Hinckley Bermuda 40 Yawl good choice for bluewater cruiser?

[roverhi]

The acres of bright work on deck is/would be a deal killer for me. Can't imagine that much varnish with the abuse a cruising boat takes. You could buy a couple of boats of similar interior volume as the B40's cost. If you didn't need two boats, you could cruise for several years to a decade on the cost differential between a Morgan 383 and the B40.

Having said that, if you could afford it, it would be nice having the best looking boat in any anchorage.

[barnakiel]

At least one of them.

Are you into varnishing or into sailing?

b.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by jalmberg

Not to hijack my own thread, but I wonder how many people who hate varnish have actually tried varnishing? It's not that difficult, people!

Have you considered the workload of a cruiser? It ain't all about drinking beer and keeping up the bright work. There is always something going wrong and varnish is always going wrong. Keep it on the inside or un-varnished.

[Sailmonkey]

I have varnished.....I hate varnishing. The need to keep up with gouges and nicks did me in.


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[chris95040]

I think of all the cramped, greasy, knuckle-busting, miserable crap jobs you do on a boat, some scuffing and varnishing is by far the most enjoyable and instantly gratifying...

That being said, I'm a New Englander, and need something to do while waiting for summer to return...

...And I still end up trying all kinds of tricks to cut down on the amount of work...

...And will probably just find a boat that looks pretty without so much effort next time around.

[Cheechako]

Yawl = another answer to the "sailing at anchor " thread! With the mast aft out of the way, what's not to like about a yawl ya'll? :>)
How much bright work is on the typical B40? The one my friends had didn't have that much.

[jalmberg]

You guys are too fast on the keyboard! I decided to NOT hijack my own thread with a varnish/anti-varnish argument, and deleted my post, but not fast enough, apparently!

Anyway, as with all religious questions, some do, and some don't. That's all that can be said.

[CarlF]

Just chartered one for two weeks in Maine. First time sailing one for 20 years. It was like being 25 again. I doubt anyone has ever regretted owning a B40.

But much as I love them, it's a better coastal cruiser and Bermuda race entrant than ocean crosser. The boat can take it - the question is you.

Yes the motion is easy because the bow just goes right through the waves. "Wet" is an understatement.

Quite tender. The rail goes in the water easily (which is most enjoyable to me but scares my wife)

Tankage and weight carrying is limited. The boat has a 28ft waterline and fine ends. Don't expect it to sail well if you load it like a modern 40ft boat.

The old style hatches leak. And ventilation is not great. Remember this is a boat built in Maine where you can have frost in June.

No place for davits - and it would be sacrilege. The typical 11ft Rib with a 15hp outboard just isn't going to work on a B40.

A worn out 1980's diesel on a Hinckley is still just a worn out 1980's diesel. Plan to replace ancient systems with new ones. Replace wiring, pipes and hoses.

Now the good:

The cockpit is large and comfy.

She sails so sweetly that you'll sail a lot. This is the sort of boat that you'll sail out of the anchorage without starting the engine. Just push the mizzen boom to the side to kick the stern around.

The mizzen is large for a yawl. She balances and performs well in 20+ knots without the main set (jib and jigger)

The outboard berths in the main cabin are perhaps the best sea berths ever designed.

The 4' (and a few inches) draft is great. Lifting the centerboard is strenuous exercise. You'll probably usually just leave it up. It takes about 100 turns of the special winch. If you buy the boat, get the centerboard serviced. No fun to have it get stuck at sea.

The propeller and rudder are well protected. Very hard to get it tangled on a piece of fishing gear.

All the joinerwork below can be unscrewed and removed for easy repairs. When you put it back, be sure to take the time to line up the slots on the bronze screw heads. That's what the Hinckley craftsman did when they built the boat.

Yes the varnish takes work but there's a lot of karma from keeping a beautiful boat looking her best. Don't buy a Hinckley if you aren't willing to accept this duty.

[jalmberg]

I wonder about the 'limited storage and tankage' comments.

She carries 110 gallons of water in 3 tanks, which is a lot more than many, and typically carries a crew of 8 in Bermuda races.

I guess the question is, limited compared to what?

[Lowcountry]

I'm biased, but the Mason 43 and 44 fit a lot of your criteria. I've heard them referred to as a poor man's Hinckley, but I think they're every bit as solid and pretty.

[CSY Man]

I had a similar boat,a Bermuda 44, designed by Bill Tripp and built in Maine.
She won the 1957 Bermuda race.
Lived on it for 3 years in the Caribbean and sailed quite a bit.
Heavy bronze centerboard.
That was my first boat, had nothing to compare to. (Never sailed before I bought her)

Seaworthy for sure, but heels, then the heeling ads waterline, speed and stability.
Plenty big for us. (2 people)
It had no modern stuff such as roller furling, auto pilot, windlass, fridge, davits, bimini, no nothing, just a big and fast sailing machine.
A good teacher I guess.
Enjoyed the boat but I was 29 years old and enjoyed everything.
Would I take it cruising long distance?
Nah, probably not but certainly doable.
Great boat but I would rather cruise the CSY 33 I owned for 14 years later in life.

[CarlF]

Mason 43 is a good comparison to B40 for tankage. While it's a slightly bigger boat, it is usually sailed by a couple.

Water - B40 110 gal Mason 205 gal

Fuel - B40 - 48 gal Mason 160 gal

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by Lowcountry

I'm biased, but the Mason 43 and 44 fit a lot of your criteria. I've heard them referred to as a poor man's Hinckley, but I think they're every bit as solid and pretty.

The Mason is prettier (the fixed ports of the Hinkley look odd) and much, much nicer inside. This is a cruising boat!

Matt

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by chris95040

"Good turn of speed" will get some laughs around here.

But Paul mentions (among several good points) that the mizzen is not helpful for a cruiser. I'd have to disagree. It's true that, like many aspects of the CCA era boats, it's not a choice you would make absent trying to get around rules. That being said....

- Jib + Jigger (no main) is a balanced, awesome, easy, relaxing way to sail the boat when singlehanded, or tired, or the wind has really picked up, or you just don't want to spill your beer...

- Having a mizzen as part of the sailplan makes the main a little more manageable, sizewise..

- With the boom extending well aft of the transom, it makes for a very convenient boom crane to get your engine off your dink and onto the mothership.

- Leave the mizzen up, heavily reefed, at anchor, to limit motion.

- Its a great spot for the radar to avoid being in the way of the genoa.

and most importantly...

- Its another fun thing to noodle with

Having owned a Yawl, I would say a Jib & Jigger is suited for a Ketch...and then marginal at that. the reason cutters are so popular is the ability to balance sail economically without doubling the cost of rigging and sails. The only thing my Yawl mizzen was good for was in an anchorage to help her lay to the wind.

Originally Posted by roverhi

The acres of bright work on deck is/would be a deal killer for me. Can't imagine that much varnish with the abuse a cruising boat takes. You could buy a couple of boats of similar interior volume as the B40's cost. If you didn't need two boats, you could cruise for several years to a decade on the cost differential between a Morgan 383 and the B40.

Having said that, if you could afford it, it would be nice having the best looking boat in any anchorage.

Good point. to the OP. If I was to choose a boat for you to cruise, it would be a Tartan 37. Take the money you save from the Hinkley and spend half of that money on a sexy Awlgrip paint job and the other half on fancy, modern upgrades.

[sck5]

Well, if I were going to go cruising I would get a more modern boat made for that which is exactly what I did. I got a Caliber 40 which for me is a great boat for a couple with occasional guests. But the B40 would work too - My cousin's was set up for a race crew of 8-10 sailing watch and watch to Bermuda. I would rerig so you could do most stuff from the cockpit if it were up to me and check out whether you could install some extra fuel tankage somewhere. The motion seemed fine - the B40 is a pretty heavy boat - though I like my Caliber better.

As for teak, you dont really need to keep it bright. Just let it all go gray until you decide to sell it and then sand and varnish everything in sight. I certainly wouldnt even try to keep it all beautiful and the fact is neither does my cousin. Their boat is kept shiny by the boatyard guys because it would take way too much time away from sailing to do it themselves. But that is because they want it like that and can afford it, not because the teak actually needs to have it done. It is purely cosmetic. But I have to say it really does look like the cover of a sailing magazine.