"jds" wrote...
hi all. been looking at a few boats and ran across a 30 foot hinterhoeller
nonsuch. have to say, its a strange looking old gal, but very roomy inside
and appears to be pretty well built. fairly heavy and the lwl is almost as
long as loa. very nice boat, at least the one i looked at.

Start with the Nonsuch Association at http://www.nonsuch.org/.

The Nonsuch has a great reputation for performance and handling. I considered
them when I was in that market in the 80s, along with the Herreshoff
cat-ketches. Turns out my eyes were bigger than my budget, so I never got
there. OTOH, I currently have a SeaPearl 21 cat-ketch...


ok, how would this thing sail upwind with no jib?? will the rig hold up with
a free standing mast and that strange looking boom?? would appreciate any
info on these vessels.

Though sloops tend to sail closer to the wind than other rigs, a lot depends on
the individual boat/class. You can expect that the Nonsuch will not sail as
close to the wind as a J-24, but it will likely perform well enough upwind for
most purposes. Also, it depends on whether you are inherently more likely to
slog your way upwind, or light off the "iron jenny"...

Frestanding masts are just fine, as long as they are designed and built
properly. It turns out you may miss the shrouds occasionally when working on
the foredeck, especially if you now have a boat where you are used to grabbing
them. Good lifelines and a harness would be in order for any serious offshore
work.

The larger diameter of a freestanding aluminum mast may have weight and airflow
penalties compared with a stayed mast, but the tradeoff is in simplicity of
[re]rigging and handling. If you sail short-handed, and are not an all-out,
speed-at-any-cost racer, you may find you like it.

The wishbone boom makes reefing and dousing the sail easy. Again, you just have
to get used to the idea it's "different" from most boats, not necessarily
"better" or "worse."


also saw a freedom 32. also a very nice boat. very roomy inside and also
appears to be well built. this one has a small jib. dont know enough about
them to know if all of em do or not. would also appreciate any input on
these. the one i looked at is new on the market and is a one owner boat that
looks well kept.

Freedom is also a well-respected boat line, with a dedicated following.

right now im leaning towards the nonsuch, but need to do a little more
research on both boats. not in any real hurry, but would like to find
something before the end of this coming summer. only sailing i have done is
on lake mead in a 23 foot centerboard sloop. probably never should have
started, now all i want to do is take a 6 month vacation and go sailing!!

Compared with your 23' C/B boat, both the Nonsuch and the Freedom will likely
perform VERY well. What they lack in pointing ability, they will make up for in
comfort and handling ease.


ive been looking for a 30 to 35 footer for a while now. these 2 have the
most room of any of them ive seen except for a 32 foot hunter that also has
a free standing mast. that was a nice boat inside too, but have not read
very many things about a hunter that were good.

I looked at that Hunter 32 a couple times, too. I'd go for the Nonsuch or
Freedom, based on reputation and likely resale value.


will be single handling most of the time. coastal on the west coast. maybe
offshore for short trips. these 2 boats look like a piece of cake to
shorthand. need some experienced advise here folks. any input pro or con
will be much appreciated. thanks. regards, j.d.

Look at the mfgrs' sites, owners' e-mail lists, etc. Practical Sailor has
reviewed both; go to www.practical-sailor.com to get them. I think you'll find
they're very positive.