The Final Four
And then there we four...
Thirty-two boats started this competition—from light, rowable open designs to heavy, keeled trailerable cruisers. Some are legendary best-sellers, others were lesser known, newer designs.
We asked you to consider performance, seaworthiness, accommodations, trailerability, appearance, quality and value in order to pick the best overall boat in 30 head-to-head matchups. And now we are down to the final four:
The O’Day Mariner
The Montgomery 17
The Com-Pac Suncat
The Catalina 22
The Mariner took 56% of the vote edging out the Sea Pearl. The fixed cabin clearly was a factor. As reader Christine wrote: “For those of us who cannot always count on fair weather, an enclosed cabin is a big plus.”
SCAMP made it to the Elite 8, but went into irons against the famous Montgomery 17 (60%). Her unusual appearance cost her a few votes. As Art Haberland wrote: “I just cannot get past the looks of the Scamp. …does nothing for my sense of aesthetics.” Ultimately the Monty’s rare blend of virtues won the day. Reader Mark Stone summed it up thusly: “The M17 seems to have just the right mix between stability and agility, long distance and skinny water capability as well as speed and comfort.”
We wondered if a second Monty might make the final 4, but the Com-Pac Sun Cat (58%)—with its easy tabernacled-rig—proved too popular for the Montgomery 15. Reader David Bower illustrated how difficult a decision this matchup presented when he wrote: “I can't believe I just did this...but I clicked on the Com-Pac Sun Cat over the rightly-acclaimed Montgomery 15. I love the M15, but the SC just has too many wonderful attributes to ignore. May God forgive me!”
The Norseboat—a relative newcomer—drew a tough matchup against the most popular trailersailer of all-time, the Catalina 22. The C-22 cruised to victory with 66% of the vote. Frugality and overall value certainly impacted this pairing. As reader Jim Harris pointed out: “Both great boats, but value for your dollars—you can buy a C-22 for the same price as a Norseboat 17.5. With all the used C-22s on the market I have to give it the nod.”
Coming up, the Mariner vs. the Monty and the Sun Cat vs the Catalina.—Eds.
On a more serious note, the criteria to which these boats are being held, will have an effect on which one will "win." I put "win" in quotes because the the best boat will always be the one best for you and what you want to do with it.
What is great for camp-cruising in Baja will not necessarily be good for cruising the Gulf-Islands in BC. Then there is that some want something as simple as possible that is easy to launch, but for others, they want more accommodation that normally comes with a bigger, more complicated rig that will be harder to set up.
Well, as a very biased long-time owner of a Sparrow 16, I will keep on claiming that my boat is the best and anyone who says otherwise is a stinky-poopy-head. :-) LOL