South Coast Eclipse 6.7

Feel free to submit photo's in jpg format along with any documentation or stories of your sailing adventures

The Northbridge Eclipse 6.7 is a 22' sloop rigged swing keel metric (6.7 meters) version of the SC 22 with some differences.

It carries a main, 110 working jib, and 150 Genoa as stock sail options.
By Wayne Yeargane

Substantial differences between the SC 22 & Eclipse design affected cabin lay out. Primary difference is moving the mast about two feet forward on the Eclipse. Resulting in a smaller V-berth area and no need of a mast support post. This pole helps support the cabin top from mast compression. The Eclipse has a built up area supporting the mast area from one side of the cabin top to the other. This built up area over the cabin top is like a header on a window or door in home construction. I haven't noticed any problems. Moving the mast forward changed the forward hatch common on the SC 22, the Eclipse has a pop up hatch opening out onto the forward deck rather than up thru the cabin top.

The forward hatchway is big enough to pass a sail bag through or an anchor. Other than ventilation it is not big enough to do much. The forward hatch of the Eclipse doesn't seal as good as I would like. It seals good enough to keep rain out, but if I ever took a wave over the bow it wouldn't prevent water from entering the cabin.

Port side of the cabin has a smaller seat /berth. Between the seat and the v-berth is a built up area for the port-a-potty. I find this location amusing because the keel trunk runs down the middle of the cabin floor from the v berth back several feet. To sit on the pot you have to cram yourself between the keel trunk and the side of the boat although something is better than nothing. Originally there was a privacy panel blocking the port a potty pedestal. The panel had seen better days when I bought the boat and I promptly took it out. The SC 22 has a pop up table and larger berthing area when the table is down. Upper part of the cabin is finished gel-coat. The hull section of the cabin is unfinished roving with a foam backed fabric liner. The fabric / foam liner is great as long as it is in good shape. If you ever remove the liner you have a mess on your hands trying to clean up the residue.

The SC 22 has boom end sheeting, the Eclipse has mid boom sheeting with an optional traveler right in front of the companionway. Pulling on the traveler sheets is a little difficult because the blocks are bolted flush to the seat. The main sheet is attached to the boom about mid way and the boom end does not go past about mid cockpit. With mid boom sheeting a bimini is an option, a must for summertime sailing in Florida.

There is a set of fixed jib leads and a jam cleat on the cabin top for the jib. Personally I found them hard to use sailing solo. Also the jam cleats in higher winds are hard to release. I use the winches on the cockpit coamings to handle the jib sheets. I made a wire lead with loops in each end to raise the jib foot high enough to clear the bow pulpit and make it possible to see what's in front of me. As with many smaller boats the V-berth is a major part of the flotation plan. The cabin seating is a combination of storage compartments and sealed air pockets. If the hardware mounted to the cockpit coamings is properly bedded I feel certain the dead air space should help keep the boat from sinking like a rock. The big question is if the boat has positive flotation. At this time I don't have the answer.

Apparently South Coast Seacraft caught a lot of complaints over the SC 22 cockpit drain. It is my understanding the SC 22 drains into the keel trunk. This sounds like a good way to go, reality is a bit different. SC 22's have problems with water burping up through the cockpit drain. Many owners have resorted to putting a plug in the drain while under sail. The Eclipse drains down through a tube back to the stern and out a thru hull fitting just below the lower gudge. I have never had a problem with the drain working correctly. The only downside to the cockpit drain is the location forward end of the cockpit. Often under motor the stern is down and water collects at the back of the cockpit floor. Under sail the same can happen. My solution was the installation of a stern cockpit drain that ties into the same drain tube as the forward drain.

Many SC 22 owners commented on a wimpy rudder. South Coast built two basic types of rudders: full length fixed and the kick up. My Eclipse came with the factory original kick up rudder. I haven't noticed any steering problems with this rudder. The previous owner replaced the tiller with a stout hand made tiller. What I have notice in heavy winds is the boat will heel way on over to a point. Once that point is reached the rudder has less surface in the water and loses its grip. The boat will stall, swing to windward and come back upright. Then you must get everything back under control and get moving again. Sailing in winds over 25 knots or gusts way in excess of 25 knots seems to be the culprit. Too much sail up for wind conditions may prove challenging. I have sailed my Eclipse in wind over 30 knots and gusts much higher with the main sail single reefed and no jib flying. That particular day I found the tendency to round up and stall a safety feature as I was sailing by myself. By stalling and rounding up the boat would not knock down. As the fleet gets older & new parts are scavenged or built many owners have re-designed their rudders. At this time I don't have enough information to determine how some of the new designs or adaptations of other rudders affects boat handling in extreme conditions.

The keel for the Eclipse seems to be the same one used for the SC22. SC 22 has a dedicated water tank in the v-berth area. Eclipse has the tank in the starboard lazarette with appropriate tubing to the sink. One odd to me design feature of the Eclipse is a round hole in the forward part of the foredeck. This hole has a cap on a hinge. The only thing I could think of would be for a way to pull the anchor line into the cabin. Yet there is no dedicated built in rode locker. Also it would take two people to feed the line down below. One-person topsides to make sure the anchor line doesn't snarl, and another down below to pull the line through. I suppose if you where using an all chain rode it might be a good thing to have. From what little I have learned it seems to me the Eclipse was intended as a replacement production boat for the SC 22. I have yet to hear of a SC 22 built after 1979. It is not my intent to downplay the merits of the venerable SC 22; time has proven it's worth. Rather my intent is to categorize some of the major differences between the two boats. If you have any questions about the Eclipse feel free to contact me.

Brochures

Eclipse Documents Provided by Owners

E 1 -E 2 -E 3 -E 4 -E 5 -E 6 -E 7
We would love to hear from SC Eclipse Owners.

Thanks to Gregory Bradley for providing the documents below