victoria 800 sailboat data

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Victoria 30, Twister, Frances Victoria 26 or 800 or Vertue 2 for coastal & near-continental cruising.

• Thread starter glandorebay
• Start date 17 Jul 2020
• 17 Jul 2020

glandorebay

My wise & learned fellow sailors, I'm interested to hear your thoughts, pros & cons on these classics. Lets assume they all have good rigs, sails & engines. I'm a single-hander, Master Mariner, with lovely non-sailor passenger at times. Many thanks in advance,  

Well-known member

I have a Victoria 26. Good things: Beautifully built, looks nice, goes much better than you'd expect because underwater she is rather different from what you'd expect, easy to single-hand, lots of storage Bad things: Much smaller cabin than a modern boat of similar size, horribly cramped engine access, only one sizeable cockpit locker Victoria would build any interior the customer wanted as long as it took a standard time, so there is a some variation in layouts. For example, some have the heads opposite the galley, which makes the saloon squarer and gains you a second cockpit locker but loses the quarterberth. The Frances 26 is basically the same but with a sleeping platform rather than a forecabin. This elegantly means that all work at the mast can be done standing up through the forehatch. The Victoria 800 has a slightly different deck moulding and a more elaborate inside. Heads opposite the galley as standard. All were available as sloop (like mine), cutter or gaff rig, though I believe only three gaffers were ever sold. We might be in Bangor over the next three weeks - if you'd like to have a suitably cautious visit, PM me a number and I'll call you if/when we arrive.  

Matwill said: spend a weekend going to visit each boat, i did, ended up settling on an Albin Ballad instead Click to expand...

Vancouver 27/28? Rustler 31?  

JumbleDuck said: I have a Victoria 26. Good things: Beautifully built, looks nice, goes much better than you'd expect because underwater she is rather different from what you'd expect, easy to single-hand, lots of storage Bad things: Much smaller cabin than a modern boat of similar size, horribly cramped engine access, only one sizeable cockpit locker Victoria would build any interior the customer wanted as long as it took a standard time, so there is a some variation in layouts. For example, some have the heads opposite the galley, which makes the saloon squarer and gains you a second cockpit locker but loses the quarterberth. The Frances 26 is basically the same but with a sleeping platform rather than a forecabin. This elegantly means that all work at the mast can be done standing up through the forehatch. The Victoria 800 has a slightly different deck moulding and a more elaborate inside. Heads opposite the galley as standard. All were available as sloop (like mine), cutter or gaff rig, though I believe only three gaffers were ever sold. We might be in Bangor over the next three weeks - if you'd like to have a suitably cautious visit, PM me a number and I'll call you if/when we arrive. Click to expand...

From the list I'd go for the 30, the lovely non-sailor passenger will appreciate the extra room. I think both the 26 and the 30 though, are lovely boats...  

Kukri said: Vancouver 27/28? Rustler 31? Click to expand...

langstonelayabout

We too are looking for similar but my crew demands something like the Victoria 30, but with bigger heads. We are now waiting for a decent Halmatic 30 to appear in the southern part of the UK. There’s a lovely H30 in Scotland but that’s a bit far.  

glandorebay said: Great boats but hard to get a good V27. Beautiful V28 for sale now at £50k Click to expand...

• 18 Jul 2020

IAmCharlieC

Obviously go for the Twister.  

Homer Simpson's Lovechild

Had a Victoria 26 and now have a Twister . Both great boats with a similar feel and comparable interior volume ( tiny ! ) Somehow , the Twister feels to me more assured - a real little ship with a nice solid feel . Ive been on a couple of V30’s and they have a similar seaworthy and purposeful feel with a bit more space below . The canoe stern makes the Vicky cockpits very tight when you get a few people aboard - non sailers were always in way I found. Both are perfect single handlers - although getting a tiller pilot to work well in the narrow stern of the Vicky 26 presents a challenge without some bolt on modifications. I had a sloop rigged 26 but lusted after a cutter rigged 800 with a short bowsprit - I think the ability to quickly change down a gear in a blow would outlay the faff of short tacking a cutter. I’m 6 foot - that’s two inches too tall for the Twister cabin ( although a few have a higher coach roof ) All great boats as long as you can live with the lack of space compared to modern shapes. All are complete dogs to handle in marinas or astern - they are guaranteed to swing the wrong way into a marina trot when leaving - just go with the flow . If you’re even thinking about springing out of the berth - do it . ( or avoid tight berths ) Reckon it would come down to quality of fit out and equipment levels - this varies a lot as all are getting on a bit now .  

langstonelayabout said: We too are looking for similar but my crew demands something like the Victoria 30, but with bigger heads. We are now waiting for a decent Halmatic 30 to appear in the southern part of the UK. There’s a lovely H30 in Scotland but that’s a bit far. Click to expand...

glandorebay said: Yes, the H30 & Barbican 30 are also on my list Click to expand...

Homer Simpson's Lovechild said: Had a Victoria 26 and now have a Twister . Both great boats with a similar feel and comparable interior volume ( tiny ! ) Somehow , the Twister feels to me more assured - a real little ship with a nice solid feel . Ive been on a couple of V30’s and they have a similar seaworthy and purposeful feel with a bit more space below . The canoe stern makes the Vicky cockpits very tight when you get a few people aboard - non sailers were always in way I found. Both are perfect single handlers - although getting a tiller pilot to work well in the narrow stern of the Vicky 26 presents a challenge without some bolt on modifications. I had a sloop rigged 26 but lusted after a cutter rigged 800 with a short bowsprit - I think the ability to quickly change down a gear in a blow would outlay the faff of short tacking a cutter. I’m 6 foot - that’s two inches too tall for the Twister cabin ( although a few have a higher coach roof ) All great boats as long as you can live with the lack of space compared to modern shapes. All are complete dogs to handle in marinas or astern - they are guaranteed to swing the wrong way into a marina trot when leaving - just go with the flow . If you’re even thinking about springing out of the berth - do it . ( or avoid tight berths ) Reckon it would come down to quality of fit out and equipment levels - this varies a lot as all are getting on a bit now . Click to expand...

