And she is sold; 4/13/08

Thanks for your interest and good luck in your search.

The Prickly Pear movie (in theaters soon!)

What sets the Skipper apart?

What really sets the Skipper 20 apart is its size. At just 20 feet, it is easy to move on its single axis trailer, easy to launch and rig and easy to spend some quality time on, comfortably.

For me, the big selling point was the cabin. There just are not too many boats that would sleep my whole family without spending over $5k.

The boat handles the sea well. I've had her out in 20+ mph winds and she handles well. Her small jib and reef point in the main have been utilized and she handled the gusts admirably.

Sails well, sleeps well, trailers well. Not much more you can ask for. Why not shoot me an email at jg@gadgetell.com and come see her?

Skipper 20, the perfect mix of space and size

We've owned "Prickly Pear" now for 3 years. It has been our first boat and has given us the confidence and knowledge to buy that bigger boat. I grew up on boats, but my wife and 2 kids were a bit skeptical at the great stories I've told from my childhood. The Skipper 20 has been a perfect "starter boat" for us.

The low cost of ownership gave me the green light to buy her. Each winter she sits on her trailer behind my house under a couple of tarps. Launching (typically) means driving her across town to the state ramp. Last year, the trailer telescoping front wheel broke on the ramp and we had Oak Leaf Marina pick her up off the trailer to launch. However, for hauling out this year the new custom made trailer extender to get her out of deeper water worked fantastically.

Prickly Pear has been our summer home, giving us memorable weekends and a week-long trip to Rhode Island (a six hour sail from Old Saybrook). My family of four: two adults, a 10 and 5 year olds sleep comfortably on the newly covered Sunbrella cushion covers.

The engine runs amazingly well after we figured out its two secrets: one, the old gas tank had a leak letting rainwater to mix with the gas (new one purchased in 2007); and two, the engine well hatch should be kept open so the engine can breathe. We even transfered the engine to our dinghy while on vacation and kept our cooler in the engine well (worked fantastically well).

The Skipper's 2 foot draft means we were able to get to spots other boats just can't. From crossing known channel shortcuts to getting away from the crowds in anchorages, the shoal draft gave us an added degree of comfort when the depth was questionable.

Overall, I get the feeling we'll always look back on Prickly Pear as our favorite boat. The week-long trips and weekend get-a-ways are things we will miss doing on the Pear. Most certainly, our next boat will cost us much more in every facet.

The Spec List

Southern Sails Skipper 20 1980 - Classic lapstrake fiberglass styling double-ender full of character. Full shoal draft (just 2-ft) keel complete with bow sprit, all in a towable friendly package. Modest sail area with the stable hull showing the value of a boat of this size with 800lbs of ballast rounds out this nautical 'BIG' little boat. She seems more 23 to 24 feet rather than 20 feet. Sleeps four!

Includes:

• galvanized trailer; refurbished 2007 (new hardware, new telescoping wheel, new right tire, new lights) Registered in 2007.
• Newly covered cabin cushions (2006)
• Cockpit cushions
• sizable self-bailing cockpit
  
• Full vinyl headliner
• lifelines
• Stainless steel stern and bow rails
• teak trim and handrims
• 4 screened opening ports
• forward hatch
• bowsprit
  
• Johnson 6 long-shaft motor in great shape.
• Marine battery
• Loran
• Compass
• Clock
• Interior and running lights
• Newer marine radio
• Porta-potty
• Fire extinguisher
• 2 manual bilge pumps
• Swim ladder
• 2 floating throw cushions
• Sails: mainsail with cover (inspected by sailmaker in 2007), 110% genoa, small jib, drifter
• 2 anchors, chain and rode
• 2 fenders
• bottom was pressure washed at the end of last season and is ready for fresh bottom paint.
  

Areas that recieved special attention

Having been built 28 years ago, there are some signs of aging. Here is my short list of things that have been issues:

-Keel. The first winter I owned the boat, water must have been in the keel. This resulted in the freezing water creating cracks in about a 6" area on the keel. This area was sanded then sealed with layers of fiberglass. The area was then sanded then bottom painted over. I believe the job was done right and you'll have a hard time finding where the work was done.

The issue seems to have been caused by water in the bilge that froze (before I got the boat). This made a crack in the bilge and water was able to seep into the keel. I did some sealing on this area with Marinetex and the bilge has been dry, bone dry ever since.

As a precaution, I've drilled a hole in the keel each fall and patched it each spring. Water ran out the first year, but did not run this year. That leads me to believe no more water is entering the keel.

-Headliner. A common theme for this boat, seems a porthole leaked at one time and this allowed the wood holding the headliner to rot. This made the headliner want to fall down. I remedied this by using some peal and stick velcro and the job looks better. Seems the cold winter didn't do anything wonderful for my stick of the velcro. It is still a job that may need attention. The velcro is holding.

Skipper Specs

As for specs for the Skipper 20:

LOA --- 20'-0"

LWL --- 15'-0"

Beam ---- 6'-8"

Draft --- 2'-0"

Ballast --- 800 lbs

Sail Area --- 143 s.f.

Headroom --- 4'-6"