Choosing a boat for a Lifetime of Cruising..

[giant]

"a few deal stoppers, no ketches, no Volvos, no saildrives"

Couldn't agree more Ann... except maybe a Amel if I could afford it,

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by giant

"a few deal stoppers, no ketches, no Volvos, no saildrives"

Couldn't agree more Ann... except maybe a Amel if I could afford it,

Or maybe an Amel with an MD17D ( fresh water cooled of course) ?

Saildrives and engines under the cabin sole would be a certain deal breaker for me.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

So my question is this: what choices have the “voyagers” made and by that I mean sailors that are living on their boats 24/7 and cruising full time and crossing oceans as a regular part of their lifestyle.

A bit like asking dirtdwellers why they have chosen the house that they live in. Some have their dream house be it big or small, new or old. Some make do with what they can best afford and are happy with what they have.

I'm another 180/365 sailor.... just got lucky I guess with the boat that I have. 20+ years with this one and no plans to sell.
Tend to avoid oceans if I can ( and hot crowded places), novelty wore off that stuff a long time ago. I do quite a few long passages however from 2 weeks to 2 months.
Good points on my boat? Good seaboat, lots of stowage, private quarters for the master, thats about it.

[TanzerTom]

The Niagara 31 looks interesting and it's conveniently located. I'll be taking a look at it next week. BIG THANKS! It checks most of my boxes and speed is always a plus . The Mahina site was especially helpful in reminding me of some of the things I'd forgotten about. I want to find a ride on a Freedom as the ease of handling is a top priority and their maneuverability appeals to me. The issue of the mast seems to be a matter of uninformed opinion so far. Also, the Freedom ketches seem to have greater availability but I'm totally inexperienced on ketches except for what I've read. Again, thanks for the tip on the Niagara... appears to be a much better alternative to the Hunter 34 for about the same money.

One other question: I know the answer to this may be a wild ass guess, but is there a source that gives actual selling price of used boats vs listed price on sites such as Sailboat Listings or Yachtworld? Seems most think the YW prices are way too high. Yeah, I know condition rules, and the NADA and Kelly sites seem to be generally low vs listed price and cover few of the boats I'm interested in.

[chuckr]

have not read all replys but we are working on year 8 as 24/7 liveaboards/cruisers. we have done the east coast of the usa 2 1/2 times, florida to colombia to jamaica to trindad to antigua. in 2013 did a 2 person crossing of the atlantic and now year 2 in the med and by the way last summer did over 3,000 nm.

the only boat we have ever owned is a jeanneau ds40 with shoal draft, inmast furling that we purchased new in 2003. we have put a few goodies on her. she is a heavy boat and great sailing boat.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by chuckr

have not read all replys but we are working on year 8 as 24/7 liveaboards/cruisers. we have done the east coast of the usa 2 1/2 times, florida to colombia to jamaica to trindad to antigua. in 2013 did a 2 person crossing of the atlantic and now year 2 in the med and by the way last summer did over 3,000 nm.

the only boat we have ever owned is a jeanneau ds40 with shoal draft, inmast furling that we purchased new in 2003. we have put a few goodies on her. she is a heavy boat and great sailing boat.

This certainly seems to fit the OP's criteria. If so, we now we have a production boat represented. Many more out there obviously, along with multi-hulls. Maybe set some minds at ease . . . .

Glad to hear your Jeanneau is working out so well for you.

[goboatingnow]

having several years ago lived and crusied extensively, this question cannot be really answered.

Why?, because so much is based on the viewpoints and experience and desires of the owners. There is No absolute truths, ( even with Volvo sail drives !!)

Much has to do with where you will cruise, what you finances and expectations are, if there are partners , what there expectations are as well. A lot will depend on your competency and ability to fix things.

Hence one mans cruising yacht is another mans coastal knockabout etc.

What is clear is that people have extensively cruised on small , low resourced ordinary vessels as much as they have if they had an Amel.

( PS Ive sailed and delivered AMELS, they have their drawbacks)

Ultimately you will never have the perfect boat. because that unique set of characteristics that you define will never exist in on package available for your financial outlay.

Hence there is no answer and these questions smack of newbie-ism. ( and I mean that in a nice way)


dave

[19 and counting]

Thanks for the oldster vote. We find in our sixties that we have to tell ourselves to slow down on the boat so we don't accidentally trip on something, we get excited and move too fast. We have ordered a special mainsail deployment system to help us get the main down and under control without too much trouble. We have added a permanent side step to the side of the hull for docking, hard to jump to dock if knees are rocky. You just adjust. Isn't the whole idea to slow down anyway? Expect we will be sailing in our 70's. May not go as far but does not diminish the enjoyment of our boating experiences. It is such a relief to get down to the boat and into our private world aboard. Good stuff. I'd rather keep sailing and not think about the great there after. Even if it's less ambitious stuff. It's still on the boat and we don't talk about what we used to do cause we are still doing. Keeps the brain sharp, the body loose and the important things in life in focus.

[MIRELOS]

this can be an endless discussion; different boats for different folks, there are so many variables....how many of you, sailing experience, budget, esthetics, DYS ability, which oceans to sail...........an endless list.
a well found boat and a good sailor, then make sure she pleases your eye.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

having several years ago lived and crusied extensively, this question cannot be really answered.

Why?, because so much is based on the viewpoints and experience and desires of the owners. There is No absolute truths, ( even with Volvo sail drives !!)

Much has to do with where you will cruise, what you finances and expectations are, if there are partners , what there expectations are as well. A lot will depend on your competency and ability to fix things.

Hence one mans cruising yacht is another mans coastal knockabout etc.

