Swallow Boats’ SeaRaider

A purpose-designed Raid boat

S wallow Boats is a purveyor of boat kits in Wales. Their SeaRaider combines the best features of the fastest and most seaworthy Raid boats into one new boat. The boat originated in Scotland—one of the best places on Earth to put a small boat through its paces. In the space of a week on this country’s lochs and coast, one is likely to meet a wide range of weather conditions, from varied wind strengths, both upwind and downwind, to sudden rain squalls or katabatic gusts coming off the mountains. This drama is always complemented by enough soft breezes and sunshine highlighting the dramatic Scottish scenery to make one wish to stay longer.

The week of competitive sailing and rowing originally called the Great Glen Raid, now Sail Caledonia, has given Claus Riepe from Hamburg, Germany, and many other sailors, builders, and designers a unique opportunity to watch small boats perform under sail and oar and against each other. Any design or building faults, any glitches or lapses, soon become obvious. Claus thoroughly enjoyed the Raid concept, a week of competition and camaraderie in cruising areas that can be deep sea, shallow lagoon, or narrow canal, and he enjoyed his present boat, but he’d never sailed it in company with other boats of similar appearance. All week he and his crew had sailed their best and rowed their hearts out but were effortlessly overtaken by one boat after the other, always ending up toward the rear of the fleet.

SeaRaider

The SeaRaider, a new design from the UK-based kit boat manufacturer Swallowboats, was purpose designed for point-to-point small-boat racing events called Raids.

“It was a sobering shock,” he admitted. “I first tried to upgrade with every trick I could think of—taller rig with more sail, carbon spars, booms, sliding fairleads—but all to no avail.”

He ordered a new boat, but that didn’t work either. Now ready for a complete change, he remembered Swallow Boats near Cardigan Bay in Wales, known for their small boats with a lovely sheer and performance, and their offer to design and build custom boats.

I t was about this time that Matt Newland joined his naval architect father, Nick, at Swallow Boats, after a stint in London, bringing with him an engineering education from Cambridge University, designing skills on 3D CAD software, and the experience of working for a time with yacht designer Tony Castro. Claus visited them and described his dream boat, similar to a Drascombe Longboat but with better upwind ability, a self-tacking jib for singlehanding, room for four oarsmen on Raids, a mizzen that can be handled from within the cockpit, a strong rudder that does not have to be removed before beaching, good watertight stowage, self-draining ability, excellent buoyancy and righting capacity, and more.

The Newlands relished the challenge. Quickly they realized that water ballast was a necessity to achieve a light boat for rowing and racing, and a safe boat with self-righting capability for shorthanded sailing in varying conditions. After just two hours of discussion, a firm order was placed. All through the design process designer and client stayed in close contact, and together developed some innovative ideas and solutions.

The water ballast, for a start, is carefully thought out. “A false floor,” Matt explained, “is sited just above the waterline and inclining aft slightly, so the cockpit can self-drain through self-bailers or a simple twist hatch into the outboard well. A tank underneath this floor can take up to 660 lbs(330kg) of water, equivalent to the weight of four adults lying in the bilges.” Two inflatable buoyancy bags in the tank can be partly inflated to fine-tune the amount of ballast water taken on, a far more versatile system than multiple tanks. “And in effect,” Claus points out, “the boat has several different personalities. I can fish off the west coast of Ireland in a steady boat, or race with a crew in a light boat with its sail area of 196 sq ft and 21′ 10″ length for plenty of fun and excitement.”

There is an ingenious method for filling and emptying the tank. A forward-facing self-bailer within reach of the helmsman means the water can be flooded in, and three self-bailers mounted the right way around can remove it when the boat is moving as little as 3 to 4 knots. The water can also be pumped out with a conventional bailing pump, a small electric pump, or drained off as the boat lifts onto a trailer. I watched a capsize demonstration in Scotland when the water-ballast tanks were full: the boat self-righted so quickly from a complete knockdown that little water entered the cockpit and the crew were back aboard and sailing within two minutes.

SeaRaider

SeaRaider is water-ballasted. As this capsizing demonstration shows, the boat is extremely stable when in ballast. It self- righted during the drill, and the crew was back aboard and in a dry cockpit within two minutes.

Once Matt was happy with the design, he had all the plywood parts cut out by computer-controlled router. “This not only saves time,” he explained, “but also ensures the hull is designed accurately and fits together exactly.” She was built right-way-up over a four-mold construction jig. Her bottom panel is sheathed inside and out with heavy 16-oz (450g) biaxial glass, and the whole hull is epoxy-coated. The construction method is largely self-jigging and relies on internal structure like bulkheads to form the shape and provide stiffness.