For what it's worth this is my view. When I was looking for a new boat I had set my heart on a Victoria 30, I saw lots, but nearly all in a too well used condition. A lot of ex sailing school boats, well over used. I did buy one, a late one built by Westerly. However, the survey found that she had been damaged and then poorly repaired, so I backed out. I seem to remember that the chart table was a bit awkward to sit at. The surveyor suggested that I have a look at the Vancouver range which he suggested were better boats. I did and I bought a Vancouver 28, which was in fact cheaper than the Victoria, a decision that I have never regretted, That was 16 years ago and I still have her. Obviously it's a matter of personal choice but what I found very helpful was to make up a list of all the essential things I wanted in a boat and all the things I would like. I then allocated a score for each of these items according to how important they were and what condition they were in. The results were surprising, what I thought were roughly equal contenders were not, one turned out to have a very much higher score than the others.  

That’s a good way to go about it.  

• 19 Jul 2020

Pawl's suggestion of making a list of what you consider essential things on a boat is a very good one and it is something I did myself several year ago whilst looking for my current boat. I had a similar shortlist of boats to you but included Vancouvers. I eventually settled on a Vancouver 28 as it had all the features I wanted including decent wind vane self steering and was obviously in good condition and well looked after. Another important factor that I think some people overlook are decent cockpit lockers to store all that stuff. For example one of my lockers is commodious enough to store 7 decent size fenders plus all mooring warps in. Whilst the other is big enough for spare anchor, outboard, spare mainsail, fuel cans, water jerry cans, boat hooks and all sorts of other stuff. Seen many boats (some much larger and often more modern)) with fenders and other stuff stored on the rails because of inadequate lockers. Although a cutter rig wasn't on my list, I have found it to be a great thing for single handing and as the wind pipes up roll away the yankee and reef the main and sail with a staysail and reefed main gives you a nicely balanced and manageable sail plan in strong winds. I also don't find it a problem when short tacking. The main looks after itself, tack the yankee and then when on the new tack tack the staysail, it doesn't hurt to leave it backed for a while. I'd personally consider the condition of the sails of less importance than other things. They are after all the easiest thing on a boat to change or replace and it was quite a revelation to me how much new sails improved the sailing performance of my boat. Anyway my Vancouver looked after me well on my solo trip from UK to New Zealand and there a a few who have circumnavigated which is a pretty fair recommendation.  

Yellow Ballad

@ Danaskip & Pawl , I'm with you 100% on the V27 & 28 and would gladly buy one if I could find a decent one  

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• Sailboat Guide

Frances 26 is a 25 ′ 11 ″ / 7.9 m monohull sailboat designed by C. W. (Chuck) Paine and built by Morris Yachts, Custom Build, Victoria Marine (UK), and Northshore Yachts starting in 1975.

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

• SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
• D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
• LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

• D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
• LOA: Length overall in feet
• Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

From BlueWaterBoats.org :

Inspired by the sweet curving lines from the east coast fishing boats of Scotland, the Frances 26 is an early Chuck Paine design for his own use. Optimised for fast and simple sailing, the resulting boat is a peculiar mix of daysailer and offshore cruiser. Since her introduction in 1974, over 200 have been built on both sides of the Atlantic and at least one has circumnavigated.

Paine started by scaling down the size of a traditional double-ender, and then applied lessons from modern design thinking to produce a minimalist sailboat that would be affordable for him to sail. Her design draws heavily from her Scottish heritage with a hint of Norwegian double-ender thrown in for good measure. Most striking are her elegant lines – there’s a fine entry, a lively sheer, full bilges and a long keel.

She’s proven to be a great cruiser which can accommodate up to four in a relatively open-plan layout. Belowdecks the interior is all wood but her flush deck means she is missing full standing headroom at only five feet of clearance. A version was built in the UK by Victoria Marine which offered six feet of standing headroom by trading the flush deck for a coachroof. The production hulls were solidly built from fiberglass with 9 1/2 oz cloth, additionally a number have been custom-built using cold-moulded wood and many of these have also added a coachroof. Both cutter and sloop rigs were offered and some have been converted to gaff.

With a high ballast to displacement ratio, in excess of 50%, owners comment she can hold onto her full sail area well after many others have reefed. You’ll find this boat easily driven with excellent directional stability and surprisingly fast. Of the various rigs the ones with larger headsails and smaller mainsails tend to be faster and more weatherly (at the expense of more trimming work).

Plans for the Frances 26 are still available from Chuck Paine. More recently in 2011, as a “what if” exercise, Paine updated the design to be inline with more current design thinking.

“If I had it to do over again I’d change a few things, hence FRANCES II (Frances the second). The most significant improvement would be to replace the undulating profile shoal draft keel with a much more modern and effective one. With a slightly deeper keel and the “full flow aperture” I developed on the later of my offshore oriented custom designs, FRANCES II will stand up to a whole lot more sail and point much closer to the wind.”

Besides being slightly larger in all dimensions, the biggest change is a deeper, shorter and more effective keel. The rig has been updated to be taller with a masthead genoa. Additionally, the rudder has been fully balanced to reduce helm forces and a small cabin house added to give full standing headroom. With the new keel and rig the new Frances II promises to be a much better performer, being stiffer and more weatherly.

The design influence of the Frances 26 design came from a backpacking trip in the early 1970s when Chuck Paine, 30 years old at the time, was inspired by the sweet curves of the double-ended fishing boats on the east coast of Scotland.

Paine commented, “I wanted a boat that embodied everything I knew about the design of efficient cruising vessels of GRP construction. She had to be capable of yearly cruises to and among the Caribbean islands, small enough to fit my limited budget, but large enough to survive a gale at sea.”

Upon his return to the US, he laid up the first hull in 1974 out of fiberglass at his workshop in Maine. This first hull was destroyed by fire prior to completion, but fortunately Tom Morris from Morris Yachts had taken a mold and it was from this his yard built the subsequent hulls. Paine fitted out the fourth Morris-built hull for himself, which he took cruising down the East Coast of America.

By the late 1970s, the boat had also emerged in the UK. After first appearing in a review in Yachting World Magazine, Bernard Hayman, editor at the time, loved the design enough to encourage Victoria Marine (now Victoria Yachts) based in Southampton to win the rights for UK construction. In later years Victoria Marine made a few changes to the boat including a shallow well forward of the mast, a coachroof to enable full standing headroom and more accommodation. This version was initially called the Victoria 26, and as it evolved, later became the Victoria 800.

The UK boats were just as successful as the their US counterparts. Production continued through until the late 1990s until sadly, with a strange repeat of history, the moulds for both designs were destroyed by fire.

