Hinckley Bermuda 40 Yawl good choice for bluewater cruiser?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

A good long distance cruising boat will have plenty of deck storage.

Windward performance is EXTREMELY important to me, as I sail every year 1500 miles from Finland to the UK against the prevailing winds, and without time to lie in port waiting for a favorable wind. This year I tacked directly upwind across the entire central Baltic Sea.

HOWEVER, it took a great deal of work and expense to get my boat capable of doing that, and I do not think that, realistically, many cruisers or their boats are really able to make miles upwind. I wouldn't say that windward ability "doesn't matter", but realistically, the disadvantages of a ketch rig for going upwind will be drowned out by the multitude of other factors making it hard or impossible to get upwind, on the typical cruising boat, including blown out dacron sails, no traveler, davits and arches and solar panels producing massive windage, too much weight in the bow, overloaded, etc., etc., etc., etc. To put it another way, you can't use the advantages of a sloop rig on 90% of cruising boats because of all of these things.

And there are very, very many advantages of a split rig, for long distance cruising.

Deck storage, argh! Maybe on a big boat, but loading the decks with junk and rarely used sails is just not something I'm willing to sign up for.

I think you underestimate how many cruisers end up doing serious windward passages. In the South Pacific getting to and from to New Zealand can often require days of beating/,close reaching - done by hundreds of boats. And those hardy soles who sail back from NZ via French Polynesia and Hawaii to the US West coast.

Ruining a boats performance to weather is often a matter of a thousand papercuts. Anyway, getting off topic to the OP onto them win What is a Bluewater cruiser.

[Jim Cate]

sorry, but I can't resist: note that the very lovely Bermuda shown in post 42, close reaching as far as I can tell from the set of the sails, is... sailing as a sloop!

Who would have thought?

Jim

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

sorry, but I can't resist: note that the very lovely Bermuda shown in post 42, close reaching as far as I can tell from the set of the sails, is... sailing as a sloop!

Who would have thought?

Jim

See now? There, another advantage to a yawl, 2 for the price of 1!

[four winds]

Something even more impractical, and wood, was mentioned.

Kettenburg K40 maybe?

I thought about posting hours ago, K40, go all in.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by jalmberg

Thanks for all the comments and opinions, particularly those with actual experience with the B40.

Bottom line, it sounds like she'd be up for the adventure, with some compromises.

Chartering one for a week sounds like a great idea, which hadn't occurred to me. I will definitely look into that.

We might end up with a modern/practical boat in the end, but its more likely we'll end up with something even more impractical than a B40 -- a wooden boat!

In the end, buy what you fall in love with. Regardless of practicality, really. You will be much happier and all shortcomings will be gotten around. When it comes to a boat, follow your heart.

[savoir]

I'm against the Hinckley for lots of reasons. Here are some:
1. they were never designed for liveaboards
2. the interior is tiny compared with any 40 footer newer than 1975, compare the salon with any 40 footer you like
3. keeping the varnish up to scratch in the tropics will drive you kerrrayzzeee
4. the cockpit is very wet
5. locker space is limited

Take a look at some 40 footers from the 80s.

[Training Wheels]

My 44' boat has the space of
A typical 35' boat. My payload is limited; I have to watch the weight of everything. I love it and wouldn't have any other way!
Every boat is a compromise.

[jeepbluetj]

As said, a B40 is a gorgeous yacht. The very definition of "yacht" (in the US). But it's tiny tiny tiny for a 40-foot boat.

There was a Gozzard 31 moored right next to us my last trip to Two Harbors (Catalina). It was a very pretty boat to my eye.

The 44 looks sweet to me: (No idea if there decent boats or not,but they're pretty)

[savoir]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

My 44' boat has the space of
A typical 35' boat. My payload is limited; I have to watch the weight of everything. I love it and wouldn't have any other way!
Every boat is a compromise.

When you are living aboard having enough space for your needs is so important. Sure you can trade away cabin space but that will just make your life hell.

The Bermuda 40 was designed as a rich man's racer.

[model 10]

[QUOTE=savoir;2214773]. Sure you can trade away cabin space but that will just make your life hell.

Life is not hell but you need to watch your weight. The place you end up putting on weight in a cruising boat is on the ends or one side or another. You will need to raise the water line a lot. Figure out the pounds per inch of waterline, so you can keep track of how much junk you have added.

[Training Wheels]

Wow! So if you don't have a big boat with lots of cabin space your life is hell. Oh well, at least I like it warm.


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[Lojanica]

young Sun 43

1984 Young Sun Cutter Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com

[sck5]

ha ha. I laughed when I read the posts above where all these people apparently would sail across the pacific as the OP stated he wanted but would avoid solar panels, any sails on deck, radar or other ugly cruising equipment because it doesnt look good to their eye. Me, I am glad to be self sufficient and have lots of redundancy. And maybe even a life raft God forbid, on the deck even! Maybe even some extra fuel! In the middle of the ocean nobody is looking at your boat but these things are kind of nice to have. And I bet the other boats in the anchorage will have them too. It is one thing to race around the cans or even to Bermuda. It is quite another to "cruise the Pacific"

After all, isnt this "Cruisers Forum"?

[sck5]

Besides, I think everyone here knows which boat is best. It is the one you have, the one that is already paid for, that has all your stuff on it and maybe even your wife if you are lucky.

[Bermuda Forte]

My B40 had an old wind vane">Aries wind vane when I got her and it worked very well (until she dragged her mooring in a big storm and the brackets got bent). 'Still in my barn in case I want to put it back.

I love my yawl. Jib and jigger is terrific.

The varnish, that's another story.

I did a number of offshore passages on larger Hinckleys (49, 50 & 64) and I became a huge fan of their boats so I'm a bit partial.

A recall reading an article some years back about a couple who circumnavigated in their B40. Maybe Cruising World. Perhaps worth looking it up.

Good luck

Best

Q


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