What is clear is that people have extensively cruised on small , low resourced ordinary vessels as much as they have if they had an Amel.

( PS Ive sailed and delivered AMELS, they have their drawbacks)

Ultimately you will never have the perfect boat. because that unique set of characteristics that you define will never exist in on package available for your financial outlay.

Hence there is no answer and these questions smack of newbie-ism. ( and I mean that in a nice way)




dave

You know what the say about the word assume! I'm not trying to find the "perfect" boat, that's your assumption, I'm only interested in the different choices made by voyagers,no agenda just curious.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

You know what the say about the word assume! I'm not trying to find the "perfect" boat, that's your assumption, I'm only interested in the different choices made by voyagers,no agenda just curious.

I see, well then if you are merely window gazing, I think you could say , " virtually every boat under the sun".

I mean have cruised around in all sorts of stuff. you will find regional and national peculiarities, personal preferences, " what daddy bought for me", etc etc. Ive been on and sailed boats that personally I wont leave the harbour in, yet the owners crossed oceans. !!!!

there is no real answer. for every one arguing say AMel, theres a guy crossing oceans in a 30 foot Beneteau( in fact probably 10 guys actually)

[barnakiel]

11 years sailing, and living aboard, here. I do not think the boat matters.

Make sure it is something relatively safe, relatively comfortable and something that you like. Do NOT get an ugly, perfect cruiser. Get something that will give you joy many years down the road. Having a toy you enjoy is part of the long term game.

We are two in a 26' boat but I think a very slightly bigger boat could have some pros. I think a much bigger one could have some pros and many cons. "Big" is relative here - it is ultimately up to layout, weight and design, much more than LOA dependent.

So, briefly, we are in a 26' double-ender with shallow underbody, mid displacement boat. We might upgrade into a 30'er once what we want is available on the market. We will have to upgrade to a "big" boat, and likely an alloy one, if we want ice. We might want ice.

I think small boats are inherently unsafe, in the long term horizon. If you sail enough, you WILL meet a big wave now and then. We met two. Hence some of our step up inclination. Also to carry more water and supplies for our longish tropical rants.

b.

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I see, well then if you are merely window gazing, I think you could say , " virtually every boat under the sun".

I mean have cruised around in all sorts of stuff. you will find regional and national peculiarities, personal preferences, " what daddy bought for me", etc etc. Ive been on and sailed boats that personally I wont leave the harbour in, yet the owners crossed oceans. !!!!

there is no real answer. for every one arguing say AMel, theres a guy crossing oceans in a 30 foot Beneteau( in fact probably 10 guys actually)

Well yes and no because I did ask for feedback on voyagers not someone who crossed an ocean, big difference. Tons of people have crossed oceans but the number of voyagers is much smaller. Many of these folks have between 50 and well over a 100,000 miles and many many years traveling all over the world, this is the group and their choices I am curious about.

[Polux]

Originally Posted by robert sailor

You know what the say about the word assume! I'm not trying to find the "perfect" boat, that's your assumption, I'm only interested in the different choices made by voyagers,no agenda just curious.

If the objective is to live aboard, any boat will do depending on the place where the boat is and cruises, if the objective is sailing extensively and crossing oceans while living aboard (just a minority regarding those that live aboard), the the demands regards an optimal boat are more restrict and if one wants not only to sail extensively but to sail on high latitudes (cold and ice) even more restrictive. The size of the boat depends not only of the size of the family but on the lifestyle and the quantity of personal stuff a family carries with them.

Lots of variables even more if we join the budget to do it. there are a lot of people living older boats not because older boats are better but because they are less expensive. Regarding the ones that have a huge sea experience and are not too much constrained with a budget I give you three examples:

Jean-François Delvoye, 6 ans living on a boat with 4 kids while circumnavigating on a home built boat. When he arrived he built his perfect boat, the Boreal 50. The interest was so big and there were so many wanting him to build their boats that he started doing it professionally:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4Q-LOXcI8A

Jimmy Cornell that after having circumnavigated several times in older heavier boats discovered the OVNI 43, made a circumnavigation with it and said it was by far the best type of boat for doing it. Some years later (now) developed with Allures (that is the owner of Garcia) a sailing boat with the hull of the Allures 45, more reinforced to sail on high latitudes and with a different cabin and layout arrangement, the Garcia 45.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpC77noHa9Q

Philippe Poupon a French top solo sailor that decided that it was time to go sailing and living with the family on a sailboat:
"Fleur Australe is a nearly 20-meter sailboat designed by Philippe Poupon himself and built at the Meta shipyard in Lyon based on plans by Michel Joubert. The boat left France in February 2009 for its first 8-month expedition through the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans. Its second journey is now underway, this time a 3-year voyage that will take it from the North to the South Pole."
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis..._tkFKNFH3sL81Y

Personally I find these four interesting, if I would ever decide to live permanently on a sailboat and in fact I know that some of those are being used on circumnavigations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_43y4BzpaE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkwBY-CGHcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GvHTcmMIRc

What is the common points on all these boats? They are aluminium boats, they have a chart table where you have a decent visibility to the outside and from where you can steer the boat, they are big (storage, tankage), averaging between 50 and 60ft, they sail well and have comfortable living interiors.

Most of them have centerboards (except the Bestevaer 56) but I would prefer one with a modern Swing Keel with all the ballast on the keel (more stability, faster). There is only one among this type of boats, the new Comet 46, but has not an aluminium hull that seems to me to have decisive advantages for this type of boat.
Comet Explorer 46 EX - Comar Yachts

[robert sailor]

Thanks Polux, some interesting stuff. I agree aluminum seems quite popular with some of these folks.