– Feels much larger than it is
– Freedom to move below deck
The best trailer sailor for your adventures will depend on many factors. Like any boat, whatever you decide on will be a compromise – boats always are. But there are plenty of choices out there, no matter what size your tow vehicle is and no matter what sailing adventures you have in mind.
Even large yachts are routinely transported by towing across land, so the question is more of how big a sailboat can you tow? Your tow vehicle will be the limiting factor. The upper limit for most large SUVs and trucks is usually a sailboat around 26 feet long.
Sailboats are generally very heavily built, with ballast and lead keels. Sailboats specifically made to be trailer sailers are lighter. They may use drainable water ballast tanks instead of fixed ballast and have fewer fixtures and amenities.
To find the best trailer sailer, you need to balance the total tow weight, the ease of rig setup at the boat ramp, and the boat’s draft. Shallow draft boats with centerboards are the easiest to launch and retrieve.
No. The Hunter 27 is a one of those fixed-keel larger boats built from 1974 to 1984. The boat’s displacement is 7,000 pounds, not including trailer and gear. That alone makes it too heavy to tow by all but the beefiest diesel trucks.
Furthermore, the fixed keels had drafts between 3.25 and 5 feet, all of which are too much for most boat ramps. In short, the standard Hunter Marine 27 is too big to tow for most people.
On the other hand, Hunter has made several good trailer sailers over the years. For example, the Hunter 240 and 260 were explicitly designed for trailering. They have drainable water ballast and shallow keel/centerboard drafts less than two feet.
Yes, the Catalina 22 is easily trailerable and makes a wonderful weekend sailboat. In fact, there were over 15,000 Catalina 22s made and sold over the years.
The boat’s displacement is 2,250 pounds, which means your total tow weight with trailer and gear will be under 3,000 pounds. This is within the capabilities of most mid to full-size SUVs and light trucks. Be sure to check your vehicle’s towing capacity, of course.
The centerboard on the Catalina 22 is another factor in its easy towing. With the board up, the boat draws only two feet. This makes it easy to float off the trailer at nearly any boat ramp. You should avoid fixed keel versions of the 22 for towing unless you have access to extra deep ramps.
Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.
Can someone tell me why no other manufacturer makes pop tops? Those who have them, love them. Makes sense for head space with a trailerable boat too. Catalina stopped making them decades ago, yet people still swear by them. So, why isn’t there any newer models?
MacGregor put pop tops on many of its trailerables
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CHUCK PAINE’s FLEET OF MODERN KEELBOAT DESIGNS. And their progenitor, the wonderful Herreshoff 12 1/2.
Unlike most centerboard boats of this size, she can be kept on a mooring. Many centerboard boats will capsize in a squall.
Tired of owning and spending lots of money on a boat you never have time or available crew to enjoy? Read on. If you have a length restriction at 14 feet, this is the sailboat you’ll actually USE. (It has been largely supplanted by the LEVANT 15, which is larger and faster and owing to investments made by its builder, even cheaper) The PAINE 14 is a scaled-down adaptation of the venerable and much-loved Herreshoff 12 1/2, with a much lower wetted surface hull, fin keel, carbon fiber mast and separate rudder. They are now built in seamless epoxy cold-molded wood construction at French & Webb Boatbuilders, Inc. of Belfast, Maine. At approximately 10% smaller in length, breadth and depth, she preserves much of the “big boat” feel of her predecessor thanks to a lead ballast keel that accounts for nearly half her entire weight, but is optimized for easy trailering, maintenance, launch and retrieval, and home-stowage in your garage. The prototypes shown in these photos have been built and tested, many small refinements have been made, and the boat is now in a word, perfect. The PAINE 14 may be either gaff or marconi rigged though for quick setup and takedown and an edge in performance, the latter is preferable. The size of this design was chosen for its ability to be easily lifted and stowed on the deck of a motoryacht… without this limitation the larger Levant 15 and York 18 might probably be the better choices.
Want to know just how fast a PAINE 14 is in light airs? Watch the video below. In her appearance she pays homage to her predecessor, Chuck Paine’s 83- year old Herreshoff 12 1/2. Then you’ll see that like the very best boats, she is so fast she “makes her own wind” when going to windward in light airs.
Amelia from Jim Dugan on Vimeo .
You just can’t slow this beauty down! And even if you could make it go slow, it’s gorgeous.
The PAINE 14 is in every possible way optimized for trailering behind a standard-sized automobile or lifted by a yacht’s crane or a canal-side boat lift. Her carbon fiber mast requires no stays and weighs with its halyards a mere 20 pounds, so it is as easy to deploy as that on a Laser dinghy. Easier, actually, as the sail need not be attached before stepping the mast, and is simply swung up into its Herreshoff-type mast ring, Iwo-Jima style. We have invented a nifty way to attach the mainsail to the mast very quickly… no tedious fitting of little slides to little tracks, so the boat can be launched and gotten going in a short amount of time.
STRAP OPEN |
STRAP CLOSED |
The simple Velcro-strap attachments render obsolete tracks and slides, and mast hoops, with all of their expense and tedium, and make short work of getting a small boat rigged and sailing.
The PAINE 14 AMELIA was the first yacht ever fitted with the PAINE DVT jib-vanging system. Until now all jibs, and jibs set on jib-booms especially, had the annoying habit of losing effectiveness as the jibsheet is paid out. The jib clew would rise, rather than rotate around the headstay as one would prefer. When this happens the lower part of the jib becomes overtrimmed and stalls, while the upper part is let out too much and loses all its drive.
The PAINE DVT invention consists of a series of fiberglass battens, fitted parallel to the luff, and extending from the leech to the foot of the sail. These battens both stiffen the leech of the sail as do other battens, but in extending to the foot of the sail prevent it from rising. (Note some other photos in this website show the conventional jib, which is also available).
The PAINE DVT at work.
Off the wind, the sail goes OUT, not UP!
Note that the leech of the jib remains parallel to the luff even though the sheet has been let out
Even let out this much, the angle of the sail to the wind is nearly constant from foot to head.
Make no bones about it, though, inidividually hand-built by the few remaining American craftsmen with nearly half of its weight in cast lead ballast and lots of beautifully varnished (or painted) mahogany trim, this is in every respect, including its construction cost and the need for yearly maintenance, a true yacht of the old school. But you don’t need a mooring or a marina slip with this one, just a garage or boathouse.
This design has a balanced rudder, making it exquisite to helm. This means that some of the rudder blade area is forward of the pivot axis. This is great for the helm balance, but since the aft end of the boat has deadrise, as soon as the rudder is swung off-center, a gap opens up between the rudder and the hull. It’s like a forward facing pair of scissors.
One week a few summers ago I took my friend Dennis sailing. It was blowing pretty hard, and just as I cast off the mooring a gust caught us on the wrong tack, forcing us to sail over the dinghy painter which was tied to the mooring float. Needless to say, in she went, and almost immediately we were tethered stern to wind, and a lot of it. The forces involved are huge. There was no choice but to wrestle the mainsail down- no small feat― and roll up the jib to remove the pressure. Then fish around underwater with the boom crutch to finally release the jammed rope, near the point of exhaustion. Not exactly a day of elegant relaxation on the water.
Then just to drive the point home we sailed over a lobster pot line an hour later and did the same thing all over again!
I was determined that this would never happen again. I considered the other ways that have been used to mitigate the problem: A windsurfer fin installed just forward of the rudder, or pieces of shock cord that stretch across the open maw- but neither is entirely proof against a jam for as we all know on a sailboat, if anything possibly can go wrong, it will! So I have invented an absolutely jam-proof solution to the problem. Since many other designs have the combination of a balanced rudder and veed hull, I offer my solution for your benefit. It will be fitted to all PAINE 14 s and LEVANT 15 s and YORK 18 s and any similar yachts I might be asked to design in the future.
What I did was to swing the rudder off-center to its maximum possible turning angle. Then I extended the top of the rudder up until it just cleared the hull at this angle. Of course then when you articulate the rudder toward the centerline there is a hull in the way. This I carved away into a section of the surface of a cone, such that the top of the rudder just “sweeps” the concave cone with a paper-width of clearance- far too little for anything to force its way into the gap.
It works great. The amount of turbulence created by the little discontinuity is trivial. And no more embarrassing and potentially dangerous rudder jams!
This shows the rudder on centerline.
Swung all the way to one side, showing the absence of any gap.
Showing it swung the other way. No way anything larger than a fishing line can get into the gap!
Dimensions | |
---|---|
LOA | 14′ 0″ |
LWL | 11′ 2″ |
BEAM | 5′ 3″ |
DRAFT | 2′ 3″ |
DISPLACEMENT | 860 lb |
BALLAST (LEAD | 395 lb |
SAIL AREA | 99 sq ft |
D/L RATIO | 271 |
SA/DISP RATIO | 18.8 |
This is the loveliest sailboat you could ever own. It’s hand-built, piece by piece, so only the most cogent sailors can justify owning one. But if you can, it will delight you until your final breath! What the world needs now is certainly not more boats―there’s plenty of clapped-out junk out there―but manifestly far better ones that truly enhance their owners’ lives. You can’t give away old fiberglass boats today, and with good reason. But the few emergent classic sailing designs of obvious and lasting merit are the unique bright spot in boating that makes sense today―the only thing that is selling and rightly so―and the PAINE 14 and its larger sisters the LEVANT 15 and YORK 18 are the most beautiful examples of this emerging phenomenon. We believe the times are right for small, classy, easy to get going and transport, investment quality manageable sized yachts that unlike virtually anything currently available in fiberglass, will be loved for its entire lifetime by its owner and left to his kids and by them to their kids. With reasonable maintenance, they’re built to last that long.
She’s waiting… Whenever you’re ready.
