Keelboat news and development: Seascape18

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Seascape18

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Keelboat classes
Forum Name: Keelboat news and development
Forum Discription: All the latest developments for yachts
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=12131
Printed Date: 10 May 25 at 8:32am
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Topic: Seascape18

Posted By: jamesrose
Subject: Seascape18
Date Posted: 24 Aug 15 at 6:49am

Hi all,
I can't find much chatter on here about the seascape 18. I am considering one as a racer / family boat as it seems fairly easy to handle on and off water.

Are there any owners on here and what are the general thoughts on the boat ?

Cheers, James

Replies:

Posted By: laser193713
Date Posted: 02 Sep 15 at 4:38pm

I have done a lot of racing on them, well I say a lot, we do the nationals every year. Good fun, not really much of a fleet though. The fleet seems to be mostly centred around Plymouth or abroad. There is a thread a while back which I was involved in.

I don't think it really makes a very good cruising boat... but it is fairly good fun to race if you have a one design fleet.

Posted By: jamesrose
Date Posted: 02 Sep 15 at 7:04pm

Thanks, I was starting to think no one had ever sailed on on here.

I'm stuck for which not to chose at the moment. I'm moving on from racing dinghy sailing to something a little more family friendly which I can involve my young son in. I like the idea of a larger more stable boat than a dinghy but also something I can trailer several hundred miles to Cornwall several times a year and leave on a swinging mooring for a week which dries out, or use it to hop between beaches.

On top of all this I want something I can race with two to three people on an estuary on the east coast and sometimes sail singlehanded.

Am I barking up the wrong tree thinking of a seascape ? Do you know anything else that may fit the bill ?
Cheers !

Posted By: craiggo
Date Posted: 02 Sep 15 at 10:47pm

Look at Jeanneau Sun 2000, they are a nice little boat for small family cruises and can be raced by a crew of 3-4. I did the RTI on one about yrs ago and it went really well. We trailered the boat from Bristol to Calshot launched it and after a practice sail we dried out on the pontoons. All very easy and manageable and we came 4th overall in class. Back at our home club we had 3 or 4 that made for good racing. The other alternatives would be something like a Bene 21.7 or you could go old school and look at an Achilles 24 or a lifting keel Hunter Sonata.

Posted By: laser193713
Date Posted: 03 Sep 15 at 9:15am

PM sent...

Posted By: crosby mafia
Date Posted: 03 Sep 15 at 1:41pm

Will Partington of Partington Marine in Pwhelli raced one at Abersoch Keelboat Week, just before the Bank Holiday. By god it flew in the strong winds with a reef in the main. Looked a fun boat, but the bow crew was wearing a wetsuit under his waterproofs, as he was very wet !!!

Left on a swinging mooring overnight. Moored one day in the shallows off the beach and looked happy enough.

Its raced against big boats over the summer and looked lots of fun.

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Better a crap day in Abersoch than any day at work.

Posted By: rb_stretch
Date Posted: 03 Sep 15 at 9:53pm

Originally posted by craiggo

Look at Jeanneau Sun 2000, they are a nice little boat for small family cruises and can be raced by a crew of 3-4. I did the RTI on one about yrs ago and it went really well. We trailered the boat from Bristol to Calshot launched it and after a practice sail we dried out on the pontoons. All very easy and manageable and we came 4th overall in class. Back at our home club we had 3 or 4 that made for good racing. The other alternatives would be something like a Bene 21.7 or you could go old school and look at an Achilles 24 or a lifting keel Hunter Sonata.

I have a Jeanneau Sun 2000 which I bought for family use, singlehanding etc. but never tried racing yet. I know they do race and some have been upgraded quite well for that purpose and have been surprised how quickly they get round the Island.

I also considered a seascape 18 which I would characterise as an oversize dinghy, whereas the Sun 2000 is an undersize yacht.

Posted By: edsned
Date Posted: 02 Oct 15 at 1:01pm

I traded in my RS700 last year when it became clear that I was only going to get any sailing in if I took the family.....was a big plunge, but I got an old series Mini 6.50 (aka minitransat) - a 2004 Seb-Magnen Ginto, pretty similar to a Pogo 2.

Although bigger boats do cost a frightening amount of money (and it is truly frightening for most of us mortals), it's been brilliant otherwise. I have two small kids (3yr and 4 1/2yrs) and provided I keep the outings short, they love it, as does my previously non-sailing wife. Even the dog comes. I have netting around the guardrails, the kids are clipped on all the time, and the rudimentary cabin is fine for camping, cooking or just getting out of the weather. As long as you keep it well reefed down, there's a huge amount of form stability and space thanks to the 3m beam and open cockpit. Sometimes we just motor around - I don't mind, whatever makes them happy.

We mostly go out in the Solent and do lots of picnics, but I sailed it down to Falmouth over the summer and we had a great fortnight down there too (the in laws have a house, so no need to camp onboard). I also did the RTIR (badly) and a RSYC Double-handed race this year - more planned next year

However, with it's other hat on, I can go out on my own or with a mate in 15-20knts of breeze, put the big kite up and plane down the Solent at 12 knots....it handles very like a 700 in that respect!

It's designed to be sailed single-handed, so all the systems are set up with that in mind, meaning when you take non-sailors out, you don't need them to do anything (other than stay out f the way).

I looked at more cruising-orientated boats, but concluded I would just resent my family for forcing me to trawl around at 4 knots all the time!

Posted By: andymck
Date Posted: 02 Oct 15 at 10:27pm

One has just been delivered to the cruising side of Rutland water. Looked a great boat.
I checked the vids after and looks fun but not as full on as a vx one.
I would certainly consider it if I was looking for a trailer sailer. The bigger version looks fun too.
I guess you would need to price it against the alternatives.

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Andy Mck