wylo 2 sailboat

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IRON BARK FOR SALE: Award-Winning Wylo II Gaff Cutter Available in W’Indies

Dec. 2/2019:  Accept no substitutes. This is the ultimate low-budget high-latitudes expedition yacht right here. Tried and tested! Believed to be the only boat anywhere to have spent unsupported winters frozen into ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic. A Wylo II cutter, 35 feet on deck, designed by Nick Skeates (who we have discussed before ), built in steel and launched by her current owner, Trevor Robertson, in 1997 in Queensland, Australia. Asking price is $45K US.

Trevor has cruised Iron Bark all over the world for the past 22 years, including extended sojourns in high latitudes, and has won the CCA Blue Water Medal and the RCC Seamanship Medal, among others.

Just a few of her intriguing features:

–Massively strong aluminum mast that does not require running backs to support her gaff mainsail

–Standing topmast so no need to hoist extra spars to fly the topsail

–Stainless steel standing rigging with mechanical terminals and lots of spare wire

–Keel-cooled 25hp Isuzu diesel engine with dry exhaust so no need to worry about overheating while running in ice, weed, or other crap

–Interchangeable diesel and solid-fuel heating stoves, complete with chainsaw to cut up wood for the latter

–Modern electrical system, LED lighting, and electronics

–Recent refit

And some images:

On the hard the expensive way

On the hard the cheap way

In the hard the cold way

Interior looking forward

Interior looking aft

With topsail flying!

Currently lying Carriacou, Grenada. If you’re interested you can contact Trevor at [email protected]

Also: check out Trevor’s website for a complete listing , a lot more pix, and tons of blog posts on all Iron Bark ’s adventures!

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I’ve never been on Iron Bark but I did visit with some friends aboard their self built steel Wilo 35 gaff cutter Granuaile. I was very impressed. He had done an amazing job building her. It had gobs of room, was well laid out, had a number of clever features, and just felt like a great boat. They had crossed the Atlantic four times and spent a year up a river in South America. A really neat couple and a terrific boat.

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S/V Mojombo

Wednesday, february 9, 2011, the story of our ‘wylo ii’ design yacht, kallisto.

First of all we, my wife Dorothy and I, had to decide to what sort of use our next boat, already referred to as Wylo II, would be put. There seemed to be four basic requirements: a permanent home for two. ocean cruising from New Zealand to Europe at least. cruising the European Canals. sailing far up estuaries, rivers and creeks (a fascination).

• Length on deck 32’
• Length on waterline 28’
• Beam 10’
• Sail area 680 sq ft
• Design displacement 6.3 tons
• Draft (board up) 3’ 3”
• Draft (board down) 6’ 3”

18 comments:

What a beautiful boat, and a great story! I'mm glad David and Cate are serious about her.

Congratulations Kallistos, for a great construction and sail modifications. If you are serious about selling, I would very much like to hear from you. From [email protected] Happy sailing, Peter.

garry vicki Well long time no see hope things are okay, I have decided to retire in 2012. Sitting in Strahan managing a fire at Pieman Heads, we have had a wet summer but it is still abler to burn. So you are wanting a bigger boat hope things work out. Cheers Chrisa

Hi Kallistos! Good luck with the new boat! Can you contact me with details of Kallisto. We are actively looking for our next boat and would appreciate a quick reply if possible. Thanks for the great blog! Rick and Jasna

Hi guys, Great Wylo posting. I had the pleasure of sailing with Will of "Shandoo" a few years back. He bought her in Kiwi and we sailed to Good Hope together. I just returned from six months in Tassie. Is Kallisto still on the market? Cheers! Bernie bcharbertsathotmaildotcom

Vicki Gary Hope you are well I am elaving on the 30th marcvh and going to Sri lanka to see blue whales then off to the uk and the continent until end August I finish on the 2 November. Move back to Hobart glad to see that your travels are going okay Chris Arthur Parks Tas

Vicki Gary Hope you are travelling okay I have nearly had 12 months of retirement planning on travelling next year going to Macquarie island then to Europe. Take care Chrisa

i know this is an old thread but curious if the boat has been sold.

