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uldb Olson 40 SC40 etc for Carribean cruising

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Jeff/Others: What are your thoughts? Santa Cruz 40, O40, Wylie ? I expect they will pound more to winward, less carring capacity etc. - are they viable choice for 3/4 month cruise for a family of 4? I just like sailing fast. I have read over Jeff Hs list of good cruisers in that range. "Beneteau 38s5: Luxuious interior at the price of performance. Cal 40's: More cruiser than racer Dehler 38: Well built fractionally rigged with quite a bit of Euro-panache. Express 37: Great all around boats. Fabola Diva 39: Good fast boat, that should be very easy to handle short-handed. Farr 37: These were more racers than cruisers but in good shape they offer reasonably good performance and a reasonably nice interior (with optional vee berth) I thought that the rig looked a little vulnerable and was put off by the IOR hull form but you find these boats in nice chape pretty cheaply. They were also a little deeper than I wanted to go. Farr 38 (Farr 11.6): Good all around boats. A little long in the tooth as an out and out race boat, but great short-handed performance cruiser. I ended up buying one in my seach and have been very impressed with the boat in a wide range of conditions. At the club racing level we have had 7 first, 2 seconds and a third the last season I raced her, and I have won all of the single-handed races that I have done with her. Frers F3 (36): Nice design crudely executed by Hinterhoeller. Frers 38: Nice design crudely executed by Carroll Marine. Hood 38 (built by Little Harbor, Bristol and Wauqiez): these are good all round boats. They excell in a breeze or where shoal draft is an asset. Not so great in light air and are not the easiest boats to sail short-handed. Hughes 38/Hinckley 38: These S&S designed early 1970's era were good all around boats for their day. Hughes built the hull and decks for both. Each built their own interiors. J-39: Somewhat spartan but nice boats. Oyster 37: I looked at one here on the Chesapeake. It was a pretty nice boat but it didn't ring my chimes. Ranger One Ton: I raced these boats back in the 1970's. They were a little squirely but some of these boats have been adapted as distance cruisers. They are similar in concept to the S&S designed Catalina 38 but seemed to be better built and slightly better sailing boats. Sigma 38: I thought that these were neat boats that made it onto my short list. Sweden 36: Very classy boat but not that fast. Tartan Soverel 39: Pretty well built but limited by their IOR origins. Tripp 37 (Holby 37): Really well built, really neat boats. The full race versions has a bit of a spindley rig. X119: Fast and fun"  

Any thoughts? Some one must have tried these 2 out or another uldb. Not intending a pacific cruise - just a summer in the carriebean.  

olson 40 sailboat review

We have done close to 1000NM island-hopping the eastern caribbean over the last 4 years or so. All of it on our friends' Beneteau/Farr 36.7 - a boat that fits into your genre in some respects. Since island hopping in this area rarely involves true windward work, pounding does not seem to be an issue. If you heading south down the chain you are usually on a beam to broad reach. Heading north up the chain you can end up fairly close to the wind, but usually your destination will be a fetch as opposed to actually having to beat. However, these legs can be very wet and tiring even so. The good news here is that wet doesn't mean cold! We have enjoyed splendid fast sailing, steady 8-9 knots with thrilling surfs into the 'teens down the swells in key areas like the northern end of St Vincent, and in the Bequia channel where the swell can really develop. As a high powered boat, the normal sails set are a small jib and at least one reef in the main. Squalls usually involve trying to roll up the jib before (or when) they hit but they generally pass relatively quickly. Spinnakers hardly ever see the light of day (exc for one memorable day from Jolly Harbour to Nevis - nearly DDW with the kite up for 50 NM) We have done these trips with as many as 6 adults, but 4 leaves more space for everybody. Our friends routinely do this with just the 2 of them. The sailing is really quite simple, few maneouvers, limited tacking/gybing. Keeping a weather eye out and making the right sail selection for the day seems to be the key. Also paying close attention to the ham reports ("George" and "Chris") and swell predicitons are helpful in selecting what will be viable anchorages. While getting there may be another thing, once you're there any of these boats would do the trick. Ventilation (or lack of it) would be a factor in choosing the boat as well.  

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  • Sailboat Guide

Olson 40 is a 40 ′ 3 ″ / 12.3 m monohull sailboat designed by George Olson and built by Pacific Boat Works between 1982 and 1986.

Drawing of Olson 40

Rig and Sails

Auxilary power, accomodations, calculations.

The theoretical maximum speed that a displacement hull can move efficiently through the water is determined by it's waterline length and displacement. It may be unable to reach this speed if the boat is underpowered or heavily loaded, though it may exceed this speed given enough power. Read more.

Classic hull speed formula:

Hull Speed = 1.34 x √LWL

Max Speed/Length ratio = 8.26 ÷ Displacement/Length ratio .311 Hull Speed = Max Speed/Length ratio x √LWL

Sail Area / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the power of the sails relative to the weight of the boat. The higher the number, the higher the performance, but the harder the boat will be to handle. This ratio is a "non-dimensional" value that facilitates comparisons between boats of different types and sizes. Read more.

SA/D = SA ÷ (D ÷ 64) 2/3

  • SA : Sail area in square feet, derived by adding the mainsail area to 100% of the foretriangle area (the lateral area above the deck between the mast and the forestay).
  • D : Displacement in pounds.

Ballast / Displacement Ratio

A measure of the stability of a boat's hull that suggests how well a monohull will stand up to its sails. The ballast displacement ratio indicates how much of the weight of a boat is placed for maximum stability against capsizing and is an indicator of stiffness and resistance to capsize.

Ballast / Displacement * 100

Displacement / Length Ratio

A measure of the weight of the boat relative to it's length at the waterline. The higher a boat’s D/L ratio, the more easily it will carry a load and the more comfortable its motion will be. The lower a boat's ratio is, the less power it takes to drive the boat to its nominal hull speed or beyond. Read more.

D/L = (D ÷ 2240) ÷ (0.01 x LWL)³

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds.
  • LWL: Waterline length in feet

Comfort Ratio

This ratio assess how quickly and abruptly a boat’s hull reacts to waves in a significant seaway, these being the elements of a boat’s motion most likely to cause seasickness. Read more.

Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam 1.33 )

  • D: Displacement of the boat in pounds
  • LOA: Length overall in feet
  • Beam: Width of boat at the widest point in feet

Capsize Screening Formula

This formula attempts to indicate whether a given boat might be too wide and light to readily right itself after being overturned in extreme conditions. Read more.

CSV = Beam ÷ ³√(D / 64)

Sailplans seem to vary and position of the mast must have been changed at least once meaning that rig dimension may not be consistent between boats.

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The Olson 40 is a 40.33ft masthead sloop designed by George Olson and built in fiberglass by Pacific Boat Works between 1982 and 1986.

30 units have been built..

The Olson 40 is an ultralight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

Olson 40 sailboat under sail

Olson 40 for sale elsewhere on the web:

olson 40 sailboat review

Main features

Model Olson 40
Length 40.33 ft
Beam 11.33 ft
Draft 6.50 ft
Country United states (North America)
Estimated price $ 0 ??

