Cruising World - June 2018

june/july 2018

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appreciated when hoisting sail

to avoid snarling the main’s full

battens in the lazy jacks. Un-

derway, the person steering can

sit and be protected from wind,

rain and sun while still having a

360-degree view, or can perch

atop the hull with one hand on

the wheel and enjoy the breeze

and a clear view of the telltales.

Indoors, a U-shaped couch

wraps around the front of the

saloon and surrounds a trans-

formerlike table that’s mount-

ed on a gas shock so it can be

easily raised for dining, lowered

and turned sideways for enter-

taining, or dropped farther still

to make a large berth.

The sides of the saloon slope

outward, so the space above

the hulls is open amidships.

This benefi ts the galley, located

in the center of the starboard

hull. The cook has room to

work but remains a member

of the party; food can easily

be passed up, or after-meal

clutter down. The standard

galley comes with a stand-up

fridge and 180-liter top-loading

freezer on the inboard compos-

ite counter, and a double sink

and stove-top outboard (an ov-

en is optional). Standing at the

sink, the view out of the large

port in the hull is spectacular.

There’s a guest cabin with

a queen-size berth and head

and shower compartment for-

ward of the galley. A ft, there’s

a smaller cabin with a double

bunk. Access to the port en-

gine is beneath it. If I were the

owner, I’d seriously consider

using this space as a workshop/

catch-all area because I found

storage overall to be at a bit of

a premium.

The owners have the port

hull to themselves. A large head

and shower compartment are

located aft, with access to the

starboard engine through a door

in the shower’s wall. An electri-

cal panel and storage locker are

amidships. Forward, there’s an-

other great view through a hull

port located at the foot of the

athwartship queen bed.

With performance that’s

usually expected only in the

realm of cats with dagger-

boards, comfortable living

accommodations and fi ne

fi nishing touches like triple

lifelines on deck, the 1260 is

the result of a number of good

compromises.

And, it can sail.

BILLY BLACK Mark Pillsbury is CW’s editor.