# Looking for info on San Juan 26.



## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

In my continuing search for a trailerable boat, I have come across a San Juan 26 not too far away to be considered. Up till this point we had been looking at a Catalinas 25 and 27s. We were leaning towards the 25 as we like the berths better and the 27 was a bit more of a project boat, but maybe worth it.

This San Juan looks interesting. I looked at a SJ 21 maybe a decade ago so know a little about the company history and the boats. Can anyone tell me about SJ26? How would you compare it to a C25?

Thanks


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

San Juans were generally a step up in terms of build quality and sailing ability as compared to the Catalinas of that era. They tended to be a little more performance oriented. One nice thing about the 7.7 (26) is that it was fractionally rigged making it an easier boat to short hand. I would expect the Cat 25 to be slightly more roomy but not as well built or as fast or easy to sail.

Jeff


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Jeff—

I like your new SIG.


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

http://sanjuan21.net/clark_boat_company_5.pdf

There is some info on the Clark boat company off the sanjuan21 site.

Marty


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Thanks BLT2SKI,
That link gave a good bit of missing info on the boat.

Just to update what I have found:

Big cockpit
Some have wheel steering and inboard engines
The dog of the SJ fleet at a PHRF of 245 20-30 slower than Ranger 23s and Catalina 25s.
Not fractional rigged, that came with the SJ7.7
Standing headroom, (which I like) not the case in the C25.
Stub keel and centerboard configuration with short mast, makes it easier to launch but affects performance.
Right under 6000 lbs with trailer, which puts in my current vehicles capacity.
It sounds like a possible good fit for me, it sounds at least worth a roadtrip to inspect. The big winner will be the room in the v-beth all other things being similar.

Opinions anyone, would this be a good boat for cruising the San Juans or Channel Islands for two?


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

That boat will work fine for cruising here in the Puget Sound up to straights of georgia area in BC. Not sure which side of the border you are on. Lots of SJ's around here. If you need a trailerable boat, it will be a well built one, and worth looking at. a PHRF of 240.........bit slow for my wants. BUT, you want trailerable, so you have to take some hits. At least it is not as slow as the pacific seacraft 20'r, but that would proabably sail the world, but at 300 or something slower, talke about slow!

Marty


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

The SJ 7.7 and the SJ26 are different boats. The 7.7 frac is a fixed keel boat while the 26 is a different hull with a swing keel. From the link above the 26 came along in '75 but was replaced in '79 by the "racier" & prettier 7.7.

The 26 is a boxier looking boat, not in the same league as her SJ sisters, and slower than the 21.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Faster said:


> The SJ 7.7 and the SJ26 are different boats. The 7.7 frac is a fixed keel boat while the 26 is a different hull with a swing keel. From the link above the 26 came along in '75 but was replaced in '79 by the "racier" & prettier 7.7.
> 
> The 26 is a boxier looking boat, not in the same league as her SJ sisters, and slower than the 21.


Yep that is what the link said is people were buying the 26 expecting SJ performance and were dissapointed. So they went back to the drawing board and came out with the 7.7 instead.

It seems I have to choose more stabile, faster or trailerable. Can't have all 3 in my price range. I know more about PHRF just from racing but doing the math; the PHRF's I am looking at are about a 25 point difference. Would this mean a 50 mile day would get me about 1/2 hour later in the slower boat? Would this be a good trade off for a heavier, more stabile boat? Its not like I will be setting any speed records in the other boats i am looking at.

BTW I am south of the border and about 900 miles east of the coast, thats why a trailerable is important. If i get a heavier or deeper draft boat I doubt it will make it out of its home water. I had worked in and around Puget Sound but had no time for sailing then, I hope to make up for lost time next summer.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

I'm sorry about the mix up on the SJ 26 vs SJ 7.7. There appears to be no comparason between the two. 

In real world sailing conditions, 24-30 seconds a mile makes a very big difference in the distance that one can comfortably sail when cruising. While rating differences with crews aboard tend to be reasonably accurate measures of a boat's speed, in my experience the differences between a fast boat for its length and a slow boat for its length are greatly exagerated when boats are cruising. It can easily be the difference between a 50 mile day and a 40 or so mile day. And nothing suggests that the SJ 26 is necessarily more stabile. 

More to the point, when you have a cruising ground like San Juans or Channel Islands I would think you want a better sailing design than the SJ 26.

Jeff


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## blt2ski (May 5, 2005)

While I agree with Jeff to a point, sailing in the SJ's is many times more motoring than sailing. Not so say that some of the bays etc are not big enough to sail in and thru..........but if the wind is light, you will be motoring, as the currents can hit upwards 6-8 knots in bad spots, so missing a tide change is not fun. 
On the other hand, a heavy sailing boat is NOT your friend around here. This can be off set buy buying if one is not on the boat already, a drifter/reacher style genoa. IE a jib made of 2-3 oz nylon made for light wind days, less than say 6-8 knots. WHile out of favor in other parts of the world, they are still popular around Puget Sound up to BC. Most boats in my local race fleet have one, including myself. I gained .5-1 knot vs a 155 carbon last weekend in a go to, spend the night, race back on saturday, where the wind never got above 8 knots. Sunday with 13-28 knot down wind run, different story. 

Like all things, you have to decide the comprimises you are willing to take. 

