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Old 05-07-2006, 18:36   #1
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Folkboat 26

I'd just like to hear opinions on it. Planning to liveabord but will still have easy access to a house and it's ammenities whenever at my homeport.

I realize it's a bit small, but I'm fine with tight spaces.

My main question is just how good of a boat is this overall. Are there any problems with it I should know about? Anything that sets it above other boats for some reason? Anyone that's owned one or sailed on one and would just like to share their story?
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Old 05-07-2006, 18:40   #2
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Good sailors, great lines, they have been sailed around the world (highly modified). Very tight quarters. Hope you can get used to not standing up inside. Wood boat. Not ideally suited for tropical climates. That said, they have a great following, and lot's of info is available on them.
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Old 05-07-2006, 19:07   #3
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wood boat? the man I was talking to(not the owner, but a very good friend of his and seemed knowledgable enough about boats) said it was fiberglass.
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Old 05-07-2006, 19:09   #4
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Might be a newer remake of the original folkboat (That happens to be 25' and wood). I am not familiar with any other design. As long as it is not glass over wood?
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Old 05-07-2006, 19:15   #5
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I just looked at an ad for one in Pensacola. If that is the boat, it appears to be a remake of the original. It resembles the original, but looks stretched out to me. Not sure if this design has any specific issues, but the originals were great boats.
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Old 05-07-2006, 19:32   #6
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I believe that is the boat I was looking at today, the man I talked to didn't know if the owner had put a listing online or not, the pictures don't look exactly the same as the one I saw, but they could be old(for one, the bottom paint was red, not light blue like seen in one pic, or dark blue like seen in another.

I can't be sure if it's the same boat, but the prices seem to be in the same range(the man said the owner was selling it for 14,000 with the trailer, but didn't know how much he'd take without the trailer)

anyway, doing some more research seems to show that it's the same boat as the older wood ones just done in fiberglass, I'll have to see how things work out, but I do like this boat(havn't been able to see inside yet).
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Old 05-07-2006, 19:50   #7
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Aloha Sluissa,
The newer fiberglass International Folkboats mostly built in Sweden are the most wonderful boat at about 26 feet in length I've ever sailed. Extremely seaworthy and fast. I skippered one to victory in an offshore race here in Hawaii a few years ago against larger monohulls and just couldn't believe how well she pointed for having old beat up raggedy sails. Tight quarters on the inside but if you are sailing that really doesn't matter that much. The cockpit is a very nice size for 4 or 5 big people. "Cheers" built in '69 is for sale here in Hilo for 9K. A real bargain. New paint all around and all lines led to the cockpit. Really nice boat.
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Old 05-07-2006, 22:51   #8
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The Contessa 26 is supposedly a folkboat with higher freeboard. MIght check those out on Yachtworld. There was a couple from Santa Cruz on one in French Polynesia when we were there. They eventually sailed it back to California. They raved about the sailing abilities of the boat but were considerably less enthusiastic about the room, especially for a couple.

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Old 06-07-2006, 01:12   #9
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there often seems to be the tradeoff between space below deck and seaworthiness/sailing ability. as many have said many times, every boat is a compromise.

nothing really to add here, except that i have always heard great things about folkboats, and they do have lovely lines.

good luck
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Old 06-07-2006, 05:18   #10
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I've got to ask, what would be the advantage of a higher freeboard? From what I've read it would increase the wind resistance of the hull and cause it to be more difficult to retrieve things or people from overboard. I ask only cause I'm curious though, there's really no easy way for me to get to santa cruz or french polynesia, but the one I'm looking at now is about 5-10 miles from my house, much easier to check out, and is within a reasonable price range.

Thank you for all of your replies though, it does sound like a good boat, and I appreciate peoples suggestions of other boats but there's really no way for me to take a trip that would take more than a day to check out a boat right now.
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Old 06-07-2006, 08:38   #11
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In addition to the wooden Folkboat, there are some late model GRP ones:



There is some good text and photos at http://www.clickbert.com/IFboat/techtips/vigor.html

There are also similar vessels such as the Contessa 26 :
(and her bigger and better cousin the 32).

There is also the Folkdancer:


and the folksong:


They are all characterised by being good sea boats (especially for their size) having a very low freeboard - thus being more than a little bit wet!, and having sparse accomodation due to the hull being optimised for sailing.
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Old 11-07-2006, 06:08   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sluissa
I've got to ask, what would be the advantage of a higher freeboard? From what I've read it would increase the wind resistance of the hull and cause it to be more difficult to retrieve things or people from overboard. I ask only cause I'm curious though, there's really no easy way for me to get to santa cruz or french polynesia, but the one I'm looking at now is about 5-10 miles from my house, much easier to check out, and is within a reasonable price range.

Thank you for all of your replies though, it does sound like a good boat, and I appreciate peoples suggestions of other boats but there's really no way for me to take a trip that would take more than a day to check out a boat right now.
Your concerns are correct. The only advantage I can think of is a drier ride.
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Old 11-07-2006, 07:47   #13
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folkboats are wonderful on the eye and fearless at sea.
as to raising the freeboard; i would think its just a few inches and wouldn't have much impact as to windage or an mob; just a little drier ride and a little more headroom down below.
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Old 12-09-2008, 18:29   #14
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Folkboat--with a smile

Brings back fond memories some 40 years ago. I owned an original Swedish Folkboat which was designed for the North Sea short chop. In the 1960's single handed race from Portsmouth, Eng to Portsmouth, NH the Folkboat finished 2d and 4th. Obviously they were modified because mine did not even have a self draining cockpit. She was very heavily rigged for open ocean sailing, had a 5Hp gasoline one lunger. This is a good boat especially if you have small children. Most adults dont appreciate sitting on the head with your head and shoulders out of the forward hatch but the kids thought it was funny and waved to the passing boaters. She was easy to sail, when the wind kicked up she put her shoulder down and we were off and running. That said she was difficult to work under ie, bottom paint but its a small boat. My main draw back is she is lap strake which means any sand in your sneakers ends up between the strakes. Then after she dries up on the hard it takes forever to get her to swell up in the spring. Many the times I was over the side with a coffee can full of sawdust trying to cure the leaks. However, I have nothing but fondness for the memories of this boat.
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Old 15-09-2008, 09:08   #15
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A friend of mine has one that I've sailed on several times. It seems a very solid boat, but for longer cruising, the size has presented some problems in terms of both storage and livability.

Another problem he's had is with the outboard set up. The outboard well is too enclosed and doesn't get the air it needs in additon to access issues. The propwash almost makes backing next to impossible. He's tried mounting an outboard on the back of the boat, but the low buoyancy at the stern has caused problems with that as well.
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