Average Mono Size for Cruising

[stevewrye]

I'm not all that sure that a 32 foot cruising boat has a lot less maintenance than a 44 footer. I have cruised in both and when you look at the gear on both they are about the same. You have winches, self steering, stanchions, electronics, steering, a refridgerator, batteries, sails, rigging and a lot of other stuff to maintain. If your cruising oceans you have to find a way to love doing maintenance because you have to do it. On our Mason 44 we tried to do about 40 hours a week of preventative maintenance and still had plenty of time to do other things like explore islands, fish, dive, surf and drink G&T's. Those forty hours were doing things like visual checks of rigging, sails, steering and things like changing oil, cleaning electrical connections, cleaning boat, even polishing stainless, I love polishing the stainless even at sea on calmer days being out on deck enjoying the day might as well shine the boat as I don't drink on passage. I will confess that we spent a bit more time than most we met but be it luck or the work we always put into the boat we had very few problems, a hydraulic lock on the genset took 7 hours to drain oil and change 3 times. The key to any cruising boat is not have any big problems if you can prevent it. At first I felt sorry for those who continuously had major problems before they even made it out of the States and problems continued for many. But after being around problem boats you notice one of two things, they didn't prepare for a big journey or they didn't do much preventative maintenance be it a 32 foot boat or a 50 footer.
Our new aluminum centerboard 44 footer might look like it has less work but I'm not going to be fooled by looks I bet I can find lots of work to do and enjoy without cutting into play and drinking time. I think there are other issues in the size of cruising boats to be considered when making your choice in size of boat you want.
Steve and Tracy

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

As you move up the size ladder boats get used less and less. Larger sailboats are no exception.

Simply not true in my experience... there are heavily used boats of all sizes, and quasi-abandoned ones too.

I see a lot of retired couples out there who have a lot more boat then they can handle comfortably.

As part of a retired couple with a reasonably large boat, I notice folks of all ages, and with boats of all sizes that can't handle their vessels comfortably

Kettlewell, in my observations I have not seen any correlation between boat size and success/happiness in the long-term cruising community.

As others have said, matching your skills and your goals and your pocketbook are the crucial factors in cruising success, not some arbitrary size limit.

Cheers,

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by Don1500

I was down in Newport Harbor today and I think the average lenght there was about 9 million feet. The I went down to the end of the dock and saw my price range, 23-28 feet, with lots 'o work to be done. I could see the only workout the bigger boats got was from the dock boys cleaning them. 5-10 million dollar boats that stayed at the dock for months at a time. WHY?

I worked in the "industry" at one time, people would look briefly at the boat they could afford then buy the next size or two up. As to WHY?, basically people buy the one that is more expensive than they can afford and spend all their time working to pay for it as well as other things they can't afford. "People spend money they don't have to make it look like they do."

[nautical62]

I've always kept it small. My first cruiser was a 26-foot Westerly Centaur. I sailed it a couple summers on the Great Lakes and a few times to the Bahamas on that boat, often for about 2 months. Currently I own a 30-foot Hunter which I also use for Bahamas sailing and a 32-foot Beneteau in charter I will be selling soon.

None of these are my dream boats. I'd love a mid sized cat. However these smaller monos have gotten me where I want to cruise, affordably, and that to me beats sitting at home dreaming about the boat I can't afford.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by nautical62

I've always kept it small. My first cruiser was a 26-foot Westerly Centaur. I sailed it a couple summers on the Great Lakes and a few times to the Bahamas on that boat, often for about 2 months. Currently I own a 30-foot Hunter which I also use for Bahamas sailing and a 32-foot Beneteau in charter I will be selling soon.

None of these are my dream boats. I'd love a mid sized cat. However these smaller monos have gotten me where I want to cruise, affordably, and that to me beats sitting at home dreaming about the boat I can't afford.

+1

[SaltyMonkey]

Originally Posted by nautical62

I've always kept it small. My first cruiser was a 26-foot Westerly Centaur. I sailed it a couple summers on the Great Lakes and a few times to the Bahamas on that boat, often for about 2 months. Currently I own a 30-foot Hunter which I also use for Bahamas sailing and a 32-foot Beneteau in charter I will be selling soon.

