nclunie 0 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 have been trawling through trademe .Wife and I are looking to buy our first small keel boat and have noticed what looks to be a tidy raven 26 on trademe named sandman . are these a good first small yacht ? what are the things to look for when looking at a boat like this ? we are looking more for a floating caravan than a racer . previous sailing experince has been 12ft surf cat and p class when younger . also crewing in winter series at local cruising club . any tips apprecited ! cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Island Time 1,220 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Yep, great first keeler. Lots on here about them, see https://crew.org.nz/forum/index.php?/search/&q="raven 26"&updated_after=any&sortby=relevancy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aardvarkash10 950 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 take extreme care. The vendor has a somewhat unsavoury reputation. Others may comment on the virtues of Ravens. There are many, virtues and rRvens. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ex Machina 365 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 11 hours ago, aardvarkash10 said: take extreme care. The vendor has a somewhat unsavoury reputation. Others may comment on the virtues of Ravens. There are many, virtues and rRvens. Yeah pass that one over , not the best person to buy your first boat off ….ask nathan on the weekend about his experience selling a boat to him Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alibaba 76 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Nice design for first boat, good reputation for sailing kindly, plenty of room. But- please be careful and have the fibreglass hull properly surveyed, boats of this era did have some problems with osmosis. Also, from personal experience, read the above two comments re the vendor. Best first boat for me in all aspects would be a Tracker Good luck Quote Link to post Share on other sites
waikiore 398 Posted June 3, 2021 Share Posted June 3, 2021 Great first boat and when new Sandman was a good one, be very sus of the engine and the vendor -he is a boat trader of the worst sort. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chariot 242 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 Had an R26 for 13 years. Great 1st boat. Get it surveyed by a reputable marine surveyor. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 642 Posted June 4, 2021 Share Posted June 4, 2021 3 hours ago, waikiore said: Great first boat and when new Sandman was a good one, be very sus of the engine and the vendor -he is a boat trader of the worst sort. he is also trying to off load a cheap h28,keep looking Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nclunie 0 Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 Thanks everyone for the advice I'll give this boat a pass. If it looks to good to be true maybe it is. Also thinking if we're. Looking at a small keeler there would be easier maintenance and cheaper repairs with an outboard over and inboard? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MuzzaB 14 Posted June 5, 2021 Share Posted June 5, 2021 I can't comment on the maintenance issues because the boats my family owned and my subsequent boats were a lot younger than these boats are now. But I can comment on the sailing and cruising qualities of the Raven, Tracker and the Reactor. My family had a Raven around the late '70s/early 80s. I had two Reactors at different times (and raced couple of others), and did a lot of racing (and cruising in company) on/with a friend's Tracker. I would echo what has been said about the Raven. If you can get past the looks, they offer significant space below for their length, are a very dry boat to sail, handle beautifully and are a great sea boat. They have a couple of "features" - not problems, just functions of the design. As a slack bilged hull they tend to take up a few degrees of heel when at anchor or on a mooring in a strong wind. The high deck forward caused the boat to sometimes "hunt" on its anchor in a breeze. These features are of course totally unimportant. Great boats if in good condition. The Tracker is, on average, just a little quicker but this is unimportant for cruising. We had a lot of fun with the Tracker and they are good boats too. Not quite as much room below as the Raven. Alan Wright limited the beam to 8'2"/2.5m so they could be put on a trailer within standard limits. The Raven beam is 8'9"/2.7m. The Tracker is a little lighter (though certainly not light by modern standards) and so a little more lively in a seaway. I agree with Sabre's comment re outboards. When the going gets tough, being able to motor to windward or motor/sail while keeping the propeller in the water keeps a nervous family and young children happy. The Reactor has not been mentioned in the other posts but is a boat of similar length and age. It is my favourite of the three, but is also the one with the least interior volume and (arguably) the slowest too - by just a little. It is my choice as a pocket offshore cruiser, but as that is not on the cards for you, the Raven - or Tracker - would be a better and roomier choice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
harrytom 642 Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 On 4/06/2021 at 11:11 AM, waikiore said: Great first boat and when new Sandman was a good one, be very sus of the engine and the vendor -he is a boat trader of the worst sort. some more for Jason to bid on Harbour Master specials. https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/3127286604?bof=983hUTzi https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/3127295483?bof=983hUTzi https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/3127310549?bof=983hUTzi https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/3127281824?bof=983hUTzi https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/boats-marine/yachts/keeler/listing/3127268033?bof=983hUTzi Harbour master must of got a shake up?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aardvarkash10 950 Posted June 8, 2021 Share Posted June 8, 2021 That Cav 26 would be a great little Harbour boat! Rest of them are pretty ugly... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.