The boating field today is experiencing a wholesale “flight to quality” and flight from consumer-crap. Do we still really believe that a molded fiberglass hull glued to a molded fiberglass deck, with ugly extruded aluminum spars, no varnished wood, and not an ounce of lead to keep it upright, cheap as that may be to produce and sell, is a yacht? An intelligent few of today’s water-lovers are choosing to spend their leisure time in something of intrinsic quality, beauty and unquestionable value. The PAINE 14 and its larger sisters provide the sensible alternatives that truly enhance the lives of those privileged enough to afford time spent aboard her, and their classic design will endure long enough to become a family heirloom.
Shallow draft, heavily lead-ballasted, with moderate wetted surface and a NACA-foil laminar flow keel, the PAINE 14 is delightfully fast and easy to handle, store, or trailer to a new destination every summer weekend.
In a single phrase, the PAINE 14 is “A TRUE MINI-YACHT.” The yacht is light enough to be easily trailed behind a moderate sized automobile—no truck or SUV or surge brakes are required. The first one, named REDWING , was built in New Zealand. The second one built― AMELIA , was built in America. Both now reside aboard motoryachts.
AMELIA aboard her mothership.
REDWING aboard her mothership.
At roughly 850 pounds she is light enough hoist easily with a boat crane.
A custom-fitted galvanized trailer with integral tongue-extender makes launching and retrieving a snap. And at 860 pounds, they can be easily handled by most shipboard boat cranes. The carbon fiber mast requires no stays and is simply swung up into a bronze retainer fitting in a matter of seconds. Unlike a Laser, or any other unballasted dinghy, she is impossible to capsize, and easy to sail mile after mile without athletic ability. You sit “in” her, not “on” her, and there is no need for “hiking out”—you sit on bench seats with properly angled seatbacks (coamings) at just the right height. In enough wind, of course, she could be swamped but has forward and aft flotation tanks to keep her afloat. And in the off-season she fits right into your garage where you can perform the yearly maintenance yourself at near negligible expense, and proudly show her off to your dinner-guests. Or if you lack the time or skills to maintain her yourself, the boatyard fees to keep her in Bristol condition will be so trivial as to make you laugh at the folly of owning anything much bigger.
Just how safe is a PAINE 14 ? To find out we conducted an intentional swamping to show you. Would she turn turtle, or go to the bottom? Chuck tried to swamp her by standing on the gunwale and leaning out as far as he could, hanging onto the mast. At 180 pounds and rocking the boat violently, the coaming tops could not be gotten close to underwater. Only by bailing the ocean in could he finally swamp her. She floated with the lowest point of the coaming 10 inches above the surrounding water, and was very stable. You could sit in the boat all day long like this and she would not sink. Though like Chuck, you might eventually decide to bail her out, raise the mainsail, and sail away.
Will she sink? |
Fully swamped. |
You can watch a video of the intentional swamping by clicking here:
Amelia sinking
The performance of the PAINE 14 is, as one might expect from her numbers, downright stimulating. The helm is nicely balanced in both light airs and heavy. Its acceleration in a puff is amazing―in less than a couple of boat lengths it accelerates to hull speed. With the full jib and a reefed main, it can handle 15 to 20 knots of wind. And in stronger winds, she can be sailed under complete control without the jib―an extremely rare capability amongst today’s fleet of small boats. This is also helpful in picking up a mooring or coming alongside a dock or your larger yacht. You can roll up the jib first, clearing the foredeck and its mooring cleat of the nasty slapping jib-boom, and get safely cinched up with a clear field of view.
Those who have read Chuck Paine’s books on yacht design will recall that one of his bugaboos in the latter years of his career was self-rescue. If you fall overboard from even a yacht of low freeboard like this, it is impossible to get back aboard. You can imagine the potential consequences. So Chuck made the decision that no future design of his would lack this important capability. The PAINE 14 is fitted with a simple rescue step on the trailing edge of the rudder. You never know it’s there until you need it. But if you ever do, you’ll thank its designer a thousand times over.
The beautifully crafted rudder with its integral rescue step.
ONE PERFECT POSSESSION
We believe the ethic of filling multiple houses, then rented storage containers with unloved and unused material objects, with all of the environmental damage and unserviceable debt that this might entail, is in precipitous decline. The wiser among us will build their future lives around ONE PERFECT POSSESSION. For those who revel in exploring remote locales without the noise and expense of internal combustion, it’s time accept the reality of the 21 st century, rid yourself of that unused leviathan you can no longer afford nor find crew to operate, and join the renaissance in easily usable sailboats of eternal beauty. Though far from cheap, you can commission a PAINE 14 for what you pay in a few years’ maintenance and storage fees for your unloved and unused thirty-something foot white elephant, and you’ll actually USE your PAINE 14 , as will your progeny!
The yachts are available only in hand-built epoxy consolidated cold-molded wood. In any case the yachts will be beautifully hand-finished with a great deal of painted trim or varnished hardwood to look as beautiful of those from the past century. French & Webb custom boatbuilders in Belfast, Maine, now have the rights to build a sistership for you, at a price of between $80,000 and $90,000 depending upon specification. A custom-designed galvanized trailer with integral tongue extender will enable the yacht to be easily launched on reasonably angled ramps. Its price is US$ 4500.00 plus shipping to your destination from Raleigh, SC. (Prices may change owing to inflation).
Todd French and his crew would gladly enhance your life and that of your progeny by building another for you. D0n’t hesitate― our federal reserve are seemingly unwilling to constrain inflation and the price will surely rise as a result. Better to own and spend a lifetime enjoying a lovely sailing yacht today than have your wealth confiscated tomorrow.
Take her sailing in your PAINE 14 and you’ll make her smile.
No need for hiking in your PAINE 14 … just showing off.
Click here to see what SAIL Magazine had to say:
http://www.sailmagazine.com/best-boats/sails-best-boats-2014-paine-14
Further information may be obtained from:
CHUCKPAINE.COM LLC P.O. Box 114, Tenants Harbor, Maine 04860-0114
Phone: (207) 372-8147
Email: [email protected]
This design is featured in both of my recent books; MY YACHT DESIGNS and the Lessons they taught me, and THE BOATS I’VE LOVED- 20 Classic Sailboat Designs by Chuck Paine. Both are beautiful, full colored, first class books which give you lots more information on this design, and can be purchased on this website.
A full set of study plans is available for $25 emailed to you in PDF format.
Call Us: (253) 851-2126 Mon-Fri 9-5 Pacific Time
– 48 north magazine.
The Scamp is a seaworthy 12′ sailboat that can handle a good dose of adventure.
Just under 12 feet in length, Scamp boasts an unusual combination of features that give her the unique ability to explore waters too shallow for a larger boat, while retaining most of the bigger boat’s comforts and capabilities. An offset centerboard opens up the cockpit and an 8′ 3″ sleeping area, and 172 pounds of water ballast provide exceptional stability. The cockpit is self-bailing, and a pair of grounding skegs on her flat bottom keep Scamp perfectly upright when landing on a beach or when the tide goes out.
Originally designed as a wood boat by John Welsford, Gig Harbor Boat Works worked closely with the designer and staff from Small Craft Advisor to create a fiberglass version. Scamp #1 hit the water for its first sea trial in July of 2013!
As a specialized boat, the Scamp has some different options than the rest of our boats. We have had quite a few questions about Scamp’s option list so I thought it best to go into more detail below about the various choices. Be sure to check out the “Scamp Options” tab below for photos and descriptions of all the available options.
I’d like to emphasize the fact that we build and sell all of our boats complete, ready to sail. Our “basic’” Scamp is sail ready with exactly the same top quality parts and materials as a “fancy” Scamp — you don’t have to add anything to go for a satisfactory sail. Our ‘Base’ boat’s level of completion is the same as specified in the Scamp plans or kit for DIY home builders. Options are exactly that… individual choices made by the owner to suit their cosmetic desires and refine performance.
Shown with optional floor storage hatch and optional wood trim. Motor not included.
LOA: | 11’11” | |
BEAM: | 64″ | |
DISPLACEMENT: | 420 lbs | |
Model-Specific Options: |
More about the scamp:.
Gig Harbor Boat Works, known for their strong, esthetically pleasing rowing boats, has already shipped a number of the new SCAMPS all over the country and overseas. “The kit boat has a lot of intricate details that the home builder may not have the talent or tools to build,” says Dave Robertson, owner of GHB. “With the fiberglass version, they can enjoy using the boat right away.” The GHB boat is truly sail-away complete; from oars to sails.
There are many innovations designed into the SCAMP that make it truly a big little boat. One thing that usually takes up a lot of cockpit room of most small boats is the centerboard. The SCAMP’s centerboard, very heavy but swings up easily for trailer or grounding, is offset to starboard so that it doesn’t intrude into the cockpit. I’ll let you call Dave to explain the physics of the offset. Suffice it to say that we didn’t notice a difference on either tack. The result is it opens up the cockpit which feels more like that of a of a San Juan 24.
The boat was surprisingly quick and very stable. “This boat can’t be just 12’long,” I thought. I stood up and rocked it side to side with minimal affect. It felt like 20-footer. Sailing the SCAMP made me a believer that it actually would be a safe and enjoyable way to explore the San Juans, as well as just knocking around the bay for a fun day of sailing. The SCAMP had lots of surprises, all good. I have to say it’s the biggest little boat I’ve ever sailed.
See the price list for current pricing of Scamp options
Hull color change ( white hull exterior is standard).
This option allows you to customize the hull exterior to the color of your choice. For the best balance of pizzazz and reasonable maintenance, we recommend that color only be added to the top strake and the balance of the hull be left white. Why? A white underbody doesn’t show scratches like a dark color, it is easy to repair, and Scamp has high freeboard so a darker sheer strake lowers the apparent freeboard. If you add color to the top strake, we will extend the color across the top of the bow and leave the stern all white for best visual balance.
The Bisque color is neutral so goes with any accent color – it also doesn’t show scratches and is easy on the eyes. However, we can make the topsides any color you want; for more than a basic color change the price varies with color and pattern.
Mahogany gunwale trim (standard gunwale trim is tan vinyl).
This wood trim option also includes mahogany ‘eyebrows’ on the cabin sides. Other wood trim such as coaming or seat top overlay is available on a custom basis.
Any color available, price varies with color and pattern.
