17-20ft POCKET CRUISERS
Practical Boat Owner|March 2023
Whether you're moving on from dinghies, or downsizing to a boat that's fun without being a financial millstone, here's a trailer-sailer market guide
17-20ft POCKET CRUISERS

Selecting a boat can be a bit of a lottery. Especially if it’s getting on a bit. If you are looking at a brand-new model you can of course ask the dealer for a trial sail. But this won’t necessarily tell you the full story. If the test is on a sunny day with light winds, what will she be like in a blow? Or vice versa? Reprints of test reports can also provide extra useful input (although they’re not so easily available these days) and help you to build up an overall picture.

You can also study owners’ opinions by visiting class association websites and YBW forums. Either way, you need to tap into the experience of as many people as possible to build up a picture of any older boat’s good and bad points.

When it comes to second-hand boats, trial sails are the exception rather than the rule. Even the best brokers are unlikely to take you for a spin on one of the many boats on their books. The owner – if it is a private sale and the boat is afloat – may offer a trial sail. But again, this cannot be guaranteed. Your surveyor might also chuck in a general comment such as ‘great boats’ or ‘I wouldn’t dream of owning one of those’.

You should also ask yourself the same three basic questions that we encouraged our Hunter clients to consider. These are: ‘where are you going to sail it; how often; and with whom?’ It was interesting that clients often decided on something a bit smaller once they’d gone through this self-cross-examination.

Esta historia es de la edición March 2023 de Practical Boat Owner.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición March 2023 de Practical Boat Owner.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE PRACTICAL BOAT OWNERVer todo
Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar
Practical Boat Owner

Orca sink yacht in Strait of Gibraltar

Spain's maritime rescue service, Salvamento Maritimo, has reported that a 15m (49ft) yacht sank in Moroccan waters in the Strait of Gibraltar following interaction with a pod of orca.

time-read
1 min  |
Summer 2024
No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash
Practical Boat Owner

No kill cord or lifejackets were worn during fatal powerboat crash

A kill cord and lifejacket are useless unless worn-that's the warning from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), following its investigation into a powerboat crash that killed a 32-year-old woman and five-year-old girl on 2 October 2022.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Summer 2024
Multihull sail work
Practical Boat Owner

Multihull sail work

Brush up on multihull sailing skills before heading off on charter with Gavin Le Sueur's guide to spinnaker handling, tacking and gybing

time-read
4 minutos  |
Summer 2024
Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them
Practical Boat Owner

Five top causes of engine failure and how to prevent them

Jake Kavanagh talks to Sea Start marine engineer Nick Eales about how to avoid the five major causes of an engine breakdown at sea

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Summer 2024
Sail the Atlantic with strangers
Practical Boat Owner

Sail the Atlantic with strangers

Would you sail across the Atlantic with someone you've just met? Ali Wood meets the cruising crews who've done just that

time-read
10 minutos  |
Summer 2024
IZIBoat: simple sailing
Practical Boat Owner

IZIBoat: simple sailing

Rupert Holmes sails an innovative catamaran design intended to widen participation in sailing among those with little time to get on the water in more conventional craft

time-read
7 minutos  |
Summer 2024
30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT
Practical Boat Owner

30 WAYS TO GET AFLOAT

From tall ships to small dinghies, you needn't own a boat to sail. Ali Wood looks at the options, and how skippers can also find crew

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Summer 2024
Boats for restoring under £20,000
Practical Boat Owner

Boats for restoring under £20,000

Duncan Kent picks the best sub-35ft sail and power boats to look for when aiming to undertake a restoration on a budget

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Summer 2024
Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500
Practical Boat Owner

Seaworthy dinghies for less than £500

For low cost traditionally-styled GRP trailer-sailers, consider the Foreland and the Otter available at bargain basement prices

time-read
5 minutos  |
Summer 2024
Playing with coloured sails
Practical Boat Owner

Playing with coloured sails

Maintaining an hourglass-shaped balloon and ratcheting up the log numbers

time-read
3 minutos  |
Summer 2024