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Old 21-04-2019, 09:30   #1
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Long distance sailing in small yachts

Found a 15 year old topic on the UK Yachtworld Forum that is for me still so valid as if it was written yesterday. Seems that now yachts must be 50' minimum with waching machine, multiple heads etc.

==================
Its not the size, folkboats and virtues (both 26ft) have circumnavigated and ridden out hurricains, I've met a couple on a 5 tonner (28ft) who have done an altantic circuit, there are lots more. Would trust my 32ft almost anywhere but she weighs about 9.5 tons and draws 6ft on a 20+ft keel length and is built like the proverbial b.. S.. h.. On the other hand a coroners inquest a couple of seasons back rulled that taking a large but light an shallow bodied fin keeler across bicay was reckless as the boat wasn't designed for it - despite cat A rating under the RCD. Have a serious think about whether your boat would be comfotable in a 3 day F8+ and would things break.
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Old 21-04-2019, 09:48   #2
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pirate Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

Have taken a Hurley 22 across the Biscay in Nov/Dec...
Two weeks of F6 to F10/11 and 5 to 10+ metre sea's.. nothing broke but it was wet and cold.. did spend a lot of time hove to..
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Old 21-04-2019, 09:49   #3
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

For me the perfect size, type is still a 30-32ft longkeeler if possible rigged as a ketch, 9-10 tons. For two people this size is perfect as of livability and space for storage and water. From costs perspective these kind of yachts bring long distance offshore sailing in reach of a lot more people. But first people need to believe again that it's possible.
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Old 21-04-2019, 09:52   #4
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

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Have taken a Hurley 22 across the Biscay in Nov/Dec...
Two weeks of F6 to F10/11 and 5 to 10+ metre sea's.. nothing broke but it was wet and cold.. did spend a lot of time hove to..
Let's me blood go faster, although afterwards[emoji4]
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Old 21-04-2019, 10:05   #5
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

My Westsail 32 was a perfect size for our family of four when we lived in Puerto Rico years ago.

When I got into sailing, the perfect cruising yacht was around 37 feet, and forty footers were relatively uncommon.

Then the floating condominiums became popular, and the size and cost of yachts exploded.

I feel sorry for the newbies who think you need a vessel larger than 37 feet to go cruising. For me, less has always been more, and I don't want a floating condominium. The only reason I am in a 39 foot catamaran is because my wife would only sail around the world as long as there was no heeling of the boat. So I ended up in a catamaran, and our catamaran is basic.

I still think the ideal cruising boat is a 37 foot monohull.
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Old 21-04-2019, 10:12   #6
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pirate Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

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For me the perfect size, type is still a 30-32ft longkeeler if possible rigged as a ketch, 9-10 tons. For two people this size is perfect as of livability and space for storage and water. From costs perspective these kind of yachts bring long distance offshore sailing in reach of a lot more people. But first people need to believe again that it's possible.
32ft is my ideal for solo or 2 up liveaboard as well.. keel type is anything really as long as its well designed.
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Old 21-04-2019, 10:36   #7
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

As I see it,the only real limiting factor on a small boat is water tankage. That's almost a moot point these days tho with how easy it is to fit a reliable efficient watermaker onboard (if not cheap).

But yeah, tho it's never been easier to cruise comfortably on a small boat, that's not to say it's going to as comfortable as something larger
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Old 21-04-2019, 10:56   #8
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

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Originally Posted by maxingout View Post
My Westsail 32 was a perfect size for our family of four when we lived in Puerto Rico years ago.

When I got into sailing, the perfect cruising yacht was around 37 feet, and forty footers were relatively uncommon.

Then the floating condominiums became popular, and the size and cost of yachts exploded.

I feel sorry for the newbies who think you need a vessel larger than 37 feet to go cruising. For me, less has always been more, and I don't want a floating condominium. The only reason I am in a 39 foot catamaran is because my wife would only sail around the world as long as there was no heeling of the boat, and smaller boats roll far more and quicker than bigger ones. So I ended up in a catamaran, and our catamaran is basic.

