Review of South Coast 26

Both the hull and the deck is made of hand laid fibreglass. A hull made of hand laid fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

The deck is a sandwich construction which improves the indoor climate. Especially when the water is colder than the air in the cabin, then the double hull insulates against cold water and reduce the condense water in the cabin. The core material in the sandwich construction is balsa.

Floor plan of South Coast 26.

The boat is equipped with one cabin, 4 berths, a galley, 91 liters (24 US gallons, 20 imperial gallons) fresh water capacity and toilet facility.

The headroom is above average

The interior is like most other boats made of teak. Teak has the advantage of being naturally very oily and therefore water-repellent, which is suitable on boats.

Rig of South Coast 26 anno 1978. South Coast 26A on Lake Mead.

The South Coast 26 is built with a masthead rig. The sail area for the mailsail + jib is 28.2 m² (303.3 ft²). The advantage of a masthead rig is its simplicity and the fact that a given sail area - compared with a fractional rig - can be carried lower and thus with less heeling moment.

Keel of South Coast 26 anno 1978. Fixing the keel. Cast Irion keel was stuck in the keel trunk.

Drop keel

The South Coast 26 is built with a drop keel. A drop keel is a lifting keel that can be lowered and raised vertically, allowing the boat to enter shallow waters.

The keel is made of iron. Many people prefer lead keel in favour of iron. The main argument is that lead is much heavier than iron and a lead keel can therefore be made smaller which again result in less wet surface, i.e. less drag. In fact iron is quite heavy, just 30% less heavy than lead, so the advantage of a lead keel is often overstated.

The boat can enter even shallow marinas as the draft is just about 0.56 - 0.66 meter (1.84 - 2.14 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

An outboard motor is often used on this boat for docking and maneuvering. In that case South Coast 26 will typically require a power of 3 - 4 hp, alternatively 66 - 79 lbs thrust if you prefer an electrical motor. Electric outboards are becoming popular among sailboat owners who want clean instant power with less noise and no exhaust fumes.

What is Capsize Screening Formula (CSF)?

The capsize screening value for South Coast 26 is 2.15, indicating that this boat would not be accepted to participate in ocean races.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 6.5 knots. The term "Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed" is widely used even though a boat can sail faster. The term shall be interpreted as above the theoretical speed a great additional power is necessary for a small gain in speed.

The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for South Coast 26 is about 115 kg/cm, alternatively 649 lbs/inch.
Meaning: if you load 115 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 649 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

What is Motion Comfort Ratio (MCR)?

The Motion Comfort Ratio for South Coast 26 is 13.2.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

The l/b ratio for South Coast 26 is 3.23.

What is a Ballast Ratio?

The ballast ratio for South Coast 26 is 29%.

What is Displacement Length Ratio?

The DL-ratio for South Coast 26 is 117 which categorizes this boat among 'light racers'.

What is SA/D (Sail Area Displacement ratio)?

The SA/D for South Coast 26 with ISO 8666 reference sail is 21.9, with a 135% genua the SA/D is 26.6.

As balsa wood is used as sandwich core material special care must be taken in relation to work that require penetration of the sandwich construction in order to to prevent water to get in contact with the balsa wood. Otherwise the balsa wood will eventually rotten and be expensive/impossible to repair.

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 19m² (204 ft²).
Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

Note: If you use a paint roller you will need more paint than if you use a paintbrush.

Dimensions of sail for masthead rig.

Are your sails worn out? You might find your next sail here: Sails for Sale

If you need to renew parts of your running rig and is not quite sure of the dimensions, you may find the estimates computed below useful.

Keels with moving parts need to be inspected and maintained on a regular basis according to advice given in owner's manual. Manufacturers usually advise which maintenance work can be done by the owner and which work should be carried out by a suitably experienced boatyard.

This section is reserved boat owner's modifications, improvements, etc. Here you might find (or contribute with) inspiration for your boat.

Do you have changes/improvements you would like to share? Upload a photo and describe what you have done.

We are always looking for new photos. If you can contribute with photos for South Coast 26 it would be a great help.

If you have any comments to the review, improvement suggestions, or the like, feel free to contact us. Criticism helps us to improve.