Visit our Popular Forums

DinghyHoosier · 21-03-2016, 17:20

Bearing in mind that almost everything about boats is subjective...one man's pig is another man's princess...what boat have you owned or sailed on often that you would say was the absolute worst, and why?

Cheechako · 21-03-2016, 17:37

For me I suppose it was the Contessa 26. Pretty little thing but slow, wet and always well heeled.

Tayana42 · 21-03-2016, 18:03

Mine was a Seafarer 24. Young and inexperienced I went for a boat show special on a new build. It had lots of interior space for 24ft but we found out it didn't sail very well. And it was very poorly constructed. That said, we learned a lot (learned not to buy another one). Sailed all over the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway through NYC and Long Island Sound. And since we didn't know any better we thought we had a lot of enjoyment with that boat.

S/V B'Shert

snort · 21-03-2016, 18:26

This one will get interesting pretty quick.

Maybe I better have something more substantial for this potential megathread.

LLCoolDave · 21-03-2016, 18:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cheechako

For me I suppose it was the Contessa 26. Pretty little thing but slow, wet and always well heeled.

I have read the Contessa 26 and 32 are submarines with sails. Always wet. lol Still seaworthy though.

SkiprJohn · 21-03-2016, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by LLCoolDave

I have read the Contessa 26 and 32 are submarines with sails. Always wet. lol Still seaworthy though.

And yet the International Folkboat is a very well respected sailer. Nearly identical hull with more sail area.

SkiprJohn · 21-03-2016, 18:35

I have to admit that I have now owned the worst constructed boat for well into 30 years. It is an owner finished Cascade 42. I should have listened to all the people who told me about it's poor construction. The hull is beautiful and the rest of it is being replaced.

There are many of the same boat that were factory finished that are really well done so it's not the boat but who finishes it that matters.

CSY Man · 21-03-2016, 18:45

Worst boat...?

Nah, all my boats have been good, one way or the other, just like my wifes and my girlfriends.

Stumble · 21-03-2016, 18:52

By far racing on a Luder-16 was the most miserable boat I have ever been on. Everything was rigged for maximum pain and bleeding. Not to mention the long very narrow bow making it almost impossible to accomplish anything.

They are very pretty under sail however.

SkiprJohn · 21-03-2016, 18:57

It will really be very hard to get a boatowner to admit they made a bad choice but I'm waiting to hear from those who own some boats that I know are really terrible.

TJ D · 21-03-2016, 18:59

CT 41, hands down. (I'm on boat #4 now).

Let me count the ways...

-Chainplates were built into the boat without being attached to the hull. Just bolted into a piece of mahogany which was glassed into the hull. Wood inevitably got wet, chainplates no longer stayed where they should nearly lost the rig when the aft lower chainplate pulled about 6 inches up. The bolt wedging against the underside of the deck was all that stopped it from coming all the way out.

-Mast step collapsed under compression load in a gale.

- Black iron tanks, 2 failed in 2 years

-Cockpit lockers all drained to bilge. 2 of the lockers went straight into the bottom of the boat, and the hatches were just held down by gravity. (we fixed that one before going offshore)

-Wiring was terrible.

-Teak decks were held down by screws, most of which leaked with time.

It goes on and on with that boat. It was a very happy day to get that one sold.

Oh yes, it also couldn't sail out of it's own way...

Apologies to all who love these boats. Perhaps ours was just a particularly bad one.

TJ

SkiprJohn · 21-03-2016, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stumble

By far racing on a Luder-16 was the most miserable boat I have ever been on. Everything was rigged for maximum pain and bleeding. Not to mention the long very narrow bow making it almost impossible to accomplish anything.

They are very pretty under sail however.

But, she is so beautiful! Who knew?

**minaret** · 21-03-2016, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

I have to admit that I have now owned the worst constructed boat for well into 30 years. It is an owner finished Cascade 42. I should have listened to all the people who told me about it's poor construction. The hull is beautiful and the rest of it is being replaced.

There are many of the same boat that were factory finished that are really well done so it's not the boat but who finishes it that matters.

Cascade 42!