I still think the ideal cruising boat is a 37 foot monohull.
Interesting. At 6'4" and just under 300lbs, I wish a boat that size fit me. But after being on well over 100 30-ish size boats over the past 28 years, they don't. If it isn't the lack of headroom, it's squeezing my shoulders together to get on and off the head, or cramming my private bits into the bowl without guillotining them with the slightest roll of the boat, and smaller boats roll more and quicker than bigger boats. Then there's sleeping with my knees bent or my head tilted.

I have only ever been sea sick once. The strangest thing too. I was at the Lauderdale Boat Show doing the tour of new boats. Moments after I'd stepped onto a catamaran, I IMMEDIATELY wanted to hurl. We were in a totally blocked up marina, with no wind and waves, yet there it was. What is even stranger is that I should have felt it walking on the dock, but I didn't.

The moment I stepped off the catamaran, it was gone.
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Old 21-04-2019, 11:08   #9
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

When I began my search for our current “final” boat I had learned what was important for us. I knew I wanted an LOA of between 36 and 40. I had figured out this was large enough for the two of us.

The boat had to be well designed and well made. I wanted wide side decks and good foredeck. I wanted excellent storage (both deep and immediate). I wanted good water and diesel tankage.

If I was a solo sailor I’d probably look at something in the 30 to 34 foot range. But for a duo, 36-40 is perfect for us.
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Old 21-04-2019, 11:33   #10
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

We, (two of us) are cruising on a Bristol 29.9, so yes a “smaller” boat is totally doable. Like all things one does, proper fore thought helps, ��

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Old 21-04-2019, 13:53   #11
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

As i explained for me it doesn't need to be bigger as ~32' in this size of boat i can even find a place for a watemaker for ex. a Katadyn Powersurvivor 40E don't think I will ever install one, but possible.
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Old 21-04-2019, 14:35   #12
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

I don't have any long distance plans for our boat but I'm sure I could make her compactly liveable for it. Boats of the old school, like the folkboats, well-ballasted, narrow beam, longer keels, low freeboard, GZ curves that stay positive or close to it, can ride things out well when needed, letting the weather wash over them, though it may not be comfortable of course when there is no sail up to stabilize the boat. Mine is on the lighter side, 4 tons, so I am sure the 5 or 6 tonners are not bounced around like I am! (I actually appreciate the tenderness of my boat, while sailing, for its resilience and motion in response to the forces applied to her. But that is me. I know her motion, where others may, and do, find the tenderness disconcerting.) I'd be thinking about stowage/tankage too of course but if I were looking, I'd be also thinking of good speed for the size and good upwind ability too. My only complaint about my boat is I'd like to be able to point a bit higher...and I'd like a little less rolling downwind.
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Old 21-04-2019, 14:56   #13
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

Hey Don, in the 60th off last century so many ~30 footers as your Columbia where developed, little sad that there is completely no market anymore for the more explorebla modern 30 footers.
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Old 21-04-2019, 15:05   #14
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

I know it sounds really romantic to wax poetically about a strong women or man in a small boat cruising the high seas. In practice I've seen a fair number of cruisers sell the boat they left on and buy a larger one after a few years of cruising.
We left on a 37ft and now are on a 44ft, both monos. Much more comfortable cruising on the larger boat. Could we have continued on the 37footer? Sure, but not sure the onboard relationship would have lasted as long - going on 8 years now.
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Old 21-04-2019, 15:17   #15
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Re: Long distance sailing in small yachts

Sailing 3 years on 26 feet 2 people , from Greece to canaries , West Africa and now Caribbean, my boat is light for most people but is strong and welldesigned , and has survive 40 knots of wind in the Atlantic with no damages and was behaving exceptionally well .
My perfect size is 30 maximum 34 , the only think that I miss on my boat is water tankage, I wish I had 400 to 800 litters capacity (having 200 now ).
The advantage of a small boat is that it will sail everywhere even on light winds , and even if you use the engine the consumption is really small .
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