Lyle Hess Yachts

BCC Forum
1

hi,
my wife and i have decided to purchase a sailing yacht for long distance cruising. we have narrowed it down to either the bcc 28 or the falmouth cutter 34 built in vancouver. does anyone have any thoughts?

Before we make the decision we would like to see both yachts in the water and talk to owners. we would have no crew only the two of us. we live on the east coast in new york and will call anywhere to talk to owners. we would like to keep our travel time down to a weekend if possible, by auto.

Tthank-you for your response in advance
Peter & Pat garvey

2

Mr. Garvey,
I am the owner of Cyrano the newest BCC. I would be pleased to speak with
you about the boat . Currently Cyrano is at the Summerfield Boat Yard in
Fort Lauderdale Florida. That may be outside your desired radius of travel
but I would be happy to take you sailing if you care to travel to Florida.
My telephone number is 248-855-0469 at home and 248-355-2122 at work.
Feel free to call.
Regards,
Jim Hiller

3

Peter, I am somewhat partial to the BCC 28 since that is what I have, but
the Falmouth Cutter 34 that is shown on the web site is a very impressive
boat as well. I have visited with the owners of the boat shown on the
Falmouth Cutter web site which is being finished in the Galveston Bay area
between Houston and Galveston, Texas. (If you look closely at one of the
pictures there is a sign outside that says Kemah.) The 34 is a much larger
boat and the owners are doing an outstanding job of finishing out the boat.
My feeling is that it kind of depends on how much room you need to cruise as
well as your cruising kitty. The Falmouth Cutter 34 that I have seen here
is still sometime away from being put in the water. It really is something
to see, though.

Doug Beu
s/v Fritha

4

Hi Peter,?Peter, you touched a nerve!?
I love my BCC Aloha hull 95 built by Sam L. Morse.
I think a better boat would be hard to find & it may not exist&?Would I. let’s say that ?money were no object to commission a new 34-foot, channel cutter??In a heartbeat!!! ?
It is twice the size of a BCC! But size matters & the smaller the boat, the smaller the dollar! Doug is absolutely right!?Remember that wishes can come true.??Come see Aloha & go see Cyrano&?I don’t think you can go wrong.?
Kate
Kate Christensen
RogueWave Yacht Sales & Services, LLC.

5

Peter,?I chose my Aloha, because she can take me anywhere I want to go and she and I can go alone if we choose.
I wanted a real sailing vessel that I can sail myse: I’mlf independent. The Bristol Channel Cutter is a dream come true. I really doubt it gets any better. Bigger maybe, but not better. Every one is enjoying the opportunity to tell you why we love our BCCs so much. It is because they are perfect!?So are you convinced? You really cant go wrong as your preferences are all well founded. It is a matter of the experience you want to have in your life, and maybe money. But if you want a BCC you have to love and appreciate more than money.?Shear delight in beauty is a good start.??
Kate

6

Peter:

     I chose my BCC 28 not only because she is one of the most

seaworthy boats available but precisely because of her size. She is big
enough for 2 or 3 of us to cruise on for an extended period yet small
enough for me to single-hand. The forces and complexities go up almost
geometrically with size(or so it seems) as does the cost of acquisition and
maintenance.
At the end of the day, I’ve yet to hear the owner of a Lyle Hess
designed boat do anything but rave about the quality and sea kindliness of
their boats. Probably boils down to a matter of need and resources…
both cash and crew.

                             Best regards...............Tom

Tom Harrer
S/V Whitewings III

7

Peter:?

I suspect you?have already done your research on the merits of a Lyle Hess boat, such as the BCC.?We choose the BCC for her power under sail, seaworthiness, rugged construction, full keel, outboard rudder, outside chainplates, etc. etc.

These?features are probably the same reasons you are considering the BCC?and the Falmouth Cutter?34.?If we could afford the Falmouth Cutter 34, I would purchase?a boat and sell the BCC.??

The larger boat translates into?faster passages,?an?easier motion in a seaway, more live-aboard space, more storage, etc. Of course?to?gain these features, initial cost and operational costs are higher, i.e. sails, ground tackle, hardware, slip and haulout costs, etc.?