Several custom-made pieces of stainless-steel hardware were commissioned for the boat, including the massively strong rudderhead (plywood blade), the tiller joint, and the mast tabernacle. Matt applied his engineering skills to the tiller design—always a problem when a mizzenmast is in the way. Under the aft deck a stainless-steel push rod with stainless-steel ball sockets at each end gives fine-tuned responsiveness without any slack. It feels slightly heavier than an ordinary tiller, but one quickly gets used to it.

The resulting boat is a modern classic, with the graceful looks and lines, lovely sheer, and elegant use of varnished wood for spars, gunwales, and slatted seats that are part of the ethos of the Swallow- boat range. It was important for Claus that they could both design and build his new boat. The SeaRaider has the lean shape and flat run aft of a racing dinghy of the 1960s, her transom narrowed to reduce wetted surface to improve rowing ability. Primarily she is a sailing boat; with a firm turn of the bilge, good form stability, and a flat run aft, she is well able to plane in the right conditions, as we found. She weighs just 716 lbs when the tank is empty, fully 440 lbs less than Claus’s old fiberglass boat of the same length. So, she’s lighter to maneuver, tow, launch, and retrieve, yet just as robust. The boat has an outboard well, sited inboard on the centerline where it should be, with a slit just for the propeller that simply closes with a flap when not in use. The maximum power is 5 hp, but a Honda 2.3-hp short-shaft is sufficient.

T he boat, named CRAIC after the Irish word for a good sociable time, was so brand-new when Matt trailered her up to Sail Caledonia to test her, that even Claus had not seen her and was still sailing his old boat. I liked CRAIC’s slim shape and the versatile yawl rig that can cope with strong winds.

The gunter mast can be stepped or lowered down in its hinged tabernacle, its topmast and the mizzen spar being light carbon fiber enclosed in luff pockets like a windsurfer. This reduces turbulence on the leading edge and adds a bit more sail area, and CRAIC sails very close to the wind. The self-tacking jib is set on roller-furling gear and tacks easily with its club boom. For stowage, the mizzen wraps on its round carbon-fiber mast; the mainsail can be similarly furled if the gooseneck is disengaged. The sprit on the mainsail means that the spar is well above head height, yet the sail is well supported. Slab reefing is still possible, with cringles near the mast, or the main can simply be dropped. CRAIC rows well, her topsides are low enough, and the rudder slightly down gives directional stability. The thwarts are removable to clear space for sailing. Everything works so easily.

SeaRaider

SeaRaider’s gunter rig is easily un- stepped and stowed aboard.While primarily a sailing boat, she can be rowed handily when conditions require.

I joined CRAIC the day of her first real trial early in the week on Loch Lochy, on a crisp early summer’s day, the mountains circling the loch rising blue-green into the sky. The wind was gusty, between 8 and 18 knots, and designer Iain Oughtred had been invited to take the helm. The wind died as the race started but then returned strongly, and we set off on an exhilarating tacking duel with the Beetle whaleboat replica MOLLY, 6′ longer than our boat. Claus watched with incredulity as his new boat took off through the fleet “like a knife through butter,” he later told us, and left the rest of the fleet behind.

Our delight simmered down as the unsettled weather and the mountains began to throw longer and heavier gusts our direction, and whitecaps became trailing spume. Gusts up to 33 knots were coming our way, but Iain was curious to see what CRAIC was capable of and kept heading up, spilling a bit of wind when needed. We could have reefed the main, of course, or taken it down entirely; she sails well under jib and mizzen.

We turned onto the downwind leg, and Matt clocked 8.7 knots on his GPS before the boat with its four crew suddenly rose up a few inches and started planing. There was too much spray to read the GPS, but Matt had already reached speeds of over 10 knots in her in Wales. “It’s like a Nantucket sleigh ride, coasting behind a whale,” I thought to myself as I held on tight to my camera. At the next buoy we stopped to put in a reef, and by the time we reached our destination, the wind was an indolent breeze.

bayraider sailboat

The SeaRaider’s lines show a narrow, easily driven, sheet-plywood hull that, due to its water-ballast tanks, is unexpectedly stable. The gunter rig’s spars are built of carbon fiber.

This Boat Profile was published in Small Boats 2010 and appears here as archival material. Swallow Boats is now Swallow Yachts and the Sea Raider is no longer in production. See their website for current models.

