Dix 43, Adams 40, Roberts 43, Alan Pape 39 Cruiser, Ebbtide 39

[Lee Austin]

Dear Members,

I am seeking you opinions on the steel boats above. Currently sailing wooden Vertue. I am looking for a steel go anywhere boat suited to short handed sailing. Cutter rig without bowsprit to keep LOA manageable in close quarters, centre cockpit, low freeboard, good tracking, sea kindliness, pointing ability. And good distance run. It will be home so could use a bit of space but not at the expense of good sailing characteristics. Another boat I have considered is the Trireme 38. Tall order!

Head steers me towards southern hemisphere designs as in Dix and Adams as they are designed for tough conditions and offer respectable 24hr run distances for steel monohulls what with fin/keel and skeg configurations. Concerned about exposed prop on Adams 40 however. Heart tends towards slower but perhaps more sea kindly three quarter keel boats from Alan Pape, perhaps from my experiences with the Vertue. Yes, I’m struggling with the compromise.

Yachting Monthly magazine in the UK designed a theoretical blue water cruiser from pooling ideas from a variety of experts. They came up with the YM 36. The significance of this design is that it is a fin keel with integrated skeg profile. Can I confidently walk away from the three quarter keel for the sake of improved run distance and not lose sea kindliness and tracking ability?

Any thoughts gratefully appreciated.



Lee Austin.