40ft or 50ft -What Do You Like ?

[Cotemar]

Smaller and wider may be a better option. Just sayin

[yworry]

Again great responses from all! I get it no dishwasher.Just curious to early post on what sort of trouble you run into on the east coast with a larger boat?

[savoir]

To quote an old salt I once knew named Peter Bowker " When the depth of your keel is greater than the depth of the water, you have probably run aground. "

He is also the one who said " Don't go where the wind ain't. "

[Kettlewell]

Just curious to early post on what sort of trouble you run into on the east coast with a larger boat?

If you want to explore half the East Coast of the USA, Norfolk to Miami, you have to be able to clear 65-foot fixed bridges and have a maximum draft of 6 feet. Anything over that and half of the East Coast is pretty much off limits.

[travellers4]

what a totally brilliant story, thanks Tam. Keen & open minded! So is there a continuation fo this story? I notice you wrote that a few yrs ago

sorry readers; I'm clueless using these forums. should've been a private message

[JK n Smitty]

I am of the mindset that smaller is better. We can argue over weather it costs 100% or 75% or 50% more to maintain a 50 footer over a 40 footer but the bottom line is that more boat equals more money. There is no denying that. Sure you can save money by doing more work yourself. But than you are stuck doing maintenance instead of having fun.

So here are my comments to the OP.

Do you have a boat now or know how to sail? If not, learning on a larger boat will definitely be harder. Not impossible. Just harder.

With you $150K budget for purchase, are you including another $50K or so for outfitting and repairs? Most people spend 25-50% of the purchase price outfitting the boat to go cruising.

What is your reason for wanting a 40-50 foot boat? Is it because of something you read?

[Driftwoods]

The advice I got was, "Get the smallest one you think you can live with."

Smaller generally means a little cheaper and easier to handle (not always but all things being equal it generally applies). It also means a lot tighter living conditions. We settled on a 43 foot boat although 46 would be nice - those extra 3 feet can make a real difference.

Bigger gives you so much more space and room to breathe. At some point, it becomes bigger than 2 people can handle. If you're a young guy with a lot of energy, a 50+ foot boat may be just the ticket.

If you ask me, just as important is the beam. I do wish ours had about another foot of beam (13.5 is really a minimum for us). A 43 foot boat with 15 feet of beam may be a lot nicer liveaboard than a 48 foot with 13 feet of beam.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Driftwoods

The advice I got was, "Get the smallest one you think you can live with."

Which really isn't any different from "get the biggest boat you can afford, handle and maintain".

Just how you look at it.

[Driftwoods]

I think it's a difference of perspective. In one, you're looking to get small, the other you're looking to get big.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Driftwoods

I think it's a difference of perspective. In one, you're looking to get small, the other you're looking to get big.

Not really. Unless all you are interested in is whether you have a big or a small boat you should end up with the boat that matches what you want!

In the end too small a boat is just plain too small and you suffer all the time! Too large a boat and you only suffer once in a while.

I started with a 39' boat and moved up to a 43.5' boat. In the 2 years with the larger boat the only suffering I've done is the extra $200/yr for winter storage and a little more wear and tear on my knees when anti-fouling and waxing (uses the same amount of paint).

[Cotemar]

We had a Catalina 380 which was perfect for 2 people.

Down sized to a FP Mahe 36 Cat which is like having a 46 mono hull.
Its a much larger boat inside and out and has 2 state room with 2 large heads and showers.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by Don L

Which really isn't any different from "get the biggest boat you can afford, handle and maintain".

Just how you look at it.

Not the same at all.

I can and have handled boats in the 40-50 range. I can maintain a boat that size as I currently maintain my boat and don't hire out any of the work; it would just mean more time. And I could afford a larger boat; I spent $65K on my current boat and putting about another $20K into upgrades and outfitting. There are plenty of 40-50 footers I could afford in that price range.

However, going bigger would mean (in order of importance to me) 1) more time doing maintenance than having fun. More boat means more hardware to rebed, more bottom to paint and clean, more things that could break and need repair. 2) more cost for replacement items and repairs. 3) compromises on features because i would have to get an older boat to stay in that price range. 4) a harder boat for my Bride to handle when it's her shift.

For us, the Catalina 310 is a perfect cruising boat to cruise the east cost and Caribbean. And it's only 31 feet with loads of smart design features that I wouldn't have in a larger boat.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by Roy M

How many folks are you planning on carrying aboard on a passage? If it's two, as I prefer, consider this: At 3 A.M., all boats are single-handed. The largest boat I can handle, i.e., when the wind pipes up or something gets loose, is about 40 feet. That was the factor for my selection of a 40 foot boat over anything smaller or larger. You should make your decision based on your personal capacity (or that of your companion crew) as to the largest vessel you (or your companion) can handle. It's real out there.

This is really good advice. We also have a 40 footer and that's because that is what we feel comfortable being able to handle alone. I know that If we bought a 50 footer, we would learn how to do it, but honestly - there is plenty of room aboard our boat for the two of us. Yes we have guests and yes there is room enough for them.

Bigger also means lots more to fix, lots more money.

But to those that have 50 footers - I'll not say no if you invite me over for drinks

[daddle]

I got the smallest lightest 50 footer I could afford. Length is all to the good. Beam, volume and displacement bad. Sails like a dinghy.

[JK n Smitty]

Originally Posted by carstenb

But to those that have 50 footers - I'll not say no if you invite me over for drinks

Best line of this discussion!