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Sail area / displ. 24.34
Ballast / displ. 53.14 %
Displ. / length 99.03
Comfort ratio 16.91
Capsize 2.08
Hull type Monohull fin keel with spade rudder
Construction Fiberglass
Waterline length 36 ft
Maximum draft 6.50 ft
Displacement 10350 lbs
Ballast 5500 lbs
Hull speed 8.04 knots

olson 40 sailboat review

We help you build your own hydraulic steering system - Lecomble & Schmitt

Rigging Masthead Sloop
Sail area (100%) 720 sq.ft
Air draft 0 ft ??
Sail area fore 403.59 sq.ft
Sail area main 316.10 sq.ft
I 51.25 ft
J 15.75 ft
P 44.21 ft
E 14.30 ft
Nb engines 1
Total power 30 HP
Fuel capacity 0 gals

Accommodations

Water capacity 0 gals
Headroom 0 ft
Nb of cabins 0
Nb of berths 0
Nb heads 0

Builder data

Builder Pacific Boat Works
Designer George Olson
First built 1982
Last built 1986
Number built 30

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Review of Olson 40

Basic specs..

The hull is made of fibreglass. Generally, a hull made of fibreglass requires only a minimum of maintenance during the sailing season.

The Olson 40 is equipped with a fin keel. The fin keel is the most common keel and provides splendid manoeuvrability. The downside is that it has less directional stability than a long keel.

The keel is made of lead. Compared with iron, lead has the advantage of being 44% heavier, which allows a smaller keel and hence less water resistance and higher speed.

The boat can only enter major marinas as the draft is about 1.98 - 2.08 meter (6.50 - 6.80 ft) dependent on the load. See immersion rate below.

The boat may be equipped with an inboard Yanmar 3HMF diesel engine at 30 hp (22 kW).

Sailing characteristics

This section covers widely used rules of thumb to describe the sailing characteristics. Please note that even though the calculations are correct, the interpretation of the results might not be valid for extreme boats.

What is Theoretical Maximum Hull Speed?

The theoretical maximal speed of a displacement boat of this length is 8.0 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 Olson 40 is about 257 kg/cm, alternatively 1444 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 257 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1444 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

Sailing statistics

This section is statistical comparison with similar boats of the same category. The basis of the following statistical computations is our unique database with more than 26,000 different boat types and 350,000 data points.

What is L/B (Length Beam Ratio)?

What is a Ballast Ratio?

Maintenance

When buying anti-fouling bottom paint, it's nice to know how much to buy. The surface of the wet bottom is about 45m 2 (484 ft 2 ). Based on this, your favourite maritime shop can tell you the quantity you need.

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.

UsageLengthDiameter
Mainsail halyard 35.2 m(115.5 feet)12 mm(1/2 inch)
Jib/genoa halyard35.2 m(115.5 feet)12 mm(1/2 inch)
Spinnaker halyard35.2 m(115.5 feet)12 mm(1/2 inch)
Jib sheet 12.3 m(40.3 feet)14 mm(0.55 inch)
Genoa sheet12.3 m(40.3 feet)14 mm(0.55 inch)
Mainsheet 30.7 m(100.7 feet)14 mm(0.55 inch)
Spinnaker sheet27.0 m(88.6 feet)14 mm(0.55 inch)
Cunningham4.3 m(14.2 feet)12 mm(1/2 inch)
Kickingstrap8.7 m(28.4 feet)12 mm(1/2 inch)
Clew-outhaul8.7 m(28.4 feet)12 mm(1/2 inch)

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

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

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  • Sailboat Reviews

Express 34, Hobie 33, Olson 34

Three of the best from the west, these performance sloops have been out of production for 15 years but are still hot because theyre not only fast, but built well enough for blue-water sailing..

Nearly everyone involved in the boating industry during the prosperity of the 1970s also has a vivid recollection of the 1980s, when the industry stood on the brink of implosion. Old-line builders like ODay, Cal, Ericson and Pearson went the way of T-Rex; others endured losses for several years before returning to profitability in the mid-1990s. A sad by-product of that debacle is that molds for three of the finest boats produced on the West Coast are gathering dust in a boatyard in Port Townsend, a storage shed in the San Francisco Bay area, and a warehouse in southern California.

Hobie 33 Express 34 Olson 34 Specs

Compared to conventional productions boats of the mid-1980s, the Express 34 and Olson 34 were lighter and faster, but still suitable for distance cruising. The Hobie 33, though most suitable for camper-crusing, was designed to be fast yet trailerable and capable of blue-water sailing. Nearly 20 years after their short-lived production runs, the three are still so popular that finding a used one can be a challenge.

The Designs

The Express 34 was the third Carl Schumacher design produced by Alsberg Brothers Boatworks in Santa Cruz. Schumacher designs have been afloat since the 1970s, ranging in size from 10 to 70 feet. Among Schumachers early designs, his quarter-tonner Summertime Dream won the North American Championships in 1979 and 1980. A current design, the Alerion Express, is one of the sweetest sailing, smartest looking boats weve seen in the last 10 years.

Express 34

Terry Alsberg, who managed the company, was a graduate of Ron Moores boatbuilding shop, adherents to Bill Lees fast is fun slogan. The company made its first splash in 1984 with the introduction of the Express 27, a pocket racer that enjoyed great success in one-design and MORC competition. Many of the 117 produced are still racing.

The Express 37, a true performance cruiser, was launched in 1984, and 65 were built.

Profits from the sale of the 37 were used to fund the tooling for the Express 34, which was launched in 1986. Though it received Sailing World s Boat of the Year Award, its cost led to the eventual demise of the company.

Brokers told us that we needed to have more accommodations belowdecks than the 37 – cruiser add- ons that increased the price, remembers Schumacher. We ended up with a lot of Express 37 features in a 34-foot boat.

Since it was easy to use the same raw materials as were used on the Express 37, the laminates became heavier, and more expensive. The final boat was about 1,000 pounds heavier than my design, Schumacher adds. Boat were priced at $80,000, only $15,000 less than the 37.

Eventually, faced with high production costs, a softening market, and poor financial planning, the company closed its doors in 1988.

Also located in Santa Cruz, Olson Yachts produced five different models under its banner from 1978 to 1986, and the Soverel 33 for a different company.

The most famous of George Olsons designs is the Olson 30, of which 350 were sold. A proven race winner, the Olson 30 is still active in onedesign fleets in many major sailing ports.

In response to a market craving a MORC racer with a modicum of creature comforts, the company also produced 250 25-footers.

Of the 34s genesis, Olson says, We then decided that the 34 would fill a niche for a larger racer- cruiser, we wanted a light to mediweight boat that was easy to sail, would appeal to racers, and double as a family boat. The design featured a moderately angled reverse transom, and elliptical keel and rudder.

Shortly after producing hull #1, however, the company ran into financial trouble and the tooling was sold to Ericson Yachts.

Don Kohlmann, then directing of marketing for Ericson, says We added the Olson to our product line because we wanted a faster, lower-priced boat than the Ericson 35, a cruiser priced $22,000 higher than the Olson.

Ericson Yachts produced 37 Olson 34s, which were priced at $60,000, including sails.

The Hobie 33 was designed by Hobie Alter during the final monthsof his boatbuilding career.

An avid southern California surfer, Alter captured the surfboard market in his teens with the development of lighter, stronger boards. He followed with development of the 14- and 16-foot Hobie one-design catamarans, two of the largest selling boats in industry history.

Eventually selling to the Coleman Company, Alter retained an office and began work on the prototype for his first monohull. Following a pattern of designing easily transported vessels, he produced a strong, fast, 33-footer that, he says, could be launched by my daughter. She was the guinea pig. A video produced by his pal Warren Miller, of ski movie fame, shows the prototype being driven onto a seawall with no damage to hull or keel. The combination of an easily retractable keel and 8 foot beam allowed trailering on any state or federal highway.

The boat was ultimately doomed by a $50,000 price tag and a downturn in the industry. According to Alter, another contributor to the boats demise was its development in a nonmarine, bureaucratic environment, He describes management meetings where I was typically not talking with boat people, but with marketing and accounting types.

