Sonata Sailing

National One-design Cruiser/Racer

Sonata L/K weight

timowen

I checked my newly purchased Sonata L/K on a weighbridge and it weighed over 1450 Kg excluding trailer. with mast but without boom, sails, anchors or outboard etc. It is pretty empty inside and doesn’t have a fixed loo, although it has a few extra lockers and berths in the fore cabin and two 60 Ahr. batteries. Its been out of the water all winter and has anyway been expoxied and its not waterlogged. From what I had read, thats at least 200 Kg more than I expected, which seems rather a big discrepancy. I can’t see where the extra weight might be.

Is the lift keel version intentionally heavier than the fin version? Does anyone have any comparable figures? I’d be grateful for any light anyone could shed on the mystery.

Thanks

simply sam

it could be things like

head lining

custions

locker doors

rudder

new deck gear

etc

Mark Taylor

I checked my newly purchased Sonata L/K on a weighbridge and it weighed over 1450 Kg excluding trailer. with mast but without boom,  sails, anchors or outboard etc.  It is pretty empty inside and doesn’t have a fixed loo, although it has a few extra lockers and berths in the fore cabin and two 60 Ahr. batteries.  Its been out of the water all winter and has anyway been expoxied and its not waterlogged.  From what I had read, thats at least 200 Kg more than I expected, which seems rather a big discrepancy.  I can’t see where the extra weight might be.

Is the lift keel version intentionally heavier than the fin version?  Does anyone have any comparable figures?  I’d be grateful for any light anyone could shed on the mystery.

Thanks

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Mark Taylor

I checked my newly purchased Sonata L/K on a weighbridge and it weighed over 1450 Kg excluding trailer. with mast but without boom,  sails, anchors or outboard etc.  It is pretty empty inside and doesn’t have a fixed loo, although it has a few extra lockers and berths in the fore cabin and two 60 Ahr. batteries.  Its been out of the water all winter and has anyway been expoxied and its not waterlogged.  From what I had read, thats at least 200 Kg more than I expected, which seems rather a big discrepancy.  I can’t see where the extra weight might be.

Is the lift keel version intentionally heavier than the fin version?  Does anyone have any comparable figures?  I’d be grateful for any light anyone could shed on the mystery.

Thanks

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Mark Taylor

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Sorry about the last two replies – finger trouble!

I have owned a Hunter Medina and am now on my second fin keel Sonata and all I can offer is an observation that I have never found the quoted figures from Hunter to be anywhere near the figures quoted in the brochures.

In the case of the Medina this resulted in me being 200kg over the recommended towing weight for my car – which was too much to correct by stripping out weight etc. Eventually I had to change from a Saab 900 (towing capacity 1500kg) to a 4×4 (3500kg) to have any margin for personal effects, cruising gear etc. Care needs to be taken with regard to some of the smaller 4×4 (eg RAV4 / Freelander) because the published towing capacities often assume there is a reduced payload (eg driver + 1 passenger)in the vehicle

I suspect you are going to find that there is not a great deal that you can do about the weight and will have to look at your towing vehicle selection. It also raises the issue about your trailer capacity etc.

Sorry about the above!

timowen

Thanks, I can see a bit of added weight in the inside but nowhere near 250Kg, and my weight didn’t even include the rudder. I think the boat must have been built well over the advertised weight as you suggest. I don’t have an issue with my towing vehicle as I have a Landcruiser – about as big as they come, but I’m struggling with my trailer. I am having to upgrade my tyres as they had an 1800Kg rating and it will be a problem to get it all under the 2000Kg hitch rating! I’ll have to load everything heavy into the vehicle and tow the boat empty, which is a bore.

martin hartley

DON’T FORGET THAT EACH TYRE CARRIES 1/4 OF THE TOTAL WEIGHT (ASSUMING A 4 WHEEL TRAILER) SO THERE MAY BE NO NEED TO CHANGE THE TYRES.

timowen

Its currently on four 10 inch 145×10 80N radial tyres rated at 450Kg each, the bare boat and trailer weighted 2080 Kg! The hitch was rated 2000Kg. I’m changing to 165×13 8 ply which are good for 2600Kg and changing the hitch for a 2600Kg one. This will raise the launching height but it can’t be helped. Anyone want a set of 5 hardly used wheels ( 4×5.5 PCD) and tyres and a hitch to fit 80 mm box section?

There are useful tables of tyre ratings at www.motorhoming.com/nice_to_know.htms although not complete.

There are specs and reasonable prices at http://www.trailerpartswarehouse.co.uk(free and generally fast delivery) or ask Rob at http://www.rphleisure.co.uk.