The Cavalier 39.9 test sailed
December 19th 2006 19:10
The Cavalier 39.9 test sailed:
A weekend on Pittwater with three students was an ideal way to test sail the Cavalier 39.9. First off the students who were not that new to boating and had been introduced to the Benateaus and Bavaria’s and such like were impressed! “Wow this is nice” was the general comment. I have been warned about describing boats as “nice”. But superlatives should be used where they are deserved.
This boat was built in Australia and I am familiar with the Cav. 28 and 32. Both are great cruising boats and are often seen in the midweek and weekend club race fleets doing a commendable job for their skipper and crews. Externally she is a sleek looking yacht in the modern shape that has I feel been forced on us. For me that is just a fashion statement as one who prefers the older style shapes.
She has good wide side decks and the spinnaker pole resting in it’s position on the foredeck did intrude a little to the side deck but not to hinder easy movement past it. Fore deck clean and spacious with easy anchoring and mooring pick up position. Electronic anchor windlass but only the up switch at the anchor well worked not the switch at the helmsman’s position. The cockpit was a good size with a fold away table that seats about five adults. Most yachts this size seem to concentrate on making the cockpit huge and set the steering position as far aft as is humanly possible. This was not the case here and the helmsman has plenty of room to stand long watches. Nor is the wheel so huge that the person on the helm can’t help with sheeting home sails and stepping round to make trim adjustments which is important in husband and wife sailing teams.
At the time of manufacture a decision could be made on configuration. A front cabin with V berth and head, centre cabin with galley, nav station and two bunks that made up the seating around the dining table and a third cabin with a smallish double was the choice of this owner. There was also a second head off cabin two. This was a mirror space of the double cabin and could be a choice. In it’s current configuration it left a huge storage bin in the cockpit which needed a step built into it to get stuff from the bottom. Useful but not required.
With just charter style tough sails on her she sailed like a witch in both light airs and strong gusty winds that Pittwater is renowned for. All the usual drills that students do such as man overboard and picking up moorings under sail were easy to handle. Her motor was a Volvo 40 HP which was shiny and “nice”. She handled well under motor. We spent over 12 hours at night motoring her around the Hawkesbury and she was tame in the strong tides so she is not underpowered.
Start up price in the nineties was around $231,000 to $290,000 so today a good second hand one would be not cheap but in the right bracket for this kind of yacht.
A weekend on Pittwater with three students was an ideal way to test sail the Cavalier 39.9. First off the students who were not that new to boating and had been introduced to the Benateaus and Bavaria’s and such like were impressed! “Wow this is nice” was the general comment. I have been warned about describing boats as “nice”. But superlatives should be used where they are deserved.
This boat was built in Australia and I am familiar with the Cav. 28 and 32. Both are great cruising boats and are often seen in the midweek and weekend club race fleets doing a commendable job for their skipper and crews. Externally she is a sleek looking yacht in the modern shape that has I feel been forced on us. For me that is just a fashion statement as one who prefers the older style shapes.
She has good wide side decks and the spinnaker pole resting in it’s position on the foredeck did intrude a little to the side deck but not to hinder easy movement past it. Fore deck clean and spacious with easy anchoring and mooring pick up position. Electronic anchor windlass but only the up switch at the anchor well worked not the switch at the helmsman’s position. The cockpit was a good size with a fold away table that seats about five adults. Most yachts this size seem to concentrate on making the cockpit huge and set the steering position as far aft as is humanly possible. This was not the case here and the helmsman has plenty of room to stand long watches. Nor is the wheel so huge that the person on the helm can’t help with sheeting home sails and stepping round to make trim adjustments which is important in husband and wife sailing teams.
At the time of manufacture a decision could be made on configuration. A front cabin with V berth and head, centre cabin with galley, nav station and two bunks that made up the seating around the dining table and a third cabin with a smallish double was the choice of this owner. There was also a second head off cabin two. This was a mirror space of the double cabin and could be a choice. In it’s current configuration it left a huge storage bin in the cockpit which needed a step built into it to get stuff from the bottom. Useful but not required.
With just charter style tough sails on her she sailed like a witch in both light airs and strong gusty winds that Pittwater is renowned for. All the usual drills that students do such as man overboard and picking up moorings under sail were easy to handle. Her motor was a Volvo 40 HP which was shiny and “nice”. She handled well under motor. We spent over 12 hours at night motoring her around the Hawkesbury and she was tame in the strong tides so she is not underpowered.
Start up price in the nineties was around $231,000 to $290,000 so today a good second hand one would be not cheap but in the right bracket for this kind of yacht.
| 51 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