Stainless steel keel guards.
Over 90% of the boats we build are specified with stainless steel keel protection. Fiberglass is a wonderful boatbuilding material; easy to conform to compound shapes, hard smooth finish, eminently repairable; but it is NOT abrasion resistant. Pulling a boat onto a beach is asking for grief, especially if parts of the boat have a sharp edges forming high pressure areas…. like the keelsons on Scamp. Protecting the keelsons is a lot cheaper than fiberglass repair.
There is a lot of usable, easily accessible space under the cockpit floor. This optional storage is a sealed chamber approximately 18″ wide x 30″ long with depth varying from about 8″ at the forward end to 4″ aft. The hatch accessing the storage is a rectangular Armstrong style with 14″ x 21″ opening. If you plan to add electric propulsion or accessories this is an ideal location for batteries!
Rain and spray is contained in the cockpit sump at the transom. This can be scooped or sponged out easily. However, if you somehow get water inside the seats or underfloor that is a relatively inaccessible area. Although chances of getting much water in this area are slim, it helps to have a portable handheld pump handy.
Removable outboard motor bracket
Bolts to outside of transom. Owners have noted that a permanent motor mount on Scamp is, well, ugly. So we researched a removable mount that has only a flat plate permanently bolted to the transom. The actual motor carrier clips onto the plate with a simple quick pin, no tools required to install or remove the bracket.
Bronze cleat
Pop-up cleat
Trailer, galvanized, custom designed for scamp.
Scamp is very difficult to fit correctly on a trailer; the twin keelsons, wide chines and flat bow just don’t work with any standard trailer. We designed a custom trailer specifically for this hull. It is 100% galvanized and has three aft rollers to accommodate self centering on the keelsons. Scamp has a tendency to skate sideways when loading, so we install carpeted side guides and a central crossmember roller to make loading simple. Forward is a carpeted transverse bunk to support the fairbody, and finally a special twin chock winch pedestal. Oh yeah, bearing buddies are standard too.
The mainsheet cleat is fastened to a transverse board between the seat tops. You can adjust the position of the board and cleat fore or aft the length of the cockpit or remove it entirely by pulling two stainless steel fastpins.
Three Reef points in the sail are standard, but there are no reefing lines or cleats. If you want jiffy reefing we”ll set up two complete ready to use reefs.
Oars, 9’4″ 2-piece fiberglass shaft with bronze oarlocks.
Scamp’s high freeboard and wide beam requires 9’+ oars which are impossible to stow in Scamps’ cockpit. We have engineered high quality, strong 2 piece 9’4″ spoon blade oars that disassemble and store concealed inside the cockpit coamings. Another practical storage area is on the vertical seat sides, clipped into modified fishing rod holders.
Top Notch fabric, custom sewn for Scamp. Protects deck and cockpit during trailering and storage.
Fully enclosed bimini cockpit enclosure with zippered windows and side curtains. Sides zip off individually for fully-customized protection from the weather.
We are always looking for ways to simplify sailing, and one of the most vexing chores is the assembling the rig. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to pull the completely assembled, ready to hoist sail and spars out of a bag? This special bag is 12′ long and has two long pockets; the lower pocket is for the two-section mast. The upper pocket has a full length zipper so you can store the sail lashed to the yard and boom with even the jiffy reefing in place. Just pull the mast with halyard attached from the bag and plop into the cabin-top ‘Scamp Ramp.’ Then fasten your halyard to the Yard and hoist the whole rigged sail out of the bag. All you have left to do is run the halyard and downhaul to their respective cleats, clip the mainsheet and lazy jacks to the boom and away you go. 10 minutes, done.
Transom boarding ladder ….. still under development, scamp rigging tutorial.
If you’re not familiar with balanced-lug rigging, here’s a great tutorial showing how to set up this simple and intuitive rig.
Take a turn through our online quote creator to see the possibilities. No haggling, no commitment.
Top 15 tenders and ribs, here’s a look at some of today’s top tender and rib builders and their models., zodiac pro 6.5.
Caribe nautica dl11, highfield cldl360.
Cheoy lee presents the cla 76f.
1591 E. Atlantic Blvd, 2nd Floor Pompano Beach, FL 33060 Office: +1 (954) 522-5515 Fax: +1 (954) 522-2260 Contact us: [email protected]
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10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)
Last Updated by
Daniel Wade
December 20, 2023
There's no denying that sailors are certainly a passionate bunch. We’re so passionate about our boats that we always try going for the best sailboats. To make it a lot easier for you, here are the best sailboat brands.
Owning a sailboat is an indulgence that many of us only dream about but very few ever have the privilege of sailing the seas in what they can actually call their own.
While there's nothing wrong with renting a sailboat, the honor of owning one is certain what many sailors dream of.
With a perfectly crafted sailboat as company, gliding through the water, waves, and wind brings some sort of unmatched comfort and peace.
Add this to the fact that sailing takes you far away from the daily hustles and bustles that we've become accustomed to in our daily lives and you'll see why the life of sailing is very appealing to the masses.
But without a proper sailboat, all this fun and the good life of sailing are thrown out of the window.
Contrary to the widespread opinion, owning a sailboat isn't beyond anyone's reach. It's something that we can all achieve. But before getting into that, it's important to know some of the best sailboat brands.
The best sailboat brands will make your life as a sailor a lot easier and more fun. The best sailboat brands have, for decades if not centuries, mastered the art of woodworking. They've dedicated their skills and immense amount of their time to designing and manufacturing nothing but the best quality of sailboats in the industry.
So if you've been looking for the best sailboat brands from all over the world, you've come to the right place. We'll discuss the best of the best, something that will give you a perfect getaway from your normal life.
Table of contents
Before highlighting the best sailboat brands, it would be appropriate to jog your mind a little with some of the features that must be available in your sailboat.
Choosing a sailboat can sometimes be a matter of compromises. In other words, it's sometimes sensible to accept that a sailboat cannot have all the features that you desire.
As such, it's all about going with a sailboat that has the features that matter to you most.
For this reason, let's look at the most basic features that can make the difference in both safety and comfort while improving your sailing experience.
You'll most definitely be spending a huge amount of time in the cockpit. Whether you're keeping watch, trimming sails , helming, or just enjoying the scenery, there's no better place to do all these than from the cockpit. That being said, a good cockpit should have the following.
Use a GPS Chartplotter once and your sailing will never be the same without it. It not only allows you to map a course but is also a great way of ensuring that your sailboat exactly follows that course. It also gives you constant updates on ocean conditions, weather conditions , and potential hazards such as deadly currents and sandbars.
A GPS Chartplotter is also an important safety device that can help you in some very critical situations while out there on the water.
For instance, it has a man-overboard button that is essentially meant to allow you to receive coordinates of the exact location should someone fall off your boat.
This is an amazing addition to any sailboat. It allows you to sheet a jib even in high and strong winds with a simple press of a button. It also gives you the chance of trimming a mainsail easily while still carry out other essential tasks in the sailboat.
An electric winch system can be of great importance, especially if you're short on crew. This is because it can free up some crew members to carry other important tasks. In other words, it can make duties that would otherwise require more crew members a lot easier.
More importantly, an electric winch system can maintain safety even in the roughest of conditions, thereby preventing you and your crew from getting injured. In essence, an electric winch system will make your sailing a lot safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable.
This is a very valuable accessory, especially if you're going on long sea voyages. You can spend days on end without drinking clean and safe water.
As the name suggests, you can use this accessory to turn seawater into purified drinking water. It uses the reverse osmosis method that's essential not only in removing bacteria and parasites from the water but also in turning the water into purified and safe drinking water.
Even though this device is pricey, it's a great way to mitigate the over-reliance on huge water tanks. All you have to do is to ensure that it's properly maintained and you'll have an endless streak of safe drinking water no matter where you are.
While the deck is often an overlooked feature of a sailboat, it can be the difference between a great sailing experience and a stressful one. In essence, the deck of a sailboat should be wide enough and clutter-free.
This is significant as it can enable you to quickly access different parts of your sailboat with hindrance or getting tangled. As you can see, this is particularly important in improving safety and reducing stress.
With that in mind, make sure that the deck is organized in such a way that you can have easy access to sails, masts, and winches.
You should, therefore, avoid sailboats with decks that are designed in such a way that you have to climb on top of the cabin just to access these features. Needless to say, this can be quite unstable and very dangerous especially when conditions are rough.
1. hallberg-rassy.
Hallberg-Rassy is a Swedish yacht maker that's very well-known in the blue water cruising circles for making some of the highest quality and sturdiest sailboats. For many sailors, this is the number one sailboat brand as it offers absolute comfort, utmost safety, and good and easy handling.
This brand is not only synonymous with sturdy construction but you won't worry getting soaking wet while out there on the water. This is because it has a well-protected deck and cockpit, finished with nice woodwork, and has a powerful engine with a big tankage just to ensure that you can go on long voyages.
When designing its sailboats, this brand has made it a norm to add some features that stand out from the rest. For instance, the bowsprit is an integral feature that makes sailing a Hallberg-Rassy quite easy and much enjoyable. This is because it grants easy access to and from the deck. Its electric anchor winches facilitate smooth maneuvering. Even more, its large steering wheels makes it much easier to control the boat even in the roughest of conditions. In essence, this brand has features that provide good control and an extra sense of safety.
Although this brand has evolved over the years, you'll easily recognize it even from a distance. And why is this? A Hallberg-Rassy never goes out of style. This is a unique sailboat brand that has always stayed true to its principles and concept. No matter which part of the world you go, Hallberg-Rassy will remain the undisputed king of blue water cruising.
For over 50 years, Nautor's Swan has endlessly raised the sailing levels by designing and manufacturing new sailboat models that not only push the boundaries but also meet that many requirements and demands of sailors across the world. Thanks to its wide range of seaworthy, timeless, elegant, and highly-performing sailboats, the Nautor's Swan remains one of the best if not the best sailboat makers in the world.
