Gave in to bigger boat envy

[Davelrb75]

Hello forumites!

After two seasons and 1500 nm sailing Narraganset bay and surrounding waters in our 1978 islander 32 mk II in just about every kind of weather possible including gale conditions...my wife and I have succumbed to bigger boat envy and bought a 1999 catalina 42 mkii. 3 cabin.

Proud of the new boat. Learned enough from the islander to look at a lot of boats before we jumped in. New to us boat meticulously maintained and includes new main, 135 genoa and asymm (new in 2012) also all new canvas, new house bank, on and in it goes.

My wife said it best. Getting ready to have kids so she said we needed to move u from the studio apartment to the 3 bedroom condo. She didn't have to convince me, but having bought it its sure a big boat. Then again the islander stared big but seemed to have gotten smaller and smaller.

So, in the interest of at least pretending to ask a question. An advice when moving up from a 32 to a 42 ft boat? Keep an eye out for scappare next summer if you cruise New England.

Dave

[sailorboy1]

It wouldn't seem as much of a size increase once you get the sails and canvas on it! Except when coming to the dock.

Be prepared next season to be spending more overnights on the boat because it is no longer a cave!

[markpierce]

Start saving for a 55-footer.

[Davelrb75]

Thanks. Luckily my slip is usually very favorable from a wind standpoint. Very few cross wind landings... That said I've spent all year making sure I can stop the old boat "exactly" where I want without relying on the mid ship spring. Only time docking has gone really wrong is when coming into a dock other than home (where I have the benefit of fixed lines) and having people on the dock "help" land the boat by pulling on whatever dockline they are handed as hard as they can..learned the hard way to I've very specific instructions BEFORE handing someone a line.

Could usually get away with manhandling the islander if it came down to it....but in guessing twice the displacement not so much!

[minaret]

That whole it got smaller and smaller thing doesn't stop. Wait till you have kids. Then it'll seem tiny! Start saving now....

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Davelrb75

Could usually get away with manhandling the islander if it came down to it....but in guessing twice the displacement not so much!

Unless you want to go for swim don't think with the wind up that you can "manhandle" a 42' boat! Learn to love that mid cleat!!

[Andrew Troup]

One suggestion I would make is to cultivate a new, additional litmus test when prioritising maintenance:

Think "could I handle a failure of this item by musclepower and/or brute cunning"

For many people, many things which pass this test on a 32' will fail it on a 42'.

A gooseneck failure in a breeze is a classic example. Or a pole topping lift.

This - ideally - suggests reordering the inspection list, and perhaps the joblist, to some degree.


+1 on the midship cleat, BTW. And check the fasteners and the under-deck doubler while you're at it!

Check also the Gearshift linkage, at both ends. The increased deadweight translates into momentum, in ways which can wreak levels of havoc a 32' boat can only dream of.

It can more than ruin your day if the single lever control , when you go to reverse and apply maximum thrust, obeys the latter instruction while disregarding the former!
(DAMHIKT)

[mbianka]

I consider myself lucky. I bought my 30 foot Nonsuch Ultra in 1995 and have not looked at another boat since. Perhaps I got lucky and found the perfect boat for me. One that I can handle by myself and maintain easily enough too. Never felt I wished I had a bigger boat and never feel envy for those that do. Everyone needs to find the boat that fits them and how they sail and cruise. Good luck with your new boat I hope it fits your needs as well as mine does me.