Marty


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Thanks Jeff and Marty,
I tend towards a more spacious or more seaworthy boat, but there is something to be said for being at the anchorage or marina before the weather hits. It seems wise to look towards the performance end of the spectrum. I have owned my own boat before but it was simply a place to drink beer while day sailing or night sailing which I did more of.

The whole cruising thing has been a longtime dream of mine that I now share with my fiance. She is not as adventurous as I so I would like a boat she is comfortable with so it does not become just my dream alone. I also plan on getting a drifter for whichever boat I get. I lived in a light wind area without one and definetly want light wind performance.

Other boats to look at this week for me
Ranger 23
Catalina 25
Balboa 26

Thanks
Jordan


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## LittleMissMagic (Oct 13, 2006)

Sorry to b so late on this thread but I'm on the road. To put my own two cents in, since I own an SJ 26, they are not know for thier stability. I have done quite a few phrf races in _Little Miss Magic_ and we have placed a couple of times and always held our own. It isn't as fast as some of the other SJs but can hold her own in the local fleets. 
It is a very tender boat that is ideally suited for winds in the 5-15kt range. Anything other than that and you will need to reef both the main and jib quite a bit. If not the boat tends to have major weather helm and a tendency to round up. From what I understand, Clark Boats addressed this problem with the 7.7. 
Other than that, i love my boat, it is solidly built, with no blistering problems on the hull or anything else major. The only thing I had a problem with was ventilation in the cabin, easily remedied. There is plenty of room for my family of five to go daysailing, or maybe a weekend overnight. 
If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Thanks Jon for your update on info. That settles what I thought, however I figured it would be a more stable than that. I was thinking it would be a more stable boat, willing to give up some room below and some stability for a slightly faster boat at this point.

BTW, I used to live near the Gulf Coast and Gulf Shores was my favorite place, especially in winter.

Jordan


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## bobmcgov (Jul 19, 2007)

Lots of cheap Craigslist boats around Seattle in your range just now.

An SJ7.7, not a dog. Not standing headroom, tho.

Nice Catalina 27. Older, but looks well-loved.

Ericson 26 that's been on blocks for a dozen years; at $3200, it may be worth a look.

If your budget and tow vehicle can take it, a Cascade 29 for 8k. Solid (tho dull) cruising boat, only 7500 lbs. Interior finish varies wildly.

Or, on the smaller side, an O'day 25 -- tho I question its righting moment!


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

*Not in Seattle*

Hi Bob, 
Thanks for the suggestions. Just added to my signature. You can see a boat in Wyoming would be closer to me than one in Seattle. Know of any great cruisers for sale in WY?

I would love love to own a boat like the Cascade if I lived on the coast. What we would really like is a vacation home on the water. The Cascade would be a great boat for that. I also would love the Ericson. I have chartered one on the SF bay years ago, and race a 38 footer on Bear Lake in UT. I would love to own this one but by the time I got a trailer and a truck big enough to tow it it is out of my price range.

Within a 2 hour drive of here in SLC I have the following boats available with trailer:


Catalina 27 (could be great boat but needs work and no room for two to share a berth- important consideration for a newlywed.) $4500 without motor
 Catalina 25 two avail. not standing head room but two places to sleep as a couple and ready to drop in the water and sail away. $5-6000
Balboa 26 Similar speed to the Catalina but swing keeled easier to launch and ready to sail.
$6000
Ranger 23 two available at around $3500 one without trailer and one without spinnaker or elect system.
I am surprised at the number of boats available almost $1000 miles from the coast. I really like the Ranger 23 a lot but feel the v-berth is cramped for cruising if I could find one on trailer ready to rigged to race I would be very interested.


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## bobmcgov (Jul 19, 2007)

Whoops! My bad. Somehow the old brain said "Seattle." You planning to sail mostly on The Big Briny? And are you planning to slip there, or dry-sail? At any rate, you'll want a boat impervious to osmotic blistering. Some are more vulnerable than others. And an aluminum trailer, if you can get it! If buying local keep a CLOSE eye on standing rigging, esp around turnbuckles and chainplates, and try to get a look at keel bolts (fixed) or pivots and cables (swing). That's some darn salty water you got.

You looking at the Vegas Ranger (think its only one, listed twice)? The 28 is a good boat. Quick, like all Rangers. Funky hull shape -- narrow entry and stern, but beamy with tumblehome to make it a reasonable cruiser. Might have an interesting motion in big seas, but should be great on a lake. The tall mast option is worth a few seconds per mile, tho it's going to be a handful when the mountain winds pipe up.

You've prolly seen this Ranger 28 in Tahoe, right? Sounds like the poster needs to ease off the ephedrine a little, but the price sure turns your head. Definitely a "see in person, show me ID & title" sort of listing. Also a Cal25 there. I really like the Cal yachts.


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

Can't consider anything too far away unless it has a trailer and weighs under 6000 lbs.

Here are the current considerations.
ksl.com - Ad Listing

and 
 Balboa 26 Sailboat

and
ksl.com - Ad Listing

The crazy part of the salt water in the lake here, is it makes most boats impervious to blisters or growth. Nothing but brine shrimp can live in the water. I have been told that all you need to do is paint the boat bottom with epoxy paint to keep the bottom clean.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have SJ 26 with factory trailer for sale in Vegas...

pm me for more info, if you want...

Bill K.


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