None of these are my dream boats. I'd love a mid sized cat. However these smaller monos have gotten me where I want to cruise, affordably, and that to me beats sitting at home dreaming about the boat I can't afford.

+2

[David_Old_Jersey]

I guess one of the tricks is not to be average...............

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

I guess one of the tricks is not to be average...............

You nailed it David!

I thought this was simply a poll on what size boat you actually have?

Not a justification process of defending your choice and being politically correct with the have-nots!...

[Seahunter]

I say start off as big as will fit your pocketbook or garage first, rather than suffer the pain and added cost of two-foot-itis while trying to install a toaster oven.

[stevewrye]

What do sailors here look for in a small cruising boat? Do you look for a boat that can cross oceans, boats that can sail to Alaska or to the Bahamas
Do you want a boat for single handing or for a couple? That is a big one for those who like smaller cruising boats. Would you rather have a bit lighter displacement speedier boat like some of the New Zealand cruising made boats or a slower traditional one like we have in the states. I was impressed with the single handed sailors we met over the years who sailed the New Zealand way in well built light displacement boats between 30 and 35 feet. I wish I could remember the makes of those boats, only one I can think of was the Cavalier 32. I have not heard of much in this thread about what small cruising boats people are interested in and why except they are cheaper. What makes the difference between a strong small cruising boat and a cheaper production boat made for the most part to sail coastal. What difference in setup do you see in gear, rigging, sails between the a boat made for coastal cruising and a small boat made for blue water. We have seen both types doing just fine on ocean crossings but there was a big difference over time.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

I guess one of the tricks is not to be average...............

I'm a few inches under average.

Maybe more.

I reckon the average* is 43 feet. And growing.


* Cruisng where I cruise. <--- this was put in to stop the tossers saying things like "WRONG. In upper Bavaria the boats are only 2 foot long"





I'm bigger in centemeters than inches

[markpierce]

If the Pardees could make a decade-long circumnavigation in the 24-foot wooden cutter Seraffyn, why not you?

[capnorv]

The one thing I do't understand is how length has anything to do with anchoring? My last three boats:
Newport 27 Draft 6'2", Hans Christian 34T Draft 6', Hardin 45 Voyager Draft 5'6". Our favorite was our HC 34T, lived on 5 years, cruised 8. We watched her leave us Sunday for the last time. She was perfect for two. Enter raising 2 grandchildren and we've now entered the oversized community. I also somewhat take exception to the manuverability factor, granted under sail larger is slower, but most close manuverability by me is done by motor, and even the new old girl can do a 360 in about 5' more than her length. And as for getting off the dock I just tallied my log and I've been underway 23 days so far and the kids are still in school and dance, but summers coming. Any boat you have should be perfect for you, or you'd have another.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by markpierce

If the Pardees could make a decade-long circumnavigation in the 24-foot wooden cutter Seraffyn, why not you?

Beacause they did it in the 1960's and 70's. And 24 foot was LOD not LOA.

[wolfenzee]

Originally Posted by stevewrye

What do sailors here look for in a small cruising boat? Do you look for a boat that can cross oceans, boats that can sail to Alaska or to the Bahamas
Do you want a boat for single handing or for a couple? That is a big one for those who like smaller cruising boats. Would you rather have a bit lighter displacement speedier boat like some of the New Zealand cruising made boats or a slower traditional one like we have in the states. I was impressed with the single handed sailors we met over the years who sailed the New Zealand way in well built light displacement boats between 30 and 35 feet. I wish I could remember the makes of those boats, only one I can think of was the Cavalier 32. I have not heard of much in this thread about what small cruising boats people are interested in and why except they are cheaper. What makes the difference between a strong small cruising boat and a cheaper production boat made for the most part to sail coastal. What difference in setup do you see in gear, rigging, sails between the a boat made for coastal cruising and a small boat made for blue water. We have seen both types doing just fine on ocean crossings but there was a big difference over time.

What people look for here (Criusers Forum) in a small boat is a boat that even thought is is small in stature, there is room and it is out fitted to be able to cruise in. As far as what is small...that depends on a persons percetion, I have a 30 footer, some say it is huge, some say it is tiny.