# Looking at a Seidelmann 299



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Can anybody help? I,m looking for any info on the seidelmann 299. My family and i are looking for a cruising boat that will handle easily and accommodate a growing family. Speed is not as important as stability. With the 11 foot beam i,m thinking that the seidelmann 299 would be a little on the stiff side. I am trying to keep my wife interested in sailing she currently hangs on for dear life in our venture 25. We sail mainly on the bays in NJ.


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Given your use the Seidelman 299 has two real strikes against it, first of all they were pretty poorly constructed. There was a good string on the 299 that should still be in the archives. The other was that they had a pretty narrow waterline beam and a pretty high center of gravity and so were not expecially stiff as 30 footers go. Of course, all of these things are relative and in that sense they would certainly seem more stable than the 25 foot trailerable that you are used to. 

Respectfully,
Jeff


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks for your insight.I really appreciate it. What would you recommend for a family that has been sailing for only about two years and would meets our needs as far as stability and single handed sailing but with an interior that would accomodate weekend sails or trips? our budget is about $10,000.
or slightly highter. Older or needing some TLC is not a problem. Thanks for your help


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## halyardz (Sep 2, 2000)

If you added a few grand to your budget you
might like a Tartan 30. Older models trade in
the low teens but often need some work.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Great Value*

Hi,

I know this post is very old, but I wanted to share my experience with the Seidelmann 299. I owned a 1979 Seidelmann 299 for 5 years and loved it. I looked for a 30 footer during six month before narrowing it down to the S299. With a $16,000 budget, it was the best compromise between performance and confort. There are very few 30 footers that have such a spacious inside with pressure water, shower, 6' headroom... I wanted a boat that could take us on confortable cruises and one that I would still have fun racing with.
I don't really understand the comment about those boats being poorly built. Out of all the similar boats I saw at the time, the S299 was definitely one of the best. Most boats from the 70's and early 80's had soft spots, needed work in the interior... Overall, this was a great boat with plenty of room to take for 4-5 people for a week and to get on the podium racing PHRF. It performs very well in light air despite its weight and after reducing sails, it's very stable in heavier winds. We don't live by the water anymore and really miss our S299. I was actually looking for potential owners interested in renting us his S99 for a week this summer when I found this post.
Enjoy sailing!


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*Seidelmann 299 for charter*

I have a 79 299 that will be in Marinette WI that will be for charter to Door County, WI in 2010. We are not set up yet but I hope to have a charter fleet ready for next year. Bill


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## boat dude (Sep 13, 2011)

*Construction of the seidelman 299*

David,
I have owned 4 other boats before and now i have just purchased my seidelman 299. I buy distressed boats at rock bottom price and refurbish them. I do all my own work. Bimini, rebuild engine, fiberglass work, 2 part polyurithanes, upholstery, plumbing, electrical. EVERYTHING! 3 years ago the old owner pirated some parts off of the deck of this boat and sold it to the marina. It leaked in there all that time. Sometime after there was 6 inches of water in the boat and the marina here drilled a hole in the bottom. 2 months ago I looked at it and decided to buy it. I filled the holes with silicone and came by to open the hatch to let out moisture whenever I had time. This is an incredibly well built boat. My wood loss was minimal. ( Teak veneer flooring and 2 wood panels on the back. Also the cushions) I had the Yanmar diesel running in about 2 hours. and clean up to quite a bit longer of course. This is now a really nice boat that I have decided to keep. As far as designs go, you can see the that this man really knew what he was doing. This was the second bad review of this boat I have seen by people that know absolutely nothing about this boat. The first one talked about the deep draft. It is actually 4'2. Anyway, you should have gotten this boat. I really think the whole family would have loved it.


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## porchhound (Jul 23, 2012)

*Re: Construction of the seidelman 299*

Looking at a 1979 Seidelman 30T for $7500..are you STILL enamored with the Seidelman?


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## headcaseracer (Aug 3, 2010)

Porchhound - I have a 299. The only difference between that and the 30T is the interior set up. I am enamored with it. I have had a few buddies of mine sail it and all they talk about is how great the boat is. One has a Hunter and the other has a C&C 32'. They both love my boat more than theirs. I don't know where you are, but if you're anywhere near South Haven Michigan and want to come sail one, let me know and I'll take you out. I bought mine for $500 (right place, right time). After ten years of neglect it needed minimal repair. We sailed it home from Chicago with only cleaning it before we left Chicago. The only thing I have done that is not cosmetic is replace the floor boards and the support under the mast because it was left with standing water in it for ten years. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I'll be more than happy to answer anything I can.


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## louisstubb (Nov 15, 2006)

I HAVE A SEIDELMANN 299 WHUCH BOUGHT AS A PROJECT BOAT. after ABOUT THREE YEARS OF REBUILDING AND UPDATING THE BOAT IS NOW IN GREAT SHAPE.
I HAVE BEEN SAILING IT FOR ABOUT 12 YEARS AND FIND IT TO BE VERY COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO SINGLE HAND.
IT IS AVAILABLE AND CAN BE READY FOR IMMEDIATE USE.
FOR MORE INFORMATION E-MAIL ME.


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## Sv caroline (Sep 16, 2020)

TSOJOURNER said:


> *Great Value*
> 
> Hi,
> 
> ...


I have a s299 do you know if anyone has ever crossed oceans in one ?


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## Sv caroline (Sep 16, 2020)

headcaseracer said:


> Porchhound - I have a 299. The only difference between that and the 30T is the interior set up. I am enamored with it. I have had a few buddies of mine sail it and all they talk about is how great the boat is. One has a Hunter and the other has a C&C 32'. They both love my boat more than theirs. I don't know where you are, but if you're anywhere near South Haven Michigan and want to come sail one, let me know and I'll take you out. I bought mine for $500 (right place, right time). After ten years of neglect it needed minimal repair. We sailed it home from Chicago with only cleaning it before we left Chicago. The only thing I have done that is not cosmetic is replace the floor boards and the support under the mast because it was left with standing water in it for ten years. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I'll be more than happy to answer anything I can.


I have a S299 also do you know if anyone has crossed the atlantic in one ?


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## Jeff_H (Feb 26, 2000)

Sv caroline said:


> I have a S299 also do you know if anyone has crossed the atlantic in one ?


I seriously doubt anyone has crossed the Atlantic in one. As you are probably aware that these were pretty lightly built race boats that could be very cranky when things turned ugly. They were designed for a lot of crew weight on the rail, and were a bit if a handful without the rail meat. I also would be doubtful that they have adequate carrying capacity for that long a passage.


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