Niagara 35

[thomm225]

There's a Niagara 35 for sale near here that looks like a pretty nice boat. One review says they are semi-cored.

Can anyone tell me more about the coring, and if there is a problem with it, can a surveyor tell it?

This boat is in the water and has been except for one trip for a thru hull repair 3 years ago

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by thomm225

There's a Niagara 35 for sale near here that looks like a pretty nice boat. One review says they are semi-cored.

Can anyone tell me more about the coring, and if there is a problem with it, can a surveyor tell it?

This boat is in the water and has been except for one trip for a thru hull repair 3 years ago

Excellent builder who knew how to properly construct cored hulls. This boat has an excellent reputation and has crossed many oceans. It's probably in the top 3 for one of the best offshore 35 ft boats. Naturally you would need a proper survey before pulling the trigger.

[nortonscove]

Really nice boat with a terrible interior. Almost bought one that a friend has but the admiral took one look at that interior and shot that plan down. Another friend looked at it more recently and his wife felt the same.

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[nortonscove]

Should also say that since then we have bought a boat with a swim platform and willnever again consider a transom stern. I had cared for this boat for several months while itvwas on my mooring and boarding is a pain.

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[AiniA]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

Really nice boat with a terrible interior. Almost bought one that a friend has but the admiral took one look at that interior and shot that plan down. Another friend looked at it more recently and his wife felt the same.

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There are actually two entirely different interiors available. The Mark 1 (or Classic, I get confused with Nonsuch) is actually very good for sailing offshore and is a terrific design for extended cruising with storage and a work bench forward. Having the head and galley in the middle works very well too. It does not have a decent double berth though and the main cabin is a little small. The Encore has a double pullman forward and a larger entertaining area. Different strokes for different folks.

I have had a couple of Hinterhoeller boats and found them to be well-made and easy to work on.

[nortonscove]

Yes I am very familiar with both. They sail reasonably well but are dated in many ways. We have a 16 year old son and that alone help us decide against it.

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[thomm225]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

Yes I am very familiar with both. They sail reasonably well but are dated in many ways. We have a 16 year old son and that alone help us decide against it.

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The boat I was looking at is a 1981. The cored hull is really a worry even though I understand they are very well built boats. But it is 34 years old.

I plan to stay with my 1974 Bristol 27 for the time being with it's newer sails and engine.

[Sailor Doug]

Like most sailboats hull quality is not the same. A lot good, some defective right from factory.


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[brad torrence]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

Really nice boat with a terrible interior. Almost bought one that a friend has but the admiral took one look at that interior and shot that plan down. Another friend looked at it more recently and his wife felt the same.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

I personally love the interior. It's one of the best things about the boat. Same interior layout as the Nonsuch Classics and Aloha 32. Way more space for living and sleeping, instead of a forepeak which is useless at sea for sleeping and ends up being used to store all kinds of junk in the worst possible place.

[brad torrence]

Originally Posted by nortonscove

Yes I am very familiar with both. They sail reasonably well but are dated in many ways. We have a 16 year old son and that alone help us decide against it.

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Not sure what "dated" means in relation to cruising boats. Seaworthyness and comfort at sea have been sacrificed for condo like interiors with all the gadgets (that quickly fail at sea), which in turn makes gives the boat a higher center of gravity and greater stability - when inverted! Core problems are rampant with new boats, skins are much too thin for impact resistance and they all come with Saildrives to save the builder money at the expensive of additional maintenance and concern over corrosion. Cruising sailboat design has not advanced since the Niagara 35 was built.