquemada by order of The Monarch, His Majestys Ferdinand and Isabella (And that's not Ferdinand the bull)
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Agree. 5' 6" is the absolute upper limit for the river ... I'm drawing 3'9" with my board up. For the river, I usually put the board half down (whatever that ends up being) ... but not all the way down (7' 4"). Indeed fun, if people weren't passionate about sailboats, this site wouldn't be nearly as entertaining. But, "nobody expects a Spanish Inquisition" (from Monty Python).
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I used to live in Arnold, and kept my sailboat on a mooring on Chase Creek, off of the Severn. I had a Cal 25 with a 4 foot draft (if I remember right) and I sailed all over the place with plenty of water. The 2 or 3 times I ran aground weren't that bad because it's mostly mud and you can usually turn around and sail back out the way you came when you start to drag (not like hitting sand and coming to an abrupt halt like where I live now).
The only problem with the boating season in Annapolis is that it's so short. If I moved back there, I would buy something with an enclosed cabin and inside steering, to extend the boating season out a few more months. I don't like being cold.
The only problem with the boating season in Annapolis is that it's so short. If I moved back there, I would buy something with an enclosed cabin and inside steering, to extend the boating season out a few more months. I don't like being cold.
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Vol-
I think you should have TWO boats!
Get a nice, used 17 foot kayak or a Hobie Adventure Island for poking around creeks at the head of the Severn when you only have a few hours to plonk around.
Then, get yourself a 30 foot "Good Old Boat" for weekend cruising and longer vacations. The Chesapeake is too wonderful to confine yourself to only one river.
You won't regret it!
I think you should have TWO boats!
Get a nice, used 17 foot kayak or a Hobie Adventure Island for poking around creeks at the head of the Severn when you only have a few hours to plonk around.
Then, get yourself a 30 foot "Good Old Boat" for weekend cruising and longer vacations. The Chesapeake is too wonderful to confine yourself to only one river.
You won't regret it!
Hullloah OP...are you there???? When things like this happen here and on other similar forums, it makes me wonder why so many of us try to be helpful and responsive. I've seen it dozens of times and so many OP's seem to disappear. This is certainly true when the original posts just seem somehow so ignorant or absurd or impossible to decipher or leave you scratching your head... Hullloah???
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