Five foot-itis.. happy/sad/reflective day....

[Shawn]

(Long stream of consciousness alert)

About 6 years ago I stepped up from a Flying Scot to Serenity to have a more stable and flexible boat for my growing family. Because I wasn't sure if the kids were going to enjoy sailing I wanted to keep the size relatively small and on a trailer during the winter to keep costs down. It turns out both my kids have loved spending time on Serenity and really enjoy sleeping out on the hook as well. Their mom is less of a fan as the cabin feels claustrophobic to her. As we do more of this the apparent size of Serenity seems to have been shrinking. At 6'5" it is tough to move around in the cabin with two kids and gear down there. The V berth is *just* big enough for me and that is with me wedged under the side deck. As such I have been kicking around the idea of moving up in size for awhile.

This season I ended up getting more serious about it after a chance encounter with a wood 1950s 28' Crocker. The additional few feet made a dramatic difference in the size of the cabin and in the cockpit as well. The hunt was on for all the attributes I liked from Serenity but scaled up while still trying to maximize space to keep dock and storage fees as low as possible. Good build, nice sailing, easy to singlehand, "life is to short to own an ugly boat", pretty interior (better to win over the Admiral) ,good user support...etc...etc. I was limiting my search to around the 27-30 foot range but mostly looking at 27'-28'.

I would have loved a Compac 27 but they were out of my budget. Ditto a Nonsuch which is one of my favorite boats.

First boat I looked at in earnest was an Ericson 28+. Down below those things are amazing. The double quarterberth (on some but not all of them) is really roomy and almost 7' long. V berth is decent and one settee is full length but the other is about 3/4 size. Headliner with zippers is a nice feature to run wiring and check all deck hardware while keeping it hidden most of the time. Very nice wood work with a bunch of features that try to maximize space However, the cockpit was cramped. Almost a foot shorter than Serenity and the traveller is on the bridge deck. That is a location I simply hate with young children. To easy to get fingers caught in something and that location makes single handing more difficult as the large wheel is harder to get past to move forward (you walk on the seats) and would be even worse with others in the cockpit.

I checked out a bunch of other makes including a really interesting Hereshoff Cat Ketch Corp 28'. That was very tempting (love the sail plan, interior was beautiful) but I was put off by the lack of information on the boat and it just seemed way to light for its size.

Ended up looking at a Sabre 28 about a half mile from where I keep Serenity. This one was in rough shape but it was the first Sabre I looked at. The design had what I wanted. A cockpit almost the same length as Serenity but nearly a foot wider and it stays that width almost the full length. Seats are wider too for more comfort. Later models have a T shaped cockput for my leg room/seating along the back as well. Sabre's have a strong reputation as a very well built boat that is said to sail beautifully. Down below they have either sleeping for 5 or 6 depending upon if it has the extended galley or the quarterberth. I wanted the quarterberth as it is more interior storage and in the MKIs it is at the same height as the port settee (which pulls out to a double) to give an almost 13' long berth. On the later boats the quarterberth is an inch or two higher than the settee.

Anyhow... now that I knew the model I wanted it was time to find the right boat. As they were built in Maine there is a strong concentration of them in this area. I probably checked out 10 different boats all over the place. Thought I had a deal made on a MKIII but it ended up falling through. That had the travellor in front of the hatch which might have been annoying to single hand. Earlier boats had them on the stern like Serenity. That is handy for single handing.  Saw some boats listed as "excellent" that were in scary condition with the entire boat patchwork rewired with red wires going to ground...etc...etc. Just a nightmare to deal with. Checked one out with tiller steering, expecting to love it, but ended up realizing that in this boat wheel steering makes more sense. The rudder post is in the middle of the cockpit and the tiller sweep would take up the front half of the cockpit. You would steer from the front of the cockpit but the main sheet is at the rear... again not great for single handing.

Then I found "the one." A 1980 model that was being sold by its original owner. Wheel steering with the mainsheet at the rear, halyards led to the cockpit, self tailing winches...etc..etc. When checking it out it is readily apparent it had an owner that loved it and took great care of it. It's name "Chouchou" means Teacher's Pet. My wife and I are both teachers....

Made an offer and heard back 5 minutes later that it was accepted. Went to survey and as the boat is being raised to launch it an older gentleman comes over and carefully scrapes the bottom of the keel and paints it. He then touches up a few other places where the stands were before coming over and introducing himself as the owner. After we get the boat in the water the surveyor is extremely thorough and ends up raving about how smooth the seacocks are and that the boat is just very solid overall and obviously very well maintained. Talking with the owner he is a retired mechanical engineer from Electric Boat who worked on submarine propulsion and steering systems. Mechanical things that don't work properly "piss him off" so he makes sure that wasn't the case on his boat. As he has owned her for 34 years he is telling me dozens of tips and tricks on the boat.