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Comments (3)

What a fantastic development story from the owner and Swallow Boats. And the outcome is truly wonderful. Congratulations too to the journalist.

BUT, she is a very big boat for most of us single handers, and so it begs the question: Can she be downsized to 17 feet or so, and be as good or better than Swallow Boats’s existing fleet of great boats. Does she have advantages and points of difference worth having over the others that may now be incorporated?

John Shrapnel, PERIWINKLE

I have sailed and rowed against this boat in Scotland and Cornwall and she is a cracker! My wooden Bayraider 20 PIPPIN is a foot wider and a couple of feet shorter so cannot quite keep up with her, but I will be back in Scotland in 2022 to try again.

The Bayraider 20, while gorgeous, always looks a little beamy to me. This hull looks just about perfect. It’s probably better for my pocketbook that they never turned it into production.

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20 Best Small Sailboats for the Weekender

  • By Mark Pillsbury
  • Updated: August 4, 2021

In order to go cruising, most of us require a sailboat with a head, a galley, and bunks. The boat, likely a 30-footer and more often a 40-footer, will have electronics for navigation and entertainment, refrigeration if the trip is longer than a coastal hop, an engine for light wind, and, depending on our appetites for food and fun, perhaps a genset to power our toys and appliances.

To go sailing , however, all we really need is a hull, mast, rudder, and sail. To experience the pure joy of sheeting in and scooting off across a lake, bay, or even the open ocean, there’s nothing better than a small sailboat – we’re talking sailboats under 25 feet. You can literally reach out and touch the water as it flows past. You instantly feel every puff of breeze and sense every change in trim.

Some of the boats in this list are new designs, others are time-tested models from small sailboat manufacturers, but every one is easy to rig, simple to sail, and looks like a whole lot of fun either for a solo outing on a breezy afternoon or to keep family and friends entertained throughout your entire sailing season. This list is made up of all types of sailboats , and if you’re looking for a list of some of the best small sailboats for beginners, you’ll find exactly that here.

Any one of these popular boats could be labeled as a trailerable sailboat, daysailer, or even a weekender sailboat. And while most would be labeled as a one or two person sailboat, some could comfortably fit three or even four people.

Marblehead 22 Daysailer

If you have an eye for elegant lines and your heart goes pitter-patter over just the right amount of overhang beneath a counter transom, the Marblehead 22 daysailer, designed by Doug Zurn and built by Samoset Boatworks in Boothbay, Maine, will definitely raise your pulse. Traditional-looking above the waterline and modern beneath, the cold-molded hull sports a deep bulb keel and a Hall Spars carbon-fiber mast with a wishbone rig and square-top main. The 11-foot-9-inch cockpit can seat a crowd, and a small cuddy forward will let you stow your friends’ gear for the day. samosetboatworks.com

Catalina 22 Sport

Many a harbor plays host to an active fleet of Catalina 22s, one of the most popular small sailboats over the years, given its basic amenities and retractable keel, which allows it to be easily trailered. Recently, the company introduced the Catalina 22 Sport, an updated design that can compete with the older 22s. The boat features a retractable lead keel; a cabin that can sleep four, with a forward hatch for ventilation; and a fractional rig with a mainsail and a roller-furling jib. Lifelines, a swim ladder, and an engine are options, as are cloth cushions; vinyl cushions are standard. The large cockpit will seat a crowd or let a mom-and-pop crew stretch out and enjoy their sail. It’s clear why the Catalina 22 is one of the best sailboats under 25 feet. catalinayachts.com

With its large, open-transom cockpit and sloop rig, the Hunter 22 makes a comfortable daysailer for family and friends. But with its cuddy cabin, twin bunks, optional electrical system, opening screened ports, and portable toilet, a parent and child or a couple could comfortably slip away for an overnight or weekend. Add in the optional performance package, which includes an asymmetric spinnaker, a pole, and a mainsheet traveler, and you could be off to the races. The boat features a laminated fiberglass hull and deck, molded-in nonskid, and a hydraulic lifting centerboard. Mount a small outboard on the stern bracket, and you’re set to go. marlow-hunter.com

Not sure whether you want to race, cruise or just go out for an afternoon sail? Since 1958, sailors have been having a ball aboard the Uffa Fox/George O’Day-designed Daysailer. Fox, who in the 1950s was on the cutting edge of planning-dinghy design, collaborated with Fall River, Massachusetts boatbuilder O’Day Corp. to build the 16-foot Daysailer, a boat that features a slippery hull and a small cuddy cabin that covers the boat roughly from the mast forward. Thousands of Daysailers were built by various builders, and they can be found used for quite affordable prices. There are active racing fleets around the US, and new Daysailers are still in production today, built by Cape Cod Ship Building. capecodshipbuilding.com