The boat was a stepchild for the company, and the retractable keel was expensive to produce. The company eventually built the last boats with a fixed keel.

One Hobie 33 buyer was Dennis Conner, who, says Alter, bought two, stretched them to 37 feet, and used them as prototypes for an Americas Cup boat with a double rudder system.

The boat was in construction from 1982-1986, and 187 were sold; theyre being sailed on all coasts of the continent, and even in Nova Scotia. Theyre especially popular with lake sailors.

Accommodations

The Olson and Express have legitimate cruising interiors, though the Express exudes a racing pedigree.

Freeboard on the Olson is 1 greater than the Express, which creates more interior volume. Headroom is 64″, compared to 61 in the Express.

In his introduction of the boat, Olson said he intended to provide family-oriented accommodations for six adults, with pressurized fresh water, a two burner stove-oven combination, and large ice box with refrigeration as an option. Bulkheads are teak veneer; joinery trim and cabinetry are solid teak.

Olson owners give the interior high marks because it features a head located aft to port, adjacent to an enclosed stateroom with a double berth. Berths in the Olson 34 measure 66″ in the bow and stern; settees amidships measure 62″.

The galley is to starboard, opposite a functional nav station that faces forward. A drop-leaf table in the center of the main saloon provides comfortable seating for 4 to 6 adults.

The configuration of the Express is similar, though owners say a mast concealed in the head is a plus.

Express 34 Interior

Sleeping quarters for six are in berths measuring 66′ in bow and stern, and settees amidships measuring 64″. Schumacher discovered on an ocean passage that the middle berths are two inches shorter than his design.

As with the 37, the foundation for the V-berth is a fiberglass molding with non-skid so that, with the cushions out, it makes it possible to help the foredeck crew handle sails from down below, he says.

Aft of the V-berth is a hanging locker to port, and head with a shower to starboard. The saloon is furnished with a table that folds off the main bulkhead. The chart table/nav station is to port, the galley to starboard.

A second double berth is located in the port quarter.

By comparison, the Hobie interior reflects the designers intent to trade creature comforts for a trailerable yacht with an 8-foot beam. The interior consists of a narrow area with only 410″ headroom, so performing calisthenics belowdecks is not an option.

Hobie 33 Interior

Nonetheless, the designer creatively provided space for amenities necessary for overnighting. The V- berth is situated forward of a half- height bulkhead, and enclosed by a privacy curtain; the berth is 6 feet long and wide enough for two adults. A small space is designated for a porta-potty.Settees provide seating amidships at a table that mounts atop the keel trunk.

An optional two-burner stove is mounted on the inside of a cabinet door. One owner cleverly constructed a mount for a gimbaled butane stove that fits into the channels for the companionway slats. That way we can eat and cook in the cockpit and belowdecks at the same time, he said.

An ice chest at the companionway doubles as a step.

The mature sailor will find accommodations in the Express and Olson more comfortable for distance racing and cruising than the Hobie, which resembles a floating campsite.

Deck Layout

Though original deck layouts may have undergone modifications, all three boats were originally rigged for racing. Deck hardware was provided by name-brand manufacturers like Lewmar and Harken, the exception being custom fittings designed and constructed by Hobie.

The Hobie has a single-spreader rig measuring 354″, the others double spreader rigs. The Olson was produced in two versions; a tall rig designed for light-air sailing is 3 1/2 feet taller than the standard 373″ section. The Express 34 mast is 386″ tall. Wire rigging was the standard on all three boats. Many owners report that the original equipment has not lost its integrity; others have replaced wire with rod rigging. The Olson and Express were equipped with hydraulic backstay adjusters.

Cockpits in the Express and Olson are larger and more user-friendly than the Hobie, especially with a crew of 6 to 8 in racing trim. A common complaint among Hobie owners is that the cockpit seats are too narrow, forcing us to sit on the coaming, which also is too narrow.

Construction

Except for Schumachers meticulous records, exact details of construction schedules have disappeared. Though all of the boats were designed with speed and the PHRF handicap rule in mind, they also were built to sail in stiff breezes and ocean conditions common to the West Coast. Consequently, owners say, hulls, decks, and rigs of 15- to 20-year-old boats have the same structural integrity as when they rolled off the production line.

According to Schumacher, the Express 34s outer laminate consists of 3/4-ounce mat, two layers of 18-ounce co-fab, and 3/4-ounce mat bonded to 3/4-inch thick end-grain balsa, with 18-ounce co-fab on the inside. The deck is similar, except that 3/4-inch balsa core was in the lamination, and unidirectional reinforcements were on the house top and foredeck.

The interior consists of a structural grid with bulkheads bonded into the structure with 18-ounce roving.

Company literature provides a general description of the Olson 34 layup: a one-piece monocoque hull consisted of mat, 18-ounce bi-directional glass and roving, with extra laminate in high-stress areas. Beams constructed of unidirectional roving and woven roving were laminated to reinforce the hull and distribute loads from keel, mast, and engine. Bulkheads and berth tops were bonded to the hull with fiberglass. The original schedule called for a cored hull and deck, however only hull #1 followed that schedule.

Following the sale to Ericson, says Kohlmann, We constructed hulls of hand-laid fiberglass, which produced a heavier boat than designed.

Decks were cored with marinegrade balsa, which one owner described as excellent for mounting gear. Ive never worried about the core compressing when mounting deck hardware.

Hobie Alters recollection is that the Hobie 33 hulls were laid up with alternating layers of fiberglass around a 3/4-inch urethane foam coring.

Considering the industrys historic inability to prevent osmotic blisters, its surprising that the Olson 34 was sold with a five-year guarantee against blistering. Owners of Express and Hobie yachts report few blistering problems. One owner said his blistering required a few bucks and aweekend of sanding and filling.

Performance

All three boats receive high marks from owners who sail them in the ocean, on both coasts, around the buoys, and on lakes. Since they share a common handicap in many areas, the trio frequently goes head to head on the race course.

Bruce Nesbit, who raced his Olson 34 from San Francisco to Hawaii in the Singlehanded TransPac, managed the passage in 13 days, 18 hours. He finished second in his division, fourth overall.

I had the wind on the nose for two days, cracked off and set the spinnaker on day three, then switched to a reefed main and double headsails, he says. Winds were around 15 knots until the last five days, when they piped up into the 20s.

With that sail configuration the Autohelm steered the boat, and I averaged 10 knots for one 24-hour period. It was easy.

Olson owners say the boat performs best in windspeeds below 15 knots, and sails surprisingly well in 5 knots of breeze. The Express is faster on all points of sail in more than 20 knots of wind, one Olson owner says.

However, when sailing to weather the Express must be kept on her feet with bodies on the windward rail, or reduced sail.

It takes a good main trimmer to balance the boat, or the helm will load up, says one owner, a former 505 dinghy racer.

Shes stable off the breeze, as well, and shows good motion in heavy seas, partially because of her large rudder, adds a racer from San Francisco.

Because she displaces only 4,000 pounds, 1,800 in a bulbed keel, the Hobie suffers when sailing to weather in a chop. Mountain lake sailors rate her an A-plus sailing on flat water, and shes a screamer on a close reach.

Shes tender, but with a full crew on the rail and balanced traveler, she is well-mannered, one owner says.

It took a long time to learn to feather the main when sailing to weather, a veteran racer says. Do that and shell squirt uphill. I used to sail with a reef in the main, and the #2 jib. Now I sail with a full main and #4. In heavy winds we simply ease the main.

Express and Olson owners agree that off the wind in a blow the Hobie will leave them in her wake.

