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ToddMc · 28-10-2016, 18:09

What are your thoughts on a 35 footer sailing the Bahamas and the Caribbean. We have a lead on a new old stock Beneteau Oceanis 35 shoal draft. We love the boat, has 3 cabin setup but would switch it to two for more storage space. It would spend the first few years of its life on Lake Erie then down to the Caribbean. Would this boat be enough "boat"? Or should we hold out for a 38 to 40 footer. I know it would be great for the lakes but not sure about down south.

ToddMc

UNCIVILIZED · 28-10-2016, 18:17

It's not real clear to me what it is that you're asking. Better questions = better responses.

ToddMc · 28-10-2016, 18:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

It's not real clear to me what it is that you're asking. Better questions = better responses.

Sorry,

Traveling for an extended amount of time on a 35'. Making the trip down the east coast on a 35'. Will I be ale to outfit a 35 footer with solar and a watermaker (space wise) The will be 2 people most of the time. Will it be enough room for everything needed for up to a month?

UNCIVILIZED · 28-10-2016, 18:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddMc

Sorry,

Traveling for an extended amount of time on a 35'. Making the trip down the east coast on a 35'. Will I be ale to outfit a 35 footer with solar and a watermaker (space wise) The will be 2 people most of the time. Will it be enough room for everything needed for up to a month?

After living onboard for a bit, if you let common sense dictate most things, you'll come to realize that you could live on something much smaller. And 2 people have made 2 & 3 month passages on 25'ers. So most of it is in what you bring, & how you pack. Though it does get easier to carry spares as the boat gets bigger, & there's a bit of room for luxuries & nice to haves.

Still, the reality is that it's wise to offload everything, & I mean everything, once a quarter, or once a year. Putting back only what you need, plus a handful of toys. And when you go shopping you literally have to ask yourself the question "If I buy this, where will I stow it"? And "Do I truly need it, or is it a want"? And even on a 40'er you have to be fairly ruthless about this.

Edit: Once you find a boat which ticks off most of the major items on your needs list, plus many on your wants list, most vessels can be pressed into service pretty easily. Even more so the better a sailor that you become. Both in terms of your adaptability, & your skills at making a boat "fit", as well as tuning her up & maintaining her.

And my tip of the day about choosing boats is that you need to love her. If not, well, that point where you'll divorce the boat & vice versa will come much much sooner.

PS: What vintage of boat are we talking?

RainDog · 28-10-2016, 18:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToddMc

Sorry,

Traveling for an extended amount of time on a 35'. Making the trip down the east coast on a 35'. Will I be ale to outfit a 35 footer with solar and a watermaker (space wise) The will be 2 people most of the time. Will it be enough room for everything needed for up to a month?

We did fine on a 34 footer. In the Bahamas we carried two weeks worth of supplies at a time. A month would have been hard for us, but doable. Two weeks was about when we ran out of food, water, clean laundry, and space to store trash.

The downside is I would not want to have another couple visit for any time. IMHO - the only advantage to going bigger is to have room for guests to stay for an extended period. If you are not planning to do that, 35 feet is plenty. If you are going to have guests often, I would be inclined to go for 40.

ToddMc · 28-10-2016, 18:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by UNCIVILIZED

After living onboard for a bit, if you let common sense dictate most things, you'll come to realize that you could live on something much smaller. And 2 people have made 2 & 3 month passages on 25'ers. So most of it is in what you bring, & how you pack. Though it does get easier to carry spares as the boat gets bigger, & there's a bit of room for luxuries & nice to haves.

Still, the reality is that it's wise to offload everything, & I mean everything, once a quarter, or once a year. Putting back only what you need, plus a handful of toys. And when you go shopping you literally have to ask yourself the question "If I buy this, where will I stow it"? And "Do I truly need it, or is it a want"? And even on a 40'er you have to be fairly ruthless about this.

Edit: Once you find a boat which ticks off most of the major items on your needs list, plus many on your wants list, most vessels can be pressed into service pretty easily. Even more so the better a sailor that you become. Both in terms of your adaptability, & your skills at making a boat "fit", as well as tuning her up & maintaining her.

