saftey at sea or comfort at anchor

[kevin and nita]

What is every ones opion on the saftey vs comfort war?
When looking at boats we like the room of say a Morgan O/I 41 , but can't get comfortable with the idea of sailing a Morgan in the open ocean. Your ideas please!

[delmarrey]

This is one of those threads were everyone will have their own opinion

As for the Morgan, what other boats have you to compare it to??? And what experiance do you have in the "open ocean"?

[Inthewind]

I would rather be in my OI 41 than alot of other sailboats that are crossing oceans. Mine is very heavy duty and I feel very safe in it even in very adverse sea conditions. I'm not saying it is in the same catagory as full blown deep draft blue water boats, but it fits my needs just fine. My boat has been doing it for 30 years and I see no signs of it falling apart or weakening,she is getting ready to get out there and do it some more in blue water way far away from the sight of land.

[anotherT34C]

I think you need to add another axis: "fun to sail".

FTS boats are neither particularly safe, nor comfortable.
Comfortable boats are neither safe, nor FTS.
Safe boats are neither comfortable nor FTS.

My opinion;

day sailing -> go FTS
coastal cruising -> go comfortable
ocean crossing -> go safe

[Factor]

Have it all - get a boat that doesnt sink and is good at anchor and fun to sail, get a tri

[ssullivan]

If you have a lot of $$$, you can indeed have both.

If not (and you can afford the upkeep), get the largest boat you can afford and/or handle. The added displacement and long LWL of a large boat will help you be safe in rough conditions, while being very comfortable at anchor.


There are plenty of boats worse than the Morgan OI out there for safety at sea. She may not sail well to weather and may be a bit of a dog in general sailing, but she will keep you safe if you are prepared for your travels.

[edboat]

Back in the early 70's I delivered quite a few OI 41's to the Islands. While they won't win many races they will handle just about anything you can take. We were always being rushed to get the boats to their fleets to go on charter, so we didn't get much chance to "pick the weather". I wouldn't worry about taking them most places, I just wouldn't do the roaring 40's in one.

[David M]

Hmmm...this thread seems to be boiling down to Cheap, Safe, Fun. Pick any two.

[Pelagic]

Quite often…the key limitation of what a boat can do is measured by the seamanship of her crew and their awareness of any craft’s weaknesses.

[Pblais]

What is every ones opion on the safety vs comfort war?

I'll choose both please. They are both desirable aspects and it would be a mistake to think you get one at the expense of the other. Both however are conclusions and a state of mind. If you don't feel safe or comfortable it rarely helps for someone to explain you really are both. When the Admiral says she is scared and uncomfortable and looking you square in the eyes there is no reply without ducking.

[CharlieCobra]

No doubt but when you're stuck on the tiller with no option other than sail on through, she just has to be scared until it's over. Been there, done that, real recently. Funny thing about that, the memories of being terrified seem to fade much faster than the memories of having fun do.