John & Donal, thanks for the info. I've seen pictures of the boat and it
certainly does look beamy, perhaps a bit bluff-bowed too. My interest is due to
the specs and the centerboard, which made it seem rather promising... not many
boats have both shoal draft capability, and the ratio SA/D 20 with D/L 175 which
looks like a relatively fast boat. But it doesn't sound very good after all.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King


John Weale wrote:

My experience of the Kelt 39 is that it is about the most uncomfortable
yacht I have ever sailed in.
I recall a passage a few years ago when I was one of a delivery crew taking
a Kelt 39 from St. Helier, Jersey to Cowes - we had a quartering sea all
the way and she rolled like a pig and most of the crew were seasick although
they were all pretty experienced sailors.
The wide aft saloon had no hand holds except for a flimsy "ladder" which
served as a companion way. On one occasion in the middle of the night, I
was struggling to get into my oilies to go on watch and was pitched across
the whole width of the cabin demolishing the ladder as I crashed into it on
the way across - and it is quite a long way!
The saloon table is built over the engine at a height that us tall chaps
have to bend our knees and bodies at an angle guaranteed to induce
indigestion.
The opinion of the rest of the crew was very similar - one of them remarked
that "The designer had a good idea for an aft cabin and built a boat around
it".
On the positive side - it proved to be very good as a "hospitality boat"
with ample space for entertaining during Cowes Week with G & T's and canapés
plus ample overnight accommodation for the guests.
The owner of Adat probably won't agree with any of this - he reckons she is
the best yacht ever built!
I think Kelt went bust and the moulds were taken over by Kirie/Feeling and
the Kelt 39 evolved into the Feeling 39 but with a more traditional
accommodation.

Cheers

JohnW