S2 11 (36') Center cockpit

[Jarel Design]

Hello to all!
Absolutely love this website! Have learned and shared a lot here.

I previously started a thread in this forum regarding the S2 9.2 center cockpit with both my wife and I thinking this would be our next boat. Amazing how listing photographs can lead one to believe they "know" the boat inside and out! This one was a HUGE difference from dreaming over photographs and ducking our heads as we walked around below! LOL!

Our previous thread was about wanting to find an S2 9.2 CC owner in the PNW that would allow us to tour their boat to get a first hand experience (mostly interested in the unique layout and space below on these Center Cockpit boats.)

We found a wonderful couple that invited us to check out their boat. WOW! great layout and looked "almost" like the photos we've collected. However, the boat was just too small for our needs. So back to the drawing board and our search for our next boat.

After seeing a YouTube video tour of an S2 11 (36') Center Cockpit created by a 6' owner and seeing him walking around and standing in the aft cabin (He included himself in the video which REALLY gave us a size reference regarding headroom and space), we fell in LOVE with this boat!

So, what I (we), are hoping to find is an owner of an S2 11 (36') Center Cockpit, somewhere in the southern California area (Long Beach, marina del Rey, Ventura, etc...?), that would be willing to invite us aboard to take a tour of their boat. (Maybe you know of someone?)

We live in Southern Oregon (about 250 miles from the nearest beach ), so we can't really just go out for the day to "walk the docks"... We're planning to escape the snow here this winter and fly down to LA to visit with old sailing buddies (Yes, we're asking them as well), sometime between Christmas and New years Day.

We're not interested in any other boats at this time (We've compared this boat to SO MANY other possible candidates, and we keep coming back to this one, mostly because of the interior layout). Our retirement/cruising plans include the ICW, Florida Keys, Bahamas etc... And although we both have blue water experience in our long history of sailing, we're only interested in Coastal cruising/gunk-holing. An although we love to sail, we're not interested in performance as much as accommodations while exploring new places.)

Thanks for reading!
Best from us both,
Richard & Tresa

[mocha]

as a Coastal Cruiser on the west coast of Florida, I'm not going to suggest I'm the authority on this one,,

However, I believe the S2 you are considering has a 5'6" draft, which for the southern ICW, Florida, Bahamas, and "gunk-holing" might limit where you can comfortably cruise,,

fwiw--

cheers,
MOCHA

[Jarel Design]

Still searching...

Thought we found one in San Diego (We'd be willing to drive from LA to San Diego to see one)...

However, although it was advertised as an S2 11 center cockpit, it was actually their 35' version (not the 36' version).

The 35' versions is a VERY different boat! Slightly different layout 9although it is a Center Cockpit)... Everything I've read about this boat indicates that not only is the deck balsa cored, but so is the hull! Not interested in dealing with that at all... I've been a professional prototype developer for 30 years, have worked with composites a LOT and have refitted several boats and feel comfortable doing a complete refit of balsa deck fitting restorations etc... however, I don't want to be dealing with a balsa cored hull.

OK... emails sent out to our sailing buddies from Ventura to San Diego as well as a dear friend of ours who is a yacht broker in marina del Rey...

Still hoping to find an owner of an S2 11 (36') Center Cockpit that would be willing to let us take a tour of their boat.

Thanks!

Richard

[Jarel Design]

Hi Mocha,
Thanks for the heads up.

As I think I've shared, we have done a LOT of research on these boats: The S2 is also available in a shoal draft keel version... I "think" it was 3' 11' or 4' 11"... don't remember... (I hope I'm not mixing up the 36' specs with the 30' specs!!!... I'll have to go back through my files... Just did! The fin keel is 5' 6", their "shoal draft" is 4' 8"... not much of a difference, but a foot, is a foot... (Laughing at myself) As if this boat isn't already hard enough to find, we also want the shoal draft version! LOL!

My childhood was spent in the Florida Keys and we're fully aware of wanting/needing a shoal draft boat for what we want to do... This will be a far cry from our current C26' with center board (6' 2" down, 2' 3" up!). So we will be "limited" in where we can go... Not looking forward to staring at the depth meter and paying close attention to tide tables!

The good side, is that we have 2 years (until Tresa retires), to find one... Hard to hold off on compromises (especially when we're this excited about this boat...), But finding one with the shallower keel is at the top of the list of must haves!

Thanks again!

Richard

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy!

I like the S2 11 Aft Cockpit layout I have seen. But, one of the boats had a saildrive engine. I think it was optional, because I saw another model with a shaft drive (as I recall).

My Friendly suggestion:
Since you have done a lot or research on this boat model (and sister models), Please post some photos that show the differences, or "layout" drawings that identify the various models. That will help others identify the boats and learn too.

IN the future, other CF members may find this thread by doing a search, and if you include more info and illustrations, it should help others.

[Jarel Design]

Thanks Steady hand!

Yes, I'll do so... Unfortunately, both the 35' and the 36' look (from the outside), almost identical! LOL!

Some of the smaller 9.2 came with the Volvo and the sail drive. (I'd MUCH rather have a shaft drive!

Most of the S2 11 boats came with a Universal or Yanmar (The Universal had more horsepower (36HP).

Give me a day or so, and I'll come back with some images...

