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31-05-2011, 15:58
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#16
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Stuart, Florida
Boat: 1984 Prout Snowgoose 37
Posts: 57
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
Hi all,
we presently live aboard and cruise the east coast aboard "Grace", our 1984 Prout Snowgoose 37. We have owned her for a little over 3 years and have probably gone about 5000 miles from Boston to the Keys....mostly in the waterway but a number of offshore coastal hops of 200 miles or less. She was in pretty poor shape when we got her and are fixing things as we cruise...yes, the boat pounds terrible in short,steep chop, and we have broken the firdell blipper off the mast in the Chesapeake and broken the vhf antenna off the masthead in the Delaware bay...but the boat holds together and we no longer push her so hard...I had built a Searunner 34 in san francisco in the 80's and lived aboard and sailed that boat to the carolinas on the east coast in the early 90's...great sailing boats...the Prout is quite different, but so are we, a good bit older, the Prout is heavier, slower, but much gentler on us...it is still quite spartan as cruising cats go, no pressure water, no deck fills, and the staterooms are a bit small...she has been a lot of work, but she has given us many adventures so far and I'm sure many more...capngeo you can't go too wrong with the Snowgoose...if you are near Stuart, Fl stop on by...we are in the mooring field, we'll give you a tour. We will probably be heading north within the next two weeks towards the Chesapeake...
fair winds,
George
__________________
Prout Snowgoose 37 "Gracie"
Stuart, Florida
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01-06-2011, 04:47
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#17
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Key West & Sarasota
Boat: Cal 28 "Happy Days"
Posts: 4,210
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
Geez I didn't mean to start an anchor thread! The boat I looked at was in great shape structurally, no stress cracks or blisters of any consequence. The standing rigging looked serviceable. I did not get to see the sails. The boat is on the hard and the engine could not be run underway, but did start right up.
Just so y'all know what I have planned... Currently we have a CAL28 in Key West. Joanne and I both still work on the West Coast of FL south of Sarasota. We cruise for one month a year and otherwise just daysails around the Keys. 90% of our time she is just our vacation condo tied to the pier. In 25 months, I retire and we are going to KW full time. "Retired" is relative, as we will both still work down there. The CAL is a great little boat, but as a full time liveaboard with 2 cats, a dog, and a bird.... It is just too small.
In the past I had a houseboat down there... Great floating condo, crap cruiser! The CAL was up on the West Coast and was daysailing only. We sold the HB, and moved the CAL down. Sailing is great there... Living on her is tight!
I'm enroute Key West on my bike (gas stop right now) from the West Coast...I'll pm my contact info captfolly, might take the long way home!
__________________
Any fool with a big enough checkbook can BUY a boat; it takes a SPECIAL type of fool to build his own! -Capngeo
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01-06-2011, 10:13
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#19
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Registered User
Join Date: May 2003
Location: New Bern, NC
Boat: Prout Manta 38' Catamaran - Sunspot Baby
Posts: 1,521
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
An error (typo) in my earlier post. Our boat is a 1994, not a 1997.
Not important but my wife pointed out my error and I don't want to misrepresent.:-)
George
__________________
She took my address and my name
Put my credit to shame
Sunspot Baby, sure had a real good time
Bob Seger
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01-06-2011, 13:42
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#20
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Registered User
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Southampton UK
Boat: Jaguar 22 mono called Arfur.
Posts: 1,220
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
I loved my little Prout. Wish I still had it. I always felt it would outperform me when things got tough.
The Stay Sail is always first up, last down. The Genoa is thr big driving force and on roller reefing it is simply reduced as the wind increases, no need to go forwards. The stay sail might as well be the storm sail in the first place, it's benefit is guiding the airflow into the back of the main which works well with practice.
In a following wind set the genoa and main to one side, and the stay the other way. The main fills the stay and the stay fills the genoa and everything remains stable. A real treat. Don't add a roached main, it moves the centre of pressure aft and overloads the rudders.
It's comfortable under full sail in 30 kts of wind. My 30fter maintained a third of wind speed in nearly all conitions and achieved 30 apparent for a long run in sheltered waters. 4o was more typical but I am a beginner.
Lee shore! Just pick a sandy or gravel beach and winch her off when you want to continue. Been there and done it in a f7.
Loved it. Rather have a 37 for ocean work but I'd have taken my 30ft anywhere, knowing I could trust her to get through it and then loiter along until I felt better.
__________________
Ex Prout 31 Sailor, Now it's a 22ft Jaguar called 'Arfur' here in sunny Southampton, UK.
A few places left in Quayside Marina and Kemps Marina.
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01-06-2011, 14:08
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#21
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Sponsoring Vendor
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: East of West
Posts: 252
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
capngeo, is it the Prout in Indiantown, FL (from Yachtworld)?
__________________
Polar Navy - because life is too short to use ugly navigation software
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01-06-2011, 17:34
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#22
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 853
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
Quote:
Originally Posted by capngeo
Geez I didn't mean to start an anchor thread! The boat I looked at was in great shape structurally, no stress cracks or blisters of any consequence. The standing rigging looked serviceable. I did not get to see the sails. The boat is on the hard and the engine could not be run underway, but did start right up.
Just so y'all know what I have planned... Currently we have a CAL28 in Key West. Joanne and I both still work on the West Coast of FL south of Sarasota. We cruise for one month a year and otherwise just daysails around the Keys. 90% of our time she is just our vacation condo tied to the pier. In 25 months, I retire and we are going to KW full time. "Retired" is relative, as we will both still work down there. The CAL is a great little boat, but as a full time liveaboard with 2 cats, a dog, and a bird.... It is just too small.
In the past I had a houseboat down there... Great floating condo, crap cruiser! The CAL was up on the West Coast and was daysailing only. We sold the HB, and moved the CAL down. Sailing is great there... Living on her is tight!
I'm enroute Key West on my bike (gas stop right now) from the West Coast...I'll pm my contact info captfolly, might take the long way home!
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I have spent several years for a months fishing and gunk holing out of Homosassa Springs. I use a friend's 27ft pontoon boat. I know the Prout Snowgoose 37 it would be an ideal boat for Florida's West coast - easy to beach . Here are a couple of pictures with boat on the beach.
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06-06-2011, 04:58
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#23
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Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: New Bern, NC (Fairfield Harbour)
Boat: 1994 Prout Manta Catamaran
Posts: 248
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Re: Opinions on a 1983 Prout 37
Our Prout, Sunspot Baby, has treated us very well. We know quite a few Prout owners who, like us, feel they made a good decision, and haven't come across any who feel otherwise.
Some years ago this Prout Sirocco ended up on the rocks on a 12 foot tide in Maine. She floated off on the next tide with no damage.
An elderly friend in his 80's has been cruising his Prout over 30 years, and not just in the Chesapeake, but to the Bahamas and back every year, with very little on the boat in the way of frills.
There are lots of good boats out there, Prouts and otherwise. Have fun in your search.
Entlie
Sailing Catamaran Sunspot Baby
__________________
"Never a ship sails out of a bay
but carries my heart as a stowaway."
-Roselle Mercier Montgomery"
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