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seafox · 13-05-2008, 00:00

That's not respect Alan,
they are just scared of your driving

markpj23 · 13-05-2008, 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Wheeler

Plus you tend to get a little more respect with the bigger boat. The small guys get out of the way.

Ah yes... the Law of Gross Tonnage.....

**David M** · 13-05-2008, 14:55

Leave your fenders over the side and you get even more respect. People tend to steer clear for some reason.

This may as well be the name of your boat:

Actually, that would be a hilarious name for a boat. Can you imagine seeing this on somebody's transom on the race course?

JiffyLube · 13-05-2008, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

The only time a boat feels big enough is when your docking. Then it's too BIG!!!!! LOL

Boy, how I can relate to that!

marcus hayward · 13-05-2008, 15:24

Thanks very much guys for your replies. We are trying to also get a rough idea of budget for a year, I know this is difficult but a ball park figure for a similar boat would be a useful starting point. We intend to be as self sufficient as we can and spend a lot of time at anchor. Maybe,how much do you set aside for maintenance costs etc.

kindest regards

your new member

Marcus

ssullivan · 13-05-2008, 15:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by marcus hayward

Thanks very much guys for your replies. We are trying to also get a rough idea of budget for a year, I know this is difficult but a ball park figure for a similar boat would be a useful starting point. We intend to be as self sufficient as we can and spend a lot of time at anchor. Maybe,how much do you set aside for maintenance costs etc.

kindest regards

your new member

Marcus

The rough answer would be nearly triple of what it would cost to have a boat in the high 30's foot range.

The size of the boat won't make it impossibly to handle, but might make it more expensive to upkeep than you had initially planned for.

Look at the cost of doing a bottom paint job - haul out, how many gallons to cover her, large zincs, or if something goes wrong with the boat and you need to buy a new __________. Price some of that out so you are aware of the difference.

Other than that... the only limit is if you can handle the sheets (main and genoa), assuming you don't have electric winches.

camaraderie · 13-05-2008, 20:06

We have a 52ft. Tayana ketch that we cruised on extensively with no problems...and no bow thrusters. The ONE thing not mentioned that you may wish to think about is bridge height and depth of keel. In many places that is not an issue....but on the East coast, Bahamas and elsewhere it is a very real issue. We had to look for a long time to find a boat that size that "fit" under the 65' bridges and drew 6' or less.
With a more than 7' draft, a 70+ foot mast and a huge mainsail...she is a beautiful boat...but you will be limited and I would definitely opt for a boom furler with electric winches or you will get really worn out putting up/down and reefing the main sail.

svbeausoleil · 13-05-2008, 20:48

Hi Guys, oh yeah, gals,

Wait a minute, Hi Gals, oh yeah boys, too.

I have circumnavigated in a 24' Columbia and a Dickerson 41' that I added pieces to till it was 47'.

I love my big boat. It is far more comfortable especially at sea over 20 knots. But my little Columbia was a blast to sail! God, I would sail up within inches of things before I tacked away. What a rush.

But then I was young. But then I was fit. but then I was even more pig headed!

Now days we motor when the wind is under 6 knots. In my little 24' we would be doing 3 knots!

But then I ended up crashing into a freighter, off Mozambique, mostly out of over confidence.

Which is better? Depends who you are! Who you will be tomorrow.

Joy or security? Now that is a topic for a forum!

Need to know more?

OK, a vague desire to be entertained by a double circumnavigator?

Alright, want to read the free chapter of my new humor book,
'Boat Improvement in Exotic Ports Around the World.'????

sailingbooks - Â*Â* Mike Riley's Sailing Books PageÂ*

Hey, even my wife likes it!

Cap't Mike

Brent Swain · 13-05-2008, 21:39

Way to big. I sailed my first boat, a 36 footer around the South Pacific for a couple of years in my early 20's , and began to envy the guys in the 30 footers. Their expenses were much smaller and they spent a lot more time gunkholing , while bigger boats just went from main port to main port, without seeing anything in between. I met a lot of people in boats that were too big, planning on getting into something smaller.
If your anchor winch quits on a dark night on a lee shore, can you get it up by hand? If you break a leg , can your wife get the boat of a lee shore at night , and get you underway? Will her inability to do so in adverse conditions take away her enjoyment and ability to relax while cruising.
I've been cruising in boats around 30 feet ever since, 11 months a year ,while those in bigger boats work 40 hour weeks, year round, to meet their much bigger expenses.
Under 40 feet would be much better for a couple

svbeausoleil · 14-05-2008, 06:44

Louis Riel,
Damn, and just when I thought all the real sailors were gone, up pops another! Well done! The biggest discouragement in modern day sailing is all the big boats. Everyone seems to have big boats. I loved my little 24'er. She was a joy to sail. Karen cried for two years after I sold her. (Hey, we had a growing family, she broke her back in a storm, people offered me a fortune for her)

Glad to know there are still some real men out there!

Cap't Mike

Samadhi V · 14-05-2008, 08:54

I have been sailing my entire life, most of it single-handed on boats smaller than 35 feet. To presume that because you have a "big boat" you are not a "real sailor" is simply stupid.

It is true that a lot of people with more money than sense buy big yachts, this does not mean that everyone on a boat larger than 35 feet lacks sailing ability.

Steve & Linda Dashew sailed an 80+ foot boat around the world as a couple, and set speed & distance records in process. Too bad they aren't real sailors!

Sorry if my reaction seems over the top, but we run into this attitude constantly. Stereotypes don't suit the cruising lifestyle anymore than they suit life ashore.

**David M** · 14-05-2008, 09:01

Never realized there is such a degree of sailing macho out there. The smaller your boat, the tougher you are and the better you are? Sounds like male organ length envy.

Tell ya what, I would rather be Woody Allan in a condomaran than the opposite anyday. ...and I wouldn't care what Popeye the Sailorman thinks of me either. He is always welcome to come over for a bowl of spinach in my air conditioned salon to swap sea stories.

Different strokes for different folks. There is no right or wrong way. Do what YOU want to do.