24 Practical Boat Owner • http://www.pbo.co.uk
BOATS
Character Boats Coastal
Another classic is the long-keeled Coastal,
sometimes known as the Whammel, from
Character Boats – a very traditional-
looking sloop, but with a modern gaff-rig
and bowsprit. Her GRP hull is moulded
clinker-style, with a transom-hung rudder,
and she has solid wooden spars. While
slightly more expensive than the Dabber
or Lugger, the Coastal is solidly built and
fitted out using high-grade stainless steel
fittings, along with attractive hardwood
trims, seats and cockpit boards.
She is available as an open-deck day
boat, or as a weekender with a camping
layout including a sprayhood/tent, two
berths and additional stowage. The open
boat can include a large central locker,
which divides the cockpit in two and is
typically used for securing the outboard
motor when left unattended.
The Weekender version has forward and
aft cockpits, the former complete with
berth cushions and a folding spray-hood
on stainless steel frame with a zip-in back
panel that completely encloses the area.
There is also a large foredeck locker with
access via a deck hatch, two dry storage
lockers under the berths and three further
lockers aft, one of which houses a remote
fuel tank. All lockers are lined and
separate to the buoyancy chambers.
Both the day boat and weekender sport
a stout anchor bollard with a chain pipe
into the foredeck locker. Synthetic hemp
lines complement tan sails and lazy jacks
are supplied with the two-reef mainsail.
A furling headsail completes the sail plan,
making sail handling effortless and
drama-free.
The Coastal, which is certified under
RCD category C, comes with a purpose-
built, galvanised, braked trailer with
multiple guide rollers for easy launching
and recovering, and can be towed by a
medium-sized family saloon car.
Contact Character Boats UK,
07976 406768, characterboats.co.uk
Hawk 20
Not everyone wants an old gaffer
lookalike. For some, sailing performance
is more important than stowage for a
portaloo, and it was for these clients the
Hawk 20 was developed in 1993. The
self-righting, unsinkable Hawk was
modern for her time and, being more like
a racing dinghy, demonstrated an
enviable sailing performance. She’s also
very stiff, having internal lead ballast cast
to the shape of the hull to lower her centre
of gravity.
Two models are currently available – the
original open Dayboat and a Cabin
version. The latter has an identical hull
and rig, but it includes a cosy forecabin
that provides space for a V-berth, small
cooker and portable toilet. Adding a
cockpit tent would allow four to sleep on
board in relative ‘camping-style’ comfort.
The Dayboat has a long, self-draining
cockpit with generous side locker stowage
and there are foam buoyancy
compartments located in side
compartments, under the decks and
beneath the cockpit sole. Her foiled,
epoxy-coated, aluminium centreplate
swings up into an enclosed keel box,while the outboard is positioned ahead of
the rudder for maximum steerage under
power and to help eliminate prop
cavitation in a chop. When sailing, the
outboard lifts clear of the water and the
well is sealed.
The Hawk has a modern, fractional,
Bermudan sloop rig with alloy spars and
headsail furler. Her 140ft² (13.0m²)
mainsail provides bags of power and,
should it blow up, can be flattened using
the backstay tensioner or reefed with a
single line.
Speed freaks can fit the self-hoisting
spinnaker arrangement, whereby the sail
is contained within a tube inside the
foredeck locker and is hoisted and
retrieved from the cockpit through a
foredeck snuffer ring.
At around 24ft (7.3m) long (with mast
atop) and weighing 1,795lb (816kg) dry,
the Hawk can be towed behind the
average family car on its easy-launch,
braked trailer.
Contact J Reid Marine,
01202 483333, hawk20.co.ukThe Coastal from Character Boats is GRP
but sports a traditional clinker lookHawk 20 is built for modern performance
rather than traditional looks – this is the
Cabin version