Which is best boat for ocean passages?

[Pizzazz]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

Good Morning all,
We will leave in June doing a LA > south>tahiti> and beyond cruise.
Opinions please on which of the following is NOT suitable from sailors who have actually completed such passages in the last 15 years.

Great boats, will take any time
Moody 42 CC
Tayana 42 CC
Morgan 45

OK boats
Hunter Passage 42/45 - Great, spacious boats, will definitely consider
Beneteau 44 CC - I like them less than the Hunters but still good

I would leave off because I do not know them or not mainstream
Freedom 42 CC
Brewer 44 CC

I think you timeline is totally doable and it will be fun. You can always trade-off money for time.

Good luck.

[sandy stone]

Originally Posted by MJH

Acceptable Ranges:
SA/DISP 15-17
DISP/LWL 280-330
COMFORT 25-50
CAPSIZE RISK <1.8

None of these boats meet all the acceptable ranges; the typical tradeoff scenario. However, the Tayana 42 has the best COMFORT ratio and best CAPSIZE RISK ratio but will take you a tad longer to get there...what's important? Numbers don't lie.

Actually, in this case the numbers do lie. The capsize ratio in particular, and generally the motion comfort ratio, are pretty much useless.

To the OP: I've never crossed an ocean on a sailboat, but sister ships to my (fin keel Beneteau) First 375 have, and I have sailed comfortably offshore in it. I think any of those boats, suitably prepared, would do the job.

[Zzmeyer]

MultiCountryDon - right on. Well said! In Hiva Oa after three weeks at sea we saw more Beneteau then any other "blue water boats"

[MJH]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

When we read posts on the forum there are so many opinions from folks who haven't done it. Remember that this thread is about what boat NOT to buy, but it has drifted to planning.
So yes, we are open-minded. One of the guys delivered a Hunter Passage 42 to Vanuatu. And he says-"why not?. It was a delightful sail." I see Catalina 42s arrive in Thailand from Long Beach and the crew says it was great. Earlier this year I saw a Catalina 36 come into Gold Coast Marina-Hong Kong from Seattle. None of the crews say "never again". 1 of our guys brought his boat from Bulgaria to SW Florida. Another one has delivered Cats from South Africa to LA---twice> So we think that maybe the conventional wisdom of the non-doers is off base, because some are doing it. Thats why the question what NOT to buy. We certainly would like to do our mission with a Swan or an Oyster but that's not in the cards. So here is the question for the delivery captains: Which of the boats listed would you refuse to do an ocean passage on IF the equipment was satisfactory?
Thanks,
Don

My belief is that any boat can sail any body of water given the right weather conditions and crew...a good roll of the dice also helps. Many have succeeded while make headlines doing it, but is that a logical endorsement of a wise choice?

We know that boats of the above ilk have succeeded in reaching their destinations and their crews have been happy...who wouldn't be happy and proud. However, the offshore voyage question becomes one of planning for the worst as best we can and can afford; its a question of risk assessment trying to get the odds in your favor while acknowledging that no two voyages to the same destination are the same. If we are smart that is why we depart during the right season for favorable weather...but s**t happens, despite the best weather planning device/service you may have aboard. That is when having a boat specifically designed and built for offshore voyages of long duration (far beyond today's meager ability to forecast accurately) is the better choice from the get-go...it gives you an edge, it is more forgiving when you most need it. But like everything else about sailboats, there are tradeoffs.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[Davy J]

No need for sofa sailor opinions.

Sound's like you have it all figured out.............. Let us know how it all works out............

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by christine47

The Nordhavn is the best. It’s ocean crossing proven

A lot more Moody's and Tayanas and even Hunter's and Beneteaus have crossed oceans than have Nordhavns. Of course the Nordhavn is a great boat but people have crossed oceans in rubber dinghies so that really isn't the criterion for making the decision.

[sailorboy1]

the "best" boat is always the one someone decides to buy, otherwise why would they have brought it



written from my sofa of course

[Marc1]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

When we read posts on the forum there are so many opinions from folks who haven't done it. ........

So here is the question for the delivery captains: Which of the boats listed would you refuse to do an ocean passage on IF the equipment was satisfactory?
Thanks,
Don

When I read your uninformed value judgement of people you don't know from a bar of soap, and then your request for a delivery captain about what he wouldn't deliver ... what has that to do with the price of fish?
I remember a guy ho delivered solo a 6m bay cruiser with a flat bottom from Hamburg to Buenos Aires. That would be a great endorsement for sure!