Hi PawPah Yes the boat was sold before she was even advertised - went real quick! Cheers Gary

What did you use as insulation on your boat? You mention spraying the insulation aren't you afraid of corrosion on the hull? Beautiful work, Wylo are one of my favourite boat. Great job.

Any idea how I can get in touch with Nick Skeats? I've sent a letter but I am still wating to hear back. I know he's out there somewhere and I would like to track him down. Any ideas? Thank you, I like your blog very much!

Hi, my name is Pedro Gomes, NICK is here in Portugal now. I Sesimbra.

Hi there I too have written to Nick and have not yet heard from him. I would like to buy some plans also. Any advise would be great. Many thanks paul

Hi, me too........ i am looking for a set of plans as i cant seem to get in touch with Nick. Can you help ? Cheers Darren

Now he is in Sesimbra

Do you know how I can get in touch with him, I am interested in getting a set of plans from him for the Wylo 2

Contact details for Nick... Nick Skeates C/O Sunwell Barn Antony Torpoint Cornwall PL11 3AN UK

Nice post! Check out my yacht collections. I'm dealing in UA and GCC countries to selling my evo yachts and other luxury yacht charters. Buy evo r4 yacht for sale in cheap price having stylish Italian and modern cruiser.

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News from Sea Salts

Island Swift

Island Swift  is a 35ft Gaff Cutter (Wylo II), designed and built in 1996 by Nick Skeates and John Richardson. She’s one of the few examples of a modern gaff rigged cruiser, designed to sail around the world. She is easy to manage, safe as well as beautiful and owned by JoJo and Simon Pickering of Penzance. The family have sailed across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, via Portugal, Spain, Maderia, Canaries and Cape Verde. JoJo comments, ‘she’s a low tec boat, we do not have a fridge, radar, chart plotter or shower and we love using our lead line, Walker’s log and sextant’

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If you would like more information you can email [email protected]

Island Swift Travels

'Island Swift' is a 35' Gaff Cutter (Wylo II), designed and built in 1996 by Nick Skeates and fitted out by John Richardson.

What kind of boat is Island Swift? by JoJo

No comments:, post a comment.

New boat: Wylo 35.5

Nick Skeates designed and built the original circumnavigating Wylo , a 32-foot centerboarder. He sold Wylo' s plans to 140 or so like-minded sailors until 2013 when Voyaging Yachts began building a slightly larger Wylo as a production boat. You can buy the boat in several stages of finish from a bare hull, to parts kits, to commissioned for bluewater.

No design feature of a bluewater boat is more comforting than a full, low-aspect keel, and the Wylo's is broad enough to rest on sand with the help of beaching legs. The hull's steel plates are laser cut for a nearly perfect fit in a series of gentle chines up to the long cabintrunk, which is flush with the topsides, that is, there are no side decks. There are 11 portholes cut into the cabintrunk and a hatch forward. The sprit adds 8 feet.

Aft of the cabintrunk is a truly unique design feature-the optional cockpit well. The original design omits a well in favor of an aft cabin below the cockpit, with the deck crew sitting on lockers and protected by a solid wraparound stern rail and boom gallows.

There are three available rigs: junk, Bermudian and topsail gaff cutter, the later being the most popular. The maststep is a tabernacle, which also serves as the attachment point for the gooseneck. That way, the boom stays attached when the mast is lowered.

Belowdecks, the Wylo's design precludes bulkheads, so any customized layout is possible. The standard interior, though, is a bit different from typical 35-footers, with a pilot berth across from the head and a split berth forward consisting of an adult-sized double across from a child's berth or workbench. The hull is insulated with foam.

The standard engine is a Beta 25-horsepower, keel cooled, diesel-electric hybrid. This system allows for efficient, long-distance motoring under battery, with the Beta running at optimum revolutions while charging the batteries.

The Wylo 35.5 may not use canting keels and carbon fiber, it's design and construction, in a quest for adventure, is every bit as thoughtful and considered as a racing circumnavigator's.

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Building a Wylo II gaff rigged cruising yacht

• Sailing Background
• Cyclone Yasi

Monday, November 22, 2010

Wylo2 gaff rigged yacht.

