New Member
posted 08 June 2000 05:56 PM
I sail from Christchurch on the south coast and I’m seriously considering a lift-keel Sonata. Can anyone tell me about their pros and cons (apart from the obvious!)
Thanks.
New Member
posted
12 June 2000 08:56 PM
Paul
I have a lift-keel Sonata with which I am very pleased. Suited my spec for shoal draft, fast, high-pointing, simple but comfortable interior, and easy maintenance. Here I give my view on some pros and cons, and some stuff I wish I’d known when buying.
Pros: (many true of fixed keel too): fast cruising, comfortable interior, able to club race on handicap, cheap to run, trailable, shoal draft
Cons: my keel was too tight a fit and often jammed (now cured), slightly more tender than the fixed keel, don’t sail to windward as well (although should be better off down-wind were it not for all the cruising gear!, fixed keel Sonata owners don’t consider them Sonatas.
Things I wish I’d known – get the lifting rudder for easier drying out (I dry out with simple legs), get one with the Proctor mast – almost impossible to fit roller reefing to the IYE mast which has soft eyes set on bolts through the mast to fix stays.
Happy to converse further – either through this bulletin board or direct by email at nick.phillips@fairoakltd.freeserve.co.uk
Regards
Nick
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Nick
New Member
posted
24 March 2001 09:06 PM
The Hunter Medina 20 was developed from the Sonata, and has a dagger type lifting ballast keel. The sailing performance is excellent (PY1109) and is nearly as fast as the bigger sonata, though class racing is not as common.
Check out the website :www.huntermedina.com
Cheers
Toby