Based in Jakobstad, Finland, this brand has severally set the industry standard with its speedy and sleek models such as the Swan 48, Swan 65, Swan 98, Swan 78, and Swan 120. These models have one thing in common: they never compromise on safety. As a brand that puts safety first, it ensures that its models are made of foam-cored glass fiber and reinforced both with carbon-fiber and epoxy. In essence, Nautor's Swan is widely revered for its unmatched seafaring and safety records.
Additionally, Nautor's Swan models are incredibly responsive. You can easily tell this just by the feel of the wheel. This brand has models that will gracefully slice through the biggest of waves with ease. That's not all; the interior of these models that are very comfortable even when the going gets tough. This is, without a doubt, a brand that strives to create self-contained worlds with each model.
This is perhaps the most selling sailboat brand in the world. For over a century now, this brand has based its models in a combination of simplicity and performance. This is a brand that will serve you just right across all latitudes and in all circumstances. Whether you prefer the Oceanis Yacht 62 or the Figaro Beneteau 3, this brand will never let you down on all fronts.
This brand revolves around a simple concept of creating a link around the world. From the deck space to its design and light, this brand does everything possible not just to uniformly transform life at sea but also to open doors to new horizons in a very luxurious yet practical way. Its models are designed with clear deck plans, stable hulls, simplified maneuvering and interior materials and equipment that can be easily personalized.
Whether you're looking for a racing sailboat or something that's designed to explore and enjoy the world in the company of friends and family, Beneteau is a true combination of sensations and simplicity. This is a brand that brings to the seas fun, simplicity, smartness, toughness, safety, intuitiveness, as well as dazzling reinvention.
Based on the ethos of designing and manufacturing comfortable, robust, and easy-to-handle boats, this French brand has, for over five decades, offered sailors and other sailing enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to explore the seas with the utmost quality, comfort, and more importantly, safety.
Using 100% French know-how, this brand has brought to the sailing world some of the best boats such as the Santorini, the Mango, the Super Maramu, and the Maramu. We would be doing this brand total injustice if we said that they're distinctive. Truth be told, there's nothing comparable to an Amel model. Well Amel was and still is, the ultimate standard by which other sailboat models are measured.
From items such as electric winches and furling, to generators, Watermaker , and washing machine down to the simplest of items such as towels. Spare filters, bathrobes, deck brush, and a boat safe, the Amel is in reality with what the real life of a sailor is and should be.
Although some may say that Amel still has room for improvement in terms of specifications and personalization, it cannot be denied that the Amel is a serious brand that designs and manufactures complete boats. With this brand, you'll be guaranteed of a higher degree of reliability, safety, and an edge of fun while out there on the water.
Based in Maine, United States, Hinckley Yachts is a brand that has been building robust, luxury, and safe sailboats for more than 90 years now. In its sailboat class, you'll find several sailboats that have classic shapes, inner strength, dramatic lines, and features that are absolutely essential in dealing with the challenges of the North Atlantic.
This brand has been successful in integrating impeccable craftsmanship with new technologies to ensure that their models always stand out while articulating advanced sailing practices, timeless aesthetic, robust construction, and the utmost safety. Whether you choose the Bermuda 50, the Sou'wester 53 or any model for that matter, you'll never be short of advanced performance based on the best design and technology.
In terms of features, this brand provides sailboat models with modern performance hulls. These hulls are constructed with inner layers of carbon, outer layers of Kevlar, and are aligned with computer-designed load paths. Every feature is designed without compromising comfort.
To this end, this brand offers you a perfect combination of both fun and sail. This brand offers more than just sailing. Instead, it offers a unique sailing experience that's combined with the pure joys of sailing in the blue waters with an ease of ownership and maneuverability.
If you've been looking for luxury more than anything else, Oyster Yachts provides you with numerous solutions. This British brand is widely known for manufacturing a wide range of luxury cruising sailing yachts. Its sailboats are among the finest in the world and are immensely capable of taking you to some of the far-flung places in the world without having to worry about high winds and hellish waves.
Whether you choose the iconic Oyster 565 or the immense Oyster 595 you never fall short of experiencing the new world like never before. These are models that will enable you to own your adventure, choose your destination, set your courses, pick your anchorage, and stay safe at all times. If you want to hold the wheel and pull the sail while feeling the tang of salt spray on your face, Oyster Yachts is the way to go.
This is, unquestionably, a brand that's meant for you if you want to explore the seas in comfort, luxury and utmost safety. From craftsmanship, sailboat design, to hull, deck, and keel configurations, everything is designed to allow you to circumnavigate the world in comfort, elegance, and style.
Based in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, there's arguably no better to begin your sailing adventures than with a sailboat designed and manufactured by Tartan Yachts. With several award-winning designs and construction, this brand is widely known for providing easy handling, great performance, and an ultimately stable platform.
This brand always strives to deliver a unique and the best possible experience to every sailor. As a brand, Tartan fully understands that every sailor has his/her unique sailing needs. As such every component of their models is designed with engineering levels that guarantee optimum performance, excellent on-deck visibility, and luxurious interior.
From the Tartan 5300, the Tartan 4300, the Tartan 345 to the New 365 and the Fantail, this brand makes it a priority to ensure that its models are among the strongest, lightest, and more importantly, the safest in the sailing industry. In essence, this brand can be ideal if you appreciate performance. It has rewarding sailing features both in narrow water lines and wider passages. Add this to its easy handling and you'll have a top-notch performer in virtually every condition.
As one of the most popular boat manufacturers in the world, this American brand is widely revered for building the sturdiest boats that can hold up perfectly well in real-world conditions. These are generally family-oriented boats that are intelligently designed to ensure that your entire family can have fun out there on the water.
Some of the models include the cruiser series such as the Catalina 315, the Catalina 385, the Catalina 425 while the sport series include the Catalina 12.5 Expo, the Catalina 16.5, and the Catalina 14.2 Expo. As the current winner of the "Boat of the Year" Cruising World, you'll rarely go wrong with a Catalina model.
It offers a wide range of sailboat sizes that suits your lifestyle. This brand makes it a priority to ensure that all their models are not only safe but offer the best ownership and sailing experience. If anything, this brand is widely known to have one of the most excellent resale values in the sailing industry.
From the IP 525, the IP 439 to the IP 379, the Island Packet Yachts is a brand that encourages its customers not to keep the world waiting. This brand is meant for sailors who want to explore the world in utmost comfort and safety.
The first thing you'll notice in an IP sailboat is its large aft deck. This is not only perfect for sunbathing but can also serve you well if you want an impromptu dinner with friends and family while out there on the water. The living space is also large enough to carry most of your belongings, which is an added advantage especially if you've been planning to spend longer periods in the seas.
With modern evolution and refinement, as well as proven features, this brand is known to offer sailors maximum comfort, luxury, and safety. You'll have better access to the cockpit, have enough space, and are excellently designed to provide superior seafaring and the best features to enable you to spend extended periods when cruising.
For more than 90 years, Sparkman & Stephens has been at the forefront of the belief that sailboat excellence goes beyond hull lines and deck plans. Instead, this brand believes in excellent naval architecture, innovation, sophistication, and beauty. This is a brand that has laid the foundation of sailboat as a sport not just in America but all over the world.
These models have graced the world for decades and bring immense pleasure to their owners in terms of innovation, performance, and excellence. Though rooted in tradition, the brand has pushed sophistication, technology, and sailing experience to a whole new level. You'll be a proud owner of the Sparkman & Stephens model.
There you have it; these are the best sailboat brands in the world. Although there are several other sailboat brands to choose from, the-above described brands stand shoulder above others in terms of quality, safety, performances and luxury.
Hopefully, you're at a much better place when it comes to choosing a sailboat that suits your lifestyle, needs, and budget .
Happy sailing!
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Boat Profile
100 Years as a Class
From Issue Small Boats Annual 2016 March 2015
I n 1913, shortly before the start of WWI, England’s Boat Racing Association (BRA), a small club of sailing enthusiasts, called for a design to comply with the following requirements: length 12′, beam 4′8″, and a single 100-sq-ft sail with no battens; she should be a capable rowing boat as well as a good sailing craft, suitable as a tender for larger yachts. The winning design was submitted by an amateur designer named George Cockshott (1875–1952). Eight of the first BRA 12-footers, as they were then known, were built by the Shepherd’s Boat Yard in Bowness on Lake Windermere in northwest England at a cost of £25 each. Several members of the West Kirby Sailing Club near Liverpool ordered BRA 12s and with typical English humor named them after the Royal Navy battleships of the time: DREADNOUGHT, THUNDERER, BELLEROPHON, and SUPERB.
The scene of racing in the 1950s on a lake near the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands is very much the same as it is now.
The design’s popularity spread rapidly. In 1914, eight boats presented themselves at the start of a race in Karachi, then in India. Belgium and Holland adopted the BRA 12s with great enthusiasm. Development of the class in England was curtailed during the war, but in the neutral Netherlands the class flourished and toward the end of WWI there were some 140 of the little boats sailing there.
After the war, voices in England called for an “improved” BRA 12, and the well-known naval architect Morgan Giles came up with a design promised to be faster, more seaworthy, and easier to row. Belgium and the Netherlands by then had the largest fleets of BRA 12s on the water, and they fiercely opposed the adoption of a new design that would make theirs obsolete. The International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) was called in to arbitrate the situation. While the IYRU approved of the new design, the Low Countries prevailed, and in 1919 at the IYRU meeting the original Cockshott design was officially adopted as a new International class: the International 12-Foot Dinghy.
While the 12′ dinghies are built for racing under sail, they’re outfitted with oarlocks and rowing thwarts to fulfill the class requirement that “each boat shall be built, equipped and finished complete in every respect and so as to be fit for use as a useful yacht’s centerboard dinghy.”