In light of all?the added benefits of a bigger boat, we are still very satisfied and pleased with our BCC. The boat?is within?our budget, she?has a “kind” motion, is?seaworthy and fast?and is a “Good Boat” - Roger Taylor.?

Rod S/V IDUNA
Baltimore, MD

8

Dear Tom,?
Thank you very much for your remarks on the BCC28.?
?
I talked to Jim Hiller, owner of Cyrano hull no. 120, and he said that the Falmouth Cutter 34 may be too big for Pat and I and, unfortunately, I have found no one who owns one or who has sailed one.
??
May I ask you if you changed the interior from the design offered by Sam Morse??

Thank you.
Peter Garvey

9

Dear Kate,?Thank you very much for your two e-mails. We would certainly like to come to Annapolis and see Aloha.We’ll give you a call.
?Did you change the interior design of Aloha from the design offered by Sam Morse???
Your second note mentioned that you thought the 34 would be great. I talked with Jim Hiller and he said the 34 may be too big for Pat and I to handle alone. What do you think??Regards,Peter Garvey

10

Dear Doug,?
Thank you very much for your e-mail on the BCC28.

I was wondering if you could give me the name, address, and phone number of the FC34 in Galveston Bay area because I would like to talk to them about their boat.?

As an aside, did you change the interior design from the design offered by Sam Morse??

Thank you,
Peter Garvey

11

The interior design of my boat is much different from the standard BCC.

I have the galley forward similar to the Pardey’s and two pilot berths.

The forward compartment has a single berth that can be made into a double as well as the head and both hanging and folding lockers.

You can see pictures at www.pbase.com/fritha/fritha if you are interested.?

I’ll get the name, address and phone number for you next time I see them.?

Doug Beu
s/v Fritha

12

Peter:?

IDUNA is Canadian built and has a different interior.

The interior construction is all-wood - Teak and Alaskan Yellow Cedar.?

We live in Baltimore and the boat is berth in the Inner Harbor area. If you decide to?visit Lady Pirate Kate,?who is feared along the coastline of the Chesapeake Bay, you are also welcome to visit IDUNA.?

Rod
S/V IDUNA

?P.S. Send me a private E-mail, and I will send you my phone number.

13

I changed the port settee into a dinette w/slide-away table which goes under the pilot berth when not in use. It’s similar to Tom and Jill Unruh’s (BCC117) but my table stores completely. It also has a filler board and cushion. As part of that mod, I extended the sink area a couple of inches in order to get decent width on my dinette seats.

A side benefit was that the pilot berth got a little wider when pulled out. I also opened the fore-peak area and put a bulkhead at the samson posts. I don’t carry a big sail inventory so didn’t need the storage and I find that it makes the whole space much less claustrophobic. I have a cargo net there to keep
duffels in place.

Best regards,
Tom

14

Peter:?

Calypso, hull #6, was bought hull and deck and then roughly finished out by the first owners before a sail down the coast and into Panama. We purchased her in semi-finished state and were glad not to have to rip out factory finish to get our desired interior. Stepping down into the cabin, you step on the engine cover which doubles as galley counter space.
To starboard is galley (3 burner Force Ten propane stove with storage outboard, and a seafrost refrigerator unit about as far back and to starboard as you get. To port is a chart table (sit down) you sit on the end of what could be a quarter berth but we just use as the garage.

Battery storage is under the chart table seat. Moving forward, we have a big table to port that opens up when we have guests, plus settees port and starboard. Bookshelves outboard of settees.

Forward we have a double berth, offset to port, with head on centerline underneath (cushion insert to finish bunk) and a hanging locker to starboard (soon to be gone, when we get around to it wasted space for the size it is). Lots of storage under the bunk and forward of that the chain locker, with routing to deep in the hull.

We currently have very high backs on the settees and we would love to change these to some more in line with the factory finished boat and we have a Fatsco wood burning stove wed like to install, probably where the factory places the Force Ten. Propane storage is on deck (aluminum 2 ?11 pounders).?

We have a Sabb 10 hp, single banger, which uses very little fuel our installed tank is 10 gallons, which we supplement when cruising with another 15 on deck. This frees up lots of water tankage we have about 100 gallons, which in the Bahamas lasted us 6 weeks.?We love having a double berth up front that is designated as ours no racing to put away the bunk if people are coming over for breakfast but the drawback is that under that bunk is lots of tool storage so the bunk never stayed made up for any length of time. We also love the table we had 10 people over for dinner on board on more than one occasion, and we all managed to eat down below.?