• It can be home built and rigged
• The boat can be handled and sailed solo, with crew they can get more rest off watch.
• The mast can be raised and lowered  by one person.
• The main boom doesn't have to be de-rigged when raising-lowering the mast.
• The gaff drops easily into lazy jacks under its own weight, even when sailing downwind. The main sail won't blow back up the mast in a squall either.
• The stay sail has a self tacking boom and sheet system, which makes for easier manoevering in tight anchorages.
• No expensive winches are required, block and tackle with leverage thrown in does alot of the work.
• The rig has lower strains and stresses than modern rigs.
• Smaller sails to handle.
• Sails can be set or lowered quickly as required to control boat speed and angle of heel. Handy in a tight anchoring situation or when a squall hits. Small-sail drops and raises are easier than putting in-shaking out large mainsail reefs and changing larger headsails.
• Mainsail reefing  is less often than conventinal bermudan rigs because small sails up high or forward are dropped first,  full main can be held onto longer than normal.
• The staysail has reefing points which is easier than unhanking - hanking on different sized jibs.
• In big swells the topsail and gaff peak present alot more sail area up high to keep the power on when the hull is down in troughs between waves.. 
• Hanked jibs nearly always come down when the wind blows up, especially with a downhaul on the other end of the halyard. The outer jib can be bought aboard and the staysail can be lashed to its boom.
• The hull and gaff rig complement each other.
•  The jibs are inter-changeable.
• Most of the maintenance of the rig can be done by the crew with old-tech methods off the beaten track
• Alot of ropes aloft  = more windage - Its hard to stop windage but the alot of ropes on deck is reduced by  two belaying pin racks on the shrouds, not clustered at the mast or turning the cockpit into spagetti.
• Can't point as high to windward - Its a bit of a problem for coastal crusising at times. I heard that proffessionally cut and made sails make a big difference.

16 comments:

Great start to your blog bro'! If you ever get to use your cockpit as a bath then you will have something we dont have on the big schooner! Keep up the good work. Max

Thanks for starting your blog, I'll follow it. Thierry, Io (35' CB engineless gaff rigged Wylo II), Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Great blog on your Wylo. Ran into one in Kiwi land that was bounced across a reef and survived. Fine boat choice! Bernie Tasmania

Thanks everyone for your feedback, Intersting to hear about the wylo that survived the reef pounding Bernie. That's good news and reassuring to know a strong steel hull and keel is the ultimate insurance. Did you catch which keel version hey had? Centerboard (3'3") or fixed keel (4'3") Cheers Andrew

Andrew, Looks like you didn't do anything special to prep the steel before painting - eg, blasting, spraying or painting with zinc, etc. What did you paint her with? Also, how did you turn the hull over? Cheers Gary

Hi Gary, Turning the hull over was done with the "pig on a spit" method. (similar to Amantina the "mushroom boat's" blog) Rollover is going to be in a not too distant blog posting soon. (NB I replied to painting query on the "Hull and decks" page) Cheers Andrew

Hi Andrew, good blog! Keep at it! Must update ours... Btw she's AMANITA not Amantina! Fair winds and following seas Mike

Greets: Wonderful site. Was wondering if you have source for study sets or complete drawing set. Best regards and congrates. Chris. sailias(at)gmx(dot)com

Excellent page, very informative and good pictures of this interesting design.

Very informative and readworthy page .. even though my Wylo2 Kalimba is up for sale [I've simply got too elderly to sail these waters] I still love looking at this boat ... it's a delight and I'm really glad to have met Nick and even had a session with him on our two ukeleles .. his a Maquesan one and mine an original Gibson Kalamazoo. Kalimba lies in Saldanha getting birdshit on her and I go out and clean her and take her out and antifoul regularly .. but she badly needs to be sailed and loved so I hope someone will do that this spring [S Hemisphere] .. Check out my video THE SINGER AND THE SEA on YouTube [linked to the website]

Thanks Nick, sounds like ukeleles make for some good times and are a good sized intrument to have aboard too. I'm working in Papua New Guinea for awhile, hiking in the jungle with the local tribesmen, life's an adventure. Kalimba must be a nice wylo, is she a 32 Gaff Centerboarder? I cant seem to find your video THE SINGER AND THE SEA on the utube search engine, can you cut/paste the web address here? (or maybe its our Vsat email system..) Cheers Andrew

having built and sailed a gaff rigged 34ft boat I would advise against stepping the mast on deck . putting the mast to the keel gives the mast the support it needs as there are no spreaders between the deck and the hounds making the mast too flexible

It`s me again .A boom vang is needed to stop the sail lifting and dropping the main boom in windy weather and causing the gaff to crash against the mast . As for raising and lowering the mast single handed .Really unsafe.