Hobie

The harder it blows, the better she likes it, says a Hobie owner who completed the 380-mile San Francisco- Santa Barbara race in 35 hours. We hit 25 knots on the speedo. The only boat that beat us to the finish was a J- 130. Plus, I can singlehand it on an ocean race, or take my stepdaughter on a day-sail.

Conclusions

The common denominators of these three boats are curb appeal, performance, strong hulls, good rigging and good deck gear. The Olson and Express have an advantage sailing to weather, and more comfortable accommodations. By comparison, the Hobie will be 8-10 knots faster on a downwind reach, is trailerable, and costs half as much as the competition.

The Olson and Express sell for 85% to 90% of their original price; the Olson in the mid-$50,000 range, the Express from $60,000-$80,000. A barebones Hobie sells for $13,000-$15,000; however, add the cost of new sails, a trailer, and an 8-10 horsepower outboard, and the price jumps to between $22,000 and $25,000.

Its too bad more of these all-around performers werent built.

On the Hobie 33

Weve withstood 45-50 knots on the nose for 8 hours in a large seaway – 12-20 foot waves. Not fun, but not dangerous.

– Owner, Nova Scotia

Unlike some boats, the bow comes up out of a wave. But it will heel. Downsize sails early.

– Owner, Northern California

Took 12-15 foot seas from Bahamas to Florida. Fifty miles in three hours. No problems!

-Owner, Florida

The motor retracts into a transom well, with a hull plug that drops into place to reduce underwater drag.

-Owner, Austin, Texas

The flat bottom tends to pound in heavy seas.

-Owner, Chesapeake

On the Express 34

This is a lot of boat in a small package. I find her easy to doublehand but at times a handful. Ive had this boat going as fast as 19 knots surfing outside the Golden Gate.

-Owner, Santa Cruz

If you want a boat that is cleverly laid out and very functional this is the boat for you. However, its not fancy, and the head and galley are small. With its nicely shaped and large rudder (elliptical) you always feel in control.

-Owner, Sacramento

We lived aboard for 18 months and enjoyed our time there.

-Owner, Los Angeles

My wife loved the interior. Performance was my main deciding factor.

-Owner, San Francisco

On the Olson 34

I have a friend who has an Express 34. We used to moor right next to each other, so he sailed on my Olson 34, and I sailed on his Express 34. We concluded that: 1. If youre looking for a racing boat and don’t mind the open interior layout of the Express 34, its a faster boat-especially off the wind. Its noisier and rougher under power, but lighter and faster under sail. 2. If youre looking for a boat that you can cruise with two couples and still have a lot of fun on the race course, the Olson 34 is probably your best bet. The interior is nicer than the Express, and I especially like the aft head arrangement in the Olson. However, it does come at the cost of some sailing performance-especially off the wind.

-Owner, Portland, Oregon

I have crossed to Hawaii twice with this boat. We have carried spinnakers up to 30 kts of breeze with really good results after converting to a new Schumacher rudder and Harken bearings. The boat has landed on its side about three times and come out unscathed. The deeper rudder and new bearings improve the boat control in a big following sea.

They put in a double sink to attract the ladies. Not good because you need more counter space. I put in a single sink. They advertised the boat as having a 30-gallon water tank, but it was really 20 gallons.

My wife and I sailed from Hawaii to San Francisco in 19 days and motored for only 20 hours. The rest of the time the boat sailed herself. The vane steered while we played dominoes.

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02-11-2020, 12:22  
Boat: Olson 40
3GM30F with an Yacht 10KW , and replaced the four Trojan 105 lead acid golf cart (typical series-parallel for 5KWH at 12V) with four "12V" 100AH (series for 5KWH at 48V).

The weight savings is large: the total batteries plus is about the same as 20 gallons of in the tank, so the savings includes everything related to the diesel and lead acid batteries, about 600 to 700 lbs.

Under normal use, where I just use the motor in the same way as the diesel -- to get in and out of the harbor, on or off -- I end up with substantially more electricity available for house loads, simply because I can use all the LiFePO4 capacity, rather than just a small fraction as with lead acid.

Normally, I only at about 3 or 4 knots, as I'm raising or dropping and dealing with anchors or moorings. So normally, I use very little , usually a throttle setting of about 500 to 1000 watts.


While my motor can consume 10KW, or 200 amp hours, I don't want to have that level of or , so I de-rated the motor using the supplied motor controller, so the motor consumes a maximum of 95 amps, about 5KW.

On Sunday, I decided to actually measure performance across the power range.

Here are the results tabulated:
(64.0 KB, 58 views)
02-11-2020, 12:23  
Boat: Olson 40
3GM30F, using the same prop, prop shaft, cutless bearing, and shaft log, also with a clean bottom and no or waves.
02-11-2020, 12:33  
Boat: FP, Lavezzi, 40
05-11-2020, 05:42  
Boat: Fiberglas shattering 44' steel trawler
, charge-ups, regeneration?
 
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Discussion in ' Sailboats ' started by Willallison , Sep 24, 2003 .

Willallison

Willallison Senior Member

Can anybody tell me anything about a boat called an Olsen 40? Designed by Gary Mull, made of GRP by Hyundai Ship Building..... As seen here.. http://boatpoint.ninemsn.com.au/mar...Added=Any&txtMake=Olsen&PageNo=1&txtKeywords= Brother-in-law is looking for a boat to cruise sth pacific initially, then world maybe......  

Paul B

Paul B Previous Member

Not an Olson That is not an olson 40. The Olson was designed by George olson and built in Santa Cruz, CA USA. The boat in the photo looks more like a Kalik 40, which I believe was a Mull design.  
hmm.... thanks Paul, I'll pass it on. If it's a Kalik 40, do you know anyhting about its reputation...well-built, good rough weather etc etc?  

Another Guest

Another Guest Guest

Yep, the Olsen 40 was a Mull design, very different from the Olson 40. The OlsEn was also known as a Kalik 40, and a Mull 40 in New Zealand. I think build quality was good and I think it was a good heavy weather boat. I think the NZ Mull 40s were a different builder, same design. Not too slow from what I've seen; shape's OK for the style of boat. Most of the ones that raced here (Australia) have been badly sailed, but the PHRF handicap they have in NZ indicates they're not too doggy. They've done Sydney-Hobarts and I think finished with no damage AFAIK.  
Ah...it's all in the spelling.... You wouldn't know where I could track down specs on the boat by chance?..... the specs supplied by the broker suggest a displacement of just 3.8 tons, which I find rather unlikely....  
Kalik 40 I've only seen a Kalik 40 at an indoor boatshow once, lang ago. Can't tell you anything more. Here is a listing on Yachtworld. http://www.yachtworld.com/core/list...rency=USD&access=Public&listing_id=19144&url= If you go to Yachtworld and do a search for Kalik there should be a couple available.  

Tad

Tad Boat Designer

Will; I have some numbers from adds & reviews. LOA 39'6" LWL 31'10" Beam 12'9" Draft 6'10" Displacement 16,600 lbs Sail Area 766.5 sq ft nothing on ballast or tanks.  
Thanks Guys - its a good start - enough to know whether the boat's worth looking at. One more query, the broker says it has a hung rudder - any idea whether it would hace a skeg in front of it or not?  
Skeg? Skeg? I would hope not. There is really no good reason to have a skeg on a modern sailboat.  
yeah...skeg....like this, for impact protection...  