As far as size goes . . . having a little boat is great easy to handle, we werent tempted to put all kinds of extra tech stuff on board, and we were oh-so-pleasantly surprised to find how wonderfully she sails (even way overloaded . . .)

We had one sail in the Caribbean with a 34 footer where we came in raving about the sail wed had, and all they could do was complain about how wet and miserable they had been. And our Atlantic crossing, on board a Sundeer 60, while wonderfully fast, was not as comfortable as we would have been on our little boat.?Cant say enough about these boats.

We had one rendezvous for Chesapeake-based boats last summer, and the plan is to do another one this summer. You are certainly welcome to join us (land based, I am afraid, unless someone can volunteer settee space we have 2 kids and a dog and are full up! we have a fast dink and can ferry with almost no problem) to talk about how we all came to decisions and see lots of boats at one time. I think right now we are thinking about St. Marys sometime in early June (anyone feel free to chime in here) if you want to think about that.?

Good luck!?
Nica Waters
Calypso, BCC #6

15

Hi Peter and Pat

I don’t often comment on this board but this is very important.

If its just you and your wife I would recommend the BCC 28 built by Sam L. Morse Company. (Sumio)

Its time to talk about good reasons for the BCC 28 built by the Sam L Morse Company. (built in America)

Top Ten Reasons to buy a BCC28…

  1. The BCC 28 is without a doubt the best built boat in its size range in the world.

  2. The crew over at Sam L Morse Company has more than 25 years of experience building this boat. Building over 150 boats total! (Maybe more)

  3. The 34 built in British Columbia has built only one complete boat and a couple of kits (last I heard)

  4. The 34 company doesn’t have a track record and is most likely underfunded to build more than one boat at a time.

  5. The 34 is much too heavy for a man and wife team; weighing in dry at more than 20,000 pounds, ready for a world cruise your looking at perhaps 27,000 pounds. (now that is HEAVY!!) It will not sail as well in light air, It will also take more heavy sails to even ‘move’ the 34 in anything under 18 knots.

  6. You do not want the teak decks that are pictured on the 34 website. (nothing but un-necessary weight and hundreds of holes in the deck will come back to haunt you with water intrusion and big maintenance problems)

  7. The BCC 28 will be perfect for two, will take you anywhere in the world in comfort and safety and because of its flawless track record, the re-sale value is one of the best in the industry.

  8. The crew at Sam L Morse will work with you and give you incredible service.

  9. Like lin and larry said: Go small, go simple, go now, really applys to your situation. You have a boat that can be singlehanded in any weather (unlike the 34) and slip fees, ?moorage fees are less. A bottom job on a 34 is perhaps 80% more than a 28. Fuel consumption on the 34 will be twice that of a 28, not counting the maintenance of the larger engine the 34 would need. Try careening a 34 on the beach in the Bahama’s. It just won’t be easy. You should have a boat that can be singlehanded by either your wife or you if someone gets sick or hurt.
    The BCC 28 can be set up for that purpose. You can set sail by yourself in a 28 The 28 is really bigger inside than a Crealock 34 (sorry Bill, I’ll buy lunch next time) and practically everything you would want on a world class live-a-board cruising boat can be installed on the BCC 28.

  10. A great reason to buy a BCC28 is that Sumio can get started NOW on your boat because he has an opening in the production schedule (which is rare). He just shipped a few of the neatest BCC28’s I have ever seen.

Just my opinion and…

Fair winds
Bob

16

Bob:?

Have you ever owned or sailed or lived aboard a BCC??

Your wrote:?
“5. The 34 is much too heavy for a man and wife team; weighing in
dry at more than 20,000 pounds, ready for a world cruise your looking
at perhaps 27,000 pounds. (now that is HEAVY!!) It will not sail as well
in light air, It will also take more heavy sails to even ‘move’ the 34
in anything under 18 knots”?

I am curious?to know?how you came to these conclusions??

Best Regards,?
Rod
S/V IDUNA, (Canadian BCC)

17

Bob:?