Paine also designed a couple of siblings based on the Frances 26 – a 24-footer called Carol and a 30-footer called Leigh. Leigh was later built by Victoria Yachts.

Links, References and Further Reading

» Frances26.org , owners forum, information and reviews » The official Morris Yachts website . » Chuck Paine’s official website including the Frances 26 plans. » The Best Boats to Build or Buy by Ferenc Mate » Small Boat Journal #40, Frances 26 – Sophisticated Tradition in a Proper Yacht by Steve Callahan, January 1985

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Review of Victoria 18

Basic specs., sailing characteristics.

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for Victoria 18 is 2.05, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 4.8 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Victoria 18 is about 44 kg/cm, alternatively 246 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 44 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 246 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

Maintenance

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

This section is reserved boat owner's changes, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for Victoria 18 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us . Criticism helps us to improve.

Victoria 18

The victoria 18 is a 18.5ft fractional sloop designed by g. william mcvay and built in fiberglass by victoria yachts co. between 1977 and 1983., 600 units have been built..

The Victoria 18 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a good performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

Victoria 18 for sale elsewhere on the web:

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VICTORIA 18 Detailed Review

If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of VICTORIA 18. Built by Victoria Yachts Co. and designed by G. William McVay, the boat was first built in 1977. It has a hull type of Long Keel and LOA is 5.64. Its sail area/displacement ratio 19.02. Its auxiliary power tank, manufactured by undefined, runs on undefined.

VICTORIA 18 has retained its value as a result of superior building, a solid reputation, and a devoted owner base. Read on to find out more about VICTORIA 18 and decide if it is a fit for your boating needs.

Boat Information

Boat specifications, sail boat calculation, rig and sail specs, contributions, who designed the victoria 18.

VICTORIA 18 was designed by G. William McVay.

Who builds VICTORIA 18?

VICTORIA 18 is built by Victoria Yachts Co..

When was VICTORIA 18 first built?

VICTORIA 18 was first built in 1977.

How long is VICTORIA 18?

VICTORIA 18 is 3.91 m in length.

What is mast height on VICTORIA 18?

VICTORIA 18 has a mast height of 6.1 m.

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Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

Victoria 30: a small boat with big ambitions

• Rachael Sprot
• March 8, 2022

The Victoria 30 is a small boat with big ambitions: a pocket cruiser that’s fun to sail and pretty to boot. Is she Queen Victoria or just a pretender to the throne? Rachael Sprot finds out...

Rowan has a cutter rig and wooden bowsprit. A sloop-rig with overlapping genoas were offered as standard. Credit: Richard Langdon

Product Overview

Victoria 30.

If you can measure the success of a boat by the strength of its owners’ associations, then Victoria yachts are right up there.

The Victoria 30 has strong offshore credentials including a GRP storm hatch which slides over the Perspex. Credit: Richard Langdon

Their devoted following spans the Atlantic, and boasts an active Facebook page that Chuck Paine, the designer himself, keeps up to date.

On this side of the pond the Victoria 34 is highly regarded. It’s the training boat of choice for the Joint Services training centre which owns 15 of them.

However, the Victoria 30s are less well known and there were only 50 or so made.

I hadn’t heard of them until I was invited to sail Rowan a few months ago by owner Bennie Mallet, but it’s the kind of boat that once introduced, you won’t forget.

The Victoria 30 is hard to pigeonhole. The most distinctive feature is the canoe stern and attractive shear-line, but she isn’t your typical, old-fashioned ‘double-ender’.

Despite the eclectic mix of 1970s and 1980s cruising boats in Torpoint Marina where I jumped aboard, Rowan still caught my eye.

I couldn’t put my finger on it, but she was just different.

Bennie told me that she had a whole suite of racing sails which she’d inherited from the previous owner.

All 16 of them were sitting in her garage at home, including multiple spinnakers! I was even more perplexed.

Canoe sterns have a significant place in the history of ocean cruising boats. From the Vikings to Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Bernard Moitessier, many great sea voyages have been made in ‘double-enders,’ but I have to confess I associated them with Colin Archer’s heavily built Norwegian rescue ships, or the Nauticat motor-sailers.

Solid and seaworthy perhaps, but more of a survival pod than a sailing machine. Spoiler alert: I was wrong.

Aside from the canoe stern there are other features that make her stand out.

Rowan has a cutter rig, encapsulated keel , bowsprit, deep gunwales and a separate tri-sail track. There’s no messing about here, this boat means business.

There was a complex evolution behind the design. The Victoria 30 was originally built in the United States as the Leigh 30.

The Leigh in turn was based on the smaller Frances 26 which Paine had lovingly designed with his own, singlehanded sailing ambitions in mind.

Paine had fallen in love with the double-ended fishing boats he’d seen in Scotland in 1974 and promised himself that he’d try to replicate the design back home.

Thus the Frances was conceived, and it soon developed something of a cult following.

Bernie Mallet bought her Victoria 30, Rowan in 2018 with plans to sail her offshore. The retired GP mainly sails out of Plymouth with her daughter, Fiona, or her dog, Bracken. She plans to explore Biscay and circumnavigate the UK. Credit: Richard Langdon

It was a natural progression to create a slightly bigger, family-sized version.

Small enough to be affordable, but rugged enough to withstand offshore conditions, there was one other important criterion: it needed to sail well.

So with its relatively small long-keel, substantial build quality, healthy sail area and generous ballast-ratio, the Leigh was born.

It was the editor of Yachting World at the time, Bernard Hayman, who persuaded Victoria Yachts in Southampton to bring the Leigh to the UK market.

Hayman spent many years perfecting his own small, offshore-cruiser, Barbican, and made pioneering voyages to the USSR and Norway in it.

So it seems that he and Paine shared many of the same values when it came to cruising boats: they needed to be bullet-proof, kind on the crew and a pleasure to sail.

Bennie bought Rowan in 2018 precisely for the Victoria 30’s offshore cruising credentials. She often sails it solo or with her daughter, Fiona.

A narrow coachroof creates a spacious deck. Credit: Richard Langdon

She bought the boat in Ireland and sailed it to Plymouth, from where she cruises the English Channel.

Initially attracted to the Victoria 34s, which were slightly out of budget, she was delighted to discover their little sister and bought one straight away.

When I stepped aboard, I was immediately struck by how safe I felt. The raised coachroof is narrow with a solid teak handrail, allowing a decent side deck to move around on.

