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When I think of Schock I think of Santana 20’s, Schock 35’s, and their other well built boats with a reputation for going fast. With the introduction of the Harbor 20, Schock took a turn to the more “civilized,” side of sailing, emphasizing comfort and ease of sailing. They have now continued that concept with the Harbor 25. While still a quick boat, the emphasis is on comfortable and easy sailing. A glass of wine and a little cheese is not out of place. On approaching the Harbor 25, it looks quite traditional with its low cabin and teardrop portlights. A little shear and cockpit forward of a lazerette adds to that look. However, beneath the waterline, an easily driven hull with modern foils and about half the boat’s weight will still bring a smile to those that like performance. We set out onto Lake Union with whispers of wind from basically all directions. The boat moved well and as the wind picked up to about 10 knots, she heeled over and settled in nicely. It did heel a bit more than some of the new ultra wide boats but found a solid groove, and she felt more like a ?30-footer than a 25. She balanced very well, with little steering from the helmsman, very steady with no surprises. Let us now get into the “civilized” theme of the sailing. The small jib is on a Schaefer furler, and is fastened to the patented Hoyt Club Boom. This makes the sail self tacking while keeping the clew height constant. Basically a “set it and forget it” rig. Continuous lines enables you to control the jib and boom from either side. The fractional rig will allow for sailing a wide range of wind strengths before reefing. Like many of the new boats, the Harbor 25 has a retractable bow pole for an asymetrical spinnaker. Unfortunately, the boat we sailed didn’t have a spinnaker on it yet so we couldn’t try it out. The spinnaker lines were run internally and came out into cam cleats hidden in compartments on the sides of the cockpit, where lines can be trimmed or tucked away until needed. All lines are run into the cockpit, with built in compartments. Basically, the only loose lines are the jib sheets when sailing. The mainsheet is located at the back of the cockpit, out of the way of those in the cockpit and providing good purchase on the boom. It is controled in the cockpit center. The 24-1 manual backstay adjustment exits through the lazerette above the engine panel. 
The cockpit is huge (8-feet), rivaling some much larger yachts. The high coamings make for dry sailing and comfortable lounging. With lines stowed in the bulkheads and sides, it is very open and uncluttered.
After rolling up the jib, the mainsail was a snap with the lazyjacks holding the main onto the boom. Under power, the Honda 15-hp Saildrive moved the boat extremely well. The interior is basic but does offer a private head (you get the real head not the porta-potti), v-berth and two long quarter berths aft. The accommodations are fine for the occasional overnighter, but basically it’s a daysailer. The Harbor 25 is targeted at those who enjoy a day on the water in a traditional looking but lively, small boat that feels much larger. With a base price of $71,500, you’re paying for those "civilized touches" but will thoroughly enjoy the comfort, simplicity and performance with which this boat sails. I’ll have a bit more Merlot, please. Thanks to Todd and Cheryl of Bluewater Yachts, Seattle for the test sail. ... continue to page two For more information visit: W.D. Schock Corp. www.santanasailboats.com Blue Water Yachts www.bwyachts.com ...back to 48° North home page |