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One of many questions we ask our customers is simply
this :
“What kind of boat do you want?”
The answers are, of course, many and varied but
quite naturally most people want as much boat as possible for their money. Enter the Scintilla 24 - designed to
be the reference point for traditionally rigged trailer sailers - the benchmark.
A boastful claim indeed - empty unless we can back it up - here's how.
Performance
Handing
Building
Safety
Accommodation
Performance - with a standard yawl rig the scintilla 24 will surprise
you with sparking performance and sheer versatility. She'll ghost along in the faintest of zephyr yet quickly hit
6 knots or more when the breeze pipes up. A long straight keel, fine underwater lines and a long run to her graceful
counter stern equates to a steady helm and an easy motion even in confused seas. Scintilla's low aspect ratio lugger
rig means more power low down for less heel and greater stability. This is a modern interpretation of a sail plan
honed to perfection over centuries of hard workboat experience. Upwind, as with all traditionally rigged boats,
ease her off a point or two and she'll reward you with very good speed and excellent ground covering ability. Downwind
she'll look after herself with little or no help from the skipper.
In heavier weather two reefs in the main, one in
the mizzen and a storm jib will do nicely. And in case you're caught out in something over force 6 then the reefed
mizzen and storm jib will still balance the ship while you bring her home. Coming in to harbour, roller reefing
on the genoa and a topping lift on the mizzen allows for delicate manoeuvres under sail. A neatly fitted 4-8 HP
outboard, in its own well to starboard, powers you along on the smell of an oily rag and doesn't hang off the stern
on an ugly bracket. As an example, under power a 4 HP 4-stroke will cruise at 5 knots. An 8 HP will allow a top
speed of 6.3 knots All this adds up to exceptional seaworthiness and exceptional handling without undue histrionics.
Handling - one word will do. Easy. Let's start with rigging and launching
- do the whole thing by yourself and if you take longer than half an hour something is not right. The mainstays
are already set up, the mast is raised and the forestay and genoa halyard cleated down. The main is up (or down)
in seconds and the unstayed mizzen mast simply drops into a slot. Easy! Once afloat all sheets and controls can
be adjusted without leaving the tiller. The motor tilts up and out of the way and you can heave-to quietly at any
time by simply sheeting in the mizzen and furling the others. Despite a relatively long keel, a Scintilla will
turn readily and tacks smartly. That same long keel and an exceptionally shallow draft means she'll power on to
windward in two feel of water and hold steady while you walk forward to anchor of reef. Easy !
Building - while other boats can offer some of the features available with
a Scintilla, almost none can be built at home from a kit of engineered components. Our RTA (ready to assemble)
kits offer not only incredible value but genuine ease of construction. A Scintilla 24 can be framed up in a week
and ready to float in another two. Of course fitting out will take a fair bit longer but the point is that very
quickly the boat parts become a real boat. You don't have to be an economist to work it out and you certainly don't
have to be a shipwright to build it. After nearly a decade of pioneering kit production in Australia we've pretty
much got it all sorted.
Safety - our boats are the safest - no arguments - here's why. Firstly,
the virtues of a displacement hull, generous beam, wide side decks and proven, simple rig need no endorsements.
Add to that lead ballast right down near the bottom of the keel and a boomless main and you have a pretty foolproof
combination. These predictable boats will spring no nasty surprises.
Secondly, our boats are extremely tough built with
interlocking frames and bulkheads enclosing multiple watertight compartments along the whole length of the ship.
In short, we've done every thing possible to ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
Accommodation - OK which trailer sailer can sleep six comfortably, (two
under canvas in the cockpit) accommodate a shower, marine toilet and a decent sized galley without looking like
a floating caravan? Which traditional 24 footer, seats six in the cockpit, six down below and two on the foredeck?
And which can be had in survey to carry eight passengers plus crew? nd can an inboard diesel be almost disappeared
beneath the cockpit sole? And is the cockpit self-draining? And is there good sitting headroom? Custom interior?
Answer:
Scintilla 24
Scintilla 24
Scintilla 24
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
So what more do you want? Its got to cost less than
any other new boat of its size and type, right? You've got it.
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