Yorktown Sailboats

[Charlie]

Hi does anyone know anything about yorktown sailboats? A friend found one cheap but I don't know anything abouyt them.

[CaptHead]

They are cheap. What I know, as a powerboater, is they were mostly sold as kits with bare hulls so the owners did their own. Good Luck!

[Charlie]

Thanks:

I did a search with google on CF and found a good link if anyone is interested. http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...info-7989.html As with most things it is a buyer beware. Some were good some not so good. Specific problem wwas the keel attachment.

[dandkg]

We own a 1970 yorktown 33'. We bought her in Nov. 08. We knew she hadn't been out of the water in 17 years! when we hulled her out we opened a can of worms!! we ended up having to completely re-glass the keel. It had completely delaminated from the keel!! We were blessed to find a retired Master shipwright that redid her! So get it surveyed first! Even though we had to repair her she is the best built old sailboat you could buy. The one we own was the fourth completed boat built by Hank McCune. If the boat has a recent survey you can't lose. The fiberglass on the keels is 3]4 of an inch thick they are a sturdy blue water boat. We couldn't be happier! They are heavy boats she weighs close to 20,000 pounds, the keel alone is over 8,000lbs. if you need any other info let me know. We've become experts!!! LOL

[roverhi]

Yorktowns were cheap boats built cheaply. When we were building our Westsail in '74-'75, the word was they bought the cheapest resin and fiberglass that no other boat builder would touch. The ones that I have seen are more than a bit on the ugly side. Don't know who the designer was but don't think he/she was the sharpest knife in the drawer but probably available cheap. Caveat Emptor.

Aloha
Peter O.

[rdcleveland]

I just sailed a Yorktown 35 a little over 1500 miles from Va to Puerto Rico. Along the way I experienced microbursts over 75mph, surfed a 20 foot wave and endured over two days of gale force winds with the tops blowing off the waves.
First of all, I was really suprised by it's handling ability. I've owned several other larger sailboats that were "blue water" built, prior to buying this. They were absolutely bullet proof in every sense of the word. This Yorktown handled brilliantly and was easily feathered into the 16-20 foot seas that barraged us for days on end. The boat was fast and responded well and tracked true. The hull shape seemed to give the sensation that the boat was being pulled up somewhat as it accellerated and we'd often be doing high 6's low 7's in the water under single or double reef.

Though the boat made it fine, my impression is that it wasn't built for doing the kind of crossing I did as a normal mode of use. There was a fair amount of minor hull twisting (no oil canning), to the point of opening up just about every seal around every window and though bolt on the boat. The net effect was that everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING inside the boat got soaked with seawater as the boat was pounded by waves that seem to make there way into the boat in areas that continued to suprise me. This ruined some of the interior wood (which the previous owner used veneers) as the wood soaked up this newly found water and created a mess of some interior finish work.

I'm very impressed by how well it did and the rig it came with. The steering and rudder set up on this particular boat is as strong as I've ever seen. I hope to have many fun years sailing this boat in the Caribbean in the future, though I will tell you I'd never cross the Atlantic in it again, regardless of season, unless I was able to stiffen up and better seal the boat prior to departure.

If you are looking for an inexpensive boat that will give you a tremendous sailing experience, you found a good choice. Don't expect top shelf joinery but the fun factor per dollar, I'm really glad I purchased this boat.

[RRivit]

I have recently bought a Yorktown sloop, design by Hank McCune,and have to say that although I've heard people who have had Yorktowns that were not so good, mine seems to have been overbuilt, and by someone who obviously knew what they were doing. I have head stories of other yorktowns and the build results,and I got luckier than many. If anyone out there has hard factual information regarding Yorktowns, or if they perhaps own one, I would like to hear from others regarding their experiences with them. as for mine, I have sailed it in fair weather, and weather not so fair (20ft swells, 12sec intervals, driving rain, 35knot windspeeds, gusts to 45), and I have been first, amazed by the handling and stability. like a tank, I'd say. Never a leak sprung from hard sailing, never even once did I feel any structural issues, and the first time I came through a storm, and out the blue side, I knew for certain that if Yorktowns were all built like this one, they would have cult followings...I know I am not the only one with a superbly built Yorktown. Please, if there are other Yorktown owners out there who feel the quality of their Yorktown, let's hear from you. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to know which ones are good, and which ones to run from..

[justuspost]

Hank made the 41's to race Catalina off the coast of LA. I now own his personal 41. I'm planning to finish outfitting it without weigh as the main priority.