BayRaider from Swallow Boats

Easy to rig and trailer, the BayRaider from England’s Swallow Yachts is a relative newcomer to the small-boat market in the United States. Nearly all of its 19 feet 9 inches is open cockpit, though a spray hood can be added to keep the forward sections dry. The BayRaider is ketch-rigged with a gunter-style mainmast. The topmast and mizzen are both carbon-fiber, which is an option for the mainmast as well. The BayRaider can be sailed with a dry hull in lighter conditions or with 300 pounds of water ballast to increase its stability. With the centerboard and hinged rudder raised, the boat can maneuver in even the thinnest water.

$28,900, (904) 234-8779, swallowyachts.com

Big fun can come in small packages, especially if your vessel of choice happens to be the 12 ½-foot Beetle Cat. Designed by John Beetle and first built in 1921, the wooden shallow draft sailboat is still in production today in Wareham, Massachusetts at the Beetle Boat Shop. With a draft of just 2 feet, the boat is well-suited for shallow bays, but equally at home in open coastal waters. The single gaff-rigged sail provides plenty of power in light air and can be quickly reefed down to handle a blow. In a word, sailing a Beetle Cat is fun. beetlecat.com

West Wight Potter P 19

With berths for four and a workable galley featuring a cooler, a sink, and a stove, West Wight Potter has packed a lot into its 19-foot-long P 19. First launched in 1971, this is a line of boats that’s attracted a true following among trailer-sailors. The P 19′s fully retractable keel means that you can pull up just about anywhere and go exploring. Closed-cell foam fore and aft makes the boat unsinkable, and thanks to its hard chine, the boat is reportedly quite stable under way. westwightpotter.com

NorseBoat 17.5

Designed for rowing and sailing (a motor mount is optional), the Canadian-built NorseBoat 17.5—one of which was spotted by a CW editor making its way through the Northwest Passage with a two-man crew—features an open cockpit, a carbon-fiber mast, and a curved-gaff rig, with an optional furling headsail set on a sprit. The lapstrake hull is fiberglass; the interior is ply and epoxy. The boat comes standard with two rowing stations and one set of 9-foot oars. The boat is designed with positive flotation and offers good load-carrying capacity, which you could put to use if you added the available canvas work and camping tent. NorseBoats offers a smaller sibling, the 12.5, as well; both are available in kit form.

$19,000, (902) 659-2790, norseboat.com

Montgomery 17

Billed as a trailerable pocket cruiser, the Montgomery 17 is a stout-looking sloop designed by Lyle Hess and built out of fiberglass in Ontario, California, by Montgomery Boats. With a keel and centerboard, the boat draws just under 2 feet with the board up and can be easily beached when you’re gunkholing. In the cuddy cabin you’ll find sitting headroom, a pair of bunks, a portable toilet, optional shore and DC power, and an impressive amount of storage space. The deck-stepped mast can be easily raised using a four-part tackle. The builder reports taking his own boat on trips across the Golfo de California and on visits to California’s coastal islands. Montgomery makes 15-foot and 23-foot models, as well. If you’re in search of a small sailboat with a cabin, the Montgomery 17 has to be on your wish list.

With long overhangs and shiny brightwork, the CW Hood 32 is on the larger end of the daysailer spectrum. Designers Chris Hood and Ben Stoddard made a conscious decision to forego a cabin and head in favor of an open cockpit big enough to bring 4 or 5 friends or family out for an afternoon on the water. The CW Hood 32 is sleek and graceful through the water and quick enough to do some racing, but keeps things simple with a self-tacking jib and controls that can be lead back to a single-handed skipper. A top-furling asymmetrical, electric sail drive and Torqeedo outboard are all optional. The CW Hood 32 makes for a great small family sailboat.  cwhoodyachts.com

Sun Cat from Com-Pac

Shallow U.S. East Coast bays and rock-strewn coasts have long been graced by cat boats, whose large, gaff-rigged mainsails proved simple and powerful both on the wind and, better yet, when reaching and running. The 17-foot-4-inch Sun Cat, built by Com-Pac Yachts, updates the classic wooden cat with its fiberglass hull and deck and the easy-to-step Mastender Rigging System, which incorporates a hinged tabernacle to make stepping the mast a one-person job. 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