I haven't heard any bad reports about wylo2s mast raising - lowering system or of any problems with the gaff or mast yet. The wylos gaff rig design is well thought out and strongly engineered. It may look like a traditional 19th century workboat from afar but the steel engineering is definitely of this era. There are spreaders , 2 lower stays per side (with ratlines) and running backstays to support the middle mast in way of the hounds. Some of the shrouds chainplates are welded to the A-frame and everything tilts in unison, without side sway, and the permanent boom gallows down aft have a notch ready to house the lowered mast. The A-frame provides a safe-powerful angle for the block and tackle lowering-raising system when the mast is near horizontal. The tabernacle is a large welded 5mm steel one and holds the lower 60-70cm of the mast chocked in firmly. In the steel deck wylo versions like mine, the tabernacle base is fully welded to the deck and has steel support bracing welded to the 4" steel pipe keel compression post below deck. In wood deck versions the bracings all steel too. It would be hard, neigh near impossible? to do this engineering using wood. The raise-lower system is designed for use in an esturine, canal or river environment prior to heading upstream and encountering low slung bridges, i don't think its designed to be dropped or raised when rolling at sea. In saying all this, some wylo owners have opted for keel stepped masts for extra strength for sailing in extreme places like Antarctica, I went aboard 3 wylos with this set up and the owners seemed very confident about their boats and rigs. It's the best way to see what its all about.

Hello, Doing some serious research on a steel boat project and came across your blog. Since these posts are old thought I's ask if you anyone knows where to purchase Wylo plans? Thanks in advance for your time in responding.

Hi Steve, The current wylo2 plans and enquiries address is posted up the right hand side bar of this blog, scroll to about the middle. Otherwise the online wylo2 forum is a good way to find out. Cheers

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• 2 - 35ft Steel Gaff Rig Cutter

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WYLO 2 - 35ft Steel Gaff Rig Cutter for sale in - Brightlingsea United Kingdom

- Brightlingsea United Kingdom

Make & Model

WYLO 2 - 35ft Steel Gaff Rig Cutter

MEASUREMENTS

Description.

A special boat - well organised for long distance cruising - designed by Nick Skeates for strength and ease of maintenance during his first circumnavigation. "Lunna" looks well maintained and has lots of equipment included making her ready to go (please check before use). Comfortable cabin with log burner, plenty of space and cabin lights to enjoy lazy evenings and cruising - ideal for French canal use with low bridge clearance.

A special boat - well organised for long distance cruising - designed by Nick Skeates for strength and ease of maintenance during his first circumnavigation. "Lunna" looks well maintained and has lots of equipment included making her ready to go (please check before use). Comfortable cabin with log burner, plenty of space and cabin lights to enjoy lazy evenings and cruising - ideal for French canal use with low bridge clearance. Due to low price and some small incidental works to be concluded "Lunna" is being sold as substandard and unspecified.

2m bowsprit - deck length 35' 6". Guard rails and grab handles. Mooring ropes and fenders. Foresail, staysail, jib and large gaff. Bilge keels will sit square. Steel hull - half inch on keel, 5mm up to waterline, 3mm above waterline - marine ply deck. Anchor + 44lb Danforth anchor. Pushpit. 7 inch dinghy davits.

Double berth in forecabin with storage area and very large opening hatch. Double berth in aft cabin. Single berth in galley area. Galley with 2 burner cooker + grill, sink and plenty of shelves / storage. Standing headroom. Chart table with seating. Wood burning stove. Sea toilet in separate compartment. Huge locker / compartment for ropes / bikes.

Open cockpit with tiller steering. Seating with storage under.

MRL GPS. Shoreline compact VHF radio. Nexus NX 1000 hand held VHF radio. Raytheon ST 4000 autopilot. Nasa Target Navtex Std Plus. Interior LED lights. Navigation lights. Bilge pumps. 3x batteries. Wind generator.

