1973 soverel 30 mkIII

[ghostwriter247]

Does anybody have the specs for this? the information on the internet on the net is all over the place as they made about 5 different 30s

this is the 9.5 beam version keel with centerboard.

Has anyone ever sailed on one or knwo anything about them like displacement?

thanks

josh

[Bluenose]

I was intrigued by Soverel 30 for a while but never realized that there were two distinct versions. Here is a breakdown of the 30's from the Soverel 33 site.



This looks like the older version, a 74 mark III, designed by Bill Soverel.



This is the "newer" version designed my Mark Soverel, Bill's son I think, and was an over-canvased sailing son of gun.

[Figment]

I've never been aboard one, but they look pretty nice when they pass us mid-race. Bastards.

[Stubrow]

I think the earlier Soverel 30 is a stretched version of the Soverel 28 which was actually designed by Daniel McCarthy and Waltman Waltersmith ??? This is a great sailing boat which I know from experience since I once chartered one. The wind never went below 25 knts for the whole week we had her, and with a small jib and full main it always tracked beautifully and never seemed overpowered. It may not be anything special in light air. Like many boats from that era, it was a bit cramped down below compared to more modern boats of this size.

I remember racing against the newer, Mark Soveral designed S30, and, for a short while, it benefited greatly from one of the major shortcomings of the PHRF rule. Since there weren't that many built, and so many different versions, it didn't have a real 'history' and was given an overly favorable rating. Of course, for this to be 'corrected', the system requires that someone make a 'complaint', which most people at this level of racing don't wish to do. It disappeared before the rating committee became aware of the inequity.
Probably to appear again somewhere else as an unknown quantity for some other PHRF body to deal with.

[Bluenose]

There was a pretty positive review of the "modern" Soverel 30 in Practical Sailor a ways back. This boat was big time on my list as a possible upgrade from my old Bluenose Sloop since they were available without inboard engines and they carried a ton of sail. Something like 460 square feet with the working jib on 7,000 pounds of displacement.

In the end my aesthetic requirements and the increased draft on most modern boats lead me in a different direction. But this boat was surely well regarded from my armchair research. And I would definitely catch a ride if offered. That and an Aphrodite 101.

[Stubrow]

It seems like a nice boat. Haven't ever actually sailed on one. Can't hold a candle to the Soverel 33 though. They only weigh 5900. And that's WITH an engince. Untouchable in light air. A real handfull when it blows.
I had a look at your very cool 'knockabout project'. And that's a Shields hull you used?
I suppose I'm going 'off topic' here.

Randy Browing
Norwalk, CT

[Figment]

Right, the one I'm thinking of is a 33, not a 30. Bastards.

[Stubrow]

It's almost as though it was designed for LIS conditions. The narrow hull is so much better in a chop than the fat, hard bilged IOR types. If you happen to be sailing in one of the latter, you really have to come up with something smart to beat them.

[Peter]

That and an Aphrodite 101.

Bill, there's an Aphrodite 101 just across from you in Griffin Bay on San Juan Island: "Chamade" .... beautiful boat.

I once took some photos of her as she smoked past me leaving the Inner Harbour in Victoria.

[Bluenose]

The thread hijacking police will be breaking down the door any minute. But I tried pacing that beauty in my old 24 ft Bluenose Sloop between Griffin Bay and the entrance to Fishbay. Lost that one but kept it close for a while. Maybe I will get a chance again in Bolero. It will still be a bit of a mismatch but nothing like the two minute a mile handicap that the old Bluenose had.

Thanks for the great photo.

[Shark]

Continued thread hi-jack: Aphorodite 101 - One of these shows up at my weekly evening club races. She's drop dead gorgeous in a "precision racing machine" sort of way but with an almost classic metre boat style.

In fact one of my regular crew members used to sail on her years ago. He says she is amazing. She goes to weather like a train but that downwind she can be quite a handful because she's so narrow. She even has running backstays to control her tall narrow rig! I never get tired of seeing her.

[ghostwriter247]

nah thread hijackings a good thing. All conversations move tangentally, Thanks for all the replies guys. Im looking at about any boat i can get my hands on right now thats within my price range. Im prolly gonna pass on the soverel thirty, and am now concentrating on a watkins 27 and a centaur 26

A little less expensive and better documentation and reviews so a safer bet for a new like me. Im still looking at bristol 24s but would be hard pressed to beat the deals on the centaurs and watkins but ya never know.

any thoughts

[David]

You'll have more room in the Centaur than the Watkins. I think the Westerly is a nicer sailor than the Watkins.

Good luck,

David

[Stubrow]

If it's documentation you're interested in, you can't go wrong with the Centaur. Other than 1 or 2 Catalina models, I think this is one of the most popular boats ever made of that size. If you need to fix something, it's pretty likely that someone somewhere has already done it and may well tell you all about it.
Sort of like the Triton thing they have going here. Except I bet there are four times as many Centaurs.

[Richincident]

Hey Ghostwriter!