The cockpit was surprisingly spacious in port with the tiller up because it extends right out to the gunwales in the aft section, so there’s more space than you’d expect from a boat with a canoe stern.

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The aft part of the cockpit is directly enclosed by the push-pit, making it very secure. Under the cockpit seats are two large lockers, one aft and one to port.

Further forward the coachroof ends quite short of the bow and the flush foredeck has room for a well-lashed dinghy or in Rowan ’s case, solar panels .

It’s a useful space for raising the anchor or setting up warps.

The cutter rig and wooden bowsprit were options rather than the default spec, so there are also standard sloop-rigged versions available with large overlapping genoas.

I’ve always preferred the cutter rig for sailing offshore though.

In stronger winds a staysail performs much better than a half-rolled genoa, though for coastal cruising the running backstays, which are a necessary accessory to the staysail, do create an extra level of faff when tacking.

The interior is teak-heavy, and many were customised. Credit: Richard Langdon

The hull is solid GRP with a balsa-cored deck. Under each deck-fitting the balsa core is replaced with a plywood pad adding strength where it’s needed.

The GRP was laid to Lloyds’ specification, though Paine has commented that the resulting laminate was actually less substantial than the original Leigh hulls made by Morris Yachts in Maine.

The encapsulated keel was unique to the Victorias. The American-built Leigh had a bolt on lead keel instead but it was harder to get them cast in the UK so Victoria opted to encapsulate them.

Many ocean sailors prefer encapsulated keels anyway because it’s one less thing to worry about.

The companionway has an inbuilt GRP storm hatch which slides over the Perspex one in inclement weather. It’s another testament to the kind of voyages that this boat was designed for.

Although small boats are more vulnerable to down-flooding through hatches, due to the lower freeboard, it’s a shame you don’t always see this kind of belt and braces approach on larger yachts.

Below decks there’s enough solid teak and teak veneer to give it a warm, traditional feel.

A well-balanced helm and high ballast ratio make for a rewarding sail. Credit: Richard Langdon

The plastic laminate head-linings are easy to clean, keep things bright and have aged well. Timber strip planking lines the areas of bare hull and is a lovely touch.

There’s also plenty of stowage behind and under the seats. I particularly liked the saloon table which drops down from the main bulkhead to reveal the wine locker.

It’s a robust defence against the accusation that small boat sailing is glorified camping. The galley to port of the companionway is compact but well-equipped.

A small wet locker adjacent means you don’t drag soggy kit through the cabin. Forward of the saloon is the heads, which takes up the full width of the boat.

It’s a decent size with a large hanging locker behind the loo. Many of the interiors were customised, so the exact layout varies slightly from boat to boat.

The forepeak can be made into a very snug double berth. Credit: Richard Langdon

Officially there are seven berths on Rowan . The saloon seats are decent sea-berths and one pulls out to make a small double.

There’s also a pilot berth above the port side which provides useful stowage. There’s a decent quarter berth behind the nav station and a V-berth in the forepeak with an infill to make a double, but it’s pretty cramped for two.

There’s no doubt about it, there’s much less volume below decks than a modern boat of the same length.

But there’s still 6ft headroom in the saloon and several berths over 6ft long.

She compares well with other boats of the same era and there’s an economy of space which means that every inch is well used.

Somehow there’s room for an Eberspacher , calorifier and 150 litres of fresh water – the same tankage as you’d have on a Bavaria 30, a feat worthy of Mary Poppins’ carpet bag.

The push-pit encloses the aft part of the cockpit, making it feel very secure. Credit: Richard Langdon

Under power she handled the tight turn out of Torpoint Marina well and, with the help of her substantial prop walk, turned around in almost a boat length.

Like most long-keeled boats, reverse is not her forte, but the nice thing about the canoe stern is that it’s much easier to wiggle your way backwards into a tight berth than with a broad transom.

It wasn’t until we put some canvas up that I really understood the Victoria 30’s appeal. In a blustery Plymouth Sound we hoisted the main to reef two and unfurled half the genoa.

She shot off and I’ll admit, I was a little taken aback. I’d only just recovered from the initial shock when I noticed a big gust barrelling towards us.

I braced myself for a fight on the helm but it never came, she just dug in and kept going. I was even more taken aback.

Rowan is ideal for medium-distance, short-handed sailing in challenging waters. Credit: Richard Langdon

There was only one word for this: fun, the kind of fun you can only have when you trust the boat implicitly.

The reason she feels so trustworthy comes down to two factors: the helm is supremely well balanced, and her high ballast ratio makes her extremely stiff.

‘I really like that you can walk away from the helm for a few minutes,’ Bennie explained later. ‘It’s easier for me to take her out on my own.’

The rudder design was something Paine put considerable thought into. Its square bottom concentrates power lower down where it’s needed.

Her AVS is also impressive: a whopping 163° – better than a Contessa 32 or a Rival 34 . She’s no slouch in light airs either.

The saloon has 6ft headroom. Credit: Richard Langdon

The next day the wind had dropped to Force 3-4 and she easily hit 5 knots close-reaching with her fully battened main, staysail and genoa.

She pushed up towards 6 knots when we bore away to 110° apparent and if she’d had a clean bottom would have done more.

The wind instruments weren’t working, but we tacked through less than 90° without any effort at all.

In the lulls, her weight gave her enough oomph to power through the chop without stalling.

Though her keel is long, it’s not too long: the cut away forefoot means there’s less wetted surface area than there might be.

The Victoria 30 hold their value well, making them a good investment. Credit: Richard Langdon

I could see why the previous owners had invested in such an extensive sail wardrobe and raced her; the Victoria 30 is rewarding to sail.

That said, the cockpit is pretty tight for a racing crew: two’s company and three’s a crowd. The tiller takes up much of the space when down, so the wheel version would be better if sailing with friends and family.

These boats have generally aged well and hold their value. The usual things will wear out: teak decks and toe rails, and interior woodwork if it’s not looked after.

The sprit on Rowan was rotten on the inboard end, and Bennie has put big stainless backing plates underneath all the deck fittings after the bolts for the main halyard block ripped up through the deck.

It’s not a bad defects list for a boat that’s needed little maintenance in 40 years. I began to wonder what kind of voyages I’d do if I owned a Victoria 30.

The chart table is just by the companionway steps. Credit: Richard Langdon

She’s ideal for medium-distance, shorthanded sailing in challenging waters.

