The perfect offshore cruiser!?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Old joke from my motorsports days:

Why do the Brits drink warm beer? Lucas refrigeration.

Agh Lucas jokes, brings me back to my GKN days

"The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF. The other three switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE"

[Liam Wald]

Because I end up doing 90% of my sailing alone I need to be comfortable handling the boat without the benefit of crew.
I have a Beneteau Oceanis 331 that is paid for and very well equipped.
Works for me.

[sneuman]

Originally Posted by Paul Elliott

As long as we're talking about LWL (waterline length), and non-surfing boats. Many "traditional" boats (like mine, sort of, although we have a short fin keel) have fairly long overhangs, where a more modern boat will have a longer waterline for the same length overall. With any decent wind, longer waterline almost always gives you faster average speed. Of course overhang has it's benefits: drier decks, easier anchor handling, and good looks (IMHO), to name a few.

If you're comparing a heavy full-keel boat to a lightweight surfing machine, the downwind performance will be like night and day. Please note that I'm not saying that the ultra-light boat would make a great cruiser, but actual boat performance covers a wide range.

Point taken. I wasn't accounting for surfing, which is the exception, anyway.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by sneuman

Point taken. I wasn't accounting for surfing, which is the exception, anyway.

Flat bottom boats will surf / plane, but they pound like crazy.

This thread should called "what are you prepared to compromise?"

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Agh Lucas jokes, brings me back to my GKN days

"The three-position Lucas switch--DIM, FLICKER and OFF. The other three switch settings--SMOKE, SMOLDER and IGNITE"

Having been the proud owner of a 1953 triumph TR3 (racing green), i can commiserate with anyone who has ever had to work with a lucas electrical system.

Honestly, how could they continue to screw it up year in-year out and on so many different automobiles? Why didn't they learn from their mistakes?

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by carstenb

i can commiserate with anyone who has ever had to work with a lucas electrical system.

All my electrical systems are "Lucas" and they work just fine! You guys really have been hurting my feelings

[Blue Crab]

Originally Posted by carstenb

Having been the proud owner of a 1953 triumph TR3 (racing green), i can commiserate with anyone who has ever had to work with a lucas electrical system.

Words fail me.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Bash

+1. The OP desires an affordable boat with the DLR substantially heavier than most modern production boats, but with the SA/D ratio of an ultralight racer?

That's almost like saying you're hoping to find an affordable full-keeled trimaran.

A boat can't be heavy and light at the same time.

No he wants heavy boat with a lot of sail area.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Adelie

No he wants heavy boat with a lot of sail area.

Flying Cloud?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Don L

All my electrical systems are "Lucas" and they work just fine! You guys really have been hurting my feelings

Wait till tomorrow

Dave

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Adelie

No he wants heavy boat with a lot of sail area.

Okay, let's run those numbers to take a look at what the OP's dream boat would look like. He wants to be LOA 36-38, so lets assume a 32' waterline. To hit his DLR that boat will have to weight around 19,000 lbs. Now to get into his desired SA/D ratio, that boat would have to have exactly 1,000 square feet of sail area. (!)

Let's say you wanted to customize a Tayana 37 to create the OP's dream boat. You'd have to shave 5,000 pounds off the displacement, while at the same time you'd be more than doubling the sail area.

Anyone want to speculate how that puppy is gonna sail?

Now let's try it the other way. A Catalina 380 has pretty close to the OP's desired DLR at 248.92. But its SA/D is only 16.35, so to get it up to the OP's standards we're going to have to add several hundred square feet of sail area. (That's going to be a 30% increase in sail area, so you're not going to accomplish this just by adding a square-top main and a bit of roach.)

Again, anyone want to speculate on how that puppy is gonna sail? (Can you say "weather helm?" How about "Round up?") The Catalina 380 is certainly closer to the boat the OP wants, but the fact is that the OP's dream boat doesn't exist and never will, because those two ratios are not going to work together in the size boat the OP wants to find.

[SaltyMonkey]

@Bash +1 Great post!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

@Bash +1 Great post!

+2

[daddle]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Flat bottom boats will surf / plane, but they pound like crazy.

This thread should called "what are you prepared to compromise?"

Light boat cruising avoids planing mode. Fast mode is plenty. Surfing takes far too much attention at the helm.

Not sure what "pound like crazy" means in practice. But in 3 years now have not pounded even once. She certainly will if I ever do a proper Baja Bash, but as a world cruiser why would I do that?

I actually prefer pounding to the wild pitching and rolling of more traditional craft. The latter cannot be trimmed away with helm and sails.

I agree with the sentiment somewhere above: if you need to ask this question you have FAR too little experience offshore.

[robert sailor]

Santa Cruz 50 is a wonderful offshore cruiser, love em!