Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Gordon inscribed in red ink for all to know:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon



Not on the 42, but a neighbor has a 53 that is built like a brick
s#$%house. And sails well too (it is a keel/centerboard). The 53 is a
nice boat...

bob

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Gordon wrote:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

Jack Horner has a review of the Irwin 37
http://www.boatus.com/jackhornor/sail/Irwin37.htm
Mike

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Gordon wrote:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon


I don't know specifically about the 42, but I borrowed a 30 for a
summer some years back and it was the worst built boat I had ever
sailed, bar none. We would joke about which part of it was going to
fall off next, and it was only 8 years old.

I had another friend with a larger Irwin (a 37 maybe?) and he went
through similar problems, though not quite as bad.

Normally I don't bad-mouth other boats, but I'm willing to make an
exception for Irwins.

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Hi Gordon,

Gordon wrote:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

Opinions are going to vary on any brand of boat
you name including Irwin. There are people who
own them and swear by them, and others that swear
at them ;-)

My wife and I own a 1986 model Irwin Citation 38,
and it appears to me to be reasonably well built.
Not perfect, but reasonable. If not, I wouldn't
have bought it.

Don W.

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Gordon wrote:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon


Irwins are one of those boats you swear on or swear at. I've always
found them cheap beyond belief, but others who seem to know their stuff
say they are well built. Beats me.

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:40:14 -0600, Paul Cassel
wrote:

Irwins are one of those boats you swear on or swear at. I've always
found them cheap beyond belief, but others who seem to know their stuff
say they are well built. Beats me.

A friend of mine owned a big Irwin 53 ketch back in the mid 90s. His
rudder broke while sailing north in the Gulf Stream one year, and they
had to be towed 200 miles into Norfolk, VA by the coast guard. Other
than that it seemed like a fairly solid boat.

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

In article . com,
"Mike" wrote:

Gordon wrote:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

Jack Horner has a review of the Irwin 37
http://www.boatus.com/jackhornor/sail/Irwin37.htm
Mike


That may be the most negative review I've seen Jack Horner write.

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:51:15 -0700, "Gordon"
wrote:

Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

Having had an Irwin 37 CC and knowing a lot of other Irwin owners, I
can tell you that your question is a hard one to answer without
looking at that specific boat. The overall build quality of Irwins
varies greatly, more than most other boat brands. That's because they
didn't have very consistent (more like non-existent) quality control
(someone specificially designated to oversee the builders and make
sure they're being put together right) but they sometimes had good
people building them and sometimes not. So you might get a great boat
and you might get a dud. Fortunately I had one of the great ones. It
was very solidly built and after 25 years of some pretty hard sailing
had no major problems ... far less than many other 25 year old boats
I've seen even from some boutique brands.

No sense telling you about the specific characteristics of the 37
since the 42 is a different boat.

So my recommendation is to get it surveyed by a good suveyor and if it
comes out fairly clean (almost no older boat will come out perfect) go
for it. You'll be getting a lot of boat for the money. Irwins are
known for being good values, if you get a good one. Kind of like the
Chevy Bel Aire of sailboats.

Steve

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Jere Lull wrote:

In article . com,
"Mike" wrote:

Gordon wrote:
Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

What year?

Jack Horner has a review of the Irwin 37
http://www.boatus.com/jackhornor/sail/Irwin37.htm
Mike


That may be the most negative review I've seen Jack Horner write.

I am prejudiced against Irwin (without having any real experience with them
at all) because in the mid 70s, CSY contracted with Irwin to build boats
for them. They build the first two or three CSYs. They did such a bad job
and cut so many corners that CSY bought them out of the contract.

There are Irwins which are about 40 feet that look almost exactly like CSY
44s (center cockpit) and it is only when you look at them hard that you
can see the difference. The CSY was a boat designed for living aboard in
the Caribbean, so they have a lot of good storage, and I presume the CSY
type Irwins are about the same.

