Sailboat Reviews

In 1985, after nearly a decade of building the popular Sabre 34, Sabre Yachts significantly revamped the design. The resulting boat-beamier, roomier, faster, and more powerful than the original-is usually referred to as the Sabre 34 Mark II. The Mark II, like its predecessor, still hews the performance-cruising line that Sabre established with the introduction of its very first boat, the Sabre 28, in 1971. The Sabre 34 Mark II is not without quirks, but its many positives far outweigh its downsides.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Clark Boat Co. jumped on the trailer sailer bandwagon, and became a successful player in this decade-long market. Earlier, Bob and Carol Clark built Lightnings and ThistIes, and later, with the business in the hands of their son Don, the company built boats as large as 34 feet. The last boats came out of the shop in 1986, the year the company went out of business. While the San Juan 21 trailer sailer really established the Clark Boat Co., it was the more performance-oriented boats such as the San Juan 24 and 7.7 that gave it the reputation of a successful builder of faster, under-3D-foot boats.

The Gulfstar 36, also called the Gulfstar 36 Auxiliary, was the smallest boat built by Gulfstar Yachts. Gulfstar, which produced 2,500 boats in the 1970s and 1980s, was launched by Vincent Lazzara, one of the early experts in fiberglass boat building. The Gulfstar 36 design is conservatively traditional-it was never called a racer-cruiser, but it was similar to many popular racer-cruisers and coastal cruisers of the time, with modest overhangs, a longish waterline, a moderately long fin keel, and a skeg-hung rudder. The designers are listed as R.C. Lazzara and David Jones.

Seawind Catamarans, Australias most successful sailboat builder, introduced its new Seawind 950 last year. The 31-foot cruising multihull can be delivered in two 40-foot containers and can be assembled by two people (with a forklift or crane) in less than two days, ready to sail on coastal passages. The $220,000 Seawind 950 was designed as an entry-level catamaran with a minimalist fit-out. The container concept allows the yacht to be delivered economically anywhere in the world with truck access.

Practical Sailor editors looked at emerging design trends at the most recent Annapolis Boat Show. What caught our eye was that race-boat designers long-running obsession with near vertical, plumb bows-a shape that squeezes maximum waterline length into a hull-has trickled down to boats built for cruising. This raised the question: Is this race-boat style stem advantageous to a cruising sailboat? It is important to recognize that a plumb stem and long waterline arent the only design factors that make a sailboat go fast.

Every day, as the temperature rises and falls, gases inside your fuel tank expand and contract. The emissions released during this diurnal breathing have raised concerns at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and in July 2011, the agency mandated passive carbon canister filters on all installed gasoline-tank vent lines to collect fuel evaporation emissions. While older boats are not required to retrofit, we wondered how such a filter would affect fuel quality and engine performance-and whether carbon is the most effective filter media-so we launched tests using E10, gasoline, and diesel to find out.

When a keel tears away from a sailboats hull, it makes the loss of a rig or rudder seem like a minor inconvenience. History shows that its an uncommon occurrence, but because we now annually hear of such incidents, weve decided to take a closer look at keels and see what keeps the ballast where it belongs. Keeping the keel attached is as important as keeping the crew safely on board. And for the offshore monohull sailor, preventing a keel loss, like preventing crew overboard, requires some informed forethought.

Florida-based Island Packet targets a relatively narrow niche, so the toughest competitors to its new boats are often older Island Packets. Introduced in 2010, the 36-foot, shoal-draft Estero is the company’s latest attempt to introduce a distinctive model that doesn’t stray too far from the company’s proven formula for success: moderate displacement, full-keel cruisers designed to be lived on, sailed far and in comfort, and endure the bumps, scrapes, and storms that cruising boats inevitably encounter. After sailing the Estero on Florida’s Sarasota Bay and inspecting its interior, construction, and systems, Practical Sailor testers noted that the shoal-water cruiser will appeal strongest to Island Packet fans who’ve been waiting for a shoal-draft, easy-to-sail boat that compares to the IP37 in terms of interior space. These strengths will be most apparent on intracoastal or riverine adventures like the Great Loop.

Island Packet Yachts has been building cruising boats for over 32 years. It builds five different hull designs—about 80 boats per year—to American Boat and Yacht Council and European Category A (offshore) standards.

Island Packet Yachts has been building cruising boats for over 32 years. It builds five different hull designs—about 80 boats per year—to American Boat and Yacht Council and European Category A (offshore) standards.