There were several different Yorktown models, not all were kits. They're now 25 year old boats, so some have been better maintained than others. There's no doubt that they were designed more for utility than vanity. If you wanna look pretty and sail marginally, look for a boat that ends in xyz-eau.

Otherwise, they seem to be reasonably priced, well performing coastal boats. I've not taken mine to the big blue, so I can't speak to that.

[rustygun2]

Originally Posted by RRivit

I have recently bought a Yorktown sloop, design by Hank McCune,and have to say that although I've heard people who have had Yorktowns that were not so good, mine seems to have been overbuilt, and by someone who obviously knew what they were doing. I have head stories of other yorktowns and the build results,and I got luckier than many. If anyone out there has hard factual information regarding Yorktowns, or if they perhaps own one, I would like to hear from others regarding their experiences with them. as for mine, I have sailed it in fair weather, and weather not so fair (20ft swells, 12sec intervals, driving rain, 35knot windspeeds, gusts to 45), and I have been first, amazed by the handling and stability. like a tank, I'd say. Never a leak sprung from hard sailing, never even once did I feel any structural issues, and the first time I came through a storm, and out the blue side, I knew for certain that if Yorktowns were all built like this one, they would have cult followings...I know I am not the only one with a superbly built Yorktown. Please, if there are other Yorktown owners out there who feel the quality of their Yorktown, let's hear from you. I'm sure I'm not the only one who wants to know which ones are good, and which ones to run from..

I too have purchased a 39' sloop and had it shipped from Michigan to N.C and have found it an interesting project. To date I have only motored it and am looking forward to refitting the sails..Thanks for the Info that has been posted

[rustygun2]

I purchased a 39' sloop from Michigan and had it trucked down to the NC Coast..To Date I have only motored it and done a lot cleaning and painting.
My biggest challange has been understanding water that flows down into the Keel. The Cement seems to have broken down in areas and may have frozen at one point. I have drained the keel and patched the crack along the bottom of the keel. However water still runs into the keel and I plan to add a plug next time I take it out of water. I am looking for sails should anybody have a set for this boat.
As to wood rot...well I'll keep moving along replacing and need to do some upper deck glass patching as well. Thanks for info that's been posted

[dandkg]

Where do I start, If the boat has not been hulled out for a while and you are just thinking of patching it when you do. Think again! These are great boats but... if your finding water coming up through the keel, chances are it had delaminated. and a patch won't do it! in ours it appeared the oil that dripped from the engine eat through the fiberglass and worked its way through the keel, We found blisters behind blisters you need to find someone who knows about this there are ways to readhere it to the concrete, they put a little bit of everything in these keels from concrete to lead filled cofee cans they are great boats but have it done right if you hull her. SHE IS WORTH IT! We have a great guy here on the west coast, near where the boats were originally built I know of no one on the east coast who knows them, But good luck, we love ours and let us know if you need more info, I could write a book on these boats. I own the fourth one Hank McCune built and know lots of others that own them .....

[dandkg]

Sails!!!! We ended up having them custom made! can use sails from a catalina 30 but still not quite right! Hank McCune rigged all of these boats different, they are all old school (shorter mast & Longer foot) We tried finding sails finally went to T&A sails in wilmington Ca.

[rustygun2]

My water in the Keel isn't a result of a leaking Keel however any water entering the Boat will first run to the keel before building in the bilge.when filling the water tanks and realizing it was cracked and leaking out about 5 gals I'd estimate went into the keel where the cement has broken down toward the rear under the engine area. It's not a good thing but I'm aware when I haul it out I'll need to drain it to avoid freezing thus the idea to add a plug. I doubt I could reseal the top of the keel where it meets the timbers to stop this water draining so I live with it and dry vac as much as I can. I also dropped about 4 qts of oil when high pressure line gave out and it too went down below and I am slowly getting it pumped out when underway and it is on a tilt. Aii in all I see hope for this boat and I was on a budget when buying it. As to sails mine came with none and as mentioned am looking for a Budget price to get it started. Thanks for reply and good luck.
My boat can be viewed on facebook tashibles@aol.com be glad to add a fellow Yorktown owner as a friend

[Walks]

I recently bought a 1975 Yorktown 35 in Hobart Tasmania. I don't know the history, but this vessel has obviously successfully journeyed from the west coast of USA to Australia. It spent considerable time in western and north western Australia, before being totally refitted in 2006 and sailed around the "top-end" and down the east coast of OZ to Tasmania.

So Yorktown owners can take heart, despite the often bad press in forums such as this about Yorktowns, they must float pretty well!

[steve_hendry]

Someone sailed an Irwin 39 from Connecticut to Australia
USA to Australia Cruise
doesn't mean it's a good idea.