Mitsubushi Sole Mini 44 - 40hp diesel. PRM hydraulic gearbox. 1.5 inch shaft with deep sea seal. Cruising speed approx 6 knots.

Engine Hours

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hull Material

Steel hull + marine ply deck

Long keel + bilge keels

ABOUT WYLO 2 - 35FT STEEL GAFF RIG CUTTER

The WYLO 2 - 35ft Steel Gaff Rig Cutter is 43 feet long and has a 10 feet beam. The WYLO 2 - 35ft Steel Gaff Rig Cutter is made of steel hull + marine ply deck.

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• Boats in United Kingdom

13 Popular Full Keel Sailboats Worth Considering

Full keel sailboats are very stable and durable - they are great for cruising long distances. But there are disadvantages too. Let's look at what models to consider, and why.

Here are 13 good full keel sailboats that are worth considering:

Nicholson 32

Island packet 380, folkboat 25, cape dory 36, vancouver 32, tradewind 33, endurance 50, westsail 32, hans christian 52.

First of all let's have a look at why you should even be preferring full keel sailboats to a more traditional, widespread classical fin keel design.

Full Keel Advantages

As with everything, there are plenty of pros and cons on each side. Full keels generally provide better handling if the weather gets tricky, they track better, provide more stability downwind, and generally stabilize the boat movements better.

Furthermore, they are way more robust, thus less prone to damage. Running ashore isn't as big of a deal as it is with a fin keel and your rudder and propeller will be more protected with the mass of the keel in front of them.

Full Keel Disadvantages

With more mass and drag comes less speed. Plus the large surface area underwater holding the direction will result in a wider turning radius, which might be annoying in smaller spaces.

Fin Keel vs Full Keel: Pros and Cons & When to Choose Which

Fin keel advantages.

The largest advantage of fin keels is their speed. They also provide better maneuvering and a better turning radius.

Fin Keel Disadvantages

It is inevitably more prone to damage though, wear and tear will be a way bigger issue than a full keel. They won't have your back when a gust comes since the water-resistance to the side will be smaller.

It seems then that for serious longer passages, liveaboards, and long-term sailing, full keels are better. As long as you don't care for speed as much, but are concerned about the boat having your back, this is the answer. So let's now look at the superstars of the full keel universe.

The very prototype of a long-distance tough cruiser. It has been with us since 1963 and happens to be among the first fiberglass boat models produced on a mass scale. Nicholson 32 went out of production in 1981 and it was a model approved for the 2018 Golden Globe Race, proving that even older Nicholsons are still standing strong due to their toughness and ease of repair.

They were supposedly as durable as if made out of steel. Though I'll leave up to you whether you want to see that as a marketing claim or reality, such a statement can not be made without some base.

Plus the newer models have a lot of interior space, are manageable for solo sailing, and provide a sturdy ride to take one around the world.

The story here is similar to the above Nicholson - meaning that we are looking at one long-lasting high-quality cruiser. Not just because of this specific model's build - Island Packet in general was always known for this. And it is among the very few companies that, in the modern era, keep making full keel boats.

In other words, you don't see many shipyards focusing on full keels these days, so if you want one and you would rather go with a new boat, Island Packet will be one of the stops you will very probably make when doing your research.

If you are looking for reliable cruisers, you will like this one, since cruising is what it was built for, even if it meant sacrificing some performance aspects. It has a wide beam, a lot of interior space, all of the amenities a comfy cruiser should have, such as a big refrigerator with a freezer, as well as a fully equipped kitchen. The long keel here serves as a comfort helper, since, as mentioned before, it adds to the stability and reduces motion.

Not to sound repetitive, but the word 'reliability' has to be mentioned again. It seems that boat builders who choose the full keel design have something in common.

But since this particular boat was born during the Second World War and has been going strong to this very day, what other words to describe it? It has the Nordic blood in its veins since it was thought into existence by the Scandinavian Yacht Racing Union and since it prefers just about everything over comfort.

The boat is very stable, not just because of its full keel, but also because of its insane 55% ballast ratio. For those who haven't come across this before, the ballast ratio is the ratio of the ballast weight relative to the boat weight. So for instance the nearly 9 tonne Bavaria 40 with its almost 3 tonne ballast has a ballast ratio around 30 percent.