Mate, read the post from all members with a grain of salt, people take time to reply and that is worth something. The rest you need to do yourself ... off line.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

Good Morning all,
We will leave in June doing a LA > south>tahiti> and beyond cruise.
Opinions please on which of the following is NOT suitable from sailors who have actually completed such passages in the last 15 years.
No need for sofa sailor opinions.
Moody 42CC, Fredom42CC, Hunter Passage 42/45, Morgan 45, Beneteau 44CC, Brewer 44CC, Tayana 42CC.

I know it's a long list but we are looking at these over the next 2 weeks, hoping to select, survey, and buy immediately. What do we remove from our list ?
Thanks,
Don

Don, any of these vessels, in good condition and equipped, can be satisfactory for that passage.

I have concerns however about you plans.

1. The fact that you are asking perfect strangers which of these vessels you should eliminate indicates to me you don't know a lot about what you are doing. I would think that if you have enough knowledge and experience to successfully and safely make that trip you'd have a pretty good idea of what kind of boat it takes to do it.

2. Two weeks is wholly inadequate to locate, buy, and make ready for sea any vessel. Unless someone just finished a world cruise and then completed a refit and subsequent sea trials, I think you would find that the vessel will need some attention and outfitting.

3. June is late. North Pacific Hurricanes can start then (rare, but do) and anyhow, you have an ocean to cross and assumedly several stops. You'll be cutting it closely even if you don't get a delayed start.

I recommend that you find another way out of your timing predicament, and if you still want to go cruising, take your time on selecting a vessel and getting it and yourselves ready

[AndyEss]

Yep, North Pacific hurricane season.
You should have been onto this plan in January at the latest.
Get your boat, sail around the Channel islands, see if your friends are even compatible on what will be their tight quarters home for some months.
Join the Haha next fall to head south.
The Grand Poobah is already emailing invitations looking for merry lads and lassies to join him.

[MultiCountryDon]

Originally Posted by Marc1

When I read your uninformed value judgement of people you don't know from a bar of soap, and then your request for a delivery captain about what he wouldn't deliver ... what has that to do with the price of fish?
I remember a guy ho delivered solo a 6m bay cruiser with a flat bottom from Hamburg to Buenos Aires. That would be a great endorsement for sure!

Mate, read the post from all members with a grain of salt, people take time to reply and that is worth something. The rest you need to do yourself ... off line.

Thank you for your kind words.
Of course, I thought that this forum was to get opinions, and certainly as a group the delivery skippers would have a wide range of experiance to draw on. Of course, there are always non-contributory contributors.

[Zzmeyer]

I looked at the two Tatyana’s in California. Both are beautiful boats and appear to be well equipped and nicely maintained. Although both have newer sails neither mentioned that they replaced the standing rigging. Both boats are at least thirty years old so I’d recommend you replace them. One has a newer Yanmar but the other wind and steering. While not necessary wind vane steering would be nice. We don’t anchor much in California so I’d take a look at that. One states they have three three hundred foot rode but don’t mention an anchor. The picture of the bow pulpit doesn’t show one. While you don’t need an anchor until you get there they are handy. One talks about a complete bottom job in 2014 implying perhaps that is their last bottom job. One with original engine has only 1500 hours. On a 30 year old boat it implies a lot of sailing or not much use. You started this thread listing a number of great boats. None of those boats will let you down.

[KP44]

Originally Posted by Davy J

Sound's like you have it all figured out.............. Let us know how it all works out............

I agree.
He lists a few boats out of a hundred or more well-known and capable designs and then asks which >one< is better.
I'd have told him to look at a Hans Christian Christina or a Kelley-Peterson. Both are fast, comfortable, capable Doug Peterson designs.
There is a lot of comic relief in this thread. I consider ground tackle the most important system on a vessel, but someone says, "While you don’t need an anchor until you get there they are handy."
Sounds like the beginning of an adventure.

[Don C L]

Well, if you find your boat but run out of time, I'd say you can still have a lot of fun bouncing between Point Conception and San Clemente Island until October or November... and it 'll be a great shakedown... and you can try out the anchors.

[geoleo]

Originally Posted by MultiCountryDon

Good Morning all,
We will leave in June doing a LA > south>tahiti> and beyond cruise.
Opinions please on which of the following is NOT suitable from sailors who have actually completed such passages in the last 15 years.
No need for sofa sailor opinions.
Moody 42CC, Fredom42CC, Hunter Passage 42/45, Morgan 45, Beneteau 44CC, Brewer 44CC, Tayana 42CC.

I know it's a long list but we are looking at these over the next 2 weeks, hoping to select, survey, and buy immediately. What do we remove from our list ?
Thanks,
Don

I had a Brewer - the centerboard could be troublesome so cross that one of Freedom rig also- Heard great things about Moody seaworthiness.