When the original owner purchased her he took delivery in the same town I keep Serenity in and sailed her to his home. I closed on Chouchou today. Friday I will be sailing her the 50 miles back from his home to my dock. Chouchou will be on the return leg of a trip she started 33 years ago. That is exciting.

After I get ChouChou home I have to pull Serenity and get her prepared to find her next journey. This will be sad, my daughter keeps telling me "but I love Serenity."

Some pics....

Will miss the bronze portlights....


This is a neat trick on the Sabre,  the entry way to the head/sink and V berth is staggered off center to starboard and as you pass the first bulkhead the walkway cuts back to port. They did this to hide the compression post. The port side of that doorway is directly under the mast and is a teak compression post for added strength. 


Looking back, steps/cover is off of engine as par of survey.


Another nice trick.. those wood panels besides the companionway give access to the wiring and the back sides of instruments mounted in the cockpit coaming. The one under the companionway is for access to the engine gauges.


Shawn

[Tim Gardner]

Pretty boat. Looks dauntingly large for single handing.

TG

[peterg]

Congrats on the new boat!  I think you will find single-handing her to be more convenient and easier than a smaller, outboard powered boat. A wheel, preferably with an autopilot, the inboard diesel, and self-tailing winches on the more stable platform of a larger and heavier boat,  all add up to easy sail raising and dropping. The Sabre will also sail circles around most boats of her size- you are going to love this boat!! Good luck and enjoy!

[Shawn]

Tim,

"Looks dauntingly large for single handing."

I have been thinking the same thing, but I thought the same thing about Serenity and that ended up being easy after I got used to her.

What is really going to scare me out (for awhile) is docking her. Having the pedestal mounted controls should help with that though (easier than looking/reaching backwards at the Tohatsu) and the Sabre pivots *wonderfully* on her keel at low speeds. Serenity has a lot more slip when pivoting at low speed.

Shawn

[brackish]

Congratulations Shawn, certainly we will miss you around here particularly the very thoughtful enhancements to Serenity, the Sabre is a great boat and it makes sense for your current lifestyle.  

Also thinking of going larger.  When I bought Arion, my intention was to tow and travel regularly to new cruising grounds thus the choice of a transportable sailboat.  While I've done that a bit, I find that it is happening less and less. At 67 I find that physically taxing and logistically difficult.   When I complete a planned move to the Gulf Coast in the next 12 months, then a  boat in the 27-30 foot size range will probably be targeted.  A good sailing boat that can still be single handed with standing headroom, wheel steering, diesel inboard and an enclosed head (for the Admiral) that will stay in the water all the time ready to step on and go.  I'll handle the new cruising grounds by chartering.

[Craig]

Congrats! Sabres are great boats and the way yours is set up singlehanding should be no problem. If she doesn't already have them, lazy jacks are a real boon to singlehanding as is a jib downhaul. Although Kailani is relatively easy to trailer, she stays in the water most of the time. Brackish is right. At some point(for some of us) trailer sailing becomes more taxing than relaxing.

[Shawn]

Peter,

Thanks, I am hoping you are right about single handing. This will be the largest boat I have ever sailed. The tillerpilot in Serenity is extremely handy when single handing. Where I really need it is in raising/lowering/changing the head sail. Chouchou has roller furling so that aspect of single handing her will be easier and will hopefully offset the lack of autopilot. The main has lazy jacks to help flak it too. Chouchou does have self tailing winches as well, Serenity has winchards that I love. The PO has been single handing her for the last 5 years or so as his wife was no longer able to go sailing with him.

Nice to hear she is going to sail well. We just had the genoa out on the sea trial and she was doing 4 knots in about 10 knots of wind. With almost twice as deep a keel and the shrouds more inboard I'm expecting her to go to wind a bit better than Serenity. Will likely have the opportunity to test that out on Friday.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Shawn]

Craig,

Yup, already has lazy jacks and the jib is roller furling so no need for the downhaul. The PO actually rigged a downhaul for the main so that he could get it down completely without having to go up to the mast. I left that off while rigging her for now but may give it a try later on.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Shawn]

Brackish,

Thanks, I will certainly miss Serenity and enjoyed working on her and tweaking that platform. Definitely want to figure out cabin heat and solar for Chouchou as well as likely updating the battery distribution/charging system. Maybe pressure water as well though the foot pumps are pretty easy. I want to spend some time with that to see if changes are needed there.

Funny you mention the head... an enclosed head was a requirement for the same reason for me as well. That is actually one of the first things I have to deal with on Chouchou. The pump is leaking and most just swap out the entire thing for a Raritan as I guess the original head wasn't great. While I am in there I'll also be changing out all that hosing. That will be a $^#%y job.

Shawn

[BruceW]

Great move, Shawn; my friend Jeff who has had com-pac 16 and then 19, and then P-23 has a Sabre 28 that I've been out on. It's a great boat. He can singlehand or have crew, and I am glad to see how well it took recent storms we had as well.

BruceW

[HeaveToo]

I think that I have the exact opposite of you guys.  I just sold my Catalina 30 that I had owned for 8 years.

You will be able to single hand the 28 foot boat with no issues.  I did so on a tall rig 30 for years.  The best thing you can have is an autopilot.  After that, everything else comes easy.  I would rig jacklines as well for safety when the wind gets up. 

[brackish]

Shawn, when I had my Columbia 8.7 (29 feet) I was able to single hand it even though it was not very well set up for it.  It didn't have roller furling, self tailing winches, lazy jacks, cockpit led halyards or wheel steering, all things in my view that make single handling much easier.

Since you are going to have to do some work on the head anyway, you might look into composting models.  My view is when I move up that would be the way to go to avoid the messy and expensive pumpouts.  Composting head for longer cruises, using that as the platform with Wag Bags for day sailing.

[Shawn]

"I just sold my Catalina 30 that I had owned for 8 years."

I spent a bunch of time thinking about the ideal size for my needs. Not sure one exists. While I'd love a 35' I can't afford it, and wouldn't want to maintain it either.

Somewhere along the line I read a post that the idea boat size for you is the one that 50% of the time you wish it were larger and 50% of the time you wish it were smaller. My balance there has been slowly shifting over the last couple of years. Hoping the Sabre restores balance. I  considered 25' footers but considering the extra costs (loosing the trailer and adding winter storage and now paying for hauling/launching) it didn't seem like a big enough increase in size. Plus most 25' with standing headroom look a little out of proportion IMO.

Definitely would like to have an autopilot. I want to work out the charging/solar situation there first and then when funds allow will strongly evaluate an autopilot.

Thanks,

Shawn

[Shawn]

Brackish,

Thanks, I'm actually pretty confident in the single handing aspect of the boat. As you said it is already well rigged for it. I'm just the type that until it is done and proven remains cautious.

The part that concerns me more is docking it. My dock can have some current there (and a low bridge a couple of hundred feet away) and in this boat I will need to back it in. The bigger keel will let me pivot better but will potentially mean the current will grab me easier too.. though the displacement may offset that. Because of Sabre's offset props I believe this boat already tends to back in the direction I will want. At least this year the slip is going to be tight with my neighbors Pearson 23. I'll hang fenders on both sides and take it slow.  The diesel with controls at the wheel is going to be very helpful there and I'll be able to get the spring line on just as the boat is entering the slip. With Serenity I go in head first and the spring line isn't on till the boat is 2/3s of the way in. If I am heading in a little fast (to deal with wind/current) and miss that spring line it is a mad scramble to climb through the rear stanchions to get the Tohatsu into reverse and throttle up to stop us.

Next year the owner of the dock is going to move me to a larger slip if one opens up.

I've considered composting heads but I think the Admiral would be disgusted by the idea. Esp. if I added wag bags to the mix, I tried that on Serenity... it didn't find favor.

As far as pumpout there is a station a couple of hundred yards from my dock. In RI pumpout stations are federally funded and are not supposed to charge more than $5 for the service.

Shawn

[Jon898]

Congratulations, I've always thought the Sabres were really nice boats and you look to have found a great one (not surprising with a ME as the original owner).

On both 28's I owned (Newport and Precision) I found the easiest way to put her in a slip by myself was to lay her alongside the two pilings at the end (perpendicular to the slip) bring the lines aboard, and warp her back into the slip.  As long as my neighbors didn't overhang the pilings and I'd prepositioned the lines to the end pilings, this worked well without the drama of roaring engine and the risk of a transmission becoming jammed.  The owner of one of the marinas I used commented once that I was the only slip occupant who didn't make her hold her breath waiting for the crunch when I came back to the marina (she was a licensed towing captain).  It may not work for your situation, but it may be worth trying if only against the day that your transmission does give up the ghost.

Enjoy Chouchou...it looks like you have a winner!