Thus you can imagine that a boat that 'wastes' more than half of its weight on ballast is serious about rigidity. These are performance racer numbers. But of course, if you are designing a boat that has to withstand the Scandinavian storms, you don't have a choice than to go overboard with specs. So if this toughness is what you seek, look no further.

...although as far as I know, all Cape Dory boats have full keels, regardless of their length. Their 36-foot model is just their most popular one. Cape Dories are known for their sturdiness, ability to cross the oceans because of their stability, and relative ease of handling.

They were engineered by Carl Alberg, who was inspired by the Scandinavian Folkboat, where reliability is worth more than comfort, or the interior space. This boat rocks a heavy rig for hardcore traveling, but its 1.5-meter draft makes it ideal for coastal cruising as well.

What's quite interesting about this particular model is that during its lifespan it went through very few changes. Boats usually evolve, sailors' feedback is taken into consideration for upgrades, but Cape Dory 36 remained relatively unchanged inside or out. This is a big compliment, since the brand started out in 1963, stopped production in 1991, and sold its blueprints so that they could be built further. Talk about longevity.

Let's progress in technology! Just because a long keel is an old-fashioned or more traditional approach, it doesn't mean it remains monolithic in its ideology. There were innovations in the concept, such as cutaways in the keel, to reduce the biggest drawback of this design, the drag.

So it only makes sense that Vancouver, a company that had distinctiveness and innovation in its mission and vision, would take part in this. Their 32-foot model that begun its lifespan in the early eighties, had a deeply cutaway forefoot, plus a rudder that was wider the deeper it was underwater, meaning its widest point was at its lowest point. This was to increase efficiency, and rudder response.

Technicalities aside, this boat was very well made, no corners cut, no expenses spared. This resulted in quite pricey vessels, out of reach of many, but much time has passed since, so today it can be yours for around 40 000 USD and up. And since the build quality was so high back then, you can still enjoy a proper boat, usually at a higher quality than boats equal its age.

The great thing about Australian sailboat makers is that they design their boats for long passages. How else would they get off of the continent? Freya 39 is a good example of this since it has not only circled the globe many times but also won the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race three times consecutively. And that's a famously hard race.

The boat is built like a tank, with thicker fiberglass walls than you would find in its rivals. Despite that, its owners claim to have crossed over two hundred miles per day on it, a figure that is well known when it comes to this model. Which sounds plausible with its 7.8 kts of hull speed.

Its construction makes her one stable boat since it has been noted that during races, it was able to carry a spinnaker longer than its competitors, well into the 30 knots of wind speed.

The only drawback here is that if you fancy it, since it is so highly valued, and in demand, it will be tricky to find one to buy. And once you do, prepare to pay around 60 000 - 90 000 USD for it.

This one comes with a story attached to it. Once upon a time, a naval engineer Nick attempted to sail around the world. Halfway through, his boat gave up, which meant a lot of trouble for Nick, but he exited this disaster with a pretty precise idea for what his next project would be. He set on to design a boat that would be so sturdy that his sailing misfortune would never repeat.

Out of this incident paired with a smart brain, Wylo 2 was born. To make sure his design stands, after putting this boat on the water, he proceeded to live on it, while circling the globe a few times.

Others, seeing this success, bought his designs and they became quite widespread. As you might have guessed, this boat has a lot of space for living, for storing equipment and provisions, so it is comfy to live on, not only for your body but because of its sturdiness, for your mind too. These designs have accomplished some astonishing feats in all corners of the world, so if you put your trust in this design, you won't be making a mistake.

If I said this boat is sturdy and ready for just about any destination, I'd really be repeating myself now. So while that's true, let's talk about what's special about Tradewinds 33.

It has a rather small cockpit, so on-deck dinners while watching the sunset with the whole crew might be a bit improvised, but the space saved is used for an impressively spacious interior as well as a nearly flat deck. So moving about is a pleasure.

For liveaboards, this is a good idea, since storage space will be plentiful. Plus it's an elegant looking boat, with a forestaysail as a default setup. So rock on.

Time for a larger boat. So that if you want something that won't lack anything you might wish for, including space, I have something for you too. All Endurances are full keels, so if you fancy a smaller model, there is a way.