Attached Files:

Yes, I know Originally posted by Willallison yeah...skeg....like this, for impact protection... Click to expand...
hmmm - sorry Paul, didn't mean to sound derogatory - just wasn't sure if that's what you'd call it! My brother-in-law is looking at this boat to sail the world - surely the increased protection would outweigh the performance loss for that (and if you knew him, you'd realise that he WILL hit something!! ) Personally, I think he should buy something bloody big and heavy - with a pilothouse - but hey, there's just no telling some people  
False Security Didn't take it as derogatory, and didn't mean to be either. I think you'll find that most skegs are not what they appear. If you want to add a potential problem, a skeg is a good place to begin. If you don't clunk something with the keel first you're probably not going to hit it with the skeg or rudder. If you do hit it with the skeg of most "heavily built cruisers" you might be surprised about what happens. Big, heavy, slow, and ill handling are the sort of things that will get a neophyte into the most problems. They are better off if the boat responds when they point the tiller toward trouble. You're a powerboat guy, right? How many powerboats put big skegs in front of the props and rudders? Don't they go a lot faster than sailboats, with no keel in front to run interference? Finally, that Pilothouse will give some nice big windows to get destroyed by the breaking waves the big, slow piggy can't steer around in. But on this subject there really is no telling people. All the books are written telling the opposite story.  
you're right of course Paul - though most serious passagemakers have good protection for all the running gear. I don't think he needs to have ill-handling in order to have heavy and comfortable. And there are ways to protect windows from waves - for me there's nothing worse than sitting inside a cave with no natural light and no way of looking out at the beautiful view that you've just sailed 1/2 way across the world to see. Then again - as you say - I'm a powerboat guy - so what would I know!!  
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Guest Guest

My family owned a Kalik 40. It was built in South Korea. It is typical Far Eastern construction of the time - mediocre fiberglass work and nice woodwork. It is an IOR-derived design, especially with respect to the rig which has a large genoa and a small, high-aspect ratio main. The teak decks were a pain to maintain and the gel-coat got chalky quite easily. Systems installations were sub-par with non-tinned wiring and cheap plastic tubing and plumbing fittings. Deck hardware, except for the winches, was mostly no-name stuff and would require replacement with modern ball-bearing blocks.  
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Boat Design Net

    Beam:  9'    Draft:  4.5'
    Beam:  10.11'    Draft:  5'
    Beam:  10'5'    Draft:  5'5''
    Beam:  9'    Draft:  5'
    Beam:  9.33'    Draft:  5.58'
    Beam:  11.5'    Draft:  5.75'
    Beam:  10'    Draft:  6'
    Beam:  10.2'    Draft:  5'
    Beam:  9'    Draft:  4.5'
    Beam:  10'3'    Draft:  5'
    Beam:  9'6'    Draft:  6'
    Beam:  18'    Draft:  12'
    Beam:  9.5'    Draft:  5'
    Beam:  9'3'    Draft:  5'5'
    Beam:  12'    Draft:  5'
    Beam:  9'    Draft:  5.1'
    Beam:  9'    Draft:  3.5'
    Beam:  8.5'    Draft:  4.5'
    Beam:  9'    Draft:  4'6'
    Beam:  9.3'    Draft:  5.1'
    Beam:  9'1'    Draft:  5'6'
    Beam:  11'    Draft:  6'6'
    Beam:  9.4'    Draft:  5.5'

olson 40 sailboat review

© 2001-2024 ./)   . . ./)   . .

The Olson 30: Ultra Light, Ultra Fast

The complete book of sailboat buying, volume ii, june, 1987.

by  Editors of the Practical Sailor

The first project for Pacific Boats was the Olson 30, which was put into production in 1978. Over 200 of these 3600-pound ULDBs were sold, and the builder claims they have gathered in sufficient numbers to support one-design racing in Seattle, the Great Lakes, Annapolis, Texas, and Long Island Sound, as well as several spots in California. Pacific Boats was a small firm that built only the Olson 30 and the Olson 40, both to quality standards.

CONSTRUCTION

Some people wonder how the ULDB can be built so light and still be seaworthy offshore. The answer lies in the fact that a light boat is subjected to much lighter loads than a heavy boat when pounding through a sea (there is tremendous saving in weight with a stripped-out interior). And perhaps more importantly, ULDB builders have construction standards that are well above average for production sailboats. The ULDB builders say that their close proximity to each other in Santa Cruz, combined with their open sharing of technology, has enabled them to achieve these high standards. The Olson 30 is no exception. The hull and deck are fiberglass, vacuumbagged over a balsa core. The process of vacuum-bagging insures maximum saturation of the laminate and core with a minimum of resin, making the hull light and stiff. The builder claims that -they have so refined the construction of the Olson 30 that each finished hull weighs within 10 pounds of the standard. The deck of the Olson does not have plywood inserts in place of the balsa where winches are mounted, instead relying on external backing plates for strength.

The hull to deck joint is an inward turned, overlapping flange, glued with a rigid compound called Reid’s adhesive, and mechanically fastened with closely spaced bolts through a slotted aluminum toerail. This provides a strong, protected joint, seaworthy-enough for sailing offshore. The aluminum toerail provides a convenient location for outboard sheet leads, but is painful for those sitting on the rail.

The Olson 30’s 1800-pound keel is deep (5′ 1″ draft) and less than five inches thick. Narrow, bolted-on keels need extra athwartship support. The Olson 30 accomplishes this with nine six-inch bolts, and one ten-inch bolt (to which the lifting eye is attached). The lead keel is faired·with polyester putty and then completely wrapped with fiberglass to seal the putty from the marine environment.

Too many builders neglect sealing autobody putty-faired keels, and too many boat owners then find the putty peeling off at a later date. The Olson’s finished keel is painted, and, on the boats we’ve seen, remarkably fair. The keel-stepped, single-spreader, tapered mast is cleanly rigged with 5/32-inch Navtec rod rigging and internal tangs. The mast section is large enough for peace of mind in heavy air. The halyards exit the mast at well-spaced intervals, to avoid creating a weak spot. The chainplates are securely attached to half-bulkheads of I-inch plywood. In addition, a tie-rod attaches the deck to the mast, tensioned by a turnbuckle. While this arrangement should provide adequate strength, we would prefer both a tie-rod and a full bulkhead that spans the width of the cabin to absorb the compressive loads that rig tension puts on the deck.

The rudder’s construction is labor-intensive but strong. Urethane foam is hand shaped to templates, then glued to a two-inch diameter solid fiberglass rudder post. The builder prefers fiberglass because it has more “memory” than aluminum or steel. Stainless steel straps are wrapped around the rudder and mechanically fastened to the post. Then the whole rudder assembly is faired, fiberglassed, and painted.

PERFORMANCE

Handling Under Sail

For those of you who agonize over whether your PHRF rating is fair, consider the ratings of ULDBs. The Santa Cruz 50 rates 0; that’s right, zero. The 67-foot Merlin has rated as low as minus 60. The Olson 30 rates anywhere from 90 to 114, depending on the local handicapper. Olson 30 owners tell us that the boat will sail to a PHRF rating of 96, but she will almost never sail to her astronomical lOR rating of 32 (the lOR heavily penalizes ULDBs). ULDBs are fast. They are apt to be on the tender side, and sail with a quick, “jerky” motion through waves. Instead of punching through waves, they ride over them. Owners tell us that they do far less cruising and far more racing than they had expected to do when they bought the boat. They say it’s more fun to race because the boat is so lively.

