Boats

Southerly 110

by Sail Staff, Posted November 9, 2005

Boats from Southerly Yachts may look like many other offshore cruising boats, but they have a trick up the trunk—the ability to combine the stability of moderate displacement and a heavy fixed keel with the versatility of a variable-draft swing keel. As anyone can attest who has dug a fixed keel into a shoal, or been on a boat that was too deep to get into a shallow gunkhole,

PDQ Antares 44i

by Sail Staff, Posted November 4, 2005

Voluminous cruising catamarans have a reputation for being ideal charterboats, but the boat builders at PDQ Yachts are quick to point out that the new Antares 44i cruising cat is not intended to be a charterboat. Rather, they say, it’s a sturdy, well-equipped bluewater cruiser built specifically for private owners. They also report that the accommodations plan is well suited to long-term

Saga 409

by Tom Dove, Posted November 4, 2005

If you want to see a dramatic example of how far monohull cruising boats have evolved in the past couple of decades, study the Saga 409 for a while. Its blister-coachroof/deck-saloon configuration opens up the interior and makes space for vital systems below while looking sleek from the outside. It has beautifully curved cherry bulkheads and doors that look as if they might

Flying Tiger 10 M

by Bill Springer, Posted November 4, 2005

Internet forums are great for swapping tips on everything from where to anchor in Anchorage, Alaska, to finding an obscure part for a boat that’s no longer in production. Judging from the Flying Tiger 10-Meter forum on sailinganarchy.com, they also appear to be a great way to design and market a sportboat. And, of course, this boat is designed to a “box” rule—but the “box” is actually the size of

Harryproa Visionarry

by Sail Staff, Posted November 4, 2005

Proas were all the rage back in the 60s when tacking your entire rig (shunting) was a small price to pay for the speed potential of a multihull that had the reduced wetted surface of one main hull and one stabilizing hull. As catamarans and trimarans continued to set speed records and become increasingly popular and easy to sail, it looked like the proa had gone the way of

Dufour 455

by James Jermain, Posted September 23, 2005

Forty years ago Michel Dufour dragged boatbuilding into the industrial age by being one of the first to design boats specifically for production building methods. The company came out of some recent financial troubles and launched a “new era” in 2003. Since then two parallel but carefully matched lines of cruising boats have been introduced.One is a group of performance

Corsair Sprint 750

by Bill Springer, Posted September 23, 2005

The new Corsair Sprint 750 represents a high-octane evolution of the successful Corsair 24. Its length and overall profile are similar to the 24’s, but over 100 pounds have been trimmed from the hull and the cockpit has been lengthened at the expense of some interior volume in the cuddy cabin. The cabin has a small double bunk and a place to put an optional porta-potty, but accommodations space

Broadblue 42

by Sail Staff, Posted September 23, 2005

The Broadblue 42 is the latest cruising cat designed specifically for owners with offshore-cruising aspirations, and it appears to have all the right comfort and safety features. It has the large saloon, the bright, airy interior, the well-designed galley, and the four private cabins you’d expect on a cat that’s 42 feet long and over 20 feet wide, as well as watertight

Leopard 40

by Sail Staff, Posted August 11, 2005

South African catamaran specialist Robertson and Caine has been known for building production boats that were distinctively South African, with bridgedeck clearances slightly lower than those seen on French or Canadian cruising cats and hull shapes a bit wider in the stern to provide more buoyancy aft. The thinking was that a lower bridgedeck reduces the boat’s center of

Hunter 27

by Sail Staff, Posted August 10, 2005

Not so long ago, compact coastal cruisers usually provided cramped quarters and minimal comfort, but the new Hunter 27 is cut from an entirely different mold. It’s only 27 feet long, but its 6 feet, 2 inches of headroom and nearly 10 feet of beam provide enough internal volume for cruising amenities not often found on 27-foot boats. Being able to stand up down below is