I have given further thought to the points you made about the BCC. Perhaps it was the analytical thought process of chemist speaking, I was too cold. My apologies. I should stick to throwing bones across the deck and reading them where they fall. I have done that but do not ask the name of the vice president or?the company. No, I was not terminated, in fact, the guy liked me even more.?

Your points?are well taken. I believe the support Sam L. Morse Company has provided the owners of BCC is unquestionable and outstanding… The company has always supported their boats and been very open about discussing issues. Further, the company has?provided?technical support to me?regardless of the fact I have a Canadian BCC.??This was not the case with Pacific Seacraft when we owned the Flicka nor is the case now for the 432 Flicka owners.?

The only exception I have is the issue about handling a larger boat or the sail performance of the Falmouth Cutter 34. If Channel Cutter builds to Lyle Hess’s specifications, I suspect the boat will sail quite well. Couples also handle larger boats such as the Gale Force 34 and Westsail 32. In my opinion, an experience couple should be able to handle the FC 34 - the key is experience.?

The factors in the equation that are unknown at this point,?is Peter and Pat’s experience level, physical condition and age, as well as their long term sailing plans. As with my lovely shipmate, I am quite certain Pat is not a day over 29, hence only Peter’s age enters into the equation :-)?

We chose the BCC because we could handle her, she is a well proven design and she gave us the extra storage space and “bum-room” that we felt was lacking in our last boat (http://home.att.net/~africanmoon/) . Let me discuss the three areas I just mentioned.?

Handling:?
Lenora, my shipmate, and I can handle the boat single-handed. Each of us can handle the sails from hoisting, to stowing, to carrying the sails off the boat.?We can also manage the loads on the winches but sometimes the loads are rather heavy for L. Sometimes,they are heavy for me. When on a passage, these are important issues. Because of the watch routine, the boat is sailed single-handed by default when underway. As to her sailing characteristics, we are impressed. Each time we take her out, she continues to amaze us about?how well she sails and handles. This is one of the reasons we choose the BCC. We wanted a sailing machine that we could sail in the light air “stuff” and the heavy “stuff.”?

Well Proven Design:?
Although we have not sailed the BCC as extensively as we would like, the BCC has proved to be an extremely fast boat for her size and very comfortable underway. These boats are well proven on ocean passages and can take the wear and tear of passage-making regardless of the conditions. We feel very safe in the boat and know she will bring us home as long as we care for her. There are very few places I would not take this boat. As to speed, I believe Churchill, made two 170 mile days when he crossed the Atlantic to Ireland. The BCC will easily make 125 mile in a day’s run and 150 miles in 24 hours in not unusual. Although speed reduces your “exposure time”, the boat is also comfortable while sailing fast. Nica and Jeremy Waters made an Atlantic passage on a Deerfoot 64 after they returned from they three year cruise in the Caribbean. Nica’s comment to us was, she would take the?ride of a BCC over the Deerfoot any time?in any weather.?

“Bum-Room”:?L and I love to?have dinner guests. Our BCC has enough room to comfortably have 5 dinner guests, 6 with a squeeze and in a pinch 8. After Baltimore’s?boat parade ended this past holiday, we invited our guests to a?black bean chili dinner aboard IDUNA.??All were boat people. We sat 8 around the table, told stories,?enjoyed the wine and?each other’s company?on a cold winter night while listening to music by?Gordon Bok and Stan Rogers - our BCC has a custom layout. The?storage?and carrying capacity of?the boat is outstanding. There are very few boats?under 35 ft LOD that?can carry 3,000 lb. of equipment, stores and provisions and not suffer in sailing performance.?

There is no questions Bob, the BCC is a well proven design and thoroughly tested in the “Big Tank” as well as well supported by the Sam L. Morse Co.?

Fair Winds,?
Rod

18

Dear Doug,

Thank you very much for your reply.
Checked out your pictures - yacht looks great. Thanks for the input.

Regards,
Peter Garvey

19

Dear Rod,?
Thank you very much for your reply. If we decide to visit Kate, we’d love to see your BCC also.

E-mail me at petergarvey3@yahoo.com.

I do not have your private address.?

Thanks again,
Peter Garvey

20

Dear Jeremy and Nica,?

Thank you very much for your reply.

We haven’t decided how we will configure the interior but appreciate your input and we will keep you posted when we get closer.?

Peter Garvey