The 'Spartan' Cruiser . . .

[GordMay]

You can use Carl’s Sail Calculator to look up sailboat parameters in a large database of boats, or enter your own boat and compare to the others. In addition, for any boat, you can calculate a set of quantities that will help you measure how it will perform.

➥ Sail Calculator Pro v3.53 - 2000+ boats

[shipofools]

Originally Posted by NormanMartin

Another thought about selecting a design: Look at the PHRF numbers. Lower values mean faster boats. Check base handicaps at the PHRF-NE dot com web site, for example.

Hobie 33 is 90
Tartan Ten is 126
Aphrodite 101 is 135


So... how long are the legs you plan to sail, in what region, and with how many? I hope you go!

or you can join the dark side and have a rating of -10.

Cheer,

[NormanMartin]

Carl's is too cool!

I also use sailboatdata.com to check out design specifications.

johnsboatstuff.com has great explanations of ratios and a useful velocity ratio calculation.

We have been considering a boat with head room. The company I work for has an Olson 911 for sale at $18k. Problem is, it needs another $18 to be ready to go. Great boat and within our price and size range. point is... beware of the cheap boat fallacy!

[Enyar]

Bumping this up to the top. Wondering if there is a better boat out there is the goal is:

Trailerable
Racer
Fun/comfortable to day sail
Cheap
Campable (sleeping on board for shorter trips with the occasional hotel stay mixed in)

with the priority in that order. Seems like you could add some easily removeable creature comforts if you wanted.

[fregata]

Easy, Corsair F24, F28, F31 depending how spartan you want to be.

The 24 is probably more like camping. People properly cruise the 31s.

Trailerable which cuts down on operating costs.

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by fregata

Easy, Corsair F24, F28, F31 depending how spartan you want to be.

The 24 is probably more like camping. People properly cruise the 31s.

Trailerable which cuts down on operating costs.

That's an interesting idea, do they have an active fleet?

[fregata]

Originally Posted by Enyar

That's an interesting idea, do they have an active fleet?

I’m not familiar with the fleet in Florida, but I think so. A quick search turns up a number of boats registered for the 2024 regionals in a few weeks.

https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/27231#_registration+current

[thomm225]

You definitely would not want a Hobie 33 for cruising.

It's simply the wrong boat.

I raced fast boats (beach cats) for years, and it was great but, when racing you are always on the helm, adjusting sails, ballasting the boat, etc.

Cruising is different because it is constant and can last many hours or many days none stop.

There are many other Spartan Vessels available that are waaay more seaworthy than a Hobie 33.

First heavy weather you encounter on a Hobie 33 you'll know it's the wrong boat.

Just look at it's numbers on sailboatdata.com

Looks like a crew of 5 here to handle the boat and it really isn't blowing that hard.

Think about doing that after many hours or days cruising with minimal crew.

You'd have to shorten sail to deal with it. And again it isn't blowing hard at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvchTG6t71o

[Enyar]

Originally Posted by thomm225

You definitely would not want a Hobie 33 for cruising.

It's simply the wrong boat.

I raced fast boats (beach cats) for years, and it was great but, when racing you are always on the helm, adjusting sails, ballasting the boat, etc.

Cruising is different because it is constant and can last many hours or many days none stop.

There are many other Spartan Vessels available that are waaay more seaworthy than a Hobie 33.

First heavy weather you encounter on a Hobie 33 you'll know it's the wrong boat.

Just look at it's numbers on sailboatdata.com

Looks like a crew of 5 here to handle the boat and it really isn't blowing that hard.

Think about doing that after many hours or days cruising with minimal crew.

You'd have to shorten sail to deal with it. And again it isn't blowing hard at all.

The primary goal would be having fun while racing. To camp cruise it would just be a bonus.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Enyar

The primary goal would be having fun while racing. To camp cruise it would just be a bonus.

That's fine just stay in protected waters unless you have a full crew.

That boat will be a very rough riding boat in any kind of sea when the wind gets up.

[Kettlewell]

Depends on what you mean by "racing" and "cruising." One design, beer can, distance racing, other? Lots of people cruise on racing boats, and back in the day lots of people raced cruising boats. It's fun reading old editions of Heavy Weather Sailing when people sailed across the Atlantic, then raced in the Fastnet, then did the Bermuda Race another year, meanwhile cruising around in between. Think Finisterre and Carleton Mitchel. But, trailerable means it has to be pretty small and shallow. In New England there are a fair number of people racing catboats, and you can also cruise pretty nicely in a Marshall 18. https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruisin...rable-cruisers

[thomm225]

A Hobie 33 has an 8' beam and displaces 4,000 lbs.