The Catalina 16.5 sits right in the middle of Catalina Yachts’ line of small sailboats, which range from the 12.5 to the 22 Capri and Sport, and it comes in both an easy-to-trailer centerboard model and a shoal-draft fixed-keel configuration. With the fiberglass board up, the 17-foot-2-inch boat draws just 5 inches of water; with the board down, the 4-foot-5-inch draft suggests good windward performance. Hull and deck are hand-laminated fiberglass. The roomy cockpit is self-bailing, and the bow harbors a good-sized storage area with a waterproof hatch. catalinayachts.com

No roundup of best small sailboats (trailerable and fun too) would be complete without a mention of the venerable Hobie 16, which made its debut in Southern California way back in 1969. The company has introduced many other multihulls since, but more than 100,000 of the 16s have been launched, a remarkable figure. The Hobie’s asymmetric fiberglass-and-foam hulls eliminate the need for daggerboards, and with its kick-up rudders, the 16 can be sailed right up to the beach. Its large trampoline offers lots of space to move about or a good place to plant one’s feet when hanging off the double trapezes with a hull flying. The boat comes with a main and a jib; a spinnaker, douse kit, trailer, and beach dolly are optional features. hobiecat.com

Novice sailors or old salts looking for simplicity could both enjoy sailing the Hunter 15. With a fiberglass hull and deck and foam flotation, the boat is sturdily built. The ample freeboard and wide beam provide stability under way, and the heavy-duty rubrail and kick-up rudder mean that you won’t have to worry when the dock looms or the going grows shallow. Both the 15 and its slightly larger 18-foot sibling come standard with roller-furling jibs.

$6,900/$9,500 (boat-show prices for the 15 and 18 includes trailers), (386) 462-3077, marlow-hunter.com

Super Snark

Under various owners, the Snark brand of sailboats, now built by Meyers Boat Co., has been around since the early 1970s. The Super Snark, at 11 feet, is a simple, easily car-topped daysailer that’s fit out with a lateen rig and sail. Billed as unsinkable, the five boats in the company’s line are built with E.P.S. foam, with the external hull and deck vacuum-formed to the core using an A.B.S. polymer. The Super Snark weighs in at 50 pounds, and with a payload capacity of 310 pounds, the boat can carry two.

$970, (800) 247-6275, meyersboat.com

Norseboat 21.5

Built in Canada, the NorseBoat 21.5 is a rugged looking craft that comes in a couple of configurations: one with an open cockpit and small doghouse, and another with a smaller cockpit and cabin that houses a double berth for two adults and optional quarter berths for the kids. Both carry NorseBoat’s distinctive looking carbon fiber gaff-rigged mast with main and jib (a sprit-set drifter is optional), and come with a ballasted stub keel and centerboard. Because of its lightweight design, the boat can be rowed and is easily trailered.

$36,000 (starting), 902-659-2790, norseboat.com

Flying Scot

Talk about time-tested, the 19-foot Flying Scot has been in production since 1957 and remains a popular design today. Sloop rigged, with a conventional spinnaker for downwind work, the boat is an easily sailed family boat as well as a competitive racer, with over 130 racing fleets across the U.S. Its roomy cockpit can seat six to eight, though the boat is often sailed by a pair or solo. Hull and deck are a fiberglass and balsa core sandwich. With the centerboard up, the boat draws only eight inches. Though intended to be a daysailer, owners have rigged boom tents and berths for overnight trips, and one adventurous Scot sailor cruised his along inland waterways from Philadelphia to New Orleans.

Known primarily for its line of racing dinghys, RS Sailing also builds the 16-foot, 4-inch Venture, which it describes as a cruising and training dinghy. The Venture features a large, self-draining cockpit that will accommodate a family or pack of kids. A furling jib and mainsail with slab reefing come standard with the boat; a gennaker and trapeze kit are options, as is an outboard motor mount and transom swim ladder. The deck and hull are laid up in a fiberglass and Coremat sandwich. The Venture’s designed to be both a good performer under sail, but also stable, making it a good boat for those learning the sport.

$14,900, 203-259-7808, rssailing.com

Topper makes a range of mono- and multihull rotomolded boats, but the model that caught one editor’s eye at Strictly Sail Chicago was the Topaz Taz. At 9 feet, 8 inches LOA and weighing in at 88 pounds, the Taz is not going to take the whole crowd out for the day. But, with the optional mainsail and jib package (main alone is for a single child), the Taz can carry two or three kids or an adult and one child, and would make a fun escape pod when tied behind the big boat and towed to some scenic harbor. The hull features Topper’s Trilam construction, a plastic and foam sandwich that creates a boat that’s stiff, light, and durable, and shouldn’t mind being dragged up on the beach when it’s time for a break.