She’s a boat in which you can be self-sufficient and that will handle heavy weather well.

Her modest draught means you can get off the beaten track and if you ground her on an uncharted rock, with her long, encapsulated keel you’ve got a good chance of coming away unscathed.

I came back to her Viking heritage – she’d be perfect for a summer cruise around the Northern Isles, the Faroes and Iceland.

It’s the go-anywhere attitude that I like most about the Victoria 30. How many boats of this size have a separate tri-sail track? How many boats of any size have a tri-sail track?

The compact galley is well set up for a short-handed crew. Credit: Richard Langdon

She’s the kind of boat where some of your daydreams can become a reality. The canoe stern was still troubling me though on what is otherwise a practical boat.

I’d heard the assertion that it ‘parts the waves’ in heavy weather but I was sceptical – Paine may be a legendary naval architect, but he’s not Moses.

I asked him what purpose it served. ‘I do not believe there is any practical advantage. Sailing is a pastime that is all about quality of life. There is nothing practical about using the wind to propel a boat at five knots [but]… there are some folks who just like the look of this shape, and if it only does a little harm, they will still love it.’

As you’ve probably guessed by now, I couldn’t agree more.

Expert opinion of the Victoria 30

Nick Vass B.Sc B.Ed HND FRINA MCMS DipMarSur YS, Marine Surveyor www.omega-yachtservices.co.uk

The Victoria 30 is a long-keel, canoe-stern yacht introduced in 1982, designed by American Chuck Paine, on the same lines as the flush-decked Francis 26 and the coach-roofed Victoria 26, which were based on his older American made Morris 26 and Morris Leigh 30 designs.

The Victoria 30 has a long keel moulded into the hull with encapsulated ballast. It is likely that the ballast is lead shot.

Encapsulated ballast has the advantage of not requiring keel bolts that can work loose and the keel won’t need to be re-bedded.

Lead has value and can be sold to pay for the responsible disposal of the yacht when it comes to the end of its working life.

Watch out for the plethora of teak on the decks of Victoria 30s as this can be expensive to replace when worn out or decayed.

Bernie bought Rowen to sail offshore. Credit: Richard Langdon

Most were fitted with Yanmar 2GM20 16-hp engines which were reliable and common.

The double-ender stern pinches the cockpit and makes access to the stern gland, gearbox and rudder post gland problematic, so make sure that these components have not been neglected.

The lack of transom makes fitting an emergency boarding ladder tricky as the banana shape means the very aft end is high out of the water.

Make sure you have a boarding ladder ready for emergencies such as a roll-up rope ladder Velcroed to the guardrail which can be grabbed and deployed from the water.

I have found leaking chainplates on Victoria 30s. Leaks can damage the elaborate hardwood interior joinery.

Ben Sutcliffe-Davies, Marine Surveyor and full member of the Yacht Brokers Designers & Surveyors Association (YDSA)

www.bensutcliffemarine.co.uk

Generally, the Victoria 30 was pretty well built, but having surveyed several over the last decade, there are a few issues to look out for which are rectifiable but costly.

I should also note that these issues haven’t been found on every Victoria 30 I have surveyed! Boats which were fitted with teak decks are now 35-plus years old and need careful inspection.

I’ve seen many with water ingress through the caulking which has become trapped under the timber decks and got into the balsa deck core, causing softening.

The keel is encapsulated and reported as lead. Generally there will be a lean mix of sand and cement to act as a packer around where the lead is laid into the keel void.

Only around 50 Victoria 30’s were built in the UK. Credit: Richard Langdon

I have seen some where, following a grounding, water has got inside affecting this lean mix. It is fixable over time in a warm workshop. The rudder is keel hung.

I have seen very high moisture in this shoe support area and several boats needed work to dry the area of laminate and address this problem.

I’ve surveyed one Victoria 30 where the bonding failed on the hull to deck arrangement near the chainplates and required work.

Several had genoa tracks which leaked through the side decks. Internally, be aware of the chain locker and drain, which is accessed from within the forepeak.

I have had a few where the plywood was quite soft at the base of the locker. Check the deck collar of the keel-stepped mast as water can inevitably get in.

Alternatives to the Victoria 30 to consider

Morgan giles 30.

Many Morgan Giles 30s were home finished by owners, so layouts vary. Credit: David Harding

The Morgan Giles 30 came from the chief designer at Morgan Giles yachts, Kenneth Collyer, and was initially designed for his personal use.

Francis Morgan Giles, who was still alive at the time, is reported to have said that ‘God made man so he could float on a piece of wood’.

So, the first boat was built out of timber but with the inevitable transition to GRP , it was used as plug for the moulds.

First built in Teignmouth, when the Morgan Giles yard closed in 1969 Somerset Plastics bought the moulds.

It produced 70 hulls between 1969 and 1996. The lines are gorgeous, with a gentle sheer and classy counter stern.

The MG30 has good seakeeping abilities and handles heavy weather well.

70 Morgan Giles 30s were built between 1969-1996. Credit: David Harding

Proportionally she’s got quite a bit less sail area than the Victoria 30 but they have many similar qualities, including an encapsulated long keel and efficient, square-bottomed rudder.

First specced with 1.6T of lead ballast, most of them actually have 1.8T of cast iron instead.

The original layout is quite unusual, with the galley taking up the full port side of the saloon and a table and short bench seat opposite.

There are two quarter berths either side of the cockpit, a heads across the full width of the boat forwards of the mast and V berth forwards.

Nearly all of the MG30s were home-finished, so there are quite a few layout variations and the usual pitfalls for the enthusiastic amateur to watch out for.

They don’t tend to come up for sale very often due to the limited production run and because faithful owners tend to keep hold of them.

Owing to their age some of them are quite neglected when they come to market, and even the well-maintained ones will need investment as things like chain plates get to the age where they require pulling.

A thorough survey is essential. But, they don’t make ‘em like this any more, the lines are lovely so it’s worth snapping up a well-maintained one, or taking the trouble to restore one.

Halmatic 30

The Helmatic 30 came with a long cast iron bolt-on keel. Credit: Boy Aylott

Halmatic has a reputation for building solid, no-nonsense boats. It produced the hulls of lifeboats, work boats and Royal Navy Patrol boats.

But between the bulky grey bruisers a lot of very attractive yachts emerged from the company’s sheds at Portsmouth harbour.

The Halmatic 30 is one of them, as are most of the Camper and Nicholson designs.

