# seafarer sailboats



## thornback (Nov 12, 2007)

I am trying to find out about this builder?


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## mccary (Feb 24, 2002)

I owned a Seafarer 22 for 29 years. I purchased it new in 1978. The company was originally a Dutch company and later was sold/moved to Long Island NY. The company was known for biliding strong and seaworth boats. Mine was bulit like a tank (except for the windows). The company president was Brian Ackworth. Brian vanished after the company folded about 1985. Is there something specific you want to know.


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## thornback (Nov 12, 2007)

*Seafarer*

Mccary
Thanks for your reply, I am going to look at Seafarer (1976) next week and was trying to find out any negatives I should be aware of. It has been difficult to find any details on the net.

Thornback


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## thornback (Nov 12, 2007)

Seafarer 

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Mccary
Thanks for your reply, I am going to look at Seafarer (1976) next week and was trying to find out any negatives I should be aware of. It has been difficult to find any details on the net.


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## JimsCAL (May 23, 2007)

Mccary is right about Seafarer being located on Long Island. I actually visited the factory/showroom in Huntington was I was in the market for a boat back in the 1970s. While I agree the early Seafarers were solid boats, the later ones, at least in the larger sizes, seemed very lightly built to me. They were definitely being built to sell at the lower end of the price range. Probably no better (or worse) than a Catalina of the same vintage.


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## thornback (Nov 12, 2007)

Thanks for your input


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*1980 Seafarer 30 - info*

Greetings all..
I am looking at a 1980 Seafarer 30 w/ Scheel Keel. I am somewhat frustrated by the lack of information on the web for these boats. I've got that love at first sight thing going on with this particular boat, but I want to make a decision based on facts and logic first and foremost. Can anyone comment on these boat's integrity, how about motion in a seaway? Is she tender? According to a sailboat calculator website she would have an unpleasant motion at sea. My intended use is ICW to Bahamas / Keys / Gulf Coast. No serious blue water passages. Thanks in advance for any replies.
Mark 
P26 Port Henry NY


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

My old man has a 26' seafarer tank which he's owned for ~20 years and which I've grown up sailing. Super-solid boat (for what it is). Not a spot of softness anywhere. Interior is very cheap, however. If you're looking for anything other than a daysailor I'd give a good look over the interior wood (don't even know what it is... looks like some kind of pressboard covered with contact paper??).


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Stu
Thanks for the reply. This SF30 has mostly teak interior, at least thats what it appears to be in the pics. I'll definitely give the woodwork a good look though if I get that far along. I currently sail a Pearson 26 that has that plywood/veneer for cabinets - yuk.
Mark


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## Northeaster (Jan 13, 2007)

Just finished my 1st summer of sailing my new-to-me 1978 Seafarer 30. I don't claim to be an expert on the Seafarer, or any other boat. I only started sailing 2 years ago - Purchased a 1982 Seafarer 22, after taking a couple of sailing lessons!

Bought the Seafarer 22 off an old guy, who had been impressed with the solid hull contruction, and good sized rigging. From my limited experience, and comments of experienced friends, it sailed well, was stable, and not tender.

Note on the interior "wood" quality. YES - it is crap - vinyl (or something) backed, Faux-wood grained cheap looking stuff that makes up the head walls, side panels covering bottom of v-berth (water tank / holding tank, etc).

I bought my Seafarer 30 this spring, in fixer-upper condition, and probably ended up paying more to spruce up / improve things, than had I paid more money for one in better shape.

Regardless, the boat sails well, is very solid feeling, has sturdy wheel steering, skeg hung rudder (you do have to check the lower rudder attachment, as the pintle / gudgeon is known to wear / corrode/ break - should be proactive and make sure it's good).

Not sure about the shoal draft - mine draws 4'9', displaces 8600lbs (although the crane says 10,000, with gear and some fuel / water), ballast is 3400lbs lead encapuslated in the keel. 
The mainsail is rather small (boom approx 9' 8" long), so most of the power comes from the headsail. I have 2 reef points on the main, and 4 headsails to use with my Shaefer Reefing RF.
Although the boat is not tender, I have reefed alot this summer, as my Girlfriend does NOT like the boat heeling excessively, or feeling overpowered by the jib.
I have had many other rail-near/in water days, alone, or with other friends.
The chainplates can be viewed / inspected easily and connect directly to a huge fiberglass "joint" that is all one piece molded with the hull. (behind the sliding glass cabinets).

Re: the hull strength. Mine were both hand-laid solid hulls, made up of alternate layers of mat /roving - they are not production chopper gun hulls.
When I stupidly modified by tandem trailer to be "float on", to avoid the $100 crane lift fee, I put the boat on the trailer (bear in mind - trailer completely submerged), only to haul it out, and notice that the keel was not touching the keel rest. The whole boat (displacment 2700lbs, ballast 1000lbs or so) was resteing on the two bunks, and there was zero indentation in the hull, from this weight!
Neither boat had any blisters, or concerns of any kind in the hull, and while my 30 has gelcoat crazing, the decks have no soft spots.

I like the galley / cabin layout alot, except for the fact that it has berths for 7, yet not much storage. We use one of the back q-berths for storage, and keep our sails in the v-berth. Great standing headroom (6 ft)

I built a trailer for my 30, and now have it stored indoors this winter. So I will be taking on several projects, to further improve her.
The yanmar worked fine, but will be rebuilt ths year, as it is 25 years old, and my brother is a mechanic. Will be replacing the standing rigging, as it is 29 years old, and won't cost more than approx $800 - 1000, for piece of mind.

If you would like any pictures, etc, let me know, and I can email you.

Darrell
if you don't have them already, here are the Seafarer forums / sites.
http://www.seafarer-research-center.com/index.html
http://list.sailnet.net/read/?forum=seafarer
http://bbs.trailersailor.com/forums/seafarer/index.cgi/#4338


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## jzeke16 (Dec 21, 2006)

Seafarers were built in commercial space on a side street in Huntington Village, NY in the 60s. As business grew the owner built new manufacturing facility outside the village on Park Avenue (you know where if you're from these parts). He continued to bulid boats until economic times got tough. He had some labor problems and "someone" in the dead of night destroyed the glass front of the showroom (which had a fully rigged boat hanging in the window). The company shutdown soon after.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Darrell,
Thanks for your insight and especially for those links. 
Mark


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## SailMaine (Jan 9, 2008)

I'm considering a 1967 Seafarer 31'... anything that I should look out for when I inspect the boat?


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