Like most ULDBs, the Olson 30 races best at the extremes of wind conditions-under 10 knots and over 20 knots. Although her masthead rig may appear short, it is more than powerful enough for her displacement. Owners tell us that she accelerates so quickly you can almost tack at will – a real tactical advantage in light air. In winds under 10 knots, they say she sails above her PHRF rating, both upwind and downwind. In moderate breezes it’s a different story. Once the wind gets much above 10 knots, it’s time to change down to the #2 genoa. In 15 knots, especially if the seas are choppy, it’s very difficult for the Olson 30 to save her time on boats of conventional displacement, according to three-time national champ Kevin Connally. The Olson 30 is always faster downwind, but even with a crew of 5 or 6, she just can’t hang in there upwind. In winds above 20 knots, the Olson 30 still has her problems upwind. But when she turns the weather mark the magic begins. As soon as she has enough wind to surf or plane, the Olson 30 can make up for all she looses upwind, and more. The builder claims that she has pegged speedometers at 25 knots in the big swells and strong westerlies off the coast of California. That is, of course, if the crew can keep her 1800-pound keel under her 761-square foot spinnaker. The key to competitiveness in a strong breeze is the ability of the crew. Top crews say that because she is so quick to respond, they have fewer problems handling her in heavy air. However, an inexperienced crew which cannot react quickly enough, can have big problems. “The handicappers say she can fly downwind, so they give us a low (PHRF) rating. But they don’t understand that we have sail slow, just to stay in control,” complained the crew of one new owner.

Like any higher performance class of sailboat, the Olson 30 attracts competent sailors. Hence, the boat is pushed to a higher level of overall performance, and the PHRF rating reflects this. An inexperienced sailor must realize that he may have a tougher time making her sail to this inflated rating than a boat that is less “hot.”

The two most common mistakes that new Olson 30 owners make are pinching upwind and allowing the boat to heel excessively. ULDBs cannot be sailed at the 30 degrees of heel to which many sailors of conventional boats are accustomed. To keep her flat, you must be quick to shorten sail, move the sheet leads outboard, and get more crew weight on the rail. You can’t afford to have a person sitting to leeward trimming the genoa in a 12-knot breeze. To keep her thin keel from stalling upwind, owners tell us it’s important to keep the sheets eased and the boat footing.

Being masthead-rigged, the Olson 30 needs a larger sail inventory than a fractionally rigged boat. Class rules allow one mainsail, six headsails (jibs and spinnakers) and a 75-percent storm jib. Owners who do mostly handicap racing tell us they often carry more than six headsails.

Handling Under Power

Only a few of the Olson 30s sold were equipped with inboard power. This is because the extra weight of the inboard and the drag of the propeller, strut and shaft are a real disadvantage when racing against the majority of Olson 30s, which are equipped with outboard motors. The Olson 30 is just barely light enough to be pushed by a four to five horsepower outboard. It takes a 7.5 horse outboard to push the Olson 30 at 6.5 knots in a flat calm. The Olson’s raked transom requires an extra long outboard bracket, which puts the engine throttle and shift out of reach for anyone much less than 6 feet tall: “A real pain,” said one owner. Storage is a problem, too. Even if you could get the outboard through the stern lazarette’s small hatch, you wouldn’t want to race with the extra weight so far aft. As a result, most owners end up storing the outboard on the cabin sole. The inboard was an optional, 154-pound, 7-horsepower, BMW diesel. Unlike most boats, the Olson 30 will probably never return the investment in an inboard when the boat is sold. It detracts from the boat’s primary purpose-­racing.

Without an inboard, owners have a problem charging the battery. Owners who race with extensive electronics have to take the battery ashore after every race for recharging. If the Olson 30 weren’t such a joy to sail in light air, and so maneuverable in tight places, the lack of inboard power would be a serious enough drawback to turn away more sailors than it does.

Deck Layout

In most respects, the Olson 30 is a good sea boat. Although the cockpit is 6-1/2 feet long, the wide seats and narrow floor result in a relatively small cockpit volume, so little sea water can collect in the cockpit if the boat is pooped or knocked down. However, foot room is restricted, while the width of the seats makes it awkward to brace your legs on the leeward seat. The seats themselves

There are gutters to drain water off the leeward seat. The long mainsheet traveler is mounted across the cockpit. The Olson 30’s single companionway dropboard is latchable from inside the cabin, a real necessity in a storm offshore. A man-overboard pole tube in the stern is standard equipment. Teak toerails on the cockpit combing and on the forward part of the cabin house provide good footing, and there are handholds on the after part of the cabin house. The tapered aluminum stanchions are set into sockets molded into the deck and glassed to the inside of the hull, a strong, clean, leak-proof system. However, the stanchions are not glued or mechanically fastened into the sockets. If pulled upwards with great force they can be pulled out. We feel this is a safety hazard. Tight lifelines would help prevent this from happening, but most racing crews tend to leave them slightly loose so they can lean further outboard when hanging over the rail upwind. If the stanchions were fastened into the sockets with bolts or screws they would undoubtedly leak. A leakproof solution to this problem should be devised and made available to Olson 30 owners. The cockpit has two drains of adequate diameter. The bilge pump, a Guzzler 500, is mounted in the cockpit. As is common on most boats, the stern lazarette is not sealed off from the rest of the interior. If the boat were pooped or knocked down with the lazarette open, water could rush below through the lazarette relatively unrestricted. As the Olson 30 has a shallow sump, there is little place for water to go except above the cabin sole. A “paint-roller” type non-skid is molded into the Olson 30’s deck It provides excellent traction, but it is more difficult to keep clean than conventional patterned non-skid.

The Olson 30 is well laid out with hardware of reasonable, but not exceptional, quality. All halyards and pole controls lead to the cockpit through Easylock 1 clutch stoppers. The Easylocks are barely big enough to hold the halyards; they slip an inch under heavy loads. Older Olsons were equipped with Howard Rope Clutches. The Howards had’ a history of breaking (although the manufacturer has now corrected the problem). The primary winches, Barient 22s, are also barely adequate. Some owners we talked to had replaced them with more powerful models. Schaefer headsail track cars are standard equipment. One owner complained that he had to replace them with Merrimans because the Schaefers kept slipping.

Leading the vang to either rail and leading the reefing lines aft is also recommended. The mast partner is snug, leaving no space for mast blocks. The mast step is movable to adjust the prebend of the spar. The partner has a lip, over which a neoprene collar fits. The collar is hose-clamped to the mast. This should make a watertight mast boot. However, on the boat we sailed, the bail to which the boom vang attached obstructed the collar, causing water to collect and drain into the cabin.

The yolked backstay is adjustable from either quarter of the stem, one side being a 2:1 gross adjustment and the other side being an 8:1 fine tune. A Headfoil II is standard equipment. There is a babystay led to a track with a 6:1purchase for easy adjustment. The track is tied to the thin plywood of the forward V -berth with a wire and a turnbuckle. On the boat we sailed, the padeye to which the babystay tie rod is attached was seen to be tearing out from the V-berth.

There is a port in the deck directly over the lifting eye in the bilge. This makes for quick and easy drysailing. The Olson 30, however, is not easily trailered; her 3600 pounds is too much for all but the largest cars, and her 9.3-foot beam requires a special trailering permit.

The Olson 30 is cramped belowdecks. Her low deckhouse and substantial sheer may make her one of the sexiest-looking production boats on the water, but the price is headroom of only four feet, five inches. There is not even enough headroom for comfortable stooping. Moving about below is a real grind for an average-sized person. To offset the confinement of the interior, the builder has done everything possible to make it light and airy. In addition to the Lexan forward hatch and cabin house windows, the companionway hatch also has a Lexan insert. The inside of the hull is smooth sanded and finished with white gelcoat. There are no full-height bulkheads dividing the cabin. All the furniture is built of lightweight, light-colored, 3/8″ Scandanavian, seven-ply plywood.