$2,900 (includes main and jib), 410-286-1960, topazsailboats.com

WindRider WRTango

WRTango, a fast, sturdy, 10-foot trimaran that’s easy to sail, is the newest portable craft from WindRider International. It joins a line that includes the WR16 and WR17 trimarans. The Tango features forward-facing seating, foot-pedal steering, and a low center of gravity that mimics the sensation of sitting in a kayak. It weighs 125 pounds (including the outriggers and carbon-fiber mast), is extremely stable, and has single-sheet sail control. The six-inch draft and kick-up rudder make it great for beaching, while the hull and outriggers are made of rotomolded polyethylene, so it can withstand running into docks and being dragged over rocks.

$3,000, 612-338-2170, windrider.com

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NEW: expedition sailboat by Swallowboats

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# Product Trends

The new BayRaider expedition from Swallow Yachts is an exciting development of the open BayRaider 20 day boat. The two boats share the same performance hull but the deck has been completely redesigned to create a cosy cuddy in the bows.

Performance rig

She retains the same successful water ballast system as our other designs, but features a carbon mast as standard, making her very easy to rig, and fast on the water.

Like the BayRaider 20, she is a sprightly performer on the water, self righting when her water ballast tank is full, with the ability to plane in the right conditions.

In the cabin she has room for two tall adults to stretch out, and with the addition of a cockpit tent, could sleep four. The cabin can also double as an enclosed head for day-sailing, and in rainy weather can seat two adults and two children (children in the bow, facing aft).

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bayraider sailboat

Performance All Swallow yachts have to sail superbly and this new addition to our range is no exception. Dont let the traditional lines deceive you – under water she is thoroughly modern with drop keel and twin rudders. She has a carbon mast as standard, with fractional rig and fat head mainsail to provide optimum efficiency and effortless performance. The yacht will fea...

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day-sailer sailboat - Swallow Yachts

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Bayraider 20

The bayraider 20 is a 19.85ft staysail ketch built in fiberglass by swallow yachts since 2007..

The Bayraider 20 is an ultralight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

Bayraider 20 sailboat under sail

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  • BayCruiser 20

The BayCruiser 20 was the second cabin boat design built by Swallow Yachts, then known as SwallowBoats, the Cardigan Bay Lugger (CBL) beating it to the water by a couple of years. The CBL was a development of the Storm series into a cabin boat, whilst the Baycruiser grew out of the water ballasted BayRaider 20.

The first BayCruiser, Daisy Grace , was launched in July 2009.

Subsequently the class name morphed into BayCruiser 20, to reflect the developments of the larger 23 and 26 foot designs, and Daisy Grace ‘s sail number evolved from BC01 to BC20 001, which, if little else, shows a fine sense of commercial confidence on the part of SwallowBoats.

The BayCruiser 20 shares many of the distinctive features of the preceding BayRaider, but with a few specific modifications:

Rig: the twin masted ketch/yawl/kawl(?) arrangement is maintained, but the mainsail is Bermudan on a full height carbon fibre mast with a boom plus kicking strap along its foot. This avoided any need to clamber onto the cabin roof to reef the sail. It has conventional slab reefing, which is all done from inside the cockpit. The jib is a conventional slightly overlapping one with twin jib sheets and a fore-stay which is there for security. All of the tension is put into the jib stay.

bayraider sailboat

Ballast tank: there are two ballast tanks, one under the cockpit floor and one under the Vee berth in the forward part of the cabin. These are linked by a hose and both are filled from a reverse self bailer in the cockpit tank. This split tank arrangement allows the main cabin floor to go right down to the keel of the boat, giving extra headroom in the cabin. The tanks can only be emptied using a manual bilge pump in the cockpit.

Hull: The hull is deeper than the BayRaider’s, with considerably more free-board. This again gives a higher cabin and a secure fore deck with high bulwarks. The basic layout is large cabin/small cockpit. Four can fit into the cockpit, but you are knee to knee. Two is perfect and one just fine. The later cabin boat, the Bayraider Expedition, is modelled much more closely on the Bayraider, with a small, low cabin, no foredeck bulwarks and a large cockpit.  You pays your money and you takes your choice . Nice to have a choice.