And my tip of the day about choosing boats is that you need to love her. If not, well, that point where you'll divorce the boat & vice versa will come much much sooner.

PS: What vintage of boat are we talking?

It is a 2015 Beneteau Oceanis 35

sck5 · 28-10-2016, 18:54

I went from Chesapeake Bay to the Grenadines and back on a Caliber 33, most of it with just me and my wife but with occasional guests. Yes, you can do it. We had a great time! Uncivilized is exactly right about all the crap you think you need. You dont. We ended up wearing 2-3 pairs of shorts, 2-3 tops and a bathing suit each. And a hat and sandals. And there was a lot of other crap we didnt really need either. A Kindle and an ipod are good equipment to have - polarized sunglasses too. Most of the rest of it can be ditched. We used the space to carry lots of water but you could install a watermaker instead.

Having said all that, a 40 foot boat is nice and we have one now. But if I had waited to get it I might never have made it down there when I did. 6 years later I am very happy I went with the smaller boat first. It got us down there way sooner and it was easier for the two of us to handle. We are better sailors now and a 40 footer is about perfect for a couple with occasional guests. But it sure does cost more.

**roverhi** · 28-10-2016, 20:59

We lived aboard and cruised SoCal and then on to SoPac for a total of 4 years on a Westsail 32. No problems and carried enough supplies that we went a year without a major restocking. The only thing you get on a bigger boat is more headaches, way more cost, a little faster passage times and more junk. We weren't cramped and had everything we needed. If we had had a larger boat might have carried a bigger dinghy and outboard, bicycles, but not much else.

If you are one of those minamalist cruisers that has to have more electronics and electronic gadgets than a Princess Cruise Ship, air conditioning, instant AC electricity 24/7, 60" television, etc. you'd be better off buying a condo.

laika · 28-10-2016, 22:09

IF you're good with cruising on a smaller boat, technology has made living comfortably on it easier. If you carry a reliable watermaker and a small manual backup, you don't need a ton of tankage. And electrical demands keep getting more efficient alongside solar, allowing more "luxuries" from a smaller footprint.

A smaller boat will get tossed around more at times, but seaworthiness is rarely the issue.

No right or wrong way to do it!

Dave22q · 29-10-2016, 08:46

Boat capacities vary tremendously according to the designers. If you must have a simple number as a proxy for capacity I would use beam not length. In many cases a slim racing design 40' has far less usable space then a beamy 33 or 35like my Morgan O/I.
. The other key factor is you and your partner. Some folks can live comfortably in a pup tent for a week or more while others find anything less than a hotel suite intolerably confining. It all boils down to renting some different boats and determining what your tolerances are. Nobody can do that for you.

Cheechako · 29-10-2016, 08:56

Yes, 35 feet is "enough boat".

zeehag · 29-10-2016, 09:06

the answer comes down to "can you tolerate your S O in a confined space of a 35 ft"
the fact is that anything over 27 ft has been and can be set up for long term and long range cruising. some even smaller, as in the cases of the pocket cruisers.
it all comes down to your abilities to just get along.

only you can answer that question.

have fun in your searching.

gjordan · 29-10-2016, 09:10

If you can afford an almost new Beneteau, then you could probably afford to charter one in the Islands for 10 days and really learn if it fits your needs. Depending on your experience you might need to have a skipper on board, but If possible go with just you and the first mate. I spent one season in the Carribean in a 37 foot boat and then 8 years (mostly year-round) in a 44 foot boat. Oh how I loved that Peterson 44, but it was much more work to maintain, enough more work to sail that there is a noticeable difference, and a darn sight bigger drain on the bank account. let the first mate be the final decision maker because the best boat in the world is no good if moma is unhappy. I hope it all works out great for you. _____Grant.

EmeraldCoastSailor · 29-10-2016, 09:22

I hope 35' is enough given that is what I have. Can imagine having more than 2 on a regular basis and 2 guests would be tight. Jury still out for me. I love my boat; started out lake sailing and moved it to the GOM. Bouncing around coastal cruising is pretty comfortable. So far biggest issue is dealing with dinghy. I don't plan to get davits so I tow dinghy or lash to bow. This weekend I kept dinghy at home and used an inflatable kayak. Worked out.