Can I link a YouTube video here? The one in mind was the one that sold us on the 11 meter version and includes outside and inside tour. (Is there a "special" way to do that?

Best,
Richard

PS: Sure glad i shipped out my latest client prototype yesterday! I've become obsessed to a feverish frenzy to find one of these! Posting on other sites and emailing ALL my sailing buddies back in Southern California! (And there's a LOT of them! LOL!)

[Jarel Design]

Lets see if this works?
I copied and pasted the location at the top of the screen with the video playing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENkhrYqVcoI

[Jarel Design]

COOL!
It worked!

Thanks again!

I think this video really shows this boat well! Better than any other video we've seen and way more than any collection of listing photos.

I think the interior segment of the tour really shares why we're so in love with this boat!

We've seen several (sold), with asking prices ranging from $25k to $39k

When we're ready to buy, we're pretty sure we'll be looking along the east coast (Great lakes to Florida), to find one.

Best,
Richard

[Clivevon]

Interesting, thanks. My boat is a 36 ft centre cockpit ketch, 1981 Westerly Conway. Interesting to see the differences, good luck with your boat search. Just be aware that with a 1981 vintage boat, you will need to check for osmosis in the underwater hull. And as I have said elsewhere, all the gear will maybe be due for replacement. A new boat costs a ton of money to buy but is cheap to maintain. An old boat is cheap to buy but costs a ton of money to maintain.
TANSTAAFL for all those Robert Heinlein fans. For the uninitiated, there aint no such thing as a free lunch.

[Jarel Design]

Laughing here!
Totally agree with you!
This will not be my first boat... VERY familiar with blistering, soft decks and other nightmares! (I've spent too much time working under hulls, grinding, opening up, drying, laminating, filling, fairing etc...

I'm hoping to not find a "fixer", but even then expect to inspect (again after survey), open up and re-bed everything! (might be over board, but that's the way I do things....)

Must admit I'm beginning to get a bit overwhelmed with all the different systems... It's amazing, the more I research and learn, but the more I'm aware of and on the lookout... Even though we're 2 years until target date to launch, I'm already compiling a survey checklist that goes way beyond what I think most people do... Whew!

Still... It's our dream and i want to do it right...

yes, There's no free lunch... Glad I can do pretty much all the work myself... From engine to electrical to composites... one of the things I plan to do unless I can see receipts proving otherwise, is replacing standing rigging. I could go on and on, but I think most people here understand the undertaking of finding the right boat and then "buying" the right boat. LOL!

BTW: your boat was on our short list of candidates... NICE boat!

OK... back to work here... I'm having prototype projects coming at me left and right (not complaining!!!! Great to have the income, just a little tired.)

Thanks for your input!

Richard

[Clivevon]

OK - sounds like you know what you are doing!! I think 36 ft is a good size for a couple - big enough to do most things but keeps running costs lower - except that things like electronics etc cost what they cost, irrespective of boat size. Good luck with the search - hope you find the right boat.

[Jarel Design]

I think the best thing I "know", is that when I'm not sure, I start from scratch as if I know nothing and research my brains out... Mostly on the internet, but even then, I don;'t take any one person's advice... I wait until I see patterns, then research that pattern until it makes sense to me to make up my own decision...

We actually wanted the 30' S2 9.2 CC, but Tresa was the one that brought up "living" on a boat as if it were until we were too old to do it anymore... Creature COMFORTS were and still is, our number one consideration: Living day after day, having a real bed in a real bedroom (I use these terms to relate to translating life ashore to life on a boat.) Having a separate aft cabin with a large berth that we don't have to dig out bedding, move stuff around etc, changes day to day living for us, from camping to living.

We both have a history of "adventure traveling" (Way before we met each other): Tresa built and paddled a 20' touring canoe from Montana to the east coast (3,500 miles for four months. While she was doing that, I was riding a mountain bicycle from Los Angeles to Belize, through the Yucatan, up the east coast to Canada, across to the west coast and then back down to LA ... 7 months. So we know how to "rough it"... and we've spent two "sessions", living aboard our 26' trailer boat (standing headroom, but still cramped for what we want to do.

I was hoping to keep overall costs down by going for a 30' boat, but the reality is, being able to do most of the work ourselves (She's great working with epoxy and fiberglass!!! On her own!), the added expenses of a larger boat like 36', we both think, will be worth it in the long run. We definitely have avoided looking at boats much larger...

In our re-fitting history, we've purchased most hardware from second hand chancelleries, factory re-conditioned electronics, last year's models etc... just about anything to help keep costs down. We plan to have the boat and it's repairs/refitting/upgrading completed and paid for before we take off...

I wish we could get our boat parked here by my shop. We have a nice piece of property and the advantages of being able to climb down from the boat, step into the shop and make anything, is just way too convenient. Learned that, refitting our trailer boat.

I'll try to post some photos here of a refit I did on the bow of our 26' Chrysler... A little overkill, but turned out to be perfect! 25# Mantus, with modified anchor locker, custom bow roller, manual windlass and HD cleats all backed with marine ply/FG and epoxy... spent a few days at anchor, spinning around on the anchor and woke up to a 30knt+ blow that came into the bay... a LOT of boats dragged... We didn't!

OK... back to work.

Richard