Top ten boat reports
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Top ten boat reports (1 – 5)
5. Sadler 29, Practical Boat Owner, October 1992
Practical Boat Owner reviewed the Sadler 29, giving additional information about the first 29.
“With her double rudders the stylish design of the first 29 looked like the shape of things to come in 1984. Not that the idea itself was entirely new; R. A. Balfour had used similar steering devices in 1939 on his twin keeled Bluebird of Thorn.
“The Sadler 29 arrived in the early eighties as a sister for the old 25 and 32 and was the first of the new generation Sadlers. In short, she was glossier, even below, and more streamlined, to make her easy on the eye and easier to build.
“The Sadler 29 is a good example of a well planned, non-extreme, modern family cruiser.”
4. Blue Water Dream Boats, Yachting Monthly, October 1995
The Yachting Monthly team reviewed and compared a selection of ocean cruisers from 34ft-42ft.
Featured boats include: Vancouver 34, Victoria 34, Tradewind 35, Rival 36, Rustler 36, Vancouver 36, Saltram 36 and 40, Crealock 37, Prout Escale 39, Island Packet 40, Sovereign 4, Bowman 40, Warrior 40 as well as Orust’s ocean cruisers and the Contest range.
3. Family favourites, Yachting Monthly, July 2006
There are a wealth of older boats around 27ft that are perfect for all sorts of family sailing. James Jermain picked 15 of the best that don’t break the bank
“You don’t have to spend a fortune on a big new cruiser to take the family to sea. For 20 years, between 1970 and 1990, British and Continential builders were producing myriad small to medium-sized designs specifically for family sailing in all its forms.
“Most families find boats under 25ft on the small side these days but an extra couple of feet opens up a world of comfortable seaworthy designs, ideal for family use.
By choosing your model carefully and shopping around a bit, you can get afloat for around £10,000.
“Whether you’re moving up the boating ladder or trading down, there should be a 27-footer to suit your sailing.
2. Blue Chip Boats, Practical Boat Owner, March 2006
Boat buying on a limited budget doesn’t mean you have to settle for a downmarket yacht. Andrew Simpson took a look at small to mid-size second-hand cruising yachts that ooze quality and cost less than £10,000 back in spring 2006.
“The boatbuilding landscape has changed. Smaller firms have all but disappeared, shouldered aside by high-volume manufacturers whose production methods more closely resemble those of the motor industry than they do the craft-based businesses they displaced.
“Mainstream boatbuilding appears to have adopted one of two philosophies. There are those who cut costs where they can, bearing down fiercely on the price, and those who lard on the opulence and charge accordingly. It seems to me that the respectable, if unspectacular, middle ground of solid, affordable boats has evaporated, leaving a gap.
“If you’re in search of a new small to mid-sized cruising yacht, almost without exception you’re obliged to choose between a sparse budget boat or one that comes groaning with goodies and at a price that makes your eyes water. Or there’s the second-hand option, which is what this series is all about.
And the winner by a huge margin is….
1. A-Z of second-hand boats, Yachting Monthly, May 2002
One part of an alphabetic series covering hundreds of used boats with short reviews by the experts at Yachting Monthly, the A-Z is a must-read for anyone looking to bag themselves a bargain. Boats featured include the Goosander 23, Great Dane 28, Grand Soleil 343 and 42, Halcyon 23 and 27 and seven Hallberg-Rassys.
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