View of Daisy Grace from above at Keyhave,

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Day-sailer sailboat BayRider 20 racing with ballast

day-sailer sailboat

Characteristics

6.05 m (19'10" )

Description

Other swallow yachts products.

day-sailer sailboat

  • Open sailboat
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  • Sailboat Guide

2015 Swallow Yacht Bay Raider 20

  • Description

Seller's Description

Bay Raider 20 Gray Lady For sale

99, built in 2015

Location: San Diego. California. USA

This boat is in excellent condition and has lots of extras.

Carbon fiber masts Factory trailer Full mast down cover Oar locks and oars 5 hp Mercury propane outboard Anchor and line Factory installed hoist points Main sheet traveler Self tacking mizzen Centerboard trunk modifications greatly improving Windward performance Gennaker

Contact [email protected]

Photos here. https://photos.app.goo.gl/rqDArSBuXTwjRhCa7

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

  • SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
  • D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Bayraider 20 with a cabin.

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IMAGES

  1. Best Boat 2012: Bayraider 20

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COMMENTS

  1. BayRaider 20

    The BayRaider's genesis is the "raid," a popular pastime in Europe where small boats are sailed and rowed competitively between harbors in events lasting several days. Speed under sail, light weight for easy rowing and the ability to stand up to foul weather are obviously desirable in such contests, and so designer/builder Matt Newland ...

  2. BAYRAIDER 20 (EXPEDITION)

    A boat with a BN of 1.6 or greater is a boat that will be reefed often in offshore cruising. Derek Harvey, "Multihulls for Cruising and Racing", International Marine, Camden, Maine, 1991, states that a BN of 1 is generally accepted as the dividing line between so-called slow and fast multihulls.

  3. PDF BayRaider expedition

    in handling a boat ashore, or manoeuvring on and off a trailer. The BayRaider expedition simply sets new standards, designed in detail from the outset with ease and independence in mind. This of course keeps costs and hassle at bay, adding to your time and enjoyment afloat. The Bayraider expedition really is a 2-berth seaworthy 20-footer

  4. Swallow Boats' SeaRaider

    S wallow Boats is a purveyor of boat kits in Wales. Their SeaRaider combines the best features of the fastest and most seaworthy Raid boats into one new boat. ... My wooden Bayraider 20 PIPPIN is a foot wider and a couple of feet shorter so cannot quite keep up with her, but I will be back in Scotland in 2022 to try again. Reply. Andrew ...

  5. 20 Best Small Sailboats for the Weekender

    BayRaider from Swallow Boats. BayRaider BayRaider. Easy to rig and trailer, the BayRaider from England's Swallow Yachts is a relative newcomer to the small-boat market in the United States. Nearly all of its 19 feet 9 inches is open cockpit, though a spray hood can be added to keep the forward sections dry. The BayRaider is ketch-rigged with ...

  6. Water Craft Magazine Review: BayRaider 20

    Matt says the 20' (6m) Bay Raider is a 'de-tuned version' of Sea Raider: her beam/length ratio is greater, her rig is proportionately a little smaller and she has more freeboard to enhance the feeling of security for the less confident crew. Thus, Bay Raider is his answer to the requirement for a more family-friendly coastal cruising boat ...

  7. Swallow Bayraider Expedition: Prices, Specs, Reviews and Sales ...

    Swallow Bayraider Expedition is a 6.05 meters deysailer with 1 guest cabin and a draft of 1.42 meters. The yacht has a fiberglass / grp hull with a CE certification class (C) and can navigate along the coastline, on rivers and canals. The base price of a new Swallow Bayraider Expedition is not currently published, please contact the itBoat team ...

  8. Bayraider 20

    Displacement 330 kg/727.5 lbs. Outboard motor (2-4hp) is housed in a well at the rear of the cockpit and can be tilted out of the water while sailing. The well can then be sealed with shutters. Sealed buoyancy chambers in case of swamping. Bayraider 20 is a 19′ 10″ / 6.1 m monohull sailboat built by Swallow Yachts starting in 2007.

  9. Bayraider 20 expedition

    The Bayraider 20 expedition is a 19.85ft staysail ketch built in fiberglass by Swallow Yachts since 2011. The Bayraider 20 expedition is an ultralight sailboat which is under powered. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

  10. Swallow Yachts Association

    Boat Instruments-Power on Demand - The EPropulsion Spirit Plus XS 1276W on a BayRaider Expedition-Ullswater-Ullswater is an enjoyable venue for Swallow Boats with accessible camping and launching facilities, lovely scenery, usually tranquil but occasionally exciting sailing and challenging winds from the surrounding mountains.

