Thoughts on Sadler 25? (2024)

After 6 years of being Boatless in Brightlingsea, we have decided that it is about time we got back afloat once again.

Previously over a 20 year period we have owned an O'Day 22, a Hurley 22 and a Cobra 850 and are taking a drive out later this week to take a look at a Sadler 25 that is about to come on the market. Had a look at various photo's sent across by the vendor and she seems a clean boat, deep fin version with all the usual kit that one would expect.

Are there any areas peculiar to the Sadler 25 that can cause problems or anything in particular that I should be looking for?

All thoughts appreciated!

No personal knowledge (except that we crossed the Atlantic at the same time as friends on a Sadler 25 and they were happy with it) - but here's the entry from my ancient copy of 'Which Boat' if it's any help. Good looking boats.

For original reviews, if you plug it into the yacht design database at the link here it will tell you which issues of which magazines reviewed it. In normal times the volunteers at the Maritime Museum in Falmouth could then send you a photocopy of these articles for a small fee, or you might find old copies on eBay (which seems to be the only option since they closed the reprint service for YBW!)

We sailed in company with a Sadler 25 for many years, cruising Holland and Normandy together. The Sadler certainly sails well, and is probably handier than the slightly larger and later 26. We preferred our traditional saloon layout to the Sadler's dinette, and I think the heads arrangement was fairly basic, but our friends with three children managed. Overall, it was faster than our earlier Mystere on most but not all points of sail, especially to windward.

As a purchaser, I imagine that condition and possible structural weaknesses will be most important. I can't help you there except to say that I am not aware of anything of particular concern.

peteK said:

Not full standing headroom if thats important for you.

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The Sadler will sail far better than any of the boats of that size with standing headroom. With our similarly-sized Mystere we lived with low headroom for 14 years and hardly noticed it. You get used to going inside and moving onto a seat and shuffling around.

Cobra said:

After 6 years of being Boatless in Brightlingsea, we have decided that it is about time we got back afloat once again.

Previously over a 20 year period we have owned an O'Day 22, a Hurley 22 and a Cobra 850 and are taking a drive out later this week to take a look at a Sadler 25 that is about to come on the market. Had a look at various photo's sent across by the vendor and she seems a clean boat, deep fin version with all the usual kit that one would expect.

Are there any areas peculiar to the Sadler 25 that can cause problems or anything in particular that I should be looking for?

All thoughts appreciated!

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If the vessel is pre 1979(ish) be sure to consider the engine if it is the original PETTER MINI 6 - when I was looking for one I was told that the aluminium head could typically be distorted and the gearbox , made in Italy, no longer has parts available or being made
The other minor point is that water collects in puddles each side on the side decks in the area between the toe rail and the co*ckpit coaming, where the latter meets the aft end of the coach roof-

Seajet said:

At 25' I'd say the Sadler every time - only proviso being if on the southern and probably Eastern English coasts one can barely give away a 25' deep fin keeler due to mooring / berthing costs.

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Brightlingsea is not Lymington. There are moorings and berths suitable for 25', and even for poor pensioners like me.

johnalison said:

Brightlingsea is not Lymington. There are moorings and berths suitable for 25', and even for poor pensioners like me.

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And given the average age of yachtsmen on the East Coast it should be called the sunset coast rather than the sunrise.
No one books anything here for longer than 12 months.

Praxinoscope said:

One of best little cruisers of its type, a joy to sail, well constructed and a classic design with lovely lines, but I have to admit I am biased as I have one.
The later versions with moulded interiors are well thought out with lots of stowage space and utilises the space well, although I have introduced a couple of mods to provide good chart stowage etc.
My bilge keel version sails well, is light on the helm, she would of course be marginally better to windward if it were the fin keel version, but bilge suits our area better.
Mine had a Beta engine replacement before I bought her and I think most 25's will by now probably have had their original engines replaced.
The water puddles mentioned above are a minor niggle but don't detract from the pleasure of the sailing, head room is OK for my 6' and helps to keep her lines more pleasant and topside windage lower, but my previous boat, an Invicta26, was not exactly noted for its headroom, access to the stern gland is 'not the best' as one has to squeeze down into the Port co*ckpit locker and reach it through a small hatch, but fortunately not a regular requirement.
If the one you are going to view has been looked after I don't think you will be disappointed , they are great little boats.

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Great boats. Very capable and rewarding to sail. My wife and I owned our bilge keeler Three Thirds '79-84 and loved every minute.

Tradewinds said:

Great boats. Very capable and rewarding to sail. My wife and I owned our bilge keeler Three Thirds '79-84 and loved every minute.

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Heres a photo of Muntak, my 25 just off Aberaeron, funny it's so difficult finding photo's of your own boat under sail, most photo's in my library either seem to be on her moorings, or moored elsewhere, fortunately a friend took this one and sent me a copy.

peteK said:

Not full standing headroom if thats important for you.

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Indeed. I could just stand in mine, beneath the hatch with it closed. I'm 1.76m tall. Headroom elsewhere inside is lower...
My first Sadler 25 had a 5HP long shaft outboard which was just OK - I sailed her! It meant there was loads of storage space.
The second had an 11HP Vetus diesel which was better, but it was a bit crammed in. The "service side" of that engine was to starboard, with very little of the things you need access to easily accessible. Despite lots of cutouts in the longitudinal bulkheads it was pretty awkward:

The impellor cover faced aft - accessible through a cutout under the pilot berth!
A few thoughts:
- there were 2 or 3 different rigs. The Mark II had a mast that I think was ~6-9 inches taller than Mark I. Relevant if replacing the mainsail... I bought a second hand one and the luff was too long!
- there isn't a dedicated gas bottle compartment with drainage outwards... My first one had a calor gas cylinder in a cradle in the aft/starboard locker - inside the boat, effectively. There wasn't enough height under the co*ckpit seats to get the bottom of a Calor cylinder much higher than the waterline... I converted to a squatter Camping Gaz cylinder "inside a bucket", with a drain to outside. My surveyor was much happier...
- the gas arrangement with my 2nd Sadler 25 wasn't satisfactory and I converted to an Origo stove, with the fuel bottles stored in the anchor locker.
- the internal moulding had an overlapping joint in the "roof" above the pilot berth - about 9inches in/aft from the entrance. Rainwater from leaky deck fittings (the mainsheet traveller?) used to gather there and occasionally drip onto the berth (occupant - me) below.

The above are purely practical issues and shouldn't put you off what I found a lovely safe and dependable sailing boat. I had my first from 1986-2003 and my second from 2012-2017.

Similar to the op I have been away from sailing since 2013. I had a pandora 22ft fin keel which I kept on a swing mooring in the southeast of Ireland. I sold her recently and was sad to see her go as it was in my opinion a gorgeous looking and safe boat, but am looking for a bigger boat.

I am on the hunt for a sadler 25 twin keel but they seem impossible to come by. They look great and all reviews say they sail well. Thanks for the heads up on the book as this will be very interesting read .

I'm very jealous of all the happy owners ?