T he class is a one-design, meaning that every boat must be identical and have a valid measurement certificate. With their close tolerances, these dinghies were not meant to be built by amateurs, but over the years many have been home-built. Certification required “each boat to be carefully built in strict accordance with the drawings and this specification, and the greatest care must be taken to ensure that all boats are as nearly alike as possible in every respect. Minor deviations from standard may be permitted, at the discretion of the Council of the Association.” The class specifications list the dimensions and material of every part of the boat: the centerboard must be 1/4″ soft steel plate; the steam-bent frames would be of American elm, ½″ thick by 5/8″ wide, spaced 7″ on center; spars were to be solid spruce, although the gaff could be of bamboo; and the 12 strakes are 5/16″ clear straight-grained fir—though later oak and mahogany were allowed as well. Fastenings were screws, bolts, and clench nails and copper, brass, or yellow metal throughout. The hulls might leak when first launched for the season, but after they were fully immersed for a day or so they’d be tight and dry. These dinghies were no lightweights. The 2012 building rules for the Dutch measurement certificate stipulates that the “dry” weight of the bare hull must be a minimum of 229 lbs (104 kg). A new top-of-the-line, race-ready wooden 12-footer built in Europe today can cost as much as €25,000 (about $30,000 US). A good used one can set you back $6,000 to $14,500.
International yards such as Abeking & Rasmussen and de Vries Lentsch built many 12’ dinghies in the 1920s and ’30s, and many of these are still sailing today. The Italian Riva family, famed for their classic speedboats, are also a well-known builders of these boats. Two years ago in England, Stephen Beresford of the Good Wood Boat Company launched a new dinghy with sail number GBR 50.
On Ullswater, a lake in NW England, Richard Fielden and Stephen Berrisford sail in Force-7 winds on the maiden voyage of dinghy GBR50. She’s one of the few 12-Foot dinghies with reef points.
The dinghy was adopted as the singlehanded boat for the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. The Dutch took the gold and silver medals—a predictable result, since the only boats entered were the two Dutch ones. The 1924 Paris Olympics saw a French design as the singlehander, but in 1928 at the Amsterdam games the 12 was again chosen as the solo class. Twenty countries competed and this time the Dutch were outclassed: Sweden took the gold, Norway the silver, and Finland the bronze.
The status of the 12-footer as an International class was terminated in 1964, and its popularity declined after that. Despite that, many countries maintained active 12′-dinghy class associations, and upgraded the class rules to suit their sailors’ demands and circumstances. The conservative Dutch changed their rules to improve safety and ease of boat handling: They allowed self-bailers, boom vangs, transom drain holes, and insisted on flotation bags. In Italy, the Associazone Italiana Classe Dinghy 12′ was far more progressive, allowing aluminum masts and booms, pop-up rudders, plywood construction, and, horror of horrors, fiberglass hulls. The Netherlands, Italy and Japan are the current hotbeds for the class, and there are small fleets in Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, Japan, Lithuania, France, and Turkey. In recent years new boats have been built in Canada, Argentina, the Far East, and the US.
After jibing in a very strong wind, the bow can dig in but experienced sailors have no trouble maintaining control.
S ailing the 12 does not require great athletic abilities. Anyone can enjoy these boats, whether for relaxation or competition. In light weather the boat is a great singlehander; racing regulations allow a maximum crew of two. The standing lug rig requires the crew to move the yard to the leeward side of the mast with each tack. This is accomplished with tripping lines run port and starboard from the throat. The yard is slightly curved to facilitate this movement, but it still takes a bit of practice. Timing is the key: At the moment that the boat moves through the eye of the wind the yard will slide across with little effort. Sailing in a blow can be hair-raising, particularly on a run with the wind dead astern. With the mast only a few inches aft of the bow, the boat often tries to become a submarine but moving the crew well aft can allow a following wave to flood over the transom. Balance is the key and under ideal conditions one can nearly get the boat on a plane. Jibing in a stiff breeze is practically impossible, and many a racing sailor will tack through a 270-degree turn at a downwind mark. While a reef would be advisable under those conditions not all 12s have them.
Five dinghies come about in the 100th anniversary race at West Kirby. The woman skippering the Dutch entry #688 is 81-year-old Tonnie Surendonk.
I n 2008 an international yearly competition began, aptly named the Cockshott Trophy, and in 2009 the Cockshott family donated a silver challenge cup—first won by George Cockshott in 1902—to be awarded to the overall winner on points each year. Turkey, Italy, and the Netherlands hosted events counting toward points in the years 2010 and 2011 when there were 137 and 178 competitors, respectively; understandably, not all started in all the races. Holland dropped out of hosting the competition, as that country only allowed wooden-hulled boats whereas fiberglass hulls were allowed by the others. In 2012 France, Germany, and Slovenia joined in hosting trophy-point races, with a total of 16 countries represented.
On the 100th anniversary of the first race of International 12-Foot Dinghies two Dutch crews race on England’s River Dee near West Kirby in 2013.
In 2013 and 2014 the Royal Loosdrecht Watersport Club hosted the centennial celebrations of the International 12-Foot Dinghy in the Netherlands, with an astonishing total of 187 boats entered, including four brand-new boats. The granddaughter of George Cockshott, Jane Rowe, and her husband Ernest came over from England to take part in the celebrations. Both the Italian and Dutch Post Offices issued special stamps commemorating the centennial. The Associazone Italiana Classe Dinghy 12′ issued a magnificent book: Il Dinghy 12′ Classico Italiano . The Dutch association published their own impressive book, Twaalfvoetsjol: 100 Jaar Klasse (Twelve-Foot Dinghy: 100 Years a Class).
Evert Moes was born in the Netherlands in 1934 and in his teens campaigned his 12-ft International, H391, PIGLET. After emigrating to Canada in 1960 he became involved in wooden boat building. His latest project was the building of a 9′ 9″ Nutshell Pram from scratch with a modified lug rig similar to the International 12-footer. In summer he sails the waters of the British Columbia’s Gulf Islands.
Depth Amidships/1′8½″
Sail Area/100 sq ft
For more information, visit The International Twelve Foot Dinghy Class Association .
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Nice boats, great to see racing dinghies that can be rowed. Though standing, not dipping lug, is it not?
Right you are. The International 12-Foot Dinghy Association’s web site steers us toward a designation of standing lug and in John Leather’s book, Spritsails and Lugsails , the 12-Footer’s rig is referred to as a “high peaked standing lug rig.” I’ve made the correction to the text. Of the standing lug rig, Leather writes: “The standing lugsail…was a refinement of the dipping lugsail…. It was probably developed out of the dipping lug by bringing the tack of the sail to the mast and dipping the heel of the yard around the mast when tacking, instead of having to lower, shift over or dip, and re-set the sail.” Christopher Cunningham, Editor, Small Boats Monthly
They are generously canvased. Its interesting that few of these boats have reefing points. Maybe they are racing-only craft? I wonder if its possible to to sail one of these single handed in a breeze? The similarly sized Morbic, by Vivier, and Shearwater by Oughtred, both carry a single standing lugsail of 80 sq ft—plus reefing.
Arthur Ransome’s SWALLOW must have been a lot like this.
Ransome’s SWALLOW, described in his series of fictional children’s books titled Swallows and Amazons , was based on a lapstrake dinghy he owned. The boat is described in “The Boats of Swallows and Amazons “ by Stuart Wier. Christopher Cunningham, Editor, Small Boats Monthly
I am building an International 12 dinghy right now. I have been describing the build in words and pictures on my blog, which can be found at http://www.shipwrightskills.com . Mine will be suitable for more than racing alone and will include reef points.
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These no-frills fishing platforms are all an angler needs to chase any quarry from bream and bass to crappie and catfish
By Randy Zellers | Updated Jan 8, 2024 9:56 AM EST
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If there were a Swiss army knife of the fishing world, it would have to be the humble jon boat. Typically no larger than 15 feet long, these flat-bottomed vessels give anglers a step up in confidence from tippy canoes and kayaks, but aren’t so large that they demand large motors or large bank accounts to own one.
Not only are jon boats great fishing boats , but their rugged, do-all nature also has made its mark in the duck hunting and deer hunting worlds as well. Many smart hunters have learned the value of traveling to their hunting location by water to avoid crowds and add a stealthy approach through shallow swamps and rivers.
Jon boats are welcome in places and situations owners of more expensive boats would hesitate to pursue. And their rugged construction makes storage a snap. Fancier fishing boats may need one of these boat covers when you come home from a day on the water, but your tough little jon was built for a life in the elements. Below are the best jon boats you can buy right now.
After decades of fishing and duck hunting using a variety of riveted and welded aluminum boats, rotomolded bass skiffs and even one or two home-cooked wooden flat-bottoms, I’ve come to appreciate the benefits of a well-made jon. If you’re willing to tote one on a trailer, then heavier gauge aluminum hulls and larger sizes are definitely welcome, but there’s a reason why the most popular jon boats (and good duck boats , for that matter) are only 14 feet long and around 3 feet wide at the base. The design offers two anglers ample room to fish and move around on the water, but remains small enough that those two anglers can drag it over the occasional pond levee and get where few other anglers can.
Unfortunately, recent supply chain issues combined with inflation have driven many boat manufacturers away from these base-model jon boats. With limited raw materials and manpower, boat builders are focused on larger vessels that bring in a few more dollars. We’ve scoured the boat showrooms and catalogs to find a great lineup of old school jons that still offer that go-anywhere attitude at prices low enough that you won’t mind putting them through their paces.
War Eagle Boats has been making duck boats in the heart of Arkansas for the last three decades. During that time, they’ve learned what makes the best all-welded boat and applied that to their Sportsman series. Even though this boat rides on top of the water like a standard jon, it is designed to rise and ride smoothly when being propelled by a 20 hp outboard. The transom has cut out corners in the rear, which causes the boat to grab and turn quickly instead of sliding across the water like flat-transomed boats tend to do. At 0.80 inches, the thickness of the aluminum hull is not the thickest in the industry, but it resists tears and gouges from the occasional stump you’re bound to find when cruising in flooded backwaters.
Welded hulls have become the standard in the jon boat world thanks to their durability. A well-crafted welded jon boat will outlast most anglers and hunters who use them, and the War Eagle 436 is definitely one that will be passed down to children.