  11. Best Boat 2012: Bayraider 20

    When SAIL's judges were weighing the candidates for the 2012 Best Boats daysailer award, there was no dissension over the winner: the BayRaider 20 scored a unanimous thumbs-up for its blend of portability, performance, good looks, build quality and innovation.. The BayRaider's genesis is the "raid," a popular pastime in Europe where small boats are sailed and rowed competitively ...

  12. Day-sailer sailboat

    Day-sailer sailboat BayRaider. ... The BayRaider expedition gives priority to cockpit space, able to seat six adults in comfort. If more cabin space is desired (at the expense of the cockpit) take a look at the Swallow Yachts BayCruiser 20 and 23. If you would like to receive more information about the BayRaider expedition, then please contact ...

  13. Bayraider 20 (Expedition)

    Bayraider 20 (Expedition) is a 19′ 10″ / 6.1 m monohull sailboat built by Swallow Yachts starting in 2011. Great choice! Your favorites are temporarily saved for this session. ... It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

  14. NEW: expedition sailboat by Swallowboats

    The new BayRaider expedition from Swallow Yachts is an exciting development of the open BayRaider 20 day boat. The two boats share the same performance hull but the deck has been completely redesigned to create a cosy cuddy in the bows. Performance rig. She retains the same successful water ballast system as our other designs, but features a ...

  15. Swallow BayRaider 17

    Swallow BayRaider 17 Specifications. The Swallow BayRaider 17 was produced by the brand Swallow Yahcts from 2017 to 2022. Swallow BayRaider 17 is a 5.23 meters classic yacht with a draft of 0.22 meters. The yacht has a fiberglass / grp hull with a CE certification class (B) and can navigate no further than 200 miles off the coastline.

  16. Bayraider 20

    The Bayraider 20 is a 19.85ft staysail ketch built in fiberglass by Swallow Yachts since 2007. The Bayraider 20 is an ultralight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a day-boat.

  17. Day-sailer sailboat

    Find out all of the information about the Swallow Yachts product: day-sailer sailboat BayRaider 17. Contact a supplier or the parent company directly to get a quote or to find out a price or your closest point of sale. ... The new BayRaider 17 has been designed as a smaller version of the successful BayRaider 20, retaining many of her safety ...

  18. Swallow Yachts for sale

    2022 Swallow Yachts Bayraider Expedition. US$38,001. ↓ Price Drop. ... * Price displayed is based on today's currency conversion rate of the listed sales price. Boats Group does not guarantee the accuracy of conversion rates and rates may differ than those provided by financial institutions at the time of transaction. Swallow Yachts By Condition.

  19. BayCruiser 20

    BayCruiser 20. The BayCruiser 20 was the second cabin boat design built by Swallow Yachts, then known as SwallowBoats, the Cardigan Bay Lugger (CBL) beating it to the water by a couple of years. The CBL was a development of the Storm series into a cabin boat, whilst the Baycruiser grew out of the water ballasted BayRaider 20.

  20. Day-sailer sailboat

    The BayRaider is extremely versatile. She is not just a tough, fast Raid boat, the water ballast makes her suitable for a wide range of conditions and levels of crew experience. Surprisingly, perhaps, she is an ideal boat for beginners as, with ballast tanks full, she is stable, forgiving and very hard to capsize In fact, with the ballast tanks ...

  21. 2015 Swallow Yacht Bay Raider 20

    The higher a boat's D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. ... Bayraider 20 with a cabin. This listing is presented by SailboatListings.com. Visit their website for more information ...

  22. 7 Ultimate Camping Cruisers: Back to Basics Boating

    The narrow stern does limit the engine size, but at $16,000, these boats are a great value. Marine Concepts also makes a trimaran version for added stability. The Bay Raider combines an old-style rig with a modern look. 2. Bay Raider 20. The Bay Raider is a gaff-rigged yawl, but with a more modern take.

  23. Buy 2012 Swallow Boats Bayraider 20

    2012 Swallow Boats Bayraider 20 for sale. Used 2012 Swallow Boats Bayraider 20 for sale with the beautiful name "Swallow Boats BayRaider 20 Trailer Sailer" is located in Plymouth (England, United Kingdom).This vessel was designed and built by the Swallow shipyard in 2012. Key features 2012 Swallow Boats Bayraider 20: length 6.05 meters, beam 2.06 meters, boat displacement 430 kilograms and max ...