Thread: Sea Pearl 21 - Something like it

Hi Grindlestone,

My personal favourite is the 22' SeaRaider by Swallow boats which would sail rings around the sea pearl but I am a bit biased. Have a look at SeaRaider 22ft Daysailer - Boat Kits, Classic Kit Boats and Traditional Craft. Not available for a home build but a de-tuned 17' version is being released in June for home construction.

Next off the bat would be Graham Byrnes core sound series (17' and 20') cat ketch and set up for home stitch and glue construction see cs20 for more info

How many people are you sailing with and what area are you looking to use the boat in?

Are you looking for something around the 20' mark?

regards,

AD

I will mostly be sailing single handed or with one other adult occasionally. At present I live in Brisbane so would sail on Moreton bay. The Pumicstone passage is a favourite place of mine - so protected/sheltered/shoal draft waters. A move to South Australia is on the cards however so I might up sailing the windier waters around Adelaide, but I'd keep my sailing to lighter days or the lakes in that case.

I know of the sea raiders, and like them, though it's a shame the tiller and rudder are remote from each other and the outboard is in a well (in the 22 at least) - there's a lot of wasted space there and spoiled underwater lines IMO. Tiller arrangements are difficult in a small yawl I suppose.

While I love traditional styles and rigs I also love simplicity which makes the cat-ketch rig so appealing. I don't think the simplicity of the Sea Pearl rig and reefing arrangements can be beaten and by all accounts (and videos) they readily sail themselves, which is something I value. I can't figure out the forestay arrangement on the Sea Raiders - that clubbed jib makes it look like they don't have one. Presumably the forestay is in the luff of the jib but that doesn't seem very secure to my eye.

The core sound boats don't appeal to me. They look too boxy; almost powerboat hulls. I'm looking for something that's a bit more thoroughbred.

I've built stitch and glue before but am thinking strip plank this time round in the hope of a quieter ride...

As you say, though, the Sea Raiders and their variants do bear some thinking about.

I'm not sure about whether she would be a suitable size for you, but Periwinkle is worth a look.





More information available at Bayside Wooden Boats Ross Lillistone

Ross Lillistone

It's funny; I was just looking at this today. They are a nice boat and I think I saw this one sailing once up at Caloundra one day.

There is something to be said for considering a shorter loa of this size which would ease trailering, launching and manoeuvring on land; certainly food for thought there.

I have always been keen on the balance lug too, though these days I admit I love sailing to windward and value reasonable windward performance. It seems when you are sailing you are always beating somewhere rather than reaching and running, or, at least, you spend most of the day beating upwind only to execute the downwind return in a third of the time.

I like how the mizzen is stepped immediately in front of the tiller which seems a good way to arrange a mizzen in a small boat (no need for laminated tillers or remote rudder arrangements).


Thanks for posting this response to my question.