Boats for offshore sailing
Want to go further afield? Duncan Kent looks at some of the most suitable second-hand sail and motor boats for cruising offshore
Offshore yachts need to exhibit a comfortable, controlled, and wellbalanced motion at sea, such that the crew can sail, cook, eat, and sleep without suffering too much discomfort. Second only to the yacht being soundly constructed, the crew is what turns it into a means of crossing oceans safely and enjoyably. A tired and irritable crew is one that’ll make mistakes when the going gets rough.
First and foremost is its motion through or over the waves. Many modern, lightweight production yachts are prone to slam into the oncoming waves rather than gently slicing through them, which not only jars the crew’s nerves and throws everything around below, but also puts relentless strain on the hull and rig.
As with most aspects of sailing, there are several schools of thought concerning offshore yacht design, but it’s generally accepted that ocean-going boats should be of a higher displacement than a coastal cruiser with a deeper forefoot to part the waves silently.
The ‘quicker you can go, the quicker you’re out of it’ motto is often quoted by those who believe the extra speed of a light displacement, performance yacht will enable you to avoid bad weather by sailing around it. Though this might be true of a thoroughbred Open 60 averaging 20-knots, with most production boats the result is usually a more uncomfortable and much wetter ride through the storm.
20-25ft LOA Sailing yachts
First launched in 1966, the ubiquitous Hurley 22 was heavily built and reinforced with laminated beams and double-thickness GRP in high-stress areas. She was available with a long fin or bilge keels, with the ballast encapsulated within the hull moulding.
Owing to her narrow beam, accommodation is limited. There are berths for four, but she’s more suited to a couple, particularly as the boat was open plan with a toilet under the vee berth. An interior moulding provides a smooth finish to the interior, and teak veneer trims lessen the ‘plasticky’ feel. The two narrow quarter berths stretch back under the cockpit seats and are ideal for use on passage. The pointed vee-berth forward is very compact and just 1.8m/5ft 9in long. There are open lockers above, while underneath is the freshwater tank.
The galley is small and basic, but adequate for short trips. For longer cruises you’d need to create more workspace, although the slide-out chart table above the quarter berth can be used if needed. Stowage for provisions is limited and, due to the meagre 1.46m/4ft 9in headroom, the galley must be used for seating.
The majority of Hurley 22s had a 5/6hp outboard in a lazarette well behind the tiller, putting the prop on the centreline and keeping it submerged when motorsailing. Some had a small inboard engine, which is undoubtedly a better solution for long-term cruising.
The self-draining cockpit seats four and the high coamings are comfortably angled. Visibility is good over the low coachroof, but the narrow side decks are tricky to negotiate so a furling headsail is preferable.
The masthead rig is straightforward, the deck-stepped mast on a hinged tabernacle, while all the sheets are within reach of the helm.
The original Nordic Folkboat was conceived in 1942. Described as minimalist, even in its heyday, it had a clinker-planked wooden hull with a full-length keel, raked transom and a Bermuda sloop rig. A generous 54% ballast ratio made her extremely stiff
under sail and soon began to attract the attention of long-distance racers and adventurers for its seaworthiness. The most famous of the original ‘Folkies’ was pioneer Blondie Hasler’s junk-rigged Jester, which crossed the Atlantic 15 times, once as an entrant in the original OSTAR, in which he came second.
The Folkboat became a very popular cruiser/racer worldwide, where they were built under licence. The British version was usually carvel-planked, giving her a smooth, more watertight hull. She also featured a longer coachroof, raised above the companionway for better headroom.
In 1967 a GRP model was introduced, which became known unofficially as the International Folkboat (IF). Some were named the Marieholm Folkboat after the yard in Sweden where some 3,488 were built. Almost identical to the original, it boasted a self-draining cockpit with an outboard well and a 7/8ths fractional rig. It also offered more in the way of home comforts and space below, which was fairly sparse in the MkIs.
All Folkboat rigs were identical, to enable them to compete equally in international races, but the design spawned a variety of lookalikes, including the Folksong, Contessa 26 and the Varne 27, and influenced countless more.
The most prolific of these, the Contessa 26, was sailed solo around the world in 1985 by 18-year-old American sailor Tania Aebi. Her eventful journey took three years and, like thousands of ocean sailors before her, she carried only a sextant with which to navigate.
Motorboats
Often referred to as a ‘marine Tardis’, or ‘little ship’, the builders of the Trusty T23 did indeed manage to squeeze a quart into a pint pot! This chunky little motorboat was designed with high freeboard and tall, flared bows to shrug off heavy weather as it ploughs its way through the waves.
Inside the wheelhouse, it feels little different from its bigger sister, the T28. Beautifully fitted out, there’s a twin helm seat, a comprehensive instrument console and an excellent view all around through the large windows. Opposite is a four-person dinette, also with panoramic views outside, plus a decently proportioned galley behind the helm seat.
A couple of steps down leads you past the heads and hanging locker, into the open forecabin where a huge double berth occupies the entire space. Three portlights on each side and a large forehatch keep it bright and airy, although there’s little in the way of easy access stowage.
Moving through the wheelhouse rear doors leads you into a really spacious cockpit with ample fixed seating, a removable table, a small wet bar and access to the single Yanmar 54hp inboard diesel engine via a sole trap. A full cockpit tent encloses this area nicely and expands the useable interior volume considerably. An additional helm station here was an option, although not often taken up as the view forward is limited.
Being a displacement hull with shallow bilge keels she’s no sprinter. Cruising at 6 knots is more her bag, but she has the sheer driving power of a much bigger boat.
26-30ft LOA Sailing yachts
The Alan Buchanan-designed Halcyon 27 was built by Offshore Yachts in the early 1970s and is a profoundly seaworthy offshore yacht that’s easily handled by a small crew. She’s a pretty boat with a gently rising sheer, narrow shoulders and overhanging bows.
Care is needed going below as the companionway steps are precariously small. The accommodation is typical of most 1970s boats: compact galley, chart table, two long and straight saloon settees, heads and hanging locker ahead of the main bulkhead and a ‘cosy’