Perfect boat for me? Island packet 26MKII

[lastgreatgeneration]

I already owned an Ariel, lived aboard mostly. The outboard was a pain to deal with all the time, I would rather have a diesel inboard. So, since I will be living aboard mostly and planning on going down the intracoastal and the Florida keys. From an outside perspective this seems like the perfect boat for me, I love everything about it. Almost as big inside as a 35' and has the draft of a catamaran. I know upwind performance will suffer and probably have tracking issues. However for what it is, it does lots of things well.

My uses will primarily be gunk holing, living aboard, and casually cruising around. Maybe a trip offshore to the Bahamas.

Also being an island packet it is quality built and has nice storage and teak below. Does anyone know anything about this boat? Opinions?

Thanks

Typical Dimensions And Capacities For The Island Packet 26 Mark II
LOA   30'0   Displacement (lbs)   8,000
LOD   26'2   Ballast (lbs)   3,000
LWL   24'2   Sail Area (Cutter Rig)   405
Beam   10'6   Auxiliary Power (Diesel)   15 HP
Draft (Keel)   3'8   Headroom   6'1
Draft (CB Up)   2'8   Water Capacity   31
Draft (CB Down)   6'0   Fuel Capacity   18
Mast Above DWL   38'0   Cabins / Berths   2/5

[Frank]

I fellow had one in the Abacos for years. bought it new and just sold it last year....in his 70's and back issues. Nice boat for Bahamas! very wide, shallow draft and you are correct in saying very well built.
they were Island Packet's 1st boat and oddly enough....not his own design...rather and existing mold he purchased and modified. I forget who the original designer was....but it was certainly given the "Island Packet" treatment once they built it.
Nice boat!

[lastgreatgeneration]

For the selling price these seem to be a great value. There is a very nice one for sale in deltaville va asking 14K. I would like to get some real world numbers on some fuel consumption data and hull speed data. I wonder if this would get worse fuel mileage because of more wetted surface?

I have read somewhere in the brochures that it will run 40 hours on 18 gallons of diesel. I'm surprised there is virtually no information online about these boats. It seems great in theory buy are there any downsides to this being the perfect sailfar boat?

[Frank]

Just found this:

When the Bombay Trading Company, another Florida boatbuilder, went bankrupt in 1979, Johnson bought the molds for the Bombay Express, a 26-foot (7.9 m) cruising sailboat. Modifying the yacht's interior, sailplan and underbody, Johnson produced his first yacht and called it, very simply, the "Island Packet". The name stuck and soon every model was known as an Island Packet. In most cases, the size designation followed "Island Packet".

[Frank]

and this from Bombay
looks like it started life as a centerboarder:



Hull Type:  Keel/Cbrd. Rig Type:  Masthead Sloop
LOA:  26.00' / 7.92m LWL:  24.08' / 7.34m
Beam:  10.50' / 3.20m Listed SA:  412 ft2 / 38.27 m2
Draft (max.)  5.75' / 1.75m Draft (min.)  2.33' / 0.71m
Disp.  7500 lbs./ 3402 kgs. Ballast:  2500 lbs. / 1134 kgs.
SA/Disp.:  17.26 Bal./Disp.:  33.33% Disp./Len.:  239.80
Designer:  Walter H. Scott
Builder:  New Bombay Trading (USA)
Construct.:  FG Bal. type:   
First Built:  1978 Last Built:   # Built:   
AUXILIARY POWER (orig. equip.)
Make:  Yanmar Model:   
Type:  Diesel HP:   
TANKS
Water:  40 gals. / 151 ltrs. Fuel:  15 gals. / 57 ltrs.
RIG DIMENSIONS  KEY
I(IG):  27.70' / 8.44m J:  10.10' / 3.08m
P:  32.00' / 9.75m E:  16.80' / 5.12m
PY:   EY:   
SPL/TPS:   ISP:   
SA(Fore.):  139.89 ft2 / 13.00 m2 SA(Main):  268.80 ft2 / 24.97 m2
Total(calc.)SA:   408.69 ft2 / 37.97 m2 DL ratio:  239.80
SA/Disp:  17.12  Est. Forestay Len.:  29.48' / 8.99m
   DESIGNER
More about & boats designed by:   Walter Scott
    SEE ALSO:
Related Boat:   ISLAND PACKET 26 MKI
 