Fishing from the 436 is as comfortable as a jon boat can be. The low-deck design that lets you place a pedestal seat up front without feeling the slight bit tippy when you rare back to set the hook on a fish. The 19-inch sidewalls are a few inches taller than a typical jon boat, which comes in handy when you’re leaned over the edge setting trotlines or netting large fish. This boat feels and acts like a much larger boat than it is. All that big boat feel and heavy-duty attitude do come with one price to pay, and that’s weight. At 240 pounds, you’re not likely to toss this rig on top of a car at the end of the day or hand-launch it from the back of a truck bed to get to a hidden honey hole. You’re going to need a trailer, and that means a few extra dollars in equipment and the hassle of registering another title with your state’s DMV. But the sacrifice is well worth the comfort and extra peace of mind knowing you’re going to have a dry, safe ride that will be with you for decades.
A rugged aluminum fishing platform that’s even lighter than some modern fishing kayaks .
Skip the expense of a trailer and access some off-the-beaten-path honey holes with some fantastic plastic.
This aluminum bass boat manufacturer’s smallest offering still packs plenty of fishability in a basic package, complete with a storage and an aluminum casting deck—making it worthy of our list of the best bass boats .
The closest thing to a tank on the water; built for speed and performance in flooded timber and stump-filled backwaters.
Jon boats are built for shallow ponds, small lakes and rivers with little current. Panfish, such as bream and crappie are highly sought by jon boat owners. The boats’ bare interiors also make them perfect for catfishing, bowfishing and other activities that can make a mess. Don’t forget these boats’ ability to chase bullfrogs and run crawdad traps in shallow bayous as well as their reputation as good duck hunting boats. The jon boat is the ultimate multi-species watercraft.
When properly loaded and balanced, jon boats have no problem navigating small waters. But accidents can happen, and users have been known to occasionally push the limits of their boat’s abilities. Should the boat become swamped, floatation foam held under the seats and bow will help keep the boat at the surface of the water instead of sinking to the bottom. This lets the boater recover the boat, drag it to shore and bail out the water. The foam doesn’t substitute the safety of a properly fitting life vest , so always make sure to wear one when on board these small craft.
Most jon boats make great fishing platforms for anglers wanting to stand up to make the occasional cast. But you’ll still need to be mindful of your balance. Many an angler has found themselves soaked and surprised after they leaned too far to the side and pitched the boat over. Unlike canoes, jon boats have excellent primary stability, but once you tip the side too close to the water’s surface, you will take on water quickly. Staying seated will promise a longer and more comfortable day fishing.
For all the good things they do, jon boats have a few major shortcomings. The first issue is their lack of amenities. Storage space is nonexistent in most jon boats unless you add a boat cooler or watertight compartment. In fact, many owners only see a jon boat as a starting point to building their perfect small-water craft. Jon boats also are limited in their abilities to handle rough water. Their flat-bottom design does not ride in heavy waves well. If you’re caught out in high winds and waves, you run a real risk of swamping your boat. Even if you make it back quickly, the rough ride will be a stern reminder that these boats are made for calmer waters.
Jon boats may look simple on the surface, but there’s a lot of knowledge hammered and welded into these plowhorses of the pond. Whether you’re looking for a tough fishing and hunting platform to handle some serious abuse or a platform to customize to your heart’s content, you’re sure to find one to your liking in our lineup of battle-hardened best jon boats.
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
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They’re called floating living rooms for a reason. Pontoon boats are the perfect vessel for so many different types of boaters. They’re stable, reliable, and easy to handle, making them a natural choice for newcomers to the nautical life. Yet many pontoon boats are still fast enough for a little bit of fun and excitement. Pontoon boats are great for fishing, as they have wide, flat decks and can be outfitted with chairs designed specifically for casting and reeling.
They’re the perfect boat choice for those looking to relax and socialize out on the water, with comfortable seating and, often, amenities like cupholders, coolers, and tables. The Avalon Catalina Cruise Funship is our pick for the best pontoon boat overall because it’s fairly priced for features aplenty, including an upper deck with a fold-out bed and a slide.
Table of Contents
Avalon Catalina Cruise Funship »
Double-decker design with queen-size lounge
Slide on upper-level
Stylish and comfortable seating
Large capacity for 14
Upper deck limits visibility, standing space
The Avalon Catalina Cruise Funship lives up to its name in myriad ways, but let’s start with the most fun: this pontoon boat has an elevated slide that sends riders flying off into the water. That slide comes off an upper deck outfitted with a queen-size lounger. On the main deck, there are fine details everywhere, from the stitching in the comfortable seating to the chrome elements to the textured floor. The Catalina Cruise Funship has three large benches, two up front and one at the rear, a deck with a ladder for easy access from the water, and plenty of storage. Not only can you casually float around the lake of your choosing, but with 250 horsepower, this boat is strong enough to pull a tube or even someone on water skis.
This is a rather pricey pontoon boat, well above the current median rate for these vessels, as we’ll discuss later, but it’s a luxury-grade boat with lots of fun details. Also, while most people will love the upper deck, it does mean a bit more ducking for taller folks, and it means you can’t have a wide-open boat exposed to the clear skies. But for extra lounge space and a slide, it’s worth those little issues.
List Price: | $75,000 |
Dimensions: | 23.4 ft. length; 8.5 ft. width |
Weight: | 3,300 lbs. (dry weight) |
Boat Capacity: | 14 people; 2,590 lbs. |
Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL »
Compact size
Dual bow fishing chairs
Underpowered
7-person max. capacity
The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL puts pontoon boat ownership in range for people shopping on a budget. It comes in at just under $17K, which is a steal for this category of boats. And while this is a smaller boat than most other pontoon craft, for some people that might be a pro, not a con. At eight feet wide and 18.5 feet long, this pontoon boat can almost fit into a standard parking lot parking space. It will do just fine stored in your driveway, a large shed, or a garage, and it’s easy to navigate around in smaller bodies of water or in a busy harbor, too.
The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 16 XL only has seating for seven, but that’s just fine for a family outing or a trip with some fishing buddies — and your fishing buddies will love the pair of fishing chairs in the bow of the boat. The 40-horsepower motor won’t have you creating any crazy wakes, but it can chug along at 12 or 14 miles per hour, so you’ll get where you’re going eventually, just not with any exciting waterskiing adventures along the way.
List Price: | $16,995 |
Dimensions: | 18.5 ft. length; 8 ft. width |
Weight: | 1,210 lbs. (dry weight) |
Boat Capacity: | 7 people; 1,550 lbs. |
Princecraft BrioE 17 »
Saves on fuel costs
Clean and quiet operation
Lightweight and compact
Underpowered and slow
Small capacity
The Princecraft BrioE 17 is proof that you don’t need a gas-powered motor to fuel a lot of fun on the water. This electric pontoon boat glides along quietly and steadily, powered by clean electricity instead of fossil fuel. Granted, it cruises along at well under 10 miles per hour — in fact, some varieties of motor top out at close to five miles per hour — but if you’re more about cruising and relaxing than zipping over the waves, you won’t mind.
This is a compact and lightweight pontoon boat that’s ideal for people who need to regularly haul their vessel out of the water and move it from place to place, and it won’t take up too much storage space as it waits out the winter, either. You’ll save money on fuel costs in the long run thanks to the electric power, and you’ll be doing your part to help the environment, too.
List Price: | $39,000 (approx.) |
Dimensions: | 17.7 ft. length; 8.1 ft. width |
Weight: | 1,640 lbs. |
Boat Capacity: | 7 people |
Sun Tracker Sportfish 24 XP3 »
Copious storage space
Trolling motor mount pre-installed
Too large for some users
Only 8 dedicated seats
The Sun Tracker Sportfish 24 XP3 was built with the angler in mind. With features like a lockable rod box that can accommodate rods up to 7’6”, dual fishing chairs in the bow, and a pre-installed harness for a trolling motor, this boat is ready to go fishing. It also has plenty of storage space, so you can stash all your fishing gear (and your other stuff) with ease while you’re underway. It can zip along at around 30 miles per hour, or even more when lightly loaded, thanks to a 250 HP motor.
This boat is rated for up to 12 people at once, but that said, the seating space is limited, with dedicated space for only eight people, depending on how close together your party feels comfortable sitting. At more than 26 feet long, this boat is just too big for some use cases in terms of logistics. If you have the space (in the water and out of it) for it, though, the Sun Tracker Sportfish 24 XP33 is a great fishing pontoon boat.
List Price: | $52,995 |
Dimensions: | 26.2 ft. length; 8.6 ft. width |
Weight: | 2,960 lbs. (dry weight) |
Boat Capacity: | 12 people; 2,965 lbs |
Regency 250 DL3 »
14-person capacity
Powerful 350 HP engine
Great sound system
Built-in changing room
If your idea of a good time is getting out on the water with a big group of friends, the Regency 250 DL3 is a very good pontoon boat to consider. It has the capacity to carry 14 people and plenty of food, drink, and other sundries, what with its 3,000-pound maximum combined person and gear weight limit. It has myriad features that will enhance the enjoyment on the water. These include things like an upgraded Wet Sound stereo speaker system, a built-in pop-up changing room, top of the line Omni2 digital Smart Screen Display, and a Lowrance fish finder .
The 250 DL3 is an expensive boat, and it’s also quite large and heavy, so towing it out of the water may be a challenge for some vehicles. But in the water, it’s a floating pleasure. It can move at a clip. This pontoon boat has a powerful 350 horsepower engine that can have the boat cruising at around 30 miles per hour, plenty fast to pull wakeboarders or waterskiers.
List Price: | $69,995 |
Dimensions: | 27.5 ft. length; 8.5 ft. width |
Weight: | 3,435 lbs. (dry weight) |
Boat Capacity: | 14 people; 3,000 lbs. |
Regency 250 LE3 Sport »
Impressive 350 horsepower
Top speeds of 40 mph
14 person capacity
Rearview camera
Very expensive
Large and heavy
The Regency 250 LE3 Sport will revolutionize the way you think about pontoon boats. No slow and steady cruiser is this one; this boat can fly across the water at more than 40 miles per hour, sending a mighty wake behind it. Three multi-chambered and internally braced pontoon logs provide superior buoyancy and stability at any speed, making this zippy boat a pleasure to drive. It has a capacity for up to 14 people, a wide rear swim deck, and plenty of storage.
