Quote:
Originally Posted by rabbi
No, not really. I guess in most areas we agree to agree
The Open 40 has much sleeker lines, the hull interior makes good use of the relatively small volume, the salon is OK as they focus on the cockpit for the tropics, the build quality felt better.
Performance should be great for a relatively cheap production cruising cat
Its just that they dedicate so much space to the cockpit and then just leave it empty. It seems they had no idea what to do with all the space so they just place a table on one side and called it a day.
A smarter cockpit layout would change the boat completely in my view.
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Glad we agree on most things but let me tell you that we could disagree and that would not make me or you being right about anything. Boats like any other thing are designed to fulfill an objective and in this case it is sailing and
living aboard and regarding those two objectives the compromises and options are many, all the right ones...but to different cruisers.
I guess we agree that the Nautitech is designed having a less compromised sailing (as an objective) so let's leave it out of the discussion and let's see the living differences.
I believe that both boats are well but with different living space priorities: The Lucia offers a more apartment like interior, more open and spacious, centralized on a big settee with the
galley in front. That is the strong point, kind of a big sofa with a small cocktail table in front. The open ventilation on the frontal
panels is a great idea, providing they are really watertight.
The cockpit space is smaller and centralized around the only meal's table.
The chart table has a bad settee, diagonal and without back support. The boat does not offer a true meal's interior table, for when the
weather is nasty.
The Nautitech has a much bigger cockpit and points more to living outside, it has not only a meal's table outside as it has two long lateral settees and one on the back leaving a good
passage space. The main difference between the two cockpits, besides space, is that you can lay down on those long lateral settees and use them as a perfect coach. That may not have any importance to you but would rate high for me or my wife that like to be outside and if possible laying down, even for reading.
Regarding the interior the Nautitech offers a smaller but more functional space in what regards sailing and not only. It has a table that can be used for
meals when the
weather is not nice and that serves also as a chart table and for sailing from there the boat (at night or when it is raining) is far more agreeable than the one on the Lucia: You are comfortably seated with back support and you could enjoy social company while taking care of the boat, without being with the back to everybody.
The
galley also offers a better configuration in what regards to be used at sea, particularly in not so nice weather: it surrounds the one that is using it and doesn't allow big movements in any direction, giving easy support.
So, advantages and disadvantages in what regards the living space, that will fit better or worse each particular living program.
I have to make a note about the only thing I really I don't like, to the point of finding it ridiculous, on the Nautitech, the sun protection to the helmsman
Sure it is an option but it would be so simple to make it efficient and nicer, starting with a kind of motorcycle Plexiglas protection (for
water projections and wind) and a structure that would allow different
panels (or a rotating one) to be deployed at different angles providing shade...that is something that "thing" would not give, except when the sun is vertical
.