[Frank]

Walter Scott   

Walter Scott




Though trained as a Naval Architect with a degree from Webb Institue, Walter Scott worked for 30 years at Grumman Aerospace. He was a recognized expert on deep diving submersables. After retiring from Grumman in 1970 he went to work for designer and builder Ted Irwin and ultimately became chief engineer at Irwin Yachts. He was involved with the design of many yachts from the Irwin line.
Richard Watkins, of Watkins yachts, commisioned him to design the WATKINS 27 which went into production in 1977. The ALLMAND 31, another Scott design, appeared in 1979.
He is known to have designed a number of other 'one off' boats. 

SORT BY LOA


SORT BY BOAT/CLASS NAME

BY THIS DESIGNER:
NAME/TYPE         LOA  First Built 
English / Metric   
IRWIN 10/4 25.33' / 7.72m 1975
BOMBAY CLIPPER 31 31.00' / 9.45m 1975
BOMBAY PILOTHOUSE 31 31.00' / 9.45m 1976
WATKINS 27 27.00' / 8.23m 1977
BOMBAY EXPRESS 26 26.00' / 7.92m 1978
ALLMAND 31 30.75' / 9.37m 1978
OFFSHORE 33 (SCOTT) 33.00' / 10.06m 1978
BEACHCOMBER 25 25.33' / 7.72m 1979
CAPTIVA 35 34.75' / 10.59m 1980
ISLAND PACKET 26 MKI 30.00' / 9.14m 1980
ALLMAND 35 PILOT HOUSE 34.75' / 10.59m 1981
ALLMAND 35 34.75' / 10.59m 1981
ISLAND PACKET 26 MKII 26.00' / 7.92m 1982
CAPTIVA 240 24.00' / 7.32m 1984
WATKINS 29 28.92' / 8.81m 1984

[lastgreatgeneration]

That's pretty much all he information I could find too. The full keel model I cannot afford however it seems that the centerboard models are very affordable. Even though I'm not a centerboard fan (moving parts, more maintenance etc). I read on cf one guy had a leak somewhere around the board trunk that he never could find. Of course I have passed on many cheap slips because they had hardly any water at low tide. I think I found a gem and I can't wait to see one in person.

[CapnK]

Interesting boat. Amazing that at that 26' of LOA she has a beam of 10.5' - lots of width (which = room, almost the beam of my I36 lol) there. Being shallow draft, I'd think the beam would help in keeping her on her feet for windward work, which was one of the things I did not like so much in my CP-23 with her shoal keel. You *had to* keep her upright for that stub of a keel to work, which meant shortening sail early, and so not much speed/drive, especially in short period waves. The beam on that IP and the centerboard, I would think go a long way towards correcting that issue, if they have it.

The other thing that jumps out at me, looking at the rig, is that it has a very large main in relationship to the jib. That, combined with that vertically-hung rudder at the stern which has no counter-balancing area forward of the pintles to aid steering, would make me wonder about weather helm in a blow. Being wheel steered that may not be so noticeable, and this might also be the reason for the 'sprit up front. Have you corresponded with any owners? Those would be two things I would wonder and ask about, as regards her ability to sail upwind. But then, as was famously written - gentleman don't sail to windward, right? ;)

Does she have standing headroom below? I like the layout, looks nice and very functional.

Looks like she would do admirably for your stated purposes. :D

Last Q - Which Ariel do you own?

Here are the 3 ads for IP 26 MkII's I found and looked at:

23.9K: ttp://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1982/Island-Packet-26-MKII-2728174/Deltaville/VA/United-States#.VekLi5cSTIU

5K no engine: http://www.usedboatsales.org/sailboat/1984-island-packet-26-mkii-sailboat-central-nj-needs-motor-on-the-hard-rig-up

16.9K: http://www.sailboatlistings.com/view/45942

[Frank]

This boat was docked at Powell River
Sure looks like the IP....but "not"
Thinking it is the original builder before IP purchased the molds and modified them
Very wide beam.....same lines...

PS...lil "dodger hart top" looks owner added