Coastal cruising: Big cabin windows better for those who like a view?

[gulfcoastsailor]

Let's take a look

Time looking outside: 10 minutes a day.
Time trying to keep the cabin cool: 24 hours a day.

Verdict: Small windows.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by troppo

Then I realised, a catamaran! I would luv a cat. But at more than double the price of what I am looking at for a mono, it is economically out of reach.

What size monohull and what price range are you looking at? Good chance when you compare apples to apples, it's not hugely different price.

And yes, we really like having windows we can see out of.

[troppo]

Thank you all for your replies. Reading through them, in general, for those who really do enjoy their views, some folks organise their cockpits to be the living area from which to survey their surrounds whilst others have cabins or pilothouses with big windows.

Of interest to me were the comments of the amount of heat that comes in via big windows. I remembered when I replaced my old boat's almost opaque windows with new ones, I was shocked just how much extra heat came in, despite the window tinting. I put up curtains. Being in the tropics rather than in frozen-lands, that heat is not welcome.

Not only am I enjoying reading folks' experiences but it is giving me stuff to consider.

[s/v Jedi]

Not sure what counts as big but we have many windows in the hull and can see all around while down inside the boat, as well as up in the pilothouse

[gonesail]

the sedan style trawlers have great views from the salon or the rear deck

[Pizzazz]

Hull windows are great and I strongly recommend them. Shading is more important for the upper windows. You can also invest in a high quality forward looking camera that you display on your forward mounted TV. The cockpit experience serves a different purpose and is not a replacement.

[dakno]

Love the windows, DS model, yes they let in heat, yes I have sun screens outside and shades inside, yes keeping water out is a issue. You control heat loss with the inside and outside covering, opening as desired, all ports are or will leak, deal with it. My ginormous windows expand/contract 5/16 inch from cool to hot and have to be properly maintained but everyone loves the panoramic views from the interior. Even trawler guys come aboard and are impressed with the views. Don't be afraid.

[Don C L]

Sure like my big windows!

[Juho]

We have our settee in the pilothouse, and we enjoy looking at the view and nature around us, both when dining at anchor and when sailing. One additional benefit is that rainy and cold weather looks friendlier when you steer the boat from the warm pilothouse.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Juho

We have our settee in the pilothouse, and we enjoy looking at the view and nature around us, both when dining at anchor and when sailing. One additional benefit is that rainy and cold weather looks friendlier when you steer the boat from the warm pilothouse.

The rainy and cold weather of Northern Europe looks even better from the Caribbean. So happy I'm not sailing the North Sea anymore :-)

[MartinR]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The rainy and cold weather of Northern Europe looks even better from the Caribbean. So happy I'm not sailing the North Sea anymore :-)

You wouldn't appreciate the Caribbean so much if you hadn't sailed the North Sea

[Juho]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

The rainy and cold weather of Northern Europe looks even better from the Caribbean. So happy I'm not sailing the North Sea anymore :-)

Yes, north is a bit different. A good heating system is really nice. Air conditioning would be an insane investment. I mean that if there are some hotter days, then it is just better to enjoy them as long as they last. Teak deck is nice since it is warm and dries fast. Sailing season lasts only few months, so you better have big windows to enjoy the scenery, so that you can remember all that in the winter, when your views consist of frozen lakes and sea. Nice archipelagos make the viewing more intensive, and the pilothouse more important. No sense in spending your life in the "basement" of your boat.

[Juho]

In the hot countries you could say that biminis have the largest and clearest windows, and that's where you should enjoy the scenery.

[dcstrng]

Just saw a picture of a Hinckley 53... looks like it belongs in this discussion, being Hinckley I'd be astonished if they haven't solved the heat question.

https://www.hinckleyyachts.com/model.../souwester-53/

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by dcstrng

Just saw a picture of a Hinckley 53... looks like it belongs in this discussion, being Hinckley I'd be astonished if they haven't solved the heat question.

https://www.hinckleyyachts.com/model.../souwester-53/

Hmmm.... Ain't Hinkley located in Maine or thereabouts? Perhaps their latitude is their solution to the "heat question".

Nice boats, though!

Jim