The Paceship PY 26 is a Canadian

sailboat A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture. Types Although sailboat terminolo ...

that was designed by John Deknatel, president of C. Raymond Hunt Assoc. and first built in 1972. In 1982, the PY 26 design was developed into the

Tanzer 27 The Tanzer 27 is a Canadian sailboat, that was designed by C. Raymond Hunt and first built in 1982. The design is out of production. The Tanzer 27 is a development of the Paceship PY 26, which was produced by Paceship Yachts in Mahone Bay, ...

, with a deck-stepped mast and different interior.

Production

Paceship PY 26 sailboat Dalriada cockpit detail 2519

The design was initially built by

Paceship Yachts Paceship Yachts Limited was a Canada, Canadian, and later United States, American, boat builder originally based in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. The company was founded in 1962 and specialized in the design and manufacture of fiberglass sailboats. ...

Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia Mahone Bay is a town on the northwest shore of Mahone Bay along the South Shore of Nova Scotia in Lunenburg County. A long-standing picturesque tourism destination, the town has recently enjoyed a growing reputation as a haven for entrepreneur ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

starting in 1974. Production was transferred to AMF Corporation in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in 1977. In 1982 the hull molds were sold to

Tanzer Industries Tanzer Industries Limited was a Canadian boat manufacturer based in Dorion, Quebec. The company specialized in the design and manufacture of fibreglass sailboats. History The company was founded by Johann Tanzer in 1966 and went bankrupt in May ...

and they produced a slightly longer model called the

. The design is now out of production, with 364 examples having been produced.

Design

The Paceship PY 26 is a recreational

keelboat A keelboat is a riverine cargo-capable working boat, or a small- to mid-sized recreational sailing yacht. The boats in the first category have shallow structural keels, and are nearly flat-bottomed and often used leeboards if forced in open w ...

, built predominantly of

fibreglass Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (Commonwealth English) is a common type of fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened into a sheet called a chopped strand mat, or woven into glass clo ...

, with wood trim. It has a

masthead sloop A masthead rig on a sailing vessel consists of a forestay and backstay both attached at the top of the mast. The Bermuda rig can be split into two groups: the masthead rig and the fractional rig. The masthead rig has larger and more headsails, ...

rig with a keel-stepped mast, a

raked stem The stem is the most forward part of a boat or ship's bow and is an extension of the keel itself. It is often found on wooden boats or ships, but not exclusively. Description The stem is the curved edge stretching from the keel below, up to ...

, a near-vertical transom, a transom-hung

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, aircraft, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (generally air or water). On an aircraft the rudder is used primarily to counter adve ...

controlled by a

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

and a fixed fin

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element on a vessel. On some sailboats, it may have a hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose, as well. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in the construction of a ship, in Br ...

. There was also a stub keel/

centreboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

version produced. The fin keel model displaces and carries of iron ballast. The boat has a draft of with the standard keel fitted. The boat can be fitted with either a small

inboard motor An inboard motor is a marine propulsion system for boats. As opposed to an outboard motor where an engine is mounted outside the hull (watercraft), hull of the craft, an ''inboard motor'' is an engine enclosed within the hull (watercraft), hull of ...

or an

outboard motor An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom. They are the most common motorised method ...

for docking and maneuvering.

Operational history

The boat was at one time supported by an active class club, ''The Paceship'', but the club is currently inactive. In a review Michael McGoldrick wrote, "The Paceship PY26 has to be described as a big 26 footer. Many manufacturers would have marketed this boat as a 27 footer, as did Tanzer. And with a displacement of 6000 pounds, this boat is reaching the upper limits of what can be realistically pushed around with an outboard motor. The PY was available with an optional inboard engine." In a paceship.org review Jay Moran concluded, "the PY 26 is quite large for its length, but the boat still sails very well, even in light air with a 150% genoa. In heavy airs, the boat feels stable, secure and is usually remains fairly dry. The large tiller steered outboard rudder makes the boat very responsive and provides excellent helm feedback. In summary this is a well built, roomy, and beautiful looking, high performance sailboat". In an owner review Tristan Nettles wrote, "all in all the PY26 is a strong and capable boat that needs 10 knots or more of breeze to really handle well. It is simple in its systems and capable of offshore passages. My biggest knock against the boat is its underpowered engine. The boat is very big and spacious for its size. A good starter boat.".

References

External links

* {{Paceship Yachts Keelboats 1970s sailboat type designs Sailing yachts Sailboat type designs by C. Raymond Hunt Associates Sailboat types built by Paceship Yachts

Production

Design

Operational history

See also

References

External links