Atlanta 24

[Bantam_dave21]

Hi everyone, back again...

 

We bought our first boat after many holiday hires etc late summer last year - an atlanta 24. Seems a competent little thing and we're loving using it.

 

Its that time of year where plans for the summer are inevitably made and was starting wonderings about exactly what I can expect from this little boat. Its happy enough on the canals even into a head wind, although you know the difference it seems to cope well with all but a minimal impact on fuel consumption.

 

I'd love to hear of anyones experiences of this boat.

 

Ours still has what I believe to be the original Yamaha 9.9 strapped on the transom and I'm keen to know if this is enough for the river stretches around Yorkshire. We're moored at Goole but would so love to get up to York but are unsure if it is man enough for the job in terms of power. We're in no rush to venture onto the rivers as we are still getting to grips with the boat itself but would be interested in views/experience/opinion. We'll be popping onto the Selby canal which is a short river stretch but generally more sedate than the ouse - with the exception of the last few days.....where the lock onto the A &C river section has at times disappeared.....!! And all manner of things are floating by at an alarming speed.

 

Thanks everyone

[magpie patrick]

The Atlanta 24 is basically the Viking 23 - the extra foot was added on the transom. My Viking 23, Juno, made good pace up and down the Avon from Bath to Bristol, outrunning the narrow boats. She has a Yamaha 9.9 engine.

 

The Viking only weighs 1 tonne, I guess the Atlanta is the same. Coupled with that, there is some suggestion that Yamaha 9.9's are rather more beefy than their notional horsepower, something to do with power limits on Canadian Lakes

[Alan de Enfield]

Venturing out onto rivers you need :

 

A capable boat

A reliable engine

Life jackets (not buoyancy aids) for all on board, worn at all times.

Anchor of suitable size and design for the conditions,

Anchor chain and warp - suitable lengths for the conditions,

VHF radio

 

You may well need navigation lights on those Rivers.

[Bantam_dave21]

The Atlanta 24 is basically the Viking 23 - the extra foot was added on the transom. My Viking 23, Juno, made good pace up and down the Avon from Bath to Bristol, outrunning the narrow boats. She has a Yamaha 9.9 engine.

 

The Viking only weighs 1 tonne, I guess the Atlanta is the same. Coupled with that, there is some suggestion that Yamaha 9.9's are rather more beefy than their notional horsepower, something to do with power limits on Canadian Lakes

Ah right, I didn't know that for sure. I had suspected due to the obvious similarities just my cockpit space is more - this explains....

 

I was surpised at the punch of a 9.9 the bow even lifts slightly lol, but hasn't struggled too badly into the wind, side winds are a whole different comedy experience particularly rear birth in our snug marina.....d'oh thats interesting. I don't know how the Avon compares to the Ouse but sounds like on the right day it should be ok, i plan to spend lots of time pestering the lock keeper at Selby

[Silebyman]

Our first boat was an Atlanta 24 with a 30hp 2 stroke on the back. Turns out the first owner spent his time on the tidal Trent and onto the Humber so I guess he needed something with a bit of oomf. We are on the Soar, and it was never working hard enough to keep its plugs clean.

Apart from that the Atlanta was a good boat and we had a lot of fun on it.

Trying to get onto lock landings in side winds was a right game. Centre lines made life easier even on a boat that short. We also used a pole with a sharp hook on the end I could bang into the bank while my other half sorted out the mooring lines.

[Bantam_dave21]

Our first boat was an Atlanta 24 with a 30hp 2 stroke on the back. Turns out the first owner spent his time on the tidal Trent and onto the Humber so I guess he needed something with a bit of oomf. We are on the Soar, and it was never working hard enough to keep its plugs clean.

Apart from that the Atlanta was a good boat and we had a lot of fun on it.

Trying to get onto lock landings in side winds was a right game. Centre lines made life easier even on a boat that short. We also used a pole with a sharp hook on the end I could bang into the bank while my other half sorted out the mooring lines.

I've had to cling onto the pole a time or two also while the Mrs gets a line on before the bank disappears lol. Deffo centre lines would assist, theres a massive lack of cleats on these boats tho....that said I think I have finally found a raised cleat that fits the screw profile of the fender eyes. The gunnels if thats the right term are narrow but a slink cleat shouldn't cause too much problem.