The Halmatic 30 is the younger sibling to the Nicholson 32 and was designed to open up the offshore cruising market to those on a smaller budget.

Like many of these classic hull designs, it had a further evolution too and became the Barbican 30.

The long cast-iron keel makes her sea- kindly, though unlike the Victoria and the Morgan Giles 30, it is bolt-on rather than encapsulated.

The transom-hung rudder extends the wetted surface area, but there’s enough sail area to make up for it.

The interior fit out is more basic than the Victoria’s and they command a lower price as a result.

Unusually for a boat of this size and era, there are no quarter berths. Instead, the coachroof comes well aft, giving a generous saloon with 6ft headroom throughout.

Although this results in a small cockpit, the upside of the lack of quarter berths is two generous cockpit lockers.

Everything on a boat of this size is a compromise, and in our infinitely varied British climate, prioritising space below decks, rather than above it, might be a good compromise to make.

Frequently described as a ‘go-anywhere’ boat, the Halmatic 30 is still achieving its original mission: to prove that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get your hands on a serious offshore cruiser.

Elizabethan 30

A larger sail area means good sail performance in light airs. Credit: David Harding

The only fin keeler in this selection, it seemed a shame to miss out this little gem.

Designed by David Thomas, the Elizabethan was originally designed as a RORC half-tonner so they’re a performance yacht with cruising capabilities, rather than the other way around.

David Thomas created some of the most successful cruiser-racers of the last 50 years including the Sigma 33 and 38, and British Steel Challenge 67s.

Like many of his other designs, the Elizabethan is robustly built and extremely seaworthy.

The layout below works well for cruising, though some boats were home finished with varying degrees of success.

The two full-length saloon berths make clever use of trotter boxes so as not to reduce the space in the galley or nav station; there’s a quarter berth to starboard and the usual V-berth forwards.

The cockpit is a good size with useful lockers, although to go up and down the companionway you’ll need to clamber straight across the traveller, which sits just outside the hatch.

There’s an active owners’ association which would be a good source of knowledge for those new to the boat or undertaking refits.

At almost 20% lighter than the Victoria 30 and sporting a larger sail area, they’ll be good in light airs and a whippet around the cans.

The real proof of the pudding is that Thomas kept one for himself and even came second in the Round the Island Race on her.

A versatile cruiser-racer which is often compared to the Contessa 32, but can be yours for a much lower price tag.

Enjoyed reading Victoria 30: a small boat with big ambitions?

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Victoria 800

Build year:  1996, lubmin, germany, sailing boat for sale.

• Private seller
• No country info
• Make an offer
• Classic boat
• Want to sell, now

Description

Catharina, Victoria 800, classic design by Chuck Paine Made in 1996 by Victoria Yachts (UK) Long keel, tiller steering, wooden bowsprit, navy blue gelcoat Ideal for single (short) handed sailing --- Located in Marina Lubmin, near Greifswald in Germany (Baltic sea). The boat has been in the winter hall since the fall of 2019. Viewing is possible on app. 3 days notice. I live 500 km from the marina and need some time to arrange my time to come. I am the second owner and bought Catharina in 2013 in Scotland. --- Inboard diesel engine Volvo Penta MD2010B (app. 1700 hours) with direct drive Mechanical gearbox with 2.4:1 reduction ratio Two blade bronze propeller Stainless steel fuel tank 55 litres 2 x 75 Ah batteries --- Bermudan Cutter (total sail area 31 m2) - Mainsail with 2 reefs led to aft (good) - Jib (to be repaired) - Selftacking staysail (very good) - Spinnaker (very good) 2 self tailing Lewmar sheet winches on cocpit coamings 2 coachroof winches Main anchor CQR (9 kg, chain 10 m / rope 20 m) Second anchor Bruce (10 kg, chain 10m / rope 15 m) Electric Windlass LEWMAR Manual and automatic “bilge” pump --- Corus autopilot TP300C NASA Clipper Depth (installed not tested) NASA Clipper Speed and Distance Log (installed not tested) NASA Clipper Wind Wireless (installed not tested) Plastimo compass Chartplotter Garmin Echomap 43 (2 pieces of Tilt/Swivel Quick-Release Mount, 1 installed in the cockpit, 2nd uninstalled) Handheld GPS Garmin GPSMap 76S VHF - Swiftech M-168 (without DSC) --- Toilet compartment is based on a fibreglass moulding to enable easy cleaning. Manual marine Jabsco toilet which flushes and discharges overboard. The toilet plumbing is arranged to enable the retrofitting of a holding tank if required. Hand basin with fresh waref hand pump and overboard discharge --- Refrigerator "Frigomatic" Gas stove/oven Plastimo 2000 Neptun Independent heater Eberspaecher Pressurised water in the toilet and galley --- The boat requires the following tasks to be performed - to test the three NASA instruments - to reinstall VHF - to reinstall gas Cooker Neptun and to buy/reinstall gas bottles - to replace Eye ring (A5) on jib furlex roller (new one is in the boat) - to buy and reinstall flexible drinking water tank (capacity between 50 and 120 liters)

Dette er en privat annonce for Victoria 800, årgang 1996. For yderligere information, som til eksempel en udførlig bådbeskrivelse, komplet bådudstyrsliste eller flere foto til Sejlbåd Victoria 800 - skal du kontakte sælger via Send E-mail eller hvis sælger har oplyst et telefonnummer kan det naturligvis også benyttes. For at se annoncer der matcher Victoria 800 skal du klikke på Lignende Sejlbåd oppe i højre hjørne af denne annonce. Bemærk, sælger kan have en mere detaljeret beskrivelse af Victoria 800 på tysk, engelsk, svensk eller hollandsk, dem finder du via de viste flag, ovenfor denne tekst. Opret en Annonceagent: Så får du automatisk besked med ændringer af den annoncerede Victoria 800 eller en besked når der kommer nye Victoria 800. En Annonceagent oprettes på søgesiden ved vælge Gem Søgning. Samme mulighed for at oprette en annonceagent får du når du via Send E-mail skriver til sælger. Er du på udkig efter bådtest og videoer: Tjek Youtube ved at søge efter Victoria 800.

