Advantages to have a small boat

[carlheintz]

I went from a 25' to a 27, to a 30 to a 42' and am back to a 28'. There's a world of difference above 30' in responsiveness, and feel. The smaller boats ( 22 - 25') are sometimes not the most comfortable ride. The bigger boats have a better ride quotient, which can be important if you are planning on embarking on longer sails.

For day sailing and an occasional 3-4 day cruise someplace, I found the small er boat much easier and more manageable. Casting off on a 42' boat takes planning and assistance: you don't just jump in the boat and go. I can back my boat out of the slip, be on my way and have the sails up all by myself in a matter of 10 minutes. Docking is another easy task. Not a lot of weight, not as much momentum or inertia.

From an ego standpoint, yes, I have a certain amount of envy for that Tartan 40' across the way, and the Cheoy Lee that's next to her and about the same length. But then, I save a lot of money over those guys, plus get to sail a lot more.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by chrisss

Hi! I'm very new to sailing and i want to know are there any advantages to have a smaller boat than a bigger boat(bigger yachts cost more obviously), but is it easier to sail?Better to handle?

Where are you going to sail, and what sort of sailing do you want to do?

We are in year 10 of a 19 ft boat. We are looking for a more serious boat to cruise in, but right now we are landlocked with work and family commitments, so 90% of our sailing is day-sails, or even just an hour of booting around after dinner, and for this our 19' is perfect. Cheap to own and maintain, super easy and fun to sail with 1 or 2 people, and ok for a few nights out, especially when you can shower at a club/marina. Also, being trailerable and easy to launch, we have trailered up to 300 km away to all sorts of great mid-sized lakes, many of which you can't get to by water.

If you like to sail MORE, ... go smaller.

[bumpman]

One more thing to consider - who'll be sailing? For distance cruising certainly a larger boat (30'+) for all the reasons given. But if you just want to go for a day sail or a weekend and you need crew (and S.O. doesn't want to crew), finding crew help during the busy summer can be a challenge. In a smaller boat that you can single-hand there's no problem. I can't count the number of times friends have said that they'd love to go sailing but then it turns out never have time or have family commitments, etc..

[Pizzazz]

I believe a lot of these discussions on the size of the boat depend on one's definition of cruising and availability of funds. Clearly, if one is cruising full time, a larger boat makes more sense. In a way it is a substitute for a house and one should be prepared to budget as much. For example, in the LA area, an average house close to the seaside is north of $1 million. One should be prepared to spend at least half as much to substitute such a house with a boat and get similar quality of life. On the other hand, if still living on land and occasionally cruising, it makes little sense to have a large house and a large boat since you cannot live on both at the same time. This is a never ending discussion.

[FionaJC]

As a 14-19 year old I was a dinghy sailor, started at school and when I became a teenager I had other things on my mind. After the family were born I was too busy to sail until our 9 year old daughter went with a friend and was hooked, followed by her brother.

Out came my old dinghy and I joined in helping with the training school. It was all smaller, tighter etc. So I started crewing on every type of larger boat I could, 19ft 25ft, 27ft, 44ft, 50ft eventually becoming semi-permanent crew on a Sigma 33. I qualified as a RYA Yachtmaster after three years and wanted my own yacht.

I started building a 30ft design but I had to move it out so I sold it unfinished. I found a dilapidated 34ft motor sailer ketch and it just talked to me. I have now owned it for 17 years, I don't want anything smaller or bigger and I can afford the costs - just. I had an engine change (ouch!) last year and its perfect. Just two of us or six if the family come along. We have had trips to France, something we couldn't do in something smaller.

Yes the costs do go up as size increases. We also have two lasers for the kids and we have a 17ft sailing dinghy, never could lose the dinghy habit.

So the motto? Get the experience, people love crew willing to learn and get what is comfortable and what you think you can afford. If you love the pastime you will find the money. I paid for all my sailing by giving up smoking and that cost £3,650 a year at today's prices.

[seabreez]

Originally Posted by chrisss

Hi! I'm very new to sailing and i want to know are there any advantages to have a smaller boat than a bigger boat(bigger yachts cost more obviously), but is it easier to sail?Better to handle?

How small is small and how big is big? