Sailing Performance vs Accomodations

[sailorboy1]

When I first started being interested in sailing a few years ago it was with the cruising goal in mind (I had never sailed). So during my inital boat research I kind of went toward the living space side of the choises, which always tended to be center cockpits. But then I took lessons, joined a club for the first year, and now after 2 seasons have my own boat which was chosen based on it being a first boat that might not be the "the one".

Now I kind of tend to get a little more caught up in the sailing performance side of the choices. But know that in the long run that the living space probably plays a bigger part of cruiser happiness in the long run. This of course assumes the boat has reasonable performance.

So what does the group think is more important overall:
1- sailing performance etc
2 - comfortable live on arrangements

And we are not taling about the extreme end of the choise, I.e. a houseboat verse a pure racer

[imagine2frolic]

This is going to be a can of worms....lolololol.......i2f

[Anzo]

Well if its a Swan or a Morgan OI, I'll take the Swan.

Integrity, maintainability, systems being equal, I'd fall slightly to the performance side.

[Bash]

I'm not willing to settle for one without the other. The question itself represents a somewhat dated concept of cruising boat design.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Bash

I'm not willing to settle for one without the other. The question itself represents a somewhat dated concept of cruising boat design.

With enough money you can have almost anything. But for most of us who need to work within a budget we have to face your "dated concept". Lots of boats can do both pretty well, but for the most a boat is going to lean one way or the other.

So instead of spending time saying the question has no value, take a side.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

So instead of spending time saying the question has no value, take a side.

I'm not saying the question has no value. I'm saying that it presents a false dichotomy. One does not need to sacrifice performance in the interest of accommodation.

You make a valid point that performance and/or accommodation are generally subject to budgetary constraints. Such a point seems self evident.

My point, which I think is equally valid, is that I'm unwilling to sacrifice performance for accommodation, or vice versa. Modern fin-keel designs make it possible to have one's cake and eat it too at any number of budgetary price points. This is precisely why many of us find production boats attractive.

[jdoe71]

We had a 28 foot boat, we bought a 36 foot boat. We now have better performance and more living space. Now I call that a win-win deal!

[MichaelC]

For those with unlimited funds, this is not a point of contention. For sailors like me, who are VERY limited in funds, the question is a good one. It raises a couple of issues, however. The first is: define performance. Does it mean the ability to win races? Then a fin keel and a pointy headed rig is the best. Within that, there are lots of production boats that give maximum comfort for their length. But if you define performance in terms of your goals for sailing, then it gets more complicated. I see lots of folks buying boats according to what some magazine tells them is 'truth'. The measure of a boat's comfort is not to be found in the maximum number of berths. Thirty foot boats which sleep 6 are a joke, unless your idea of cruising is between marinas. I do not like marconi rigs, and there's an end to it for me. My gaff rigged boats will not point as high as a marconi rigged boat of similar size, but is just as likely to claw off a lee shore in a gale. Performance depends on what you want in your boat. I want to be able to beach my boat on the tides to clean her bottom. Try that with a fin keeler and you lose your boat. Performance for me includes staying several years at a time with no yard to haul my boat. In the ten years that I owned my Colvin schooner I hauled her out twice. Once in Hawaii where there are virtually no tides, and once to sell her in Puget Sound. Other than that it was beach and careen. I come down on the side of performance, but with the definition hinted at here. Inside I require a large galley, a good place to sit and eat, another good place to sit and read, a double bed, a space to get myself clean and a little place to take a dump once a day. That's it.

[sailorboy1]

Performance = speed in the question, you know the the type as it puts the gunrail in the water etc, it is assumed that the boat still sails decent if you choose the space over performance
living space = a real gallery, head, saloon, berths that are comfortable that you don't have to crawl into/out, in other words you are going tobe comfoatable and aren't camping, and it is assumed it still can mainly sail in most conditions instead of motoring

[DaveOnCudjoe]

Don, I would opt for living space given your definition of performance. Speed requires real sacrifice in interior space and weight. For "live on" accomodations you need storage, tankage, appliances, power(electrical) and a real shower. You can still point and handle heavy weather but I don't see real speed in this equation. There are certainly exceptions and I'm sure we'll hear about them. The trouble with generalizations is they are only generally true. Dave

[bob_77903]

Like he said...I'll take the Swan and have both...

[Stillraining]

Well... hull speed is hull speed..so unless were talking about converting a surfing hull over to cruising I don't see really a point to the argument other then pointing ability or downwind handling characteristics which puts up back into the " What makes a good cruising boat" argument all over again....and all the idiosyncrasy's we could get into there again.

I voted for comfort in the poll...yet my boat in no slug either with a PHRF of 120/140....so its possible to have both

[fishwife]

Get a Nordhavn

[SteveHoiland]

I toured a Pacific Seacraft 37 which is not a cheap boat. It's advertised as a performance cruiser. I was very unimpressed with how little storage space was available. Nice looking boat but there are definite trade offs.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by fishwife

Get a Nordhavn

Na...Id go for the Perry designed CC Norseman 447