The joinerwork is above average and all of the bulkhead and furniture tabbing is extremely neat. There isn’t much to the Olson 30’s interior, but what there is has been done with commendable craftmanship. The cabin sole is narrow, and with the lack of headroom, the woodwork is susceptible to being dinged and scratched from equipment like outboard motors. Once the finish on the wood is broken, it quickly absorbs water, which collects in the shallow bilge. ‘

The Olson 30 is not a comfortable cruiser. Even after you’ve taken all the racing sails ashore, the belowdecks is barely habitable. To save weight the quarterberths are made of thin cushions sewn to vinyl and hung from pipes.These pipe berths are comfortable, but the cushions are not easily removed. Should they get wet it’s likely they would stay wet for some time. Two seabags are hung on sail tracks above the quarter berths, which should help to insure that some clothes stay dry.

Just forward of each quarterberth is a small uncushioned seat locker. Behind each seat is a small portable ice cooler. In one seat locker is the stove, an Origo 3000, which slides up and out of the locker on tracks. The Ongo is a top-of-theline unpressurized alcohol stove, but to operate it the cook must kneel on the cabin sole. To work at the navigation station, which is in front of the starboard seat, you must sit sideways. In front of the port seat is the lavette, with a hand water pump and a removable, shallow, drainless sink. Drainless sinks eliminate the need for a through-hull fitting-a good idea-but they should be deep, not shallow.

Although there are curtains which can be drawn across the V-berth, we think human dignity deserves an enclosed head, especially on a 30’ boat. The V-berth is large and easy to climb into, but there are no shelves above it or a storage locker in the empty bow. In short, if you plan to cruise for more than a weekend, you’d better like roughing it.

CONCLUSIONS

A completely equipped Olson 30 ran about $35,000. Today, a used one will cost from $24,000 to $28,000 ( note – this was written in 1987, prices are lower in 2015 ). What do you get for this? You get a boat that’s well built, seaworthy, and reasonably well laid out. You get a boat that, in light air, will sail as fast as boats costing nearly twice as much. Downwind in heavy air, you have a creature that will blow your mind and leave everything (except a bigger ULDB) in your wake. If you spend all of your sailing time racing in a PHRF fleet in an area where light or heavy air dominates, the Olson 30 will probably give you more pleasure for your dollar than almost anything afloat.

However, if you race in moderate air or enjoy more than an occasional short cruise, you are likely to be very disappointed. Before you consider the Olson 30, you must realistically evaluate your abilities as a sailor. There’s nothing worse, after finding out that you can’t race a boat to her potential, than realizing that she is of little use for any other aspect of our sport.

The Complete Book of Sailboat Buying, Volume II

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  • Thread starter Sucia
  • Start date May 26, 2006

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  • May 26, 2006

What to know more about the Olson 911 ... looks like an intriguing combo of racer/cruiser or vice versa. Coming up short on Yachtworld and Google. Looking for plans, pics of interior and overall thought on quality and performance as well as estimated pricing. Also can anyone tell me when they were made and the differences between S & SE? Thanks!!  

eerie sailor

Super anarchist.

I owned a Olson 911SE for 9 years and put close to 25000 miles under the hull. I raced under the old MORC rule and some PHRF. also did a fair bit of cruising with a family of four around the Great Lakes. If I can find some pics I'll post in a few days. The boat is similar in many ways to a S2 9.1. The difference between the S and SE model follows. The S models were built by Olson. The had balsa cored hulls and the boat weighed in around 7500 #. The SE models were built by Ericson Yachts. The hull was solid glass and there was more interior on the boat. Mine weighed 8600#. In Morc the handicap differance was about 15 seconds/NM. In most PHRF area's the rating diff was 6sec/NM. There is no doubt that the S versions were quicker under 10kts of air. I have moved on to other boats since the Olson,but still have a soft spot for them. My wife still hates the day that I sold that boat. SHe doesn't like the cushions on my sportboat :huh:  

there's one in our club - beautiful boat, and fast. wish I owned one.  

The Performance 30 fleet in the PNW consists of Santana 30/30s, Olsen 911, and S2 9.1. We race level at 132 PHRF. Each boat excels in its own wind range and it's very close racing. The 911 is a great boat and has a slight edge over the rest  

I've raced against an olson a few times on an andrews 30 and found for the rating was a good boat and had a very comfortable interior the only problem is the weight they are the ultimute lead mine if you have to trailer them anywhere its a bitch but still a comfortable boat that can race sucsessfully just my opinion  

  • Thread starter

Thanks guys. Been really been getting the boat fever now that the family boat is gone. Would love to see some pics of the boat (interior, especially). I have some very fond memories of cruising and racing with the family when I was younger. I'm married now and really find that I missing that part of life. It looks like this could be a boat that I could have for 5-10 years without getting too much of the bigger boat disease. Anything to look for once I find one - I saw on another forum some of them have suffered minor keel separations. Any other sigificant issues? Thanks again.  

Harry Pattison

Harry Pattison

I have one, it's a great little all around boat. Designed by Carl Schumacher and originally built by Westerly yachts in Costa Mesa as the Capo 30. Then the molds went to Olson and they built another 20 or so. The Olson version has a little more interior and weighs around 400 lbs. more than the Capo did. It has a little bit shorter mast, 6" I think, a 6" shorter J and a 9" longer boom. I suppose they thought that would balance it better for heavier air in Santa Cruz and on the Bay. The Ericson version had a shorter rig and was quite a bit heavier because it was built as a production boat with a full interior pan like the rest of the Ericson's.  

  • May 27, 2006

big chicken

big chicken

Sucia said: Coming up short on Yachtworld and Google. Looking for plans, pics of interior and overall thought on quality and performance as well as estimated pricing. Click to expand...

We also have an Olson 911 where I sail my J 30. Very nice boat-in my opinion, a nicer setup than the S-2 9.1, nicer head and forward cabin than my boat. Probably my favorite 30 racer cruiser combo, but the scales tip back to my boat thanks to our highly competitive one design fleet.  

rudimentary

rudimentary

No question that the 911 is a great dual purpose boat. I have yet to meet an owner, past or present that had a bad thing to say about the boats. Definately the "class" of the J/30, S2 9.1, Santana 30/30 fleet although I think you get better value with the 9.1. The upside is that the 911 has great resale. The Erickson versions do have a notably nicer interior.  

  • May 31, 2006

I also had one for about 5 years. Purchased new, the "E" model needed a lot of work to make it race ready, as it was really stripped down to get a good price point. But it was very competitive and strong. The extra weight meant it was a handful downwind when 22 knots or more of wind.  

Anyone have pics of the interior of a 911?  

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  1. Olson 40 “Screaming O” almost ready for summer season : r/sailing

    olson 40 sailboat review

  2. 1984 Olson 40 Sail New and Used Boats for Sale

    olson 40 sailboat review

  3. Olson 40

    olson 40 sailboat review

  4. 1983 Olson 40 Sail New and Used Boats for Sale

    olson 40 sailboat review

  5. 1983 Olson 40 Sloop Sailboat

    olson 40 sailboat review

  6. 1983 Olson 40 Sloop Sailboat

    olson 40 sailboat review

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  1. Newport Harbor Homecoming

  2. Adventure 40 Sailboat Interior Arrangement Reveal

  3. Delta Ditch 2017

  4. Amazing boat fits in a box

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  6. The WEIRDEST 40' Sailboat I've EVER Seen [Short Tour] Part 2

COMMENTS

  1. OLSON 40

    40 to 50 indicates a heavy bluewater boat; over 50 indicates an extremely heavy bluewater boat. Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam^1.33), where displacement is expressed in pounds, and length is expressed in feet. Capsize Screening Formula (CSF): Designed to determine if a boat has blue water capability.

