Here’s an odd pairing, but that’s how the bracket crumbled. Will you vote to save the newer handsome sail & oar boat, or go with the much larger best-selling trailersailer? This result will probably say more about how you like to sail than which boat is better.
As a reminder, here are the contest criteria:
• Performance
• Seaworthiness
• Accommodations (suitability for camp-cruising)
• Trailerability (and rigging, launching ease)
• Appearance
• Quality/Value
The 17.5-foot NorseBoat is a relative newcomer to the small-boat scene, but its connections to craft from the 19th century New Jersey shore are readily visible.
For our test sail and review we asked company owner, Kevin Jeffrey what inspired the boat he and designer Chuck Paine created: “My family sailed and lived aboard cruising catamarans since my twin sons were one year old, and as a family we traveled abroad extensively. In 1993 we moved to Atlantic Canada with its abundance of coastline and waterways. At this time in my life I wanted a sailboat that was lightweight and portable, yet seaworthy and suitable for adventurous micro-cruising. I wanted a boat that could row and sail equally well, was as beautiful as practical, and could be trailered by a small car and fit in a standard garage.”
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