28 foot cruisers?

[boomer]

Edited that post: It was an Otter, which was the smaller version of the Black Gauntlet. We also installed pivoting leeboards rather then the drop-ins Bolger designed. My brother looked awfully hard at the Black Skimmer, but he wanted to be sailing by summer that year, and he got out of the service in May. For ballast acquired four rubber coated lead bearing pads weighing about a 80 lbs apiece, used for highway concrete girders. But we latter removed these, because we felt the boat didn't need them at all. Yup by the picture of the Black Gauntlet under sail in the book, it shows her sailing at a healthy angle of heel, the Otter didn't heel near that much. It's been well over 30 years since I sailed on that boat, and I may be wrong on the heel. But I do remember the boat was well behaved, and was surprisingly quite comfortable to sail in windy condition, and we took her out in some nasty conditions. I remember a couple of times taking out either one of mine or my brothers friends on board, and them commenting when it was white capping, "are you sure that narrow boat can handle it". Their concern was usually dispelled quickly, since the boat excelled in those conditions.

 

[SemiSalt]

Edited that post: It was an Otter, which was the smaller version of the Black Gauntlet. We also installed pivoting leeboards rather then the drop-ins Bolger designed. My brother looked awfully hard at the Black Skimmer, but he wanted to be sailing by summer that year, and he got out of the service in May. For ballast acquired four rubber coated lead bearing pads weighing about a 80 lbs apiece, used for highway concrete girders. But we latter removed these, because we felt the boat didn't need them at all. Yup by the pictures of the Black Gauntlet under sail in the book, shows her sailing at a healthy angle of heel, the Otter didn't heel near that much.

I forgot about Otter. I wonder how many of those were ever built. The 3-masted rig was pretty complicated.

For the record, the picture is the original Black Gauntlet which belonged to Peter Duff, and the design in the book was Black Gauntlet II which was a speculative design.

 

[boomer]

We departed from his design in the rig somewhat, built the very high peaked rig, so high peaked it was almost a marconni. Busted the sprit the first summer in high wind, built another sprit, and busted it again that summer in windy conditions going up Admiralty Inlet. So we built a bendy single stick, somewhat like an oversized OK Dinghy rig with a cutout in the mast for the boom. This is the rig she sailed with from then on. Also since the cockpit was longer, we installed a removable thwart, that sat right above the pins of the leeboards.

 

[Arcas]

Did a similar analysis back in 2007. Wanted a cruiser / racer (was racing (not owning) a J/120 at the time). Ended up going with a Dehler 29. Much faster than most of the boats on this list, and has probably the best interior as well. Not many in the US, although our boat is now listed in Annapolis. They've sold hundreds of these across the pond during more than a decade of manufacturing.

 

[bmiller]

Dehler won't work for us, mainly too expensive, and it has the v-berth configuration we don't care for.

Been looking photos of the Aloha 28/8.5 online. Looks like it would work for us. Anybody have first hand info on these?

 

[Bob Perry]

Great photo showing a non planar sheerline. That sheer wanders all over the place.

 

[hard aground]

What do you want to know about them? I think that one would easily tick most/all of your boxes on your list. You probably won't find one with a trailer but it shouldn't be too difficult to find one cheap enough that you can also get a trailer under budget. Is there actually any in your area?

 

[bmiller]

How is the build quality, is the hull solid, cored deck? Also wondering how they sail.

Bob I still don't get the non planar sheer. is that what this is, why?

 

[SemiSalt]

With a planar sheer, there is an viewing angle from which the sheer will appear as a straight line. For this to be so your eye will have to be at sheer height (for a boat like the Capri 22 with a straight sheer) or below (for a boat with a typical swooping sheer). In the picture that Bob commented on, the camera was below deck level, close to the point where a planar sheer would appear straight, but if you put a straightedge against it, you can see it has a little swoop aft and a sag at the bow.

Did Ted Brewer draw it that way, or did it get distorted in the building?

 

[hard aground]

How is the build quality, is the hull solid, cored deck? Also wondering how they sail.

Take a look here: http://www.alohaowners.com/

 

[hard aground]

How goes the search?

 

[bmiller]

In a couple weeks we are heading up to the PNW and then road trip down the coast to San Diego. There are several along the way to check out.

The largest concentration of possibilities seems to be in the great lakes area. So that's next.

We'll see how it goes.

 

[py26129]

I can't comment on the 28.8 specifically but we have a few Aloha 26's at our club. They seem to hold up quite well when compared to the C&Cs and Mirages etc. Sailing performance seems quite good as well.