Detta är en privat skapad annons för Victoria 800, årsmodell 1996. För att få ytterligare information, som en detaljerad båtbeskrivning, komplett båtutrustningslista eller fler foton för Segelbåt Victoria 800 - kontakta säljaren via Skicka e-post eller om säljaren har ett telefonnummer kan det naturligtvis också användas. För att se annonser för liknande båtar som Victoria 800 kan du klicka på Liknande Segelbåt i det övre högra hörnet av denna annons. Observera att säljaren kan ha en mer detaljerad beskrivning av Victoria 800 på tyska, engelska, danska eller nederländska. Språken väljs till höger om knappen Annonsera.

Dit is een privat advertentie voor Victoria 800, Bouwjaar 1996. Voor aanvullende informatie, zoals een gedetailleerde bootbeschrijving, complete lijst met bootuitrusting of meer foto's voor Zeilboten Victoria 800 - neem contact op met de verkoper via Verzend e-mail of als de verkoper het telefoonnummer heeft verstrekt, kan dit ook gebruikt.

Catharina, Victoria 800, klassisches Design von Chuck Paine Hergestellt 1996 von Victoria Yachts (UK) Langkiel, Pinnensteuerung, Bugspriet aus Holz, marineblauer Gelcoat Ideal für einhändiges (kurzes) Segeln --- Das Hotel liegt in Marina Lubmin, in der Nähe von Greifswald in Deutschland (Ostsee). Seit Herbst 2019 steht das Boot in der Winterhalle. Anschauen ist per App möglich. 3 Tage im Voraus. Ich wohne 500 km vom Yachthafen entfernt und brauche etwas Zeit, um meine Ankunftszeit zu vereinbaren. Ich bin der zweite Besitzer und habe Catharina 2013 in Schottland gekauft. --- Innenbord-Dieselmotor Volvo Penta MD2010B (ca. 1700 Stunden) mit Direktantrieb Mechanisches Getriebe mit Untersetzungsverhältnis 2,4:1 Bronzepropeller mit zwei Blättern Kraftstofftank aus Edelstahl 55 Liter 2 x 75-Ah-Batterien --- Bermuda Cutter (Gesamtsegelfläche 31 m2) - Großsegel mit 2 Reffs nach achtern geführt (gut) - Jib (muss repariert werden) - Selbstwendendes Stagsegel (sehr gut) - Spinnaker (sehr gut) 2 selbstholende Lewmar Schotwinden auf Cockpitsüllen 2 Dachwinden Hauptanker CQR (9 kg, Kette 10 m / Seil 20 m) Zweiter Anker Bruce (10 kg, Kette 10 m / Seil 15 m) Elektrische Ankerwinde LEWMAR Manuelle und automatische Bilgenpumpe --- Corus-Autopilot TP300C NASA Clipper Depth (installiert nicht getestet) NASA Clipper Speed ​​and Distance Log (installiert, nicht getestet) NASA Clipper Wind Wireless (installiert nicht getestet) Plastimo-Kompass Kartenplotter Garmin Echomap 43 (2 Teile neig-/schwenkbare Schnellwechselhalterung, 1 im Cockpit installiert, 2. nicht installiert) Handheld-GPS Garmin GPSMap 76S VHF - Swiftech M-168 (ohne DSC) --- Das Toilettenfach basiert auf einem Glasfaserformteil, um eine einfache Reinigung zu ermöglichen. Manuelle Jabsco-Marinetoilette, die über Bord spült und entlädt. Die Toiletteninstallation ist so angeordnet, dass bei Bedarf ein Fäkalientank nachgerüstet werden kann. Handwaschbecken mit Handpumpe für Frischware und Überbordabfluss --- Kühlschrank "Frigomatic" Gasherd/Backofen Plastimo 2000 Neptun Standheizung Eberspächer Druckwasser in Toilette und Kombüse --- Das Boot erfordert die Durchführung der folgenden Aufgaben - um die drei NASA-Instrumente zu testen - um VHF neu zu installieren - Gaskocher Neptun neu zu installieren und Gasflaschen zu kaufen/neu zu installieren - um den Augenring (A5) an der Rollfockrolle zu ersetzen (neue ist im Boot) - flexiblen Trinkwassertank zu kaufen und neu zu installieren (Fassungsvermögen zwischen 50 und 120 Liter)

Materiale / unit

Deplacement

Motor & technic

Volvo Penta MD2010B

Total power

Engine year

Engine place

Engine hours

Drive shaft

Cooling system

Fresh water

Hull condition

Engine condition

Cabin condition

Mast and sail condition

• Stove w/ oven
• Fireexsting.
• Electr. shore supply
• Refrigiator
• Battery charger
• Windinstruments
• Chartplotter
• Teak in Cockpit

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A Short History...

The 26ft Frances, or Morris Yachts Frances as it is known in the United States of America, was the first of the Morris Yachts designed by Chuck Paine and dates from 1974. The designer comments...

"I designed Frances for my own use. She was to embody everything I knew about the design of efficient cruising vessels of GRP construction, to be capable of yearly cruises to and among the Caribbean Islands, to be small enough to fit my limited budget yet large enough to survive a gale at sea. She is small enough for me to handle the little maintenance required with GRP construction, capable of being laid up alongside a local lobsterman's wharf on an outgoing tide for periodic attention to the bottom, or even towed behind a good Maine Peapod if the engine and wind should choose to die simultaneously.

Frances is a small boat. She does not have full headroom, although there is now a coachroof deck plan giving 1.8m headroom, but she does have lots of sitting room. A great deal of attention has been paid to stowage space, but any experienced cruising sailor knows that space is no good if the displacement and freeboard of the yacht are such that, should that space be occupied by useable supplies, she would float halfway up her sides. Load Frances with your cruising gear and she won't show it, in appearance or performance. Many an ocean passage has been made in smaller boats.

She's a double-ender. Not as fast as a transom or counter stern, but not much slower either, and the sea keeping qualities are so well known as not to require repeating here. Many long hours were devoted to developing the hull shape, including the carving and gradual perfection of a half model. The entry is modelled quite sharply and the keel extension is carried right up to the canoe body of the hull with a very tight fairing radius. This allows the entire keel to act as a vertical wing and thus prevent leeway. The rig is tall and narrow, increasing the leading edge of the sails. These three factors make Frances a weatherly boat. She has quite high freeboard, with bulwarks around the forward and aft decks. They have gone out of fashion on racing boats, but once you sail with decent bulwarks as well as lifelines betwixt yourself and the hereafter, you won't want to go to sea again on a boat that is not so equipped. Amidships, the high freeboard combined with a flush deck are responsible for all that lovely room below decks.