  2. Santa Cruz 40 vs Olson 40 what boat do u like and why?

    In 2000, we were the slowest of the 'Fast 40's', yet we were the third boat in our class to finish. The Farr 39ML finished 11 hours ahead of us. Cha-Ching a BH 41 finished about 3 hours ahead of them. We were in 4 hours ahead of another BH 41, and over 24 ahead of the other Olson 40, a Santa Cruz 40 and a new Aerodyne 38.

  3. uldb Olson 40 SC40 etc for Carribean cruising

    I have read over Jeff Hs list of good cruisers in that range. "Beneteau 38s5: Luxuious interior at the price of performance. Cal 40's: More cruiser than racer. Dehler 38: Well built fractionally rigged with quite a bit of Euro-panache. Express 37: Great all around boats.

  4. Olson 40 Refit at Finco Fabrication

    Posts: 332. Olson 40 Refit at Finco Fabrication. My wife bought me an Olson 40 for my 60th birthday this year. We took the boat to Finco Fabrication to do a complete refit. We removed everything: all deck hardware, the engine, tanks, electrical, electronics, pumps, etc. Here is a video from Wednesday, July 12 2017.

  5. OLSON 40: Reviews, Specifications, Built, Engine

    If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of OLSON 40. Built by Pacific Boat Works and designed by George Olson, the boat was first built in 1982. It has a hull type of Fin w/spade rudder and LOA is 12.29. Its sail area/displacement ratio 24.34.

  6. Olson 40

    0. Jan 7, 2008. #13. go to www.pridemarine.com. they have two olson 40's one is for sale. Both excellent condition. Dave can also answer any questions you may have about the history of olson boats. Last edited by a moderator: Jan 7, 2008.

  7. Olson 30

    Sailboat Reviews; Sailboats 21-30ft; Olson 30 ... Pacific Boats later became Olson/Ericson, and produced a 25 and a 40. The latest incarnation of the 30 is called the 911. ... Being masthead-rigged, the Olson 30 needs a larger sail inventory than a fractionally rigged boat. Class rules allow one mainsail, six headsails (jibs and spinnakers) and ...

  8. Olson 40

    Sailplans seem to vary and position of the mast must have been changed at least once meaning that rig dimension may not be consistent between boats. Suggest Improvements. Source: sailboatdata.com / CC BY. Embed. Olson 40 is a 40′ 3″ / 12.3 m monohull sailboat designed by George Olson and built by Pacific Boat Works between 1982 and 1986.

  9. Olson 40

    The Olson 40 is a 40.33ft masthead sloop designed by George Olson and built in fiberglass by Pacific Boat Works between 1982 and 1986. 30 units have been built. The Olson 40 is an ultralight sailboat which is a very high performer. It is very stable / stiff and has a low righting capability if capsized. It is best suited as a racing boat.

  10. Santa Cruz 40 vs Olson 40 what boat do u like and why?

    In the '83 TransPac ,which had the most Olson 40's & SC40's ever in one class, 4 or 5 of each. Mimi B the first SC was a bit over an hour ahead of Notorious the first Olson. Two O's corrected over Mimi. I believe 'Ono' an O40 nipped Mad Max for an overall win in this years Enchillada Derby.

  11. Review of Olson 40

    The immersion rate is defined as the weight required to sink the boat a certain level. The immersion rate for Olson 40 is about 257 kg/cm, alternatively 1444 lbs/inch. Meaning: if you load 257 kg cargo on the boat then it will sink 1 cm. Alternatively, if you load 1444 lbs cargo on the boat it will sink 1 inch.

  12. Express 34, Hobie 33, Olson 34

    The Olson and Express sell for 85% to 90% of their original price; the Olson in the mid-$50,000 range, the Express from $60,000-$80,000. A barebones Hobie sells for $13,000-$15,000; however, add the cost of new sails, a trailer, and an 8-10 horsepower outboard, and the price jumps to between $22,000 and $25,000.

  13. Olson 40 Surfing at 15 kts

    Quick sail down the coast - SF to SC to Monterey and back again.

  14. Unruly Cruising or Racing Sailboat OLSON 40' 1983

    Unruly - 1983 OLSON 40' 40. Unruly is a 40' (12.19m) Performance Sailboat Cruising or Racing Sailboat built by OLSON and delivered in 1983. Photos and specifications available below. Find yachts and boats listed for sale and ones off the market in our YATCO Yacht & Boat Directory.

  15. Olson 40 with Electric Motor

    I replaced the Yanmar 3GM30F with an Electric Yacht 10KW motor, and replaced the four Trojan 105 lead acid golf cart batteries (typical series-parallel for 5KWH at 12V) with four "12V" 100AH LiFePO4 batteries (series for 5KWH at 48V). The weight savings is large: the total LiFePO4 batteries plus motor is about the same as 20 gallons of diesel in the diesel tank, so the savings includes ...

  16. Olsen 40

    The boat in the photo looks more like a Kalik 40, which I believe was a Mull design. Paul B, Sep 24, 2003 #2. ... Yep, the Olsen 40 was a Mull design, very different from the Olson 40. The OlsEn was also known as a Kalik 40, and a Mull 40 in New Zealand. ... I have some numbers from adds & reviews. LOA 39'6" LWL 31'10" Beam 12'9" Draft 6'10 ...

  17. Olson 40 "Screaming O" almost ready for summer season

    Olson 40 "Screaming O" almost ready for summer season. Was talking with the man I bought her from today while working on the rudder and he bought the trailer specifically to take her to Cali to race in a Trans- Pac. Lucky for me that did not work out. Someone else has claimed the trailer and we will keep her on the pristine waters of Superior.

  18. Boats We Love: The Olson 30

    The Olson 30 is a thoroughly modern design with a deep fin keel, spade rudder, and a balsa-cored hull. The double-spreader rig carries nearly 400 square feet of sail area, and that doesn't count the 800-square-foot spinnaker. The Olson 30 developed a reputation over the decades for being a demon downwind surfing machine.

  19. Olson sailboats for sale by owner.

    Olson preowned sailboats for sale by owner. Olson used sailboats for sale by owner. Home. Register & Post. View All Sailboats. Search. Avoid Fraud. ... 40' Islander Islander 40 Minnesott Beach, North Carolina Asking $30,000. 46' cal 246 deltaville, Virginia Asking $68,000. 37' Pacific Seacraft 37 Bocas del Toro Panama,

  20. OLSON 30

    Olson 30: Related Sailboats: OLSON 29 : Download Boat Record: Notes. 7 HP BMW diesel offered as an option. A significantly modified version, the OLSON 29, was introduced in 1984. ... 40 to 50 indicates a heavy bluewater boat; over 50 indicates an extremely heavy bluewater boat. Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam^1.33), where ...

  21. The Olson 30: Ultra Light, Ultra Fast

    The Olson 30 is one of a breed of sailboats born in Santa Cruz, California called the ULDB, an acronym for ultra light displacement boat. ULDBs basically are big dinghies-long on the waterline, short on the interior amenities, narrow in the beam, and very light in both displacement and pricetag. ULDBs attract a different kind of sailor-the type ...

  22. Olson 25

    4. Oregon USA. Oct 4, 2004. #9. Hull numbers go up to about 150, but most of those are in San Francisco. That's where you'll also find the only competitive fleet. Designed by George Olson and built by Pacific and Ericson. All the details are on the class website (which also shows there is a bit of support behind them): www.olson25.org.

  23. Olson 911

    I owned a Olson 911SE for 9 years and put close to 25000 miles under the hull. I raced under the old MORC rule and some PHRF. also did a fair bit of cruising with a family of four around the Great Lakes. If I can find some pics I'll post in a few days. The boat is similar in many ways to a S2 9.1. The difference between the S and SE model follows.