[chunkyj]

http://www.cathedralmarina.co.uk/brokerage/details.aspx?boatID=196

 

Just upgraded from an atlanta 24 to a Princess 32

 

Very capable boat and will be missed, just need a bit more room now with the twins!

[Bantam_dave21]

http://www.cathedralmarina.co.uk/brokerage/details.aspx?boatID=196

 

Just upgraded from an atlanta 24 to a Princess 32

 

Very capable boat and will be missed, just need a bit more room now with the twins!

Oooh nice....! Would love something like that, the space would be amazing however purchase budget, running costs etc restricted us but are very pleased so far with our little atlanta.

[Silebyman]

We didn't have cleats either but tied the centre lines onto the climbing aboard handle by the wheel and also on the other side. Worked surprisingly well !

[Bantam_dave21]

That's what mine needs, handles on the slope of the well and also could do with a rail external below the folding side window.

[NickF]

The Yorkshire Ouse is one serious river, I last went on it in 1974 so I am a bit out of date but I remember the tides being faster than those I found on the Thames near Limehouse. But when we did it we were in an underpowered 42ft steel narrow boat and it seemed to cope alright, although on the incoming tide on the way to York we would not have had enough power to go against the tide if we had needed to stop.

 

The main thing would be you would need to be 100% sure the engine was reliable as a loss of power on that river could be very serious.

[Bantam_dave21]

http://www.cathedralmarina.co.uk/brokerage/details.aspx?boatID=196

 

Just upgraded from an atlanta 24 to a Princess 32

 

Very capable boat and will be missed, just need a bit more room now with the twins!

What engine was on the back of yours and how did you find it on rivers/flows?

[Mr Norman]

Not wishing to be argumentative, I would suggest the "heritage" of the Atlanta 24 is more Norman based than Viking.

 

This is a Norman 24.

 

[Bantam_dave21]

I'm new and still learning about my Atlanta but I'm inclined to agree.

 

I've read that Norman were working on a new 24 but the moulds were destroyed by a factory fire, from which the company never really recovered. However, prior to the demise of Norman that had remade the mould of the 24 which was then sold off (liquidated or whatever, who knows) to Fibreglass Construction (Atlanta Boats) who seem to have taken the moulds for what were going to be new Norman 24, Norman 266 and Norman 32.

 

This details is on the Atlanta boat owners site, which although now appears abandoned seems to have some interesting pieces for any Atlanta owners interested.

 

Edit : typo

Edited March 13, 2016 by Bantam_dave21

[daztheman]

Hi sorry to hijack this post. But it's the only one I can find nearest to the question I've got. Atlanta 24 viking 23. Same condition same price. Which one would you go for.thanks. Daz.

[Bantam_dave21]

Hiya,

 

I'd pick the Atlanta but I have an Atlanta so I would say that....

 

For me it would depend on the Norman is it a mk1,2 or 3 etc. Obviously vs a mk1 I'd be even more pulled to the Atlanta. Mk 2 and 3 has little to choose between them for me....the extra space of the atlanta is on the rear I'm told, for me I prefer the interior layout of the Atlanta although if I'm honest haven't climbed around many Normans only pics of a few for sale around the time I bought the Atlanta.

 

Normans seem to have a better online presence - owners club etc....Atlanta online owners forum appears like it used to have a life but ceased....probably not enough of them around?

[magpie patrick]

Hi sorry to hijack this post. But it's the only one I can find nearest to the question I've got. Atlanta 24 viking 23. Same condition same price. Which one would you go for.thanks. Daz.

 

 

I have a Viking 23 - I have no experience of the Atlanta 24 but I would suggest you shouldn't choose on the basis of Atlanta V Viking, look at the detail and see if there is anything amiss on one and not on the other

 

I will give you one specific example. My viking failed it's safety certificate because the gas pipe from the locker to the cooker was embedded in the fibreglass - this was a feature when it left the factory in 1986, it took 30 years for it to fail the BSC, but I now have to fit a new gas system (not difficult, but still a nuisance)

 

If one of the boats has something like this and the other one hasn't, go with the one that hasn't, it'll save you a lot of grief

Edited May 2, 2016 by magpie patrick