I wanted a boat which could carry her sail well. On the other hand, I wanted the desirable wave performance of a tender boat. That is, one which is an easy roller. There was only one solution to this conflict. I got the sail carrying ability from the moderately heavy displacement and achieved an easy motion by shaping the hull sections with a high angle of deadrise and very easy bilges. The result is a hull which is easily driven and has relatively less wetted surface for her length than many yachts in her size range.

Frances sports a rather tall, 7/8 or cutter rig. This gives a great proportional area to the mainsail, which is only proper on a pure cruising yacht which does not attempt to cheat a rule which favours foretriangle area. It's easier to reef a main on a blustery night than go forward and change down to a smaller jib. For the fellow who intends to spend his time making long open water passages, the cutter rig offers a lower sail plan and more choice to achieve a balanced and more manageable spread of sail."

Chuck Paine subsequently went on to design the 30ft Morris Yachts Leigh, or Victoria 30 as she was later known in the UK, and by the late 1970s both the Frances and the Leigh were available in the United States of America.

The story of how the Frances 26 came to the UK involves Victoria Marine Ltd., it's Managing Director, Peter Gregory, and Bernard Hayman, an ex-editor of Yachting World. Towards the end of the 1970s, Bernard Hayman wrote of a very simple cruising yacht which had just appeared in the United States. He considered that the new arrival displayed ideals which had been all but lost on this side of the Atlantic. The yacht that Bernard Hayman was referring to was, of course, the Morris Frances. Through Bernard Hayman, Peter Gregory contacted Chuck Paine and so brought the Frances to the UK. The Frances was built and sold in the UK by Victoria Yachts, who fitted out the mouldings laid up for them by Northshore. The company was based at Warsash on the Hamble at the Stone Pier Yard. On the 30th August 2007, Victoria Yachts took over Harbour Marine Brokerage (Hamble Yacht Brokers) who had been selling Victoria and Frances Yachts for the previous 30 years. Sadly these beautiful yachts are no longer in production in the UK today.

Specifications and Further Information

Further articles:.

Frances and Victoria Yachts - Beautiful names for beautiful yachts, but what is their history? by Colin Jarman

Frances 26 by Peter Cosker

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First Sailboat Buying Advice - Victoria 18 or Triton 18

• Thread starter RPD677
• Start date Jul 6, 2020
• Forums for All Owners
• Trailer Sailors
• Can handle the Narragansett Bay
• Easy to trailer
• Good to learn on
• Room for 2-3 people in the cockpit
• Can squeeze an overnight here or there in the cockpit

• LOA 17' 10 1/2"
• Beam 6' 10 1/2"
• Displacement 800 lbs
• Draft CB Up 6"
• Draft CB Dn 4' 1"
• Sail Area 154 sf
• Hull Speed 5.29 kts/6.09 mph
• Bridge Clearance 25'
• Cockpit length: 7'- width: 5'

I don’t have any first hand knowledge of either 18 but I used to own a Mac 222 . when my kids were young we would spend a week each summer sailing in the NC outer banks in that boat  

I don't know if you already bought your boat, but I owned a Vic, and they are beautiful boats and easy to trailer. Not as easy to sail, though, for a novice sailor. Also, the freeboard is a little low. Otherwise it would fit your needs. I don't know anything about the Tritons.  

twistedskipper

@Biosci777 , can you elaborate on what makes the Victoria 18 harder to sail?  

The rigging is a bit more complicated; for example, the mainsheet is in a pulley system attached to a traveller, which is more than the boat needs in my opinion. I'm not a strong sailor, and I found the boat a lot to handle, especially on a windy day. A good sailor wouldn't have much trouble. I have sailed a ComPac 16 and Chrysler 20, both of which were easier to sail. One more note: the Vic has a nice big cockpit, but I found the last couple feet needed to be clear for the tiller to swing around. Don't get me wrong -- the Victoria 18 is a lovely boat and well-made. I recommend it to any decent sailor.  

Hello RPD677 and welcome to the SBO forums! Have your boat search adventures included this site in the classifieds, Craigslist, sailboatlistings, and boattrader? Take your time and see as many boats as you can in your area. RE: boat information. Have you looked on sailboatdata.com ? That site will offer dimensions and weights on many, many sailboats. There might even be some diagrams to show interior and exterior views. From what I know of the boats you mentioned they each have "the look". The sleek appearance of the hull and the stern shape each are appealing to observe. Best Wishes and stay healthy, 31seahorse  

watercolors II

Buy the best kept boat with the most stuff added. When you have to add stuff to make it perform better or more convenient, you're going to spend a lot of extra money!  

The Victoria looks like an older design (1977) and the keel might make launching and retrieving a problem at many ramps. The heavier weight might also call for a heftier tow vehicle than what you now have. Sailing, the long keel and small rudder look like they might make maneuvering tricky coming in to tight situations - or make situations trickier than they'd have to be if you can't turn quickly. The Pearson is lighter and shallower with the board up, so getting it in and out of the water might be easier. The centerboard on the Pearson appears to be tucked neatly under the cockpit sole and extending into the cabin. It is deep when down, but short, so pivoting quickly in tight spots might be easier. The good-sized rudder, placed all the way aft on the transom, should make handling responsive.  

The Victoria 18 specs that I've seen indicate that neither weight (1200# plus trailer plus gear) or draft (2') should be a problem for trailering behind most vehicles that are properly equipped for towing 2000#. I have no personal experience with the model, so I can't comment on any other pros or cons.  

This isn’t an answer to your question, but it’s practical advice that’s relevant. For $3000, condition will be more important than anything else. Buy the boat that is in the very best condition. You are buying a 45 year old boat and trailer for under $3000,, and there are bound to be maintence issues that need fixing which costs money and time. fiberglass lasts almost forever, but everything else on a sailboat falls apart. what would you expect to get for your on a 45 year old car? A $3000 truck? It’s not a dissimilar question. If it’s your first boat, be aware that most old boats require $1500-$3000 in addition to the purchase price to address deferred maintenance. You may need Tires, Springs, trailer rollers, trailer lights, Sails, Uv-damaged blocks, structural,repairs to decks, etc  

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Victoria 18 - Sailboat Data, Parts & Rigging

Sailboat data, rig dimensions and recommended sail areas for Victoria 18 sailboat. Tech info about rigging, halyards, sheets, mainsail covers and more.

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