CSY didn't have a lot of ketches - only the pilothouses and two of the
walk-throughs. The pilothouses are not really center cockpit.



grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Talking to a very knowledgeable surveyor here, without looking at the
particular boat, says that Irwins were roomy and make great liveaboards, but
were not to be trusted offshore. They were a cheaply made boat to fit a
particular market and not for the serious cruiser.
That seems to fit what many of you have said.
Thanks all
Gordon

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Gordon wrote:
Talking to a very knowledgeable surveyor here, without looking at the
particular boat, says that Irwins were roomy and make great liveaboards, but
were not to be trusted offshore. They were a cheaply made boat to fit a
particular market and not for the serious cruiser.
That seems to fit what many of you have said.
Thanks all
Gordon


Did the surveyor say why Irwins "were not to be trusted offshore"? Are
they prone to breaking up and sinking, thru hulls fall out, mast break
off? What makes them dangerous offshore? Just like to know his reasons.
krj

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

The story on this page might shed some light.

http://pages.sssnet.com/go2erie/wind.htm

Scroll down to the Irwin Citation
--

Roger Long



"krj" wrote

Did the surveyor say why Irwins "were not to be trusted offshore"?
Are they prone to breaking up and sinking, thru hulls fall out, mast
break off? What makes them dangerous offshore? Just like to know his
reasons.
krj

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Jack Horner has a review of the Irwin 37

There is a world of difference between a 37 and a 42 (and larger).

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Roger Long wrote:
The story on this page might shed some light.

http://pages.sssnet.com/go2erie/wind.htm

Scroll down to the Irwin Citation

The story talks about the side of the hull flexing
while beating into 4-5' chop. I read a similar
story about the Irwin 53 that was written by a
delivery skipper.

Bottom line, they are not blue water boats. The
same can be (and is) said about a lot of other
manufacturers products as well.

Don W.

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Serious flexing!
G
"krj" wrote in message
. ..
Gordon wrote:
Talking to a very knowledgeable surveyor here, without looking at the
particular boat, says that Irwins were roomy and make great liveaboards,
but
were not to be trusted offshore. They were a cheaply made boat to fit a
particular market and not for the serious cruiser.
That seems to fit what many of you have said.
Thanks all
Gordon


Did the surveyor say why Irwins "were not to be trusted offshore"? Are
they prone to breaking up and sinking, thru hulls fall out, mast break
off? What makes them dangerous offshore? Just like to know his reasons.
krj

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:21:56 -0700, "Gordon"
wrote:

Talking to a very knowledgeable surveyor here, without looking at the
particular boat, says that Irwins were roomy and make great liveaboards, but
were not to be trusted offshore. They were a cheaply made boat to fit a
particular market and not for the serious cruiser.
That seems to fit what many of you have said.

They were actually designed and layed out for the Carribean charter
business. Cruising the BVIs, etc. They're great for that. For
instance, my 37 CC had two complete and private staterooms, each with
a head with shower. And a large main salon, large galley (3 burner
stove, oven, large sink) had 2 large coolers and a fridge, ample
storage space, etc. etc. You have full size walkthrough passage from
the inside to the aft stateroom, which a lot of center cockpit boats
that size don't have (you have to go through the cockpit on a lot of
them.)

It was set up so two couples or a family with kids could cruise
comfortably for a few weeks on the calm seas of the Carribean. And it
does that very well. It's also very comfortable and perfect for the
Chesapeake and for coastal cruising. But I wouldn't want to circumnav
in mine without some modifications/upgrades.

Steve

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

On Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:58:03 GMT, "Roger Long"
wrote:

The story on this page might shed some light.

http://pages.sssnet.com/go2erie/wind.htm

Scroll down to the Irwin Citation

That's the Citation, which was a very lightweight boat compared to the
37 or 42. A very different boat.

Steve

Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch
 

Steve wrote:

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:51:15 -0700, "Gordon"
wrote:

Any yeas, nays, comments on an Irwin 42 center cockpit ketch?
Thanks
Gordon

Having had an Irwin 37 CC and knowing a lot of other Irwin owners, I
can tell you that your question is a hard one to answer without
looking at that specific boat. The overall build quality of Irwins
varies greatly, more than most other boat brands. That's because they
didn't have very consistent (more like non-existent) quality control
(someone specificially designated to oversee the builders and make
sure they're being put together right) but they sometimes had good
people building them and sometimes not. So you might get a great boat
and you might get a dud. Fortunately I had one of the great ones. It
was very solidly built and after 25 years of some pretty hard sailing
had no major problems ... far less than many other 25 year old boats
I've seen even from some boutique brands.

No sense telling you about the specific characteristics of the 37
since the 42 is a different boat.

So my recommendation is to get it surveyed by a good suveyor and if it
comes out fairly clean (almost no older boat will come out perfect) go
for it. You'll be getting a lot of boat for the money. Irwins are
known for being good values, if you get a good one. Kind of like the
Chevy Bel Aire of sailboats.

Steve

You might post your question he





They should be able to help you out.

Jim
Irwin 28
--