Sunday, November 13, 2016

POGO 30, ALREADY A CLASSIC


I found out that I don't have on the Blog a post about the Pogo 30, I mean, I have one regarding a movie with an ocean passage, but none about the boat. Quite incredible since I like a lot this little boat and only explained because I had posted about it on the Sailnet thread,  on one of the last posts.
So, lets talk a little about this fantastic pocket long range cruiser and I say long range cruiser because it is not only used for that (with several Atlantic crossings) as it was born out of the Pogo 6.5 mini transat racer and from the desire many sailors had to have an inexpensive fast small cruiser built with the same characteristics: Speed and seaworthiness, long range, but also with a functional and comfortable cruising layout.

Pogo satisfied that aspiration, back in 2002, with the Pogo 8.80 from whom the 30 directly descends. The Pogo 8.80 was a popular boat that made several cruising Atlantic crossings but the market regarding those boats was much smaller than what it is today and the Pogo 30 has much better accommodations, is more powerful and fast too. I suspect that in 3 years more Pogo 30 here sold than Pogo 8.80 on 10 years.

Designed by Finot/Conq, it can have a fixed torpedo keel (1.95) or a more popular swing keel (with all ballast on the keel - 2.5/1.1m) has a hull based on the mini racers, very beamy (3.70m) with all the beam pulled back and has a rounded bow. The deep draft, the considerable ballast and the large beam give it a lot of stability maintaining a very good reserve stability and a very good AVS.

The Pogo 30 is very light with only 2.8T and built like a racing boat, using infusion on all parts including the hull structure. The sandwich uses a mousse PVC (closed cells) on the core , the boat has two waterproof compartments one at the bow one on the transom, it is unsinkable and uses, like the other Pogo, a mast without backstay.

If you are looking for a 30ft, fast, seaworthy, offshore boat that deliver a lot of fun sailing and don't mind to have a basic but functional interior, you should take a lot at the Pogo 30, that costs about 90 000 euro on its most basic version, no sails, no electronic, no VAT. They provide on their site a complete list of extras with prices. http://www.pogostructures.com/en/

The popularity of the boat is responsible for a huge number of videos on the internet. I will select some, but there is more there and increasing every season. There is also a good test sail by Toby Hodges that had a lot of fun test sailing the Pogo.

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