I have a Soverel 28, which is VERY similar to the 30. There were few of either boat manufactured, though there were 90 of the 28's. They are VERY solid boats, and the 30 is as well. I wouldn't turn away from it because those Soverels are amazingly well constructed. You might want to join the yahoo group on soverels before you decide there is not enough information. Definitely beats worrying about delamination and blistering!

nah thread hijackings a good thing. All conversations move tangentally, Thanks for all the replies guys. Im looking at about any boat i can get my hands on right now thats within my price range. Im prolly gonna pass on the soverel thirty, and am now concentrating on a watkins 27 and a centaur 26

A little less expensive and better documentation and reviews so a safer bet for a new like me. Im still looking at bristol 24s but would be hard pressed to beat the deals on the centaurs and watkins but ya never know.

any thoughts

[Stubrow]

Don't own one but spent a fair amount of sailing a Soverel 28 a number of years ago. (this was the cruising version with the full length coachroof)Really impressed with it's sailing ability. I think we spent an entire week sailing upwind in a steep chop with winds never below 15knts, and we were always in control with what felt like good turn of speed. By comparison, the far newer Soverel 33, which is also a great boat, but a real chore to sail when the wind pipes up.

Hey Ghostwriter!

I have a Soverel 28, which is VERY similar to the 30. There were few of either boat manufactured, though there were 90 of the 28's. They are VERY solid boats, and the 30 is as well. I wouldn't turn away from it because those Soverels are amazingly well constructed. You might want to join the yahoo group on soverels before you decide there is not enough information. Definitely beats worrying about delamination and blistering!

nah thread hijackings a good thing. All conversations move tangentally, Thanks for all the replies guys. Im looking at about any boat i can get my hands on right now thats within my price range. Im prolly gonna pass on the soverel thirty, and am now concentrating on a watkins 27 and a centaur 26

A little less expensive and better documentation and reviews so a safer bet for a new like me. Im still looking at bristol 24s but would be hard pressed to beat the deals on the centaurs and watkins but ya never know.

any thoughts

[Richincident]

I haven't sailed in a 33 but I HOPE to some day. They are rockets, but bring along your extended family. My 28 is a LOT more forgiving of a keelboat newbie like myself, and can be single handed in a pretty good blow.

I agree with your assessment--and I love the big cockpit, though someday I may want to do more extended sailing and at that time the MORC II may be a bit too spartan below.

Don't own one but spent a fair amount of sailing a Soverel 28 a number of years ago. (this was the cruising version with the full length coachroof)Really impressed with it's sailing ability. I think we spent an entire week sailing upwind in a steep chop with winds never below 15knts, and we were always in control with what felt like good turn of speed. By comparison, the far newer Soverel 33, which is also a great boat, but a real chore to sail when the wind pipes up.

Hey Ghostwriter!

I have a Soverel 28, which is VERY similar to the 30. There were few of either boat manufactured, though there were 90 of the 28's. They are VERY solid boats, and the 30 is as well. I wouldn't turn away from it because those Soverels are amazingly well constructed. You might want to join the yahoo group on soverels before you decide there is not enough information. Definitely beats worrying about delamination and blistering!

nah thread hijackings a good thing. All conversations move tangentally, Thanks for all the replies guys. Im looking at about any boat i can get my hands on right now thats within my price range. Im prolly gonna pass on the soverel thirty, and am now concentrating on a watkins 27 and a centaur 26

A little less expensive and better documentation and reviews so a safer bet for a new like me. Im still looking at bristol 24s but would be hard pressed to beat the deals on the centaurs and watkins but ya never know.

any thoughts

[Richincident]

I almost forgot. Here's a COMPLETE operators manual for the 60's era Soverels written by a cranky old guy who owned one. LOTS of information on the care and feeding of an MD-2 diesel (mine is still running perfectly after 40 years) and all other aspects of the boat. Fun and quirky reading for anyone with a similar era boat.

http://hoofersailing.org/index.php?opti ... &Itemid=20

Does anybody have the specs for this? the information on the internet on the net is all over the place as they made about 5 different 30s

this is the 9.5 beam version keel with centerboard.

Has anyone ever sailed on one or knwo anything about them like displacement?

thanks

josh

[Stubrow]

On the race course, in light air, upwind, the Soverel 33 is without match. Even compared to boats the Mumm 30 etc. But as a short handed, all around sailor, I'd take the Soverel 28 any day. So you have the MORC version. I didn't notice your 'avatar' at first. You say keelboat; I thought that all the Soverel 28 variants were centerboarders. Is this the same boat: http://www.sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=759

[quote="Richincident"]I haven't sailed in a 33 but I HOPE to some day. They are rockets, but bring along your extended family. My 28 is a LOT more forgiving of a keelboat newbie like myself, and can be single handed in a pretty good blow.

I agree with your assessment--and I love the big cockpit, though someday I may want to do more extended sailing and at that time the MORC II may be a bit too spartan below.

[Richincident]

Yes, that IS my boat! I think of her as a keelboat because she weighs 7,000 pounds and has a keel/centerboard arrangement. My previous sailing experiences were all in centerboard boats, starting with a Cape Cod baby knockabout, then a Cape Cod Mercury, and on to lighter centerboarders. I am used to boats I an push around and launch myself! Can't do that with this one! Also, the centerboard weighs 700 pounds by itself....

On the race course, in light air, upwind, the Soverel 33 is without match. Even compared to boats the Mumm 30 etc. But as a short handed, all around sailor, I'd take the Soverel 28 any day. So you have the MORC version. I didn't notice your 'avatar' at first. You say keelboat; I thought that all the Soverel 28 variants were centerboarders. Is this the same boat: http://www.sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=759

I haven't sailed in a 33 but I HOPE to some day. They are rockets, but bring along your extended family. My 28 is a LOT more forgiving of a keelboat newbie like myself, and can be single handed in a pretty good blow.

I agree with your assessment--and I love the big cockpit, though someday I may want to do more extended sailing and at that time the MORC II may be a bit too spartan below.