The search for our next boat has come to a conclusion.

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This weekend I finalized the transaction on our new boat a Mirage 24! This boat is a Canadia Sailboat Hall of Fame boat, designed by Cuthbertson & Cassian ( C&C yachts ).  This is the boat I went to look at back in January when it was 14 degrees out and blizzarding.  It was snowing so hard we actually stayed at a hotel instead of coming home that night. 

 These boats are built with amazing quality and care.  While not as weighty as the Cape Dory"s neither of the Mirages I looked at were decaying from core rot that seems to plaque so many other boats of the time period.  

 This particular Mirage is the Tall Rig version. Which set it ahead of the other Mirage I looked at off the bat.  The Tall rig has a slightly taller mast equating to a bit more speed.  Not that we are planning on racing but some times a bit more speed can help us cruisers get to our destinations a little sooner and can help us duck incoming poor weather. 

 Overall the boat is in good condition, structurally.  The previous owner being a mechanical engineer clearly spent some time making sure bolts were torqued, fittings were done right and deck hardware was re-bedded when needed. 

 Aesthetically the boat needs some work the hull is heavily oxidized even though the pictures don't show it.  I'm hoping this will not involve wet sanding the gel coat but suspect it may.  
   

Mirage 24 sailboat,
The boat comes with a custom trailer. This is not the boat ramp kind of trailer so we won't be launching this one anytime soon at the local ramp.  This weekend I spent time strapping the mast down and getting the boat ready to be moved. 


Mirage 24 sailboat,
The fin keel design is similar to the Chaser 29 we owned prior to our Typhoon.  This appeals to me as we should be able to point much higher into the wind.  One of the best parts of this boat is the size of the keel trunk on this boat.  The keel trunk is larger and better distributed than the C&C 25 we looked at making for less possibility of separation also the interior keel bolts are better laid out. 


Mirage 24 sailboat,

The cabin was one of the biggest reasons we liked this boat.  Bigger than the Typhoon's and still small enough to clean up quickly. We have a little bit of personalizing to do in this space but we think it will be perfect for some overnight adventures this summer.



I came home to start laying out and checking out the sails and it started to snow.  Agh winter GO Away! 



Mirage 24 resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage_24
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/mirage-24
https://sailboatdata.com/designer/cc-design
https://sailboatdata.com/builder/mirage-yachts-ltd-can
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Mirage-Yachts
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Mirage-24
http://sailquest.com/market/models/mirage24.htm



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