# 1968 Luger Leeward 16?



## PPPPPP42 (Mar 11, 2009)

Anyone have any experience with this model? I see this is back when they had alot of wood ribs and parts on the inside so ill have to check that out but they seemed to be real nice otherwise and I found one local with an asking price of $999 complete with everything. (trailer, covers, main and working jib, ect) I should mention that this would be my first sailboat but as a marine mechanic for regular boats i'm used to looking at fiberglass with hidden rotten guts so I'm not worried in that respect. I haven't seen it yet but it looks like it was treated ok from the pictures.

I'm looking for something for one person with no real cabin thats small and easily managable in a sloop configuration. Has to be trailerable and I prefer the swing up centerboard to a dagger type keel. Cheap is ideal. They also had an 84 Melges X boat for $1500 but thats totally the opposite of the type of boat I want. Looking to go in the small toy cruiser direction to learn and eventually get into more of a full day cruiser, still trailerable but big enough for overnight.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

IIRC that is a kit boat. Neighbor had one growing up. Sailed it a few times. He put a plate of steel in the CB, so this made it sluggish. But very stable/upright when it sailed. Fairly smallish in overall height, including freeboard as I recall.

I sailed it in Lake Washington east of Seattle. Not a big deal most of the time. I could almost keep up with it in my 8' pram. My later 12' sloop rig left it behind! Again, this could be because of the steel CB vs what I recall was supposed to be a wood one, or a thinner version of what was in this rig.

found this link
http://www.lugerboats.com

marty


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## CalebD (Jan 11, 2008)

I can't comment on whether or not this was a 'kit boat' but it looks like a fun trailer sailor to me. 
I sill have an old 14' Viking sloop from the mid 1950's that would definitely sail much slower then this on would among other boats I happen to own. There is something to be said for starting cheap, easy and trailerable to learn how a sloop behaves. 
The price does not sound bad since it includes a trailer.


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## NateCP16 (Dec 28, 2008)

I bought one of these in the middle of last summer, and sold it by the end of last summer. I took it out 3 times, and just wasn't comfortable with something that old. There was a lot of flex in the CB trunk and there were some places (on the "deck" that covered the bow) where small tears were developing in the fiberglass where it attached to the hull. It comfortably fit 3 large guys, and handled pretty well in moderate wind, but there was a lot of spray coming over the bow/gunwale (and we were on a mid-sized lake in Minnesota). Also, the cockpit is not self bailing, so if you take on water, you better start bailing. I bought the boat plus main and jib, trolling motor, battery, and cockpit cover for $500 (I already had a good trailer). I sold the boat, accessories, and trailer for $950 at the end of summer (and bought a Com-Pac 16 + 4hp motor for $2000). 

If you can identify bad (weak) fiberglass, the boat, sails, and trailer look to be in good condition, and you don't mind getting a little wet, then $1,000 would be reasonable. If it's your first sailboat and you will be sailing alone (or +1) you might look for something small that could easily be swamped and recovered (Sunfish, Laser, Escape) to learn the basics on. That's how the wife and I started, we moved up to the Leeward in the hopes of staying dry, but upgraded to our current Com-Pac 16 because the Leeward just wasn't cutting it. Our first sailboat (AMF Copperhead) took about 15 mins to rig, the Leeward took about 20 mins, and the Com-Pac takes about 20 too.


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## PPPPPP42 (Mar 11, 2009)

Was yours a newer all glass model or this old wood framed one? Apparently these thing are real hit and miss on quality since it is a kit assembled by who knows what skill of 1st owner. Im sure I can get it for less than $1000 if its still available, possibly alot less. The guy there said he thought that one looked well assembled.

It was apparently for sale last summer or fall at the place on consignment but now they seem to have misplaced it so I didn't get to look at it. The guy said he didn't know it wasn't there and was going to call the owner to see when it was picked up. Good sign that the owner cares enough to store it at home for the winter I think since there are $50k yachts there full of ice right now and I do mean full (lots of freeze and rain and thaw lately). Too bad im not a racer, that '84 Melges X Boat had $1500 scribbled out and $950 written on it. Apparently not much is selling at all. If nothing else I spotted a similar type boat repairable mess in the corner that looked like a good hull and ok aluminum mast with no sails or trailer, maybe ill inquire.

Are these difficult to set upright if they flop over? Do they turn turtle or just lay down?

At a guess I would say that mid sized lake is minnetonka unless you way up north.


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## NateCP16 (Dec 28, 2008)

The one we had was wood frame. The wood looked good on the boat, it was the flexing all over that bothered me.

There were some deteriorating styrofoam under the benches in the cockpit, but if it went over, I have a feeling it would have found the bottom pretty quick. If I had kept it I was planning on pulling out the styrofoam and repacking the space with foam noodles. Even if the boat has enough flotation to keep it off the bottom and the gunwale above the waterline once you right it, the cockpit isn't self bailing, so you will be out there for a while with a hand pump or bucket. The few times we took it out I was very careful to avoid flipping it. Ours did have a roller reefing boom, which helped to decrease sail area quickly if the wind picked up.

The lake was White Bear. We live in East St. Paul and White Bear is only a 20 minute drive up 61.


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