What boat makes sense

[Skip JayR]

For cruisers and living on board the answer could be: Take the boat you love and you can afford, be happy with it ! :-)

But so it does not go on "high seas".

First analyse the needs... I dont mean your own needs, I mean the needs of the boat itself to survive. If the boat is built to survive in the conditions you want bring her, then you will have the chance to survive.

Seaworthyness and Safetyness: If you want sail arctic regions with ice, you need a strong hull which can stand - eventually to overwinter in thick pack ice.


Designers have thought a lot about to draw the best form, e.g. bow forms, decks layout, stern, rudder, daggerboards... all has a function. If you cant read a boat seeing all the little details, learn about.. there are plenty of books you can read to get a feeling... and visit different boat shows to get a feeling about.


Regions and life style: If you are in hot tropicals, most of your life will be on deck... and you need there lots of space to feel the fresh breath. Wooden boats rotten very quickly in such tropical regions and suffer if the owner has not enough budget to care for intensively


Capacity and skills of crew: If you are single hand sailor, you need a very centred cockpit with lots of winches to handle every manoever safely...


The other aspect is distance ! - More independency for sailing long distances from from A to B without an external supplier infrastructure, more you need on board. And more space you need. E.g. bigger water and diesel tank capacities...

Last part of the complexe matrix are your skills as skipper and the skills of your crew. Do you sail short handed (single- or double handed) ? Do you have a big family on board with little kidds ? Do you use the boat in charter with sailing newbees ? - A complexe rig can make life on board very demanding... so the rigging shall be adapted to the needs in the relevant sea areas, e.g. ketch rigged boat, self tagging jib, furling systems etc. ...

Accmodation: A boat does not give lots of privacy... if you have under deck all open and people must sleep in it can become stress. But same not all like the luxury of land living. E.g. having a double cabin with own shower and king size bed. It depends who you are, what you expect and what kid of people you like to have on board. Socialising is an important aspect for humans.


Handcraftshipmen: Some boats are equipped with workshops, too. Thats the last part: what are your handcraft skils ? Some sailors have a sail loft on board with a sewing mashine to repair independently from ordering a sail maker to repair the sails... others can do welding Steel or Aluminium... some sailors are great in wood work.


So the boat building material should fit your own skills and preferences. Not all like epoxy glueing handling toxic chemicals. Its up to you !

This is the bigger matrix I was taking about... put all facts on the table.... then you will get an understanding your search should focus onto. All the filters as described, will filter out the boat you need. It comes from alone popping up as soon the fog has disappeared. Boats are not objects of mystery. Just a big puzzle of many different parameters...
Hull shape (keel, bow, stern, rudder), Rig system + sail plan, Boat material, Seaworthyness of the boat (inclusive safetyness equipment following the IMO/SOLAS standard9 and handling + skills.

Ever other aspects to equip a boat, e.g. electronics and electrics follow from the basic matrix... You still could navigate with a Sextant, and steer manually. Not urgently needed a Chart plotter or an autopilot. You can haul your sails and anchor manually, not urgently needed electric winches. It depends lot on your phsyical fitness/healthyness, budget and skills.

Invest your money first in the basic structure of the boat.. all the goodies, e.g. hot water system/shower, watermaker, autopilot, chart plotter etc. ... come later in 2nd row. All these extras make lots of work. More you have on board, more needs steadily repairs (and money).

Actually under security aspects a boat should be equipped to make it more safely with some modern tools, e.g. having GPS, VHF with AIS, Radar, EPIRB, Liferaft and life jackets with life belts, water pump systems (bilge pumps). Nowadays i see a solar system as part of the safety system , too.

Traditionally safety equipment, e.g. anchors, storm sails, hand pumps I dont like to talk about. It belongs to good seamanship and every boat has to have it.

In total, there come many, many parameters into count to answer your question. If this big matrix is too complexe for you, take a naval architect and surveyor aside to find the boat you need.

Good luck !

P.S.: I was professional skipper. For a skipper before he overtakes the job, being ordered by charter agencies, for deliveries, for sail training in a sail academy etc. ... it is a normal procedure to scan the boat he shall overtake the resonsability. Some of the charter agents and private owners do not have the knowledge to understand boats fully. I never would overtake a contract to skipper a boat I would not count as safe lacking to fulfill all the needs. Here comes into account same the qualification of charter guests, the seasonal weather conditions of the sea area, technical infrastructure in the country (e.g. suppliers in the marinas, harbours) etc. ....

Your question is not only interesting for boat owners, it is same interesting for skippers. A steadily training is required, as over the decades we get new boat designs. Its important to understand their weaknesses and strength.

[Skip JayR]

Originally Posted by haha49

I don't like the bouncying of the rough water at speed I like going slow over the chop it's allot less painful for me to go slow as I have a spinal injury that causes pain if you go fast in a boat and hit a wave. (It's like being stabbed each time you bounce over them) So slow and steady is the best way to go for me.

I see this as the most relevant parameter to analyse first !

Healthyness is a very relevant aspect. Some boats are very demanding, and if you get too much stress with it, it can destroy everything: Joy, safetyness, revitalisation.

Nobody want to get a "burn out" on a boat !

Clearly to say, a monohull isnt what you should look. Short keel or long keel... all these boats move in a way through the waves you wont be happy with.

Instead multihulls are dancing on the water easily.... not fighting through the waves...

A very long distance round the world sailor Burghard Pieske explained it wisely: Monohulls are like a piece of wood, waterlogged, again and again a wave is overswapping it. Multihulls are like a piece of cork... keeping dry and floating on the water easily (as they are light weighted built). Pieske is still active in his high ages (born 1944) sailing multihulls.

If I'd be you, I'd look for elder Trimarans, they are not fast... but they are roomy, they are "stable platforms" and will reduce the stress onto your body /backbone. Sailing a sportive Catamaran is demanding... it needs too much concentration to keep on the safe side.

E.g. there are still some out, e.g. Pivers... very beautifully boats. And you get them for low budget. They had been built in the 60th and 70ths...

Here an example of a 40 Foot Piver:
Used piver loadstar 40 trimaran, Y-Knot

There had been built smaller Pivers, too...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-6APOVzyOM

Very beautifully such a 35 Foot Piver one can get at low prize...
Used piver herald 35 trimaran for sale by owner - No Name

Still kind of sportive look... a neat looking boat


Positive SIDE effect of a Multihull:

Low energy consumption of the engine, as these boats are built light weighted, and reduced water displacement = small covered surface = low flow resistance.

Some trimaran owners with diesel engines of 15 HP tell about 0.5 liters per hour consumption. Thats why Trimarans dont have huge diesel tanks on board.

The only problem: Such trimarans wont be slipped. They stay on a mooring. Herefor exist "foldable + trailable Trimarans". The first had been built in the 80th...

[Steadman Uhlich]

Newmoon,

Good post!

That kind of info would be good to find in the Destinations forum and on the Cruisers WiKi. If you have not done so already, consider copying your post and adding it there.