Candidate no. 1 - Etap 26i
Downloadable Owner's manual (pdf)
Aesthetic appeal
The Etap 26i was love at first sight. I'm enamoured with its looks, layout, construction quality, and unsinkability. It can be sailed with a hole in the hull, but what I really like about this feature is that a leak will not sink it when docked or anchored (dealing with a sunken boat is a huge logistics headache).
Another thing I really like about the Etap 26i is its interior. The cabin is flooded with light, and you can look where you're going and up at the sails while making lunch. A small boat interior can't get much more cheerful than this.
The stern has a very inviting swim platform which also looks like a dream for stepping into and out of the dinghy. Although it's a modern production boat, it has the look of a serious cruiser (which it isn't).
The interior plan is standard for an modern 8 m sailboat, which is good. I don't see how anyone could significantly improve the layout in this size of boat. Perfect for a solo sailor.
Hull, rig and engine
The Etap company has closed, but this is what they used to say about the Etap 26i
- The only unsinkable Yachts in the world
- Condensation free
- Highly thermal and acoustic insulation
- Double-skinned deck and hull give stable
structure
- Interior in sound structural polyester
- High resale valueEtaps aren't merely unsinkable, they can still be sailed even when holed. Here's a report in a Yachting Monthly article about testing a flooded Etap 21i:
"Gert, the Etap representative onboard, has done this a few times, most notably in a 24-ft Etap, crossing the Channel twice in a day with the boat flooded. He estimated that flooding slows the boat down by 1 knot, not bad considering he reefs to reduce strain on the rig."
Note that the following photograph is of an Etap 21i.
 |
| The bunk locker lids were barely awash when the water ingress stopped (Etap 21i). ~ Courtesy of Yachting Monthly |
I don't know what to think about Etap's that come with a shallow tandem keel. If the tandem keel works as well as the designer says, what's there not to like? If they don't perform as well, and I happen to buy one, a shallow draft has a number of advantages.
 |
| The tandem keel consists of two short keels joined by a bulb. |
My first impression is that the sail plan and rig seem to be more suitable to day-sailing than for my cruising trips along the Portuguese coast, which is known for its somewhat boisterous trade winds and severe conditions at various capes, particularly on hot afternoons.
I need a boat that sails well downwind (when I go south) and reasonably well upwind (when I return sailing north). I hate motoring unless there's no alternative, then I live with it.
Here is an Etap 26i sailing:
The Bergstrom rig on the Etap 26i has no backstay, which is compensated by its swept-back spreaders. This also explains its large main sail with a generous roach and small self-tacking genoa.
I've noticed, such as in the above film, that some owners upgraded to a larger genoa. I would suspect they were unhappy with the smaller sail's performance. But since the rig was designed for a small genoa, could a larger genoa pose a risk in stronger wind?
The boat's setup raises at least two key issues: its ability to sail downwind efficiently; and its capacity to cope with strong wind on a beam reach, particularly with its ballast displacement ratio just shy of 30%.
When sailing downwind, the swept-back spreaders prevent easing the mainsail far enough for optimum performance. This problem could be overcome by employing a smallish and easy to handle asymmetrical spinnaker. After all, I'm not trying to break speed records, I merely want to sail from port to port fast enough to arrive before dark rather than having to motor and/or motorsail.
The problem of not being able to fully ease out and depower the main sail in strong beam-reach winds is more worrisome. And believe me, if you cruise Portugal's coast and its nasty capes where winds can escalate from a breeze to vicious storm-like winds in minutes, not being able to depower a large main could put a huge load on the rig and sails and even lead to a wind-and-wave induced broach. In this scenario, a solo sailor also has to struggle to maintain his balance in a steeply slanted and unstable cockpit at at time when he must act fast to bring the boat under control, especially since the autopilot will almost certainly be overpowered.
Reef, reef early and deeply, the experts say. I say it too, but sailing is not always that simple or logical. I don't always follow this advice on my current boat, a Corbin 39, but that's because it's built for hell and high water.
On the other hand, the small genoa combined with the battened mainsail may be great for upwind sailing...at least that's what I think and hope.
Price
Ads in February 2017:
Year of build Asking prices in euros
1995 21,570 / 24,000 / 26,000
1996 25,000
1999 26,000
2004 33,000
And what are the forums saying about this boat:
I've noticed, such as in the above film, that some owners upgraded to a larger genoa. I would suspect they were unhappy with the smaller sail's performance. But since the rig was designed for a small genoa, could a larger genoa pose a risk in stronger wind?
The boat's setup raises at least two key issues: its ability to sail downwind efficiently; and its capacity to cope with strong wind on a beam reach, particularly with its ballast displacement ratio just shy of 30%.
When sailing downwind, the swept-back spreaders prevent easing the mainsail far enough for optimum performance. This problem could be overcome by employing a smallish and easy to handle asymmetrical spinnaker. After all, I'm not trying to break speed records, I merely want to sail from port to port fast enough to arrive before dark rather than having to motor and/or motorsail.
The problem of not being able to fully ease out and depower the main sail in strong beam-reach winds is more worrisome. And believe me, if you cruise Portugal's coast and its nasty capes where winds can escalate from a breeze to vicious storm-like winds in minutes, not being able to depower a large main could put a huge load on the rig and sails and even lead to a wind-and-wave induced broach. In this scenario, a solo sailor also has to struggle to maintain his balance in a steeply slanted and unstable cockpit at at time when he must act fast to bring the boat under control, especially since the autopilot will almost certainly be overpowered.
Reef, reef early and deeply, the experts say. I say it too, but sailing is not always that simple or logical. I don't always follow this advice on my current boat, a Corbin 39, but that's because it's built for hell and high water.
On the other hand, the small genoa combined with the battened mainsail may be great for upwind sailing...at least that's what I think and hope.
Ads in February 2017:
Year of build Asking prices in euros
1995 21,570 / 24,000 / 26,000
1996 25,000
1999 26,000
2004 33,000
And what are the forums saying about this boat:
"I have an Etap 26i (as opposed to the older 26) fixed keel (not tandem) and she's a great boat. The self-tacking jib makes for a stress free time in busy waters and as an etap owner already you'll know the benefits of the double skin and buoyancy (although ok, storage can be less). The only thing I would say is that due to the Bergstrom rig with swept back spreaders, you have to gybe a bit more as a straight down-wind jaunt puts the main onto the spreaders... my next step is to look into a spinnaker to sort that out."
"I owned one for 5 years after upgrading from a 22 Etap. Great sailing boat. Can't think of any negative aspects. I sailed with our family of 4 kids , later bought a 30 Etap so sailed etaps for 15 years. Couldn't afford a 35 so switched brands."
More information may be added to this post. In the meantime, It's a boat to take seriously in my quest to be a happy sailor.
