Boat Reviews

Catalina Morgan 440

by Kimball Livingston, Posted March 29, 2006

I made it a point to spend time below during my sail aboard the Catalina Morgan 440. With many brand-loyal Catalina owners getting beyond career age, the company’s first deck-saloon offering was conceived as a vacation home for some and a retirement home for others. The “house” really matters.The main cabin, with a galley convenient to the cockpit, is astonishingly big

TomCat 9.7

by Tom Dove, Posted March 29, 2005

The TomCat 9.7 was a splendid surprise at the Annapolis boat show. Walking through, I checked off my key points for a 32-foot cruising cat. Marina-friendly beam—check; twin four-stroke outboards—check; open interior space—check; shoal draft—check; neat construction—check. During my test sail, I found that the solutions Ted Strain has implemented to maximize interior space and sailing

Friendship 53

by Sail Staff, Posted January 16, 2006

When a client wanted to replicate the exact look and idea of the Friendship 40, but in a slightly larger version with two staterooms instead of one, designer Ted Fontaine began to draw—and a big sister to the Friendship 40 was born. The exteriors of the two boats are nearly identical, with clean decks and low-profile cabintops providing a full 360-degree line of sight for the helmsman. The 53’s

X-35

by Sail Staff, Posted May 3, 2005

Danish builder X-Yachts is set to debut its new X-35 One Design later this year, but don’t be fooled by the "One Design" label. It's more than just a 35-foot one-design racer. Like lots of new launches these days, it's designed to be sporty, easy to sail, and comfortable belowdecks.Strict one-design rules have been established to foster fleet development for those who want to race, but the

Lagoon 500

by Sail Staff, Posted July 12, 2005

Following up on their successful Lagoon 440 catamaran, the Peteghem-Prevost design team has created a 51-footer that will be available with several options—an owner's version with a three- or a four-cabin arrangement and a charter version with four or five cabins. The main saloon, located on the bridgedeck between the hulls, has a center table that is large enough to seat 10

Alden 55

by Sail Staff, Posted January 16, 2006

Designer Bill Cook has teamed up with Alden Yachts to create this semi-custom center-cockpit yacht with a 44-foot, 5-inch waterline and a 15-foot, 8-inch beam. Construction will be in epoxy with a balsa core. With tooling completed and hull number 1 well under way Cook also has drawn up plans for aft-cockpit and pilothouse versions; the latter will come with a well-appointed inside steering

Com-Pac Eclipse 20

by Bill Springer, Posted August 10, 2005

The 20-foot Eclipse by Com-Pac Yachts makes a strong case for the idea that you don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to be able to sail to your favorite anchorage, eat a hot meal, and sleep in a comfortable bunk. This trailerable coastal cruiser has all the right features—an easy-to-rig mast, simple sailing systems, a centerboard that reduces draft to 1 foot, 6 inches, and a

Catri 24

by Peter Nielsen, Posted May 31, 2005

Even if you find it difficult to accept the builder’s claim that this little folding trimaran is capable of 30 knots, the Catri 24 is an intriguing boat. Each ama sports a retractable curved daggerboard in its forward section and a fixed V-shaped foil aft. There is also a horizontal foil on the rudder.Designer Aldis Eglajs, from Latvia, claims that the combined effect of these foils is to

Island Packet 370

by Tom Dove, Posted November 19, 2004

Many boats are compromises between conflicting desires to race and to cruise, but not this one. The Island Packet 370 has a single mission: cruising. It's now the smallest member of the Island Packet family, attracting both experienced owners moving up from smaller boats and newcomers with the means to make this their first boat.On DeckA few years ago designer Bob Johnson

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