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Sea
Bus
1974
Grampian 26' Sailing Sloop
Other
names considered: Blow Me, Big Dinghy, Greta Marie, Adventure
Bound, Lil' G (Lil' Grampian), and BarCoca
- Seen from the starboard side at dock at the Beaufort Town
Marina. Notice the $10 Custom
Bimini Top made from our green tarp. Works just as well as the
$2,000 model.
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- Closer view of the stern of the Sea Bus
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- The newly renovated galley, complete with running water, double
propane burner, pantry, spice rack, drink holders, towel bar, and
under sink storage. Kate's already whipped up some mean grub in
here, and has given it her "Camping Gourmet" Seal of
Approval.
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- From the middle of the boat looking towards the back. This
is the small bunk, and the rear starboard side of the boat. Will
be used mainly for storage and organization.
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- This is the Dining Area, Living Room, Office, and Guest
Bedroom. This table folds down and becomes a bed that can sleep
two pretty comfortably. The table is nice and big, so Mike can
spread out and get plenty of work done without being cramped too
much. He likes that.
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- Same place, different view.
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- This is the closet. It's situated between the galley and
the main berth in the bow of the boat. There's a hanger bar and
some pretty considerable room in here. It'll have to be enough.
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- This is the inside of the bathroom door. The perfect
place for the toilet paper roll.
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- This is the head, or toilet. It works!!! Not too bad
actually, but this one gives you visual privacy only. No privacy
of sound or smell. Please keep that in mind when visiting.
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- This is the main berth, or "master bedroom". It's
really big for two people, it could almost fit three. Sleeps
really comfortably, and has a hatch directly overhead for more than
adequate ventilation.
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- This is the cockpit. Notice the recently installed fishing
pole holders and filet table. The outboard is a 1999 Nissan 8
hp, which doesn't make us fly, but is reliable, and will run full
throttle for 8 hours on only 6 gallons of gas. We have the
capacity for 15 gallons or so on board. On both sides, there are
storage lockers and one side has a built in cooler which we plan to
convert to a refrigerator. We also plan to install a 48"
diameter wind generator over the next week or two. The wind
generator, combined with our solar panel, and large battery banks,
should give us plenty of power to run the refrigerator and the lights,
computers, radios, and water pumps, or most anything else, as long as
it is in moderation.
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Grampian
26
Specifications:
L.O.A.: 26' 0" (7.92 m)
L.W.L.: 21' 9" (6.93 m)
Beam: 8' 4" (2.54 m)
Draft: (fin) 4' 3" (1.29 m)
Displacement: 5600 lbs. (2540 kg.)
Ballast: 2600 lbs. (1179 kg.)
Sail area: 325 sq. ft. (30.19 mē)
Motor: usually 9.9 hp outboard.
Headroom: 6' 0" (1.83 m)
Berths: 4 to 5
Rating (PHRF-LO)
: 213
Price range: $8,000 to $10,000
The prize for the boat with the best price/size ratio on the used
market has to go to the Grampian 26. It is quite easy to come across
a Grampian selling for well under $10,000, although you will have to
accept the fact that most of these boats were built before 1975.
What makes the Grampian such a great deal is its size - it is a BIG
twenty-six footer. It has a large cockpit, standing headroom
throughout the length of the cabin, and one of the bigger v-berths
that can be found on any size production sailboat. And if all this
isn't enough, the Grampian 26 is a surprisingly fast boat.
The down side with the Grampian 26 is that they are starting to show
their age, and many will probably require some repairs and upgrades.
Moreover, they have a "spoon bow", which give the boat a
dated appearance, and its cabin has a slightly boxy look about it.
The Grampian's main cabin has a dinette arrangement on the port side
and a galley along the starboard side, so it does not have all that
much lounging space.
by Michael McGoldrick.
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