Even though it is relatively new, (you will find models from around 1995) it will make you feel like a medieval pirate, with its old-school helm, wooden interior, and a spacious aft cabin that has large windows facing back!

It is a proper bluewater cruiser, built in South Africa based on a famous Peter Ibold's Endurance blueprint. It sleeps a whole family, so if a circumnavigation with a few friends is what you seek, this is one for you.

If you are up for some single-handed sailing, pause here for a bit. Small sailboats are usually nimble, on the top of it, this one is also quite sturdy and stable, as full keels are.

You won't find much space below the deck, so don't expect to have a party of more than around two people, but at least it's a good looking interior, with charming round windows and many of the usual amenities.

They say that Mason sailboats are premium quality for a non-premium price. I wonder whether them being built in Taiwan has something to do with it.

Here is a quote by an owner of a 1986 model that says it all: "I am absolutely captivated by the boat and am not objective at all in my feelings toward her. The general construction is of the highest standard. Like an Irish hunter, she is a workhorse and a lady-maybe not quite as fast around six furlongs as a racehorse, but for the long pull, through timber, brush, and over walls, she is really something."

Now although this owner admits subjectivity, this boat indeed was built with quality in mind. Sturdiness too - not only is its fiberglass hull properly solid, but it also features longitudinal stringers to add further rigidity.

There is a lot of brightwork, which might sound nice at first glance, but since it requires quite a lot of maintenance, some owners even said they could do with less wood if it meant less upkeep.

All in all though, when it comes to getting a lot of boat for not a lot of money, this is it.

Does it make sense to even praise how heavy and sturdy this boat is built? Probably not at this point. Just know it ticks all the boxes. It is made of 12 layered fiberglass for Pete's sake.

The design was based on ideas of the Norwegian engineer Colin Archer, who made his boats such that they could withstand the northern seas. Pair that with the fact that the interior here is surprisingly spacious with 6 ft 2 in of headroom and you've got yourself one comfortable circumnavigator.

The issue stemming from the heavy build and a full keel, which is a slower pace, applies here more than usual though. This boat is absolutely reliable, but don't expect winning speed races.

Sadly, Westsail 32 was in production only for some 9 years. Sales were booming, they made over 800 boats, but bad business practices and cash flow issues resulted in its demise.

Not the author, the boat. If beauty and elegance are what you are after, this one will catch your eye. Just as was the case with Mason, these boats were produced in Taiwan. But since the goal of the engineers was to create the 'ultimate cruising sailboat' and they spared no expense, expect to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for these boats, even though decades old.

The gorgeous classical design paired with the high build quality makes these exclusive pieces of work, plus quite a modern one since they ceased production in the 90s. So if you don't mind the higher price mark and are looking for something relatively new, that will, thanks to the build quality, last you for many years to come, this might be your choice.

Full keel sailboats are sturdy. Not only is that because of the full keel which itself provides a lot of structural integrity. But also because the choice of putting the full keel in means you are building something that prefers ruggedness and reliability over anything else. So it is logical that the rest of the boat will be built in the same fashion.

So if you don't mind sacrificing the few knots of extra speed, if you don't mind the smaller pool to choose from, if you want a boat that will have your back in pretty much any situation and place you will choose to go to, if you want to sail the Scandinavian design, go for it.

Arthur Rushlow

What a great page. Both my wife and I sailed Faulk Boats out of Canada prior to our moving to Florida. Once we arrived in Florida we had a Soveral 26 built we raced for three years prior to my returning to College and now 5 degrees later I am an Anglican Bishop with no boat.

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Cruising sailboats with no or minimal cockpit in the 30-40 ft range

Discussion in ' Sailboats ' started by Avoid Rocks , Nov 30, 2015 .

Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

ImaginaryNumber said: ↑ The Benford 34' Dory "Badger" popularized by Pete and Annie Hill might be close to what you are looking for. http://www.benford.us/dories/34.html Click to expand...