BTW this is purely based on my observations. I have never owned one.

 

[Bob Perry]

Bmiller:

I doubt very much Ted would have used a planar sheer. I'm not even sure he was aware of planar sheers. Chuck Paine taught me about them whe we were both at Carter's.

I'll try once again:

Imagine a hull designed with an extra 12" of freeboard and a dead flat(horizontal) and straight sheerline, same height at bow as the stern.

Now draw a single plane through that shape.

Pick a height at the bow for one corner.

Piuck a lower height at the sten for the other corner

Now you have two corners for the plane. But we don;t want it horizontal athwartships so we tilt it down a certain angle, say 12 degrees for instance.

With the two corners defined and the angle defined we can now cut a plane thru the toipsides of the hull.

Buy my book. There is a very good photo in it, taken by my lovely wife, of me demonstrating the planar sheer with a half model.

There is nothing wrong with a non planar sher. It jst means that at certain angles you will see compound curvature. 90 of the boats you see have non planar sheers.

 

[SloopJonB]

I think I understand the planar sheer as you describe but doesn't that necessarily mean the low point of the sheer would be at the BMAX point?

 

[SemiSalt]

I think I understand the planar sheer as you describe but doesn't that necessarily mean the low point of the sheer would be at the BMAX point?

As Bob said:

"Pick a height at the bow for one corner.

Pick a lower height at the stern for the other corner"

Having the "ridgepole" is lower in the stern moves the low point aft.

 

[U20guy2]

Really missing my old boat right now so in the hunt for our next ride.

Looking at 28 footers that I can store on a trailer up here.

The list is long right now working on whittling it down.

What we like:

Traditional more then modern

Minimal exterior brightwork

Prefer enclosed head but athwartship will do

Decent storage and tankage, at least for 28 feet

Prefer deck stepped mast but not a deal killer

Diesel power

Budget is in the 20's, but we'll see.

In no particular order:

Tartan 28, yea it's keel stepped

J28

Caliber 28

Cal 28/2

Sirius 28

Islander 28

Aloha 8.5

Sabre 28

Ericson 28/2

C&C 29

Columbia 8.7, the Hughes built looks best to me

O'Day 28

S2 8.5/8.6

Morris Linda, in my dream$$$

Do not like:

Pearson 28/2, don't like the v-berth

Beneteau 281 and O'Day 280 are the same layout

And yes I understand the complexities of trailering such a large boat, we've done it quite a bit.

Thoughts on any of these boats or some I should add to the list?

Did that very same list back in 07. Even flew from the west coast to Chessepeak to look at a Tartan 28. Ended up with a local mint condition 86 Ericson 28. Wife likes the very comfy interior. It's an OK sailor but not great. Given the choice today I would search high and low for a Sabre 28 1980 or newer.

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/photoGallery.jsp?ro=3&slim=quicknull&r=2433752&currency=USD&checked_boats=2433752&rs=yachtworld.com&boat_id=2433752&back=/core/boats/1982/Sabre-28-2433752/Marblehead/MA/United-States&boat_id=2433752

I missed possibly the most cherry S 28 ever back in 07 and still regret that.

The Ericson has been fun and is very roomy cabin has been great if it were just a little nicer sailor it would be near perfect. Deep keel and big rudder on the E28 does help but its one seriously fat boat for 28ft. LOL - the `12hp Universal is under powered it needs more power to be nice motoring at a decent speed. 5knots flat out is about all we get out of the E28 12hp diesel. Cool engine though

 

[U20guy2]

I like the Cal 28 too. Have you considered an Olson 911? There's one on Seattle Craigslist for 20k.

I think that Olson 911 is the same one that I looked at last fall (when we bought the Pearson). It was in very rough shape and smelled terrible too.

Very good boat if you can find it nice interior and very nice sailor!

 

[U20guy2]

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/photoGallery.jsp?ro=9&slim=quicknull&r=2637754&currency=USD&checked_boats=2637754&rs=yachtworld.com&boat_id=2637754&back=/core/boats/1983/Sabre-28%27-MKIII-2637754/Portland/ME/United-States&boat_id=2637754

 

[bmiller]

http://www.yachtworld.com/core/listing/photoGallery.jsp?ro=9&slim=quicknull&r=2637754&currency=USD&checked_boats=2637754&rs=yachtworld.com&boat_id=2637754&back=/core/boats/1983/Sabre-28%27-MKIII-2637754/Portland/ME/United-States&boat_id=2637754

Too bad that's in Portland ME and not Portland OR since I'll be heading west.