Shannon 37

[Reedville]

Hi All

Looking for opinions on a Shannon 37. I plan on sailing in the Chesapeake single handed most of the time. The attached link to a Shannon 37 for sale in Chicago appears to be a contender but I am a bit worried about the in mast furling main. Any thoughts on the boat in general and in particular the in mast furling would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Reedville

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/198...on-37-7999699/

[KompetentKrew]

All boats are a compromise - I don't think there's anything inherently wrong with a furling main. It happened that I ended up with a slab-reefed / battened mainsail but I could have ended up with furling if everything else had been right about the boat - it was purely a matter of luck.

Having said that, I would not choose this boat. To my eye it looks broadly comparable with a Tayana 37, but the smallest layout of the Tayana 37 - it lacks the pilot berth or rear cabin that were options on the Tayana. More strikingly the ketch rig does it no favours, the mizzen crowding the cockpit which seems crowded and narrow.

I haven't been following the used boat market for a couple of years, but it seems a little pricey. I doubt you will place any value on the ancient ham radio, but the seller probably thinks it a selling point - that the boat is "well equipped for bluewater".

If you're in the market for this kind of boat then I recommend subscribing to the email discussions lists of the Tayana Owners' Group, the Baba-Panda-Tashiba List and the Valiant-sailboats list. These get quite a lot of traffic so filter then into a folder, but do make sure you check it regularly for boats for sale. Cabo Rico boats have their own character but are similar - I bet they also have a mailing list / owners' group.

[smj]

Maybe post in a monohull thread rather than multihull?

[flyingfin]

In-mast furling?????? Just give up and buy a power boat

[Caleb_Grey]

Originally Posted by Reedville

Hi All

Looking for opinions on a Shannon 37. I plan on sailing in the Chesapeake single handed most of the time. The attached link to a Shannon 37 for sale in Chicago appears to be a contender but I am a bit worried about the in mast furling main. Any thoughts on the boat in general and in particular the in mast furling would be greatly appreciated.
8
Thanks

Reedville

https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/198...on-37-7999699/

There's nothing wrong with shannon or in main furling, your major problem is getting the boat to the Chesapeake.
East Coast has more boats available than you could ever see in a lifetime. Start looking where you are first.

[GordMay]

The Shannon seems to be missing a hull.

[Reedville]

Thanks for pointing out my mistake!

[Tayana_37]

I sailed on a Shannon 38 pilothouse cutter from Rhode Island to England. They are well found boats. In mast furling is not ideal in terms of sailing performance, but seems convenient. The centerboard is good for the Chesapeake. I live near Reedville.

[Tayana_37]

BTW, I agree with Caleb, there is a massive supply of boats right here

[Manateeman]

Not a massive supply of boats as well built as Shannon yachts.
They were the company that attracted the best boatbuilders in Rhode Island and SE Massachusetts. Solid. Seaworthy. Quality.
Great bunch of guys who knew how to build boats.
Captain Mark and the manatee crew of professional boatbuilders.

[Caleb_Grey]

At the time there were 3-4 comparable shannons up for sale on east coast.
With the major price reduction on this one someone is really desperate or something is really wrong.
For that price you could have it shipped and still be ahead of the game.
Theres a really nice 39 that just came back on the market down in florida.

[Jebtrois]

It's a solid boat, but getting long in the tooth. Note the challenges others are having in getting insurance and be sure you can get it before you go further on this boat. The swing keel is nice for the shallow Chesapeake, but the boat overall may be more 'bluewatery' than you want or need for most Bay conditions.
JEB

[anotherT34C]

Shannon should generally be of excellent build quality, and ought to last a very long time. This one looks nice, and (it seems) fairly priced.

I would agree that you should probably look closer to the Chesapeake. Shannon’s are fairly common around here.

[CarlF]

The Shannon 37 is a lovely boat for a singlehanded in the Chesapeake. The centerboard draft of only 4' 3" will help in the shallow water and a ketch rig is much easier for a singlehanded as it reduces the size of the other sails making them easier to handle. Not as fast as a sloop on a race course but will more than hold its own on a reach or run. In stiffer winds, you'll spend a lot of your time sailing without the main - jib and jigger.

And the boat is so pretty that you'll turn heads in every harbor you enter. These are US built in RI and built to last forever (and be repairable without resorting to a sawzall). Many have circumnavigated. Was included in the famous "Worlds Best Sailboats" book. You can still call Shannon for free advice on repairs and where to find replacement parts. I don't know any other builder that offers this on 30 year old boats.

There's a Shannon Facebook group. I'd join it and ask about the furling main. But again, for a single hander a furling main is a huge benefit. Not just for furling but for reefing as you can dial in just the amount of reef you want without leaving the cockpit. In a ketch configuration the slightly smaller mainsail due to no battens is not as big a penalty as it is on a sloop.

[Caleb_Grey]

Personally not a fan of ketches on boats that small. Shannon 43 would be the smallest ketch id consider.
The smaller sail idea is good in theory on larger boats, but wont make enough of a difference on a small boat.
Plus the inconvenience of having a mast in the cockpit, and the associated costs of a 2nd mast.
The added weight aloft and short draft will make knockdowns all too common, especially in the chessie where winds can pipe up very quickly.
Thats also a negative for a furled main on a ketch that small, even more weight where you dont want it.