Matt Rutherford who was the first to circumnavigate the Americas (he did this solo in a 27' GRP Albin Vega) now also sails a Wylo II . . . Classic Boat - Yard News: July 2013 COWES, UK Cult classic in production ​ For more than three decades, DIY blue-water sailors have been self-building the classic Wylo II design penned by solo sailor Nick Skeates in the late 1970s. The 32ft (9.8m) steel gaff centreboarder is a yacht of such hardiness that examples of the 40-strong class have overwintered, iced-in, in the Arctic and Antarctic. Skeates also drew a slightly longer version at 35ft 5in (10.8m), with a fixed keel, and that boat has now gone into production in South Africa, as the Wylo 35.5 from Voyaging Yachts, set up by Cowes-based Steve Sleight, author of The Complete Sailing Manual. The first hull was turned over on 26 April and American sailor Matt Rutherford, first to circumnavigate the Americas last year (in a 27ft/8.2m GRP Albin Vega!) was there to register his interest. Her broad beam (10ft 1in/3.1m) gives good interior space but her draught of just 4ft 3in (1.3m) means she can sail to the farthest corners of the globe and navigate inland waterways as well. Prices for the Wylo 35.5 range from £60,000 to £180,000 ex VAT. See www.voyagingyachts.com . Click to expand...

Tad Boat Designer

In the late 1920's William Robinson replaced the cockpit in Svaap with a aft cabin. He said the cockpit was a great waste of space. Tom Colvin was a strong proponent of flush decks rather than cockpits. Steve Dashew replaced the cockpit on his Columbia 50 with a flush deck before his first circumnavigation. Any boat can have the cockpit replaced with a flush deck. My son replaced the cockpit in his Sea Spirit with a flush deck and small aft trunk cabin.  

pdwiley Senior Member

My Tom Colvin design stretched Saugeen Witch has no cockpit, just a smooth bridge deck. It does have wheel steering though and quite a complex mechanical steering system at that. Which is purely my responsibility as I have a machine shop and like building stuff, if I were doing it again I'd use hydraulics. PDW  

whitepointer23 Previous Member

With a flush deck how does the helmsman get comfortable assuming tiller steer. I would get aching legs quickly with no footwell or am i missing something. My old boat has a ridiculously deep rear cockpit which i plan on filling in about a foot . Maybe gonzo's storage idea could work.  

ImaginaryNumber Imaginary Member

Angélique said: ↑ ...Later Annie continued her sailing solo on a GRP boat named Fantail which she converted to a Junk... Click to expand...

pdwiley said: ↑ My Tom Colvin design stretched Saugeen Witch has no cockpit, just a smooth bridge deck. It does have wheel steering though and quite a complex mechanical steering system at that. Which is purely my responsibility as I have a machine shop and like building stuff, if I were doing it again I'd use hydraulics. PDW Click to expand...

DCockey Senior Member

The original version of the Chuck Paine designed Frances has a flush deck with a small footwell and companionway trunk. At 26' LOA it is a bit small than what the OP is looking for. http://www.chuckpaine.com/pdf/26FRANCES26.pdf http://frances26.org/  

waikikin Senior Member

philSweet said: ↑ Sam Crocker's Tangier and Macaw. the Macaw is quite light, shallow draft, and looks handy. Click to expand...

whitepointer23 said: ↑ With a flush deck how does the helmsman get comfortable assuming tiller steer. I would get aching legs quickly with no footwell or am i missing something. Click to expand...

Thanks Angélique. Now i get it. The storage locker/seats make it just as comfortable as a well. I like the advantage of shedding waves instantly instead of waiting for a deep cockpit like mine to drain through its 2 little scuppers.  

From: 35.5' Wylo II exterior ​ Click to expand...

Angélique said: ↑ Just saw Jay Benford and Pete Hill wrote a book about Building Badger & the Benford Sailing Dory Designs . ​ Click to expand...

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Yobarnacle Senior Member holding true course

I encourage modifying an existing boat. A wheelhouse/cuddy can be added over the forward area of the existing cockpit. Sized to allow sitting headroom, protected companionway access below, and serves as a spray dodger/windbreak for the helmsman. It can provide a mostly protected fishing position, if the bridgedeck athwartship aft of companionway is resized and re-sculpted into comfortable aft facing seating. Leave the wheelhouse open on the aft side for poles and lines. Another athwartship seat can be created at after end of cockpit, reducing volume and adding forward facing seats when motoring. Creates more aft storage or enlarges aft cabin as well. These changes are not expensive or intensive, and can be designed as bolt-ons, should a future owner want to revert to original. Goodluck!  

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