Tayana 55

[andreavanduyn]

Anybody with experience how they sail and handle with small crew (2)?

[Joli]

They probably sail just fine but like most larger boats they can be a handfull to dock. Last weekend my wife and I enjoyed a 50 mile bash to weather in our boat. Being a larger boat it handled the breeze easily and we made the trip in 6 hours. That said; upon our return the engine decided it wasn't going any further and quit halfway through the cut of the marina. Our boat weighs 65,000 pounds and I would guess the Tayana is in that ballpark.

The question you need to ask yourself is what will you do when that happens? Are you comfortable with those situations? Do you feel qualified to handle the unexpected?

There are some here that sail Tayana's and they can answer to the Tayana's sailing attributes but only you can answer the "what if" questions.

[s/v Moondancer]

We own a Tayana 55 and my wife (Nell is 50's and I am 60) and I have just done 8000 miles on her in 18 months mostly with just the 2 of us and much of it offshore. She is a good sailor and fantastic in bad weather, we took her through 48 hours of a 40-50 knot gale and 20 ft seas with ease. The long modified keel gives her great stabiity and tracking and theauto pilot handles the worst weather

We do not have roller reefing on the main which would make her easier to sail short handed but providing we reef early it is not a problem. The 2000 sq ft cruising shute, even with a sock, is a handful so we do not use it as a 'go fast sail' but as a 'light air sail'

Docking is not hard as long as you have a bow thruster, without one she would be a very difficult.
She is a fantastic live-aboard and a great home in which we plan to circumnavigate.

However, like all big boats it does help if you have experience, she is not a 'beginner boat'

Pic is on our profile

If you need more information e-mail me at DrPKellett@aol.com

[FranklinGray]

Sorry to bring an old thread back to life, but I am curious about the Schooner Tayana 55. There is one for sale that has 3 "head sails" with one looking to be a reacher. Just curious how this boat would sail in 12 knots of true wind with such small sails.

Also, does anybody have the keel weight, the displacement and bridge clearance of the Schooner?

[s/v Moondancer]

Franklin, we have done a further 35,000nm in our Tayana, we are presently in Japan. She is a great sea boat and handles seriously bad weather with ease, she took a F10 in the Cook Straights with ease.

However, she is slow in light weather...just part of the price you pay for stability in 60 kt winds and 25 ft seas.

When we were looking for a Tayana there was a strange schooner with mostly roller furling sails...we rejected her because of the strange rig.

Our Tayana will be for sale in October when we get her back to the US unless someone wants to sail her in the Pacific where we have had 4 wonderful years.

Pm me if you want detais, she is blue water equipped.

The early Tayana 55s drew 7-6 and the keel weighed 17,000lbs, slow but very stable. Ours has an air draft of 76ft, you do not buy a sea boat to motor the ICW.