Wauquiez CHANCE 37

[James22 0]

Thoughts on Wauquiez CHANCE 37 Can’t find much info? Any input would be greatly appreciated thank you.

[Matagi 1,451]

http://www.histoiredeshalfs.com/One Tonner/Chance 37.htm

 

[T sailor 90]

I don’t know anything about them but I always liked the way that boat looked.  I think I had seen a Phrf rating of around 135 for one,so not very fast, but I think it is probably a well built good looking boat.  

[Elegua 1,850]

Well, it's an older boat, so the condition it's been maintained in is key, but you knew that. Henri built very nice boats for the most part, so even if it needs some work, know there's a solid foundation. There is a active owners group that is very helpful is sourcing obscure parts from now defunct or re-organized French companies.  Henri sourced quality parts that can be hard to replace like-for-like because few make parts like that anymore.  Take a look at small details like how the cockpit locker seals are built and you can see some thought was put into it. 

It's a bit out of fashion in terms of design, but will do anything you ask of it. 

[James22 0]

Thank you very much appreciate the feedback, The one I’m looking at appears to be very nicely over built, I am most concerned with how high they point and how well they stand up in a blow? Her steep entry swept back Keel protected Rudder and low freeboard I find very appealing. She looks like water moving through the water? Not sure how else to explain it.

[moody frog 106]

4 hours ago, James22 said:

Thank you very much appreciate the feedback, The one I’m looking at appears to be very nicely over built, I am most concerned with how high they point and how well they stand up in a blow? Her steep entry swept back Keel protected Rudder and low freeboard I find very appealing. She looks like water moving through the water? Not sure how else to explain it.

Your two precise questions:

- How high they point? : with a non-furling genoa, will easily outpoint any "modern" yacht !! (and a joy to tiller-steer upwind)

- How do they stand up in a blow? : very well - they were designed as an ubiquitous boat one could set either as a long undercanvassed One Tonner or alternatively with more SA as a minimum Admiral's cupper. Most are slightly above the old OT rating, therefore pretty stiff ! (nota: very well but the low freeboard makes every weather going a bit "impressive")

My only other comments:

- that genoa is big for family cruising, strong and fit trimmer-tailer compulsory.

- most, if not all, are with a "Dinette" arrangement: Zero sea-berth on one tack does not fit well with their capacity in a blow.

- very strongly built. Only the deck to hull joint water tightness is to be watched. (very early ones had to be reinforced at the fin attachment, though)

[James22 0]

Thank you moody frog, great feed back. Not planning on using the boat as a family boat my aspirations are for shorthanded and Solo Bluewater work. Here is the odd thing, as I’ve never purchased a boat from a broker my previous boats have all been private sales, I am being told by the broker that prior to turning the motor over raising the sales to see the current state of condition they are asking that I put my offer in and a deposit? How do I evaluate the value or what I think she is worth without seeing these things my head is telling me to run, My hart is the problem?  I am not a big fan most of the other boats that are on the market now. Any feedback to this would be greatly thank you!

[cms 663]

They generally survey well other than what you can easily see yourself. Sellers and Brokers prefer to have an agreement in place before anyone does anything much, so that is not unusual. Protects you as much as the seller, as you hold an option pending checks.

[moody frog 106]

18 hours ago, James22 said:

Thank you moody frog, great feed back. Not planning on using the boat as a family boat my aspirations are for shorthanded and Solo Bluewater work. Here is the odd thing, as I’ve never purchased a boat from a broker my previous boats have all been private sales, I am being told by the broker that prior to turning the motor over raising the sales to see the current state of condition they are asking that I put my offer in and a deposit? How do I evaluate the value or what I think she is worth without seeing these things my head is telling me to run, My hart is the problem?  I am not a big fan most of the other boats that are on the market now. Any feedback to this would be greatly thank you!

James22:

- Shorthanded: again the Genoa might be a problem despite the sizeable original winches.

- Broker: looong time I've not been involved in that ( cms would know much better). in those days I would have suggested a short charter, to be refundable in case of purchase.

(PS: here in Europe prices seem to be in the $ 40k range for a decent one)

[European Bloke 861]

It might be a lovely boat that went up wind like a train in it's day. Today with the headsail furled down to the size of the original number 3 it will be a shadow of it's former self.

If you want a boat that goes upwind in a breeze you'll have to do something about headsails and that furler.

[Left Shift 3,627]

17 hours ago, European Bloke said:

It might be a lovely boat that went up wind like a train in it's day. Today with the headsail furled down to the size of the original number 3 it will be a shadow of it's former self.

If you want a boat that goes upwind in a breeze you'll have to do something about headsails and that furler.

What we thought of as going like a "train" up wind back in the day would be considered a local trolley today.  Then depower that "train" with a crappy headsail on a furler and you've got a VW bus with one cylinder blown.  

What's not being discussed is that pinched Chance transom.  Chance designs of that era are notorious end-swappers downhill in a breeze.  Not my choice for short-handed offshore work.

I had a Frers 36 - a somewhat similar boat - back in that day and it did indeed "go up wind like a train" comparative to others of that era out there.  But it was set up by a couple of very clever Olympians, foils faired, rig tuned, sail plan balanced, weight optimized, etc. and I reaped the benefits. 

What that boat did have was a much wider (for the day) stern with residual form stability.  So while it was a handful downwind in a breeze under kite, it was manageable.  I would look much harder at other designer's work, who solved the IOR rule absurdities much better than Chance, such as Farr, Davison, Frers and the like.  A 37' boat that weighs over 15,000# with a pinched transom is going to have an interesting time on the ocean.  In my opinion only, of course.

I have sailed a Chance 50 across to Hawaii twice and the basic takeaway was that in a breeze and heading down a wave face, it was 50/50 whether the boat was going to go right or left, but you were sure it wasn't going to go straight. 

 

[floater 696]

12 hours ago, Left Shift said:

I have sailed a Chance 50 across to Hawaii twice and the basic takeaway was that in a breeze and heading down a wave face, it was 50/50 whether the boat was going to go right or left, but you were sure it wasn't going to go straight. 

 

lol. bonne chance?

[Maus 0]

I sailed a Chance 37 in 1990 in à 45 knots gale on the North Sea with high and steep waves upwind with storm jib and three reefs. She went like train 

Be aware that a chance 37 has two keel configurations. The most common is the 1,85 draft but there is also a 2,15 m variant.

[Maus 0]

2,15m keel