All that space and power come with a price, of course: this pontoon boat costs $92,995, so it’s priced like a luxury car. But you will get some pretty cool features along with the speed of it all, like the Omni digital dashboard that offers a built-in rear-facing camera, complete control over a complete sound system, and insight into motor functions all at the touch of a button and from the comfort of one of the overstuffed captain’s chairs that both swivel and recline. There is even a showerhead for rinsing off after a swim.
List Price: | $92,995 |
Dimensions: | 27 ft. length; 8.6 ft. width |
Weight: | 3,395 lbs. |
Boat Capacity: | 14 people; 3,000 lbs |
Starcraft LX 16 R »
Easy to use
Good price point
Swim deck with ladder
Small max. capacity
It’s relatively small, it’s relatively slow, and it’s overall pretty basic, but we say those things about the Starcraft LX 16 R in the best possible way. For lovers of a calm day on the water who are sick of the hassle of renting a boat, this is an entry-level pontoon that's an absolute dream for first-time boat owners.
At 17 feet long and just 1,275 pounds (that’s the dry weight), it’s easy to transport the Starcraft LX 16 R, and while hardly fast, its smaller size makes it nimble in the water, so you can work your way around in smaller lakes, on rivers, or close to the docks. There is plenty of seating for the stated six-person maximum capacity of this vessel, and there is a broad swim deck with a ladder that allows for easy re-entry from the water.
List Price: | $22,960 |
Dimensions: | 17 ft. length; 8 ft. width |
Weight: | 1,275 lbs. (dry weight) |
Boat Capacity: | 6 people; 840 lbs. |
Pontoon boats are a relatively affordable and readily enjoyable way to get out on the water, requiring less experience than other types of powered boats for a fun, safe time spent out on the waves. The Avalon Catalina Cruise Funship is our pick for the best overall pontoon boat because of its unique double-decker design with a slide right off the back, not to mention the comfortable seating, potent engine, and stylish looks, but there’s a lot to consider when it comes time to shop for a pontoon boat.
Boat Size and Capacity: The average pontoon boat length is 22 or 23 feet but there are pontoon boats shorter than 20 feet in length and longer than 30 feet. Consider where you’ll be mooring and storing the boat, including when it’s out of the water. And then figure out how many people you are likely going to have aboard. Some pontoon boats can accommodate groups as large as 16, but are you ever really going out with that many people? Be realistic in your headcount, as it will directly impact your pricing if you opt for a larger boat.
Engine Performance: Some smaller, shorter pontoon boats might be outfitted with engines rated at just 40 or 50 horsepower, while many are in the 200 HP range. But indeed these boats can pack much more potent engines, explains Mike Werling, former senior editor of Boating World. “Outboard [motor] manufacturers are happy to oblige with engines of 300 and 400 HP,” Werling says. “And some pontoons can be equipped with more than one outboard, so it’s the buyer’s choice.”
Deck Layout and Seating: The layout and seating types of a pontoon boat should be chosen based on your primary use case. If you are getting a pontoon boat for fishing, you want seats that rotate and plenty of open deck space for stand-up casting and reeling. If you’re getting a pleasure boat for parties and cruising, prioritize lounge chairs and tables. And if you have kids, look for fun features like easy on-off decks.
Storage Space Features: Most pontoon boats have lots of storage built-in, with cabinets, under benches, and even under the floors. Consider how long each of your outings is likely to be and what you’ll need to bring, then think through the storage capacity. At minimum, you’ll likely need space to store life preservers, anchors, ropes, and a few fun things like pool toys / pool floats , or fishing equipment.
Price and Overall Value for Money: On average, pontoon boats cost around $46,000. That means you can find a lot of boats that cost a lot less than that, but it also means many pontoon boats are quite pricey. Make sure you get a pontoon boat that will suit your needs and your budget, not overbuying in either capacity. Keep in mind that the value of your boat will also affect how much you’ll need to budget for boat insurance .
Even the most affordable pontoon boats on the water still cost many thousands of dollars when new, so we made sure to do extensive research before recommending any boats at all. We factored in the basics like deck length, capacity, and engine power, but we also looked into things like customization and configuration options, various use case scenarios, and creature comfort features.
Also, we enlisted the help of some bona fide boating experts. In preparing this article, we spoke to Mike Werling , the current managing editor of Trader Interactive and the managing editor of Boating World for 10-plus years. Werling offered extensive advice on everything from pontoon boat budgets to deck length considerations to special features to consider, such as stowable tow pylons and fishing decks.
U.S. News & World Report contributor Steven John has been testing and reviewing products for more than a dozen years and has honed his research, interviewing, and product testing skills over that time. He brought his experience as a journalist — as well as someone who spends many hours on the water every summer, albeit usually in a kayak or canoe — to this article, and he turned to verified boating experts for extensive input, as well. In addition to his writing with U.S. News & World Report, John also writes for Insider, Dad Gear Review, Architectural Digest, Forbes, The Daily Beast, and other outlets.
Isabel Roy , who edited this piece, is an outdoors editor at 360 Reviews. She is also an outdoors enthusiast who frequently hits the rivers and lakes near her home in the Rocky Mountains. She has worked reviewing and recommending products since 2019, researching and testing a wide array of items to help consumers make smart purchasing decisions.
“In terms of price, buyers have a wide range of options,” says Werling. “Some base models with minimum power are attainable for less than $30,000. They’re going to be 18 to 20 feet and have plenty of seating space but probably not much else. You’ll have to pick and choose your options — Bimini top, more powerful engine, upgraded helm — based on your budget. Tricked out luxury models — many are rated for 600 hp and a few for 900 hp — from some builders can approach $200,000.”
The average pontoon boat length is 23 feet. Pontoon boats vary in weight based on their size and features, of course, but the average dry weight of a pontoon boat is a metric ton or 2,200 pounds. Granted, the fuel, passengers, and cargo add lots more weight.
Faster than you might think! The fastest pontoon boats can reach speeds of 50-plus miles per hour, though an average top speed of 30 MPH is more common for pontoon boats. Lower-cost and smaller pontoon boats usually cruise at around 20 miles per hour.
Few pontoon boats have bathrooms, though some can be upgraded with what are essentially porta-potties. Many boaters will also bring along camp toilets or composting toilets or else will simply try to relieve themselves before and after the outing.
Yes, and if you live in a region with cold, snowy winters, you really should winterize your pontoon boat. Clean it well, remove the battery, fill the fuel tank, add a stabilizer, change the oil, and then securely wrap the boat to prevent incursion of fluid or critters.
“Pontoon boats’ popularity isn’t an accident,” says Werling. “Their deck space, versatility, and ease of operation make them appealing to a wide variety of boat owners, from people who like to fish and cruise to those who like to swim and soak up some sun. Equipped with a powerful enough engine, a pontoon can even facilitate water sports such as low-key skiing and tubing. A few features of pontoon boats extend across brands and models. Durable walls surround the interior of a pontoon at the edges of the deck and keep passengers safely inside. Parents love this feature.”
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U.S. News 360 Reviews takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.
Sailors are certainly passionate about their boats, and if you doubt that bold statement, try posting an article dubbed “ 40 Best Sailboats ” and see what happens.
Barely had the list gone live, when one reader responded, “Where do I begin? So many glaring omissions!” Like scores of others, he listed a number of sailboats and brands that we were too stupid to think of, but unlike some, he did sign off on a somewhat upbeat note: “If it weren’t for the presence of the Bermuda 40 in Cruising World’s list, I wouldn’t even have bothered to vote.”
By vote, he means that he, like hundreds of other readers, took the time to click through to an accompanying page where we asked you to help us reshuffle our alphabetical listing of noteworthy production sailboats so that we could rank them instead by popularity. So we ask you to keep in mind that this list of the best sailboats was created by our readers.
The quest to building this list all began with such a simple question, one that’s probably been posed at one time or another in any bar where sailors meet to raise a glass or two: If you had to pick, what’re the best sailboats ever built?
In no time, a dozen or more from a variety of sailboat manufacturers were on the table and the debate was on. And so, having fun with it, we decided to put the same question to a handful of CW ‘s friends: writers and sailors and designers and builders whose opinions we value. Their favorites poured in and soon an inkling of a list began to take shape. To corral things a bit and avoid going all the way back to Joshua Slocum and his venerable Spray —Hell, to Noah and his infamous Ark —we decided to focus our concentration on production monohull sailboats, which literally opened up the sport to anyone who wanted to get out on the water. And since CW is on the verge or turning 40, we decided that would be a nice round number at which to draw the line and usher in our coming ruby anniversary.
If you enjoy scrolling through this list, which includes all types of sailboats, then perhaps you would also be interested in browsing our list of the Best Cruising Sailboats . Check it out and, of course, feel free to add your favorite boat, too. Here at Cruising World , we like nothing better than talking about boats, and it turns out, so do you.
– LEARN THE NAVIGATION RULES – Know the “Rules of the Road” that govern all boat traffic. Be courteous and never assume other boaters can see you. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard
– CHECK THE FIT – Follow these guidelines to make sure your life jacket looks good, stays comfortable and works when you need it. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard
– CHECK THE WEATHER – The weather changes all the time. Always check the forecast and prepare for the worst case. Safety Tip Provided by the U.S. Coast Guard
by JOHN PERIK, NBC 10 NEWS
BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. — The Block Island Ferry had a special visitor onboard Friday.
Ladder 1 is Block Island’s newest fire engine, and is equipped with a 100-foot aerial ladder.
The engine traveled to Block Island on the ferry from Point Judith.
Many people on board found it a pleasant surprise.
“It’s not something that you see every day,” said one ferry traveler. “All of the kids were just so happy to see the engine, great for the island.”
The engine comes to the island after nearly one year after a severe fire burned down the Harborside Inn .
“I would have liked to have had it a year ago but we got through that,” said Chris Hobe, the Block Island Fire Chief. “It’s been a long time coming about two and a half years from start to finish.”
The plan is to have the new engine ready for service by Sunday, Chief Hobe said.
A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.
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Sunday, July 14, 2024
Get the full lowdown on UEFA EURO 2024 winners Spain.
Article body.
How they got there, top scorers, pedigree, key players and the coach – all you need to know about UEFA EURO 2024 winners Spain.
Route to glory
Group B winners 3-0 vs Croatia (Berlin, 15 June) 1-0 vs Italy (Gelsenkirchen, 20 June) 1-0 vs Albania (Düsseldorf, 24 June)
Round of 16 4-1 vs Georgia (Cologne, 30 June)
Quarter-final 2-1 aet vs Germany (Stuttgart, 5 July)
Semi-final 2-1 vs France (Munich, 9 July)
Final 2-1 vs England (Berlin, 10 July)
Previous EURO best : Winners (1964, 2008, 2012) Previous EURO finals : 1964 (W vs Soviet Union), 1984 (L vs France), 2008 (W vs Germany), 2012 (W vs Italy) EURO 2020 : Semi-finals, lost 4-2 on penalties to Italy (1-1 aet)
La Roja were in excellent form in Germany, winning all seven games while scoring 15 goals and conceding only four in the process. Winger Lamine Yamal made history by becoming the youngest player ever to appear at a EURO against Croatia as Spain made light work of a tough group that also included holders Italy.
Yamal laid on an assist as Spain showed their mettle to overcome hosts Germany in extra time in the quarter-finals, and an even more prodigious goalscoring feat ensued in the semi-final with his match-turning equaliser. In Berlin, Spain overcame England to become the first side to win four EURO titles.
A likeable Basque with a winning habit. He led Spanish national teams to EURO glory at age-group levels – Under-19s in 2015 and U21s in 2019 – and his senior team beat Italy and Croatia in winning the UEFA Nations League last summer.
De la Fuente, who won the Spanish Liga as a full-back with Athletic Club, has generated a stand-out atmosphere, mentality and playing style since arriving in Germany; basically, his squad loved playing for him.
Spain are the only national team to have won three continental and world titles in a row: EURO 2008, the 2010 World Cup and EURO 2012. They are now the only national team to win EURO four times.
COMMENTS
If you want a personal sailboat ideal for solo sailing, the Sun Can is a great choice. Belowdecks, the twin 6-foot-5-inch berths and many other features and amenities make this cat a willing weekender. $19,800, (727) 443-4408, com-pacyachts.com.
Catalina 16.5. jlodrummer. Catalina Yachts are synonymous with bigger boats but they have some great and smaller boats too such as Catalina 16.5. This is one of the best small sailboats that are ideal for family outings given that it has a big and roomy cockpit, as well as a large storage locker.
The Best Sailboats Under 30 Feet. Pocket cruiser: Beneteau First 27. ... Their 12 foot Cat Boat 12 is one of their finest models, offering lovely daysailing opportunities. It has a wide beam and centerboard that lifts up, allowing it to access shallow waters, as well as a forward mast and single sail gaff rig in keeping with the traditional cat ...
Its enduring popularity, strong class association, and supportive community make it a beloved classic in the world of small sailboats, embodying a perfect blend of performance, comfort, and inclusivity for sailors of all levels. 8. Hobie Cat. Start a fun hobby with the Hobbie Cat. Length: 16.7ft / 5.04 m.
A true, versatile cruiser/racer, the Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 was named the year's Best Performance Cruiser. Jon Whittle . Sailed as part of the 2020 Boat of the Year sea trials, the 31-foot-3-inch Beneteau Oceanis 30.1 was the compact yacht best-equipped and spec'd out as a dedicated cruising boat, and not coincidentally, it was also awarded the title of Best Performance Cruiser for 2020.
For almost 20 years, we've called this awards program SAIL Best Boats, but this year, we're refining and renaming this program to better and more fairly represent the boats we've selected. Restricting boats to categories and labels—such as Best Cruising Monohull 30-40 feet and Best Performance Monohull 40-50 feet—doesn't bring our readers the full picture.
Balboa 26. Balboa 26 Courtesy Of Matts G. Djos. First splashed in 1969, the Balboa 26 continues to enjoy a strong following among budget-minded cruisers. Built sturdy and heavy, all of the boat's stress points are reinforced. The spacious cockpit comfortably seats 4 and is self bailing, ensuring that sailors stay dry.
Quick Setup Time. Towing Weight. 7 Best Trailerable Cruising Sailboats. Catalina 22/25 "Pop-Top". Com-Pac Horizon Cat for Classic Coastal Cruising. Marshall Sanderling — Small, Portable, Classy. West Wight Potter 19 — The Tiny Go-Anywhere Sailboat. Seaward 26RK with Retractable Lead Keel.
A TRUE MINI-YACHT. In a single phrase, the PAINE 14 is "A TRUE MINI-YACHT.". The yacht is light enough to be easily trailed behind a moderate sized automobile—no truck or SUV or surge brakes are required. The first one, named REDWING, was built in New Zealand. The second one built― AMELIA, was built in America.
Picking out a great vessel is imperative to enjoying a great sailing experience. We have selected the creme de la creme of sailboats suitable for a range of budgets and needs. Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 380. Beneteau First 44. Fountaine Pajot Isla 40. Hylas 57. Leopard 42.
Best of all, the FarEast 18 can be rigged and launched by one person. And with a displacement under 1,500 pounds, you can trailer this high-tech sailboat easily. With the rudder off and the keel retracted, the boat will float in only one foot of water. If you'd like to read more about it, see the Fareast 18 review on our UK sister-site.
The Scamp is a seaworthy 12′ sailboat that can handle a good dose of adventure. Just under 12 feet in length, Scamp boasts an unusual combination of features that give her the unique ability to explore waters too shallow for a larger boat, while retaining most of the bigger boat's comforts and capabilities. An offset centerboard opens up ...
The highly functional 12-foot RIB will always be popular in the Tenders and RIBs market. But, builders have expanded the idea further to make a RIB that also goes on dryland and water. While a boat with wheels may not be what you're looking for, today's top Tenders and RIBs offer a surprise or two. By Doug Thompson, Southern Boating May 2019
Small sailboats are generally under 20 feet in length, come in a variety of designs, and have different hulls. These include monohulls, catamarans, and trimarans. As long as they have a mast, rudder, sail, and are under 20 feet, it is considered a small sailboat. According to experienced sailors that use a smaller boat, it is best to have one ...
The SAIL Top 10 Best Boats of 2024. the SAIL Boat Review Team. Jan 2, 2024. The Hallberg-Rassy 40C. Photo by Ludovic Fruchaud, courtesy of Hallberg-Rassy. Every year, boatbuilders of all types submit their new models to be nominees in the SAIL Top 10 Best Boats contest. We start reviewing these as soon as they are available, sometimes traveling ...
Based on the previous Corsair 24, the Sprint 750 Mark II draws 5' 3" with the daggerboard down or just one foot with only the hull. Expanded and ready for sail, the beam is over 17', but folded the boat is only 8' 2". ... Best Boats Under $100,000. Lenny Rudow. July 11, 2024. Boating Guides. Boat Buyer's Guide. Boat Seller's Guide.
The best sailboat brands will make your life as a sailor a lot easier and more fun. The best sailboat brands have, for decades if not centuries, mastered the art of woodworking. ... the Catalina 425 while the sport series include the Catalina 12.5 Expo, the Catalina 16.5, and the Catalina 14.2 Expo. As the current winner of the "Boat of the ...
In 1913, shortly before the start of WWI, England's Boat Racing Association (BRA), a small club of sailing enthusiasts, called for a design to comply with the following requirements: length 12′, beam 4′8″, and a single 100-sq-ft sail with no battens; she should be a capable rowing boat as well as a good sailing craft, . . .
The lightweight Sun Dolphin American 12 Jon Boat has everything you need to stay on the water all day long. Stash your gear in the extra space on the bow and stern and still have room for a cooler filled with bait or snacks. Set your rods in the built in rod-holders and sit back as you wait for the fish to bite. Height: 21″ (53cm)
The new Beneteau First 36 that debuted at Annapolis last fall checks all these boxes, and more. Enough that we here at SAIL happily anointed it one of our 2023 Top 10 Best Boats winners. This is a remarkably versatile craft. For a mass-production boat, it is quite light but also very strong, with a purely race-boat-quality build regimen.
Below are the best jon boats you can buy right now. Best Overall: War Eagle 436FLD. Best Lightweight: Lowe L1032 Jon. Best for the Money: Bass Pro Shops Pond Prowler 10. Best for Bass Fishing ...
23.4 ft. length; 8.5 ft. width ... This boat is rated for up to 12 people at once, but that said, the seating space is limited, with dedicated space for only eight people, depending on how close ...
30. Swan 44. A strong, robust cruising boat built for high-seas, blue water adventures, the Swan 44 was designed by Sparkman & Stephens, and the yacht's well-known Finnish manufacturers, Nautor Swan, produced 76 boats in a production run that lasted from 1972-1975.
BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. — The Block Island Ferry had a special visitor onboard Friday. Ladder 1 is Block Island's newest fire engine, and is equipped with a 100-foot aerial ladder. The engine ...
Specialties: Charter Fishing in South Eastern Connecticut aboard the: Aubrey Joy: Our 48' Chesapeake deadrise vessel for Open boat or private charters up to 20 people. Specializes in bottom fishing & tuna/ shark trips! Pine Island Marina Groton Otter: Our vessel with a 12 foot beam, 110 sq. ft. cockpit and large salon, there is plenty of room for up to six passengers for private fishing ...
Babygirl: Directed by Halina Reijn. With Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Jean Reno. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.
How they got there, top scorers, pedigree, key players and the coach - all you need to know about UEFA EURO 2024 winners Spain. La Roja were in excellent form in Germany, winning all seven games ...