How big is too big?

[brookiesailor]

I wish I had thought of that at the time!


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[downunder]

Originally Posted by brookiesailor

I wish I had thought of that at the time!


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Make sure your new vessel has that provision.

[brookiesailor]

Now I know what the compression post in the aft cabin of amels is used for!


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[carstenb]

I can only repeat what has already been said. Be aware that when it is only the two of you - you will effectively be singlehanding the boat. You should get one you are quite comfortable singlehanding. Electric winches etc, can do a lot - but 1 inch lines get heavy to coil.

How many comforts do you need on board? washing machines, freezers, etc?

In reality not many. A watermaker is essential IMO, simply because on you way across the pacific there will be places where either cannot be had or will be unbelievably expensive.

I believe most cruiser end up living on the boat as they did on land -so whatever toys you feel are essential there - are probably essential on your boat.

Big is nice and you are shopping with the idea of having lots of guests/family. But that will all be dead space the rest of the time

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

What I find is that the people stating "boat is too big" do not have a big boat, while none of the people with a big boat do so as they are all very happy with it. It seems that this is just a case of denouncing what they not have so as to not have to deal with the thought that there is something better out there

Guess I'm the exception to this.. Was 'Gifted' a 40ftr in Jan this year.. she'll be up for sale/PX in the fall after my deliveries this season.. she is to big for my tastes and style.. want a 31ft Longbow again.. but then as most are aware my take is 'Smaller is Safer'.. and more fun

[El Pinguino]

If you have to ask the question then - yes - what you are looking at is too big.

[dcstrng]

Originally Posted by carstenb

I can only repeat what has already been said. Be aware that when it is only the two of you ... I believe most cruiser end up living on the boat as they did on land -so whatever toys you feel are essential there - are probably essential on your boat...

Yep… I think this is it. Every now and again I see a comment (as versus cliché ) that resonates with me.

Some of my techno-gizmo infatuated friends would feel quite put-out by the way I travel. On the other hand I’m increasingly impatient when I feel like I’m maintaining systems rather than doing whatever… But afloat is not a place to begin a big life-style change… I’m not sure I could really articulate why the minimalist approach beckons me (I’m also building a plane – small, modestly fast and largely devoid of techno-gizmos, and have ridden long-range motorcycles for years; no tent or hotel, sleep on the bike), but I’m acutely aware that motif would be an anathema to many… Nonetheless, I do recall when I lived aboard and thought nothing of it – but now I think I’d find the 14’ beam and cavernous cabin)s) to be ponderous – heck, I think my storm jib back then had more area than my whole working sail plan now… But after three decades of increasingly minimalist endeavors, I guess I’m comfortable with little else… Frankly, now that I’m thinking of trekking again, I’ve thought about seeing if I couldn’t down size to a Flicka, but we’ll see on that…

[brookiesailor]

We move around a lot on land, about every three years and have become very astute as to what kind of space we need for the family. Now we are down two kids, one going to college and one in boarding school so we have downsized to a three bedroom apartment here in Dubai. It is a big apartment and there are two rooms we have furnished and never use, for the company that never comes. A lesson I say.

I have no idea where we will end up on this spectrum. Two years is a long time and many things could change.


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[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Bruce Beard

Someone doesn't agree with something you say, therefore they must be wrong?
Wow!

I misspoke when I said 48...The boat is actually a 46 Morris. Our boat is a Sabre 386 with a tall carbon rig, saildrive, good sails and a good bottom.

Believe it or not (you seem to think not...whatever), I'd take our boat any day... Three Newport to Bermuda races, ten years of cruising the coast between CT and Maine and I am sure. It is all the boat we want. Maybe someday we will trade her in on something else and we might consider something around 40' or so, maybe not...certainly nothing larger!

Yes, WOW indeed. You write something like if I wrote that and you react to it while, in fact, those are your words only. Are you a politician?

I wouldn't take the Morris 46 either. So how about a Hallberg Rassy 46 ?

I read that others post about affordability but I was under the assumption that price and cost were to be left out of the idea.

[leftbrainstuff]

Originally Posted by Bruce Beard

I think you will get as many opinions as there are people with this question! It depends on where you sail, how you sail, who you sail with...etc, etc.

I have no issues with system complexity. I spent most of my life maintaining European autos so most of what I find on boats is like a pleasant exercise... I would give up my radar before I would part with my watermaker!

We have a Sabre 386. It is a great boat. We chose this design as we simply got tired of motoring everywhere in our previous boat. Now we motor when we want and we sail when we want! I would personally not consider a boat that doesn't sail well...and well means being able to sail to weather when you need to!

As for my take on size, I personally draw the line at somewhere around 40 feet (maybe a few feet longer but not much...) I see people showing up in 55' boats in places we like to frequent and they are simply too big! They frequently have to head to the outer reaches of the anchorage to find space... Too, the lines are larger, sails larger, fenders larger...everything is more work. If you are crossing oceans with lots of people then big is wonderful, if like us you do the occasional Bermuda race and otherwise cruise from Long Island to Canada, 55' is just too big...

+1

The tradeoffs in boat length are not the best place to start. At the end of your search there will likely only be a handful of boats and layouts that meet your needs.

Draft will impact where you can go, length will impact where you can dock. Are you happy with just sailing or do you need to get somewhere on time (powerboat)?

Are you happy with camping and just the basics then length in the 20's might work. If you want luxury with AC and a generator running 24/7 then length of 50+ will work.

For many of us here we seem to fall into 2 camps. The first is what I would call luxury camping (30 - 40') and the second is what I term personal cruise ship (40 - 50').

The other big factor is cost and complexity. Me I can make and fix anything. I have 3 trades, 3 engineering degrees and a lifetime of experience in motorsports, R&.D and IT. Therefore I can maintain systems that would bankrupt others.

We ended up with just one vessel that fit our budget and needs. A Liberty 458. When we found a well maintained and well equipped vessel the decision was easy.

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[brookiesailor]

Ok so we are back to our original plan of the 54/55 footer. I personally have not sailed on anything larger than 47 feet but hubby has. A boat of this size has all the stuff in it that we want and is about the max of what we can afford. As I have said the boat purchase is still two years away and the prices are going up faster than the paycheck so we may end up down sizing in the end. I may not get my disco light and dance floor but I am sure I will be happy with what ever I end up with.


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[sardinebreath]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Rohan,

I'll give you and others another extreme example of what I'm referencing and why some sell their dream boats.

While walking the docks at STP shipyard last season in Palma, Mallorca, I came across an absolutely stunning 115ft sailing yacht. A boat comprised of the absolute best of everything, which had just been sold for a small fraction of it's original cost. According to you and others on CF, it would be assumed that the original owner over extended himself financially and could no longer afford the boat and/or crew.

Turns out the former owner was a cousin of the Prince of Brunei. The $30,000,000 million or so for a 115 footer was chump change.... walking around money. His interests had changed.

Things are not always as they appear. The STP shipyard docks are filled with boats just like it, owned by some of the worlds wealthiest individuals.

The heck with a measly boat. There are entire continents you could buy with $30,000,000 million (30 million million).

[brookiesailor]

I just checked my bank acct...could you lend me 30 million???


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[brookiesailor]

I have been in conversation with the builder of the boat we have agreed upon. The price has gone up significantly in the last year or so. So we will probably end up down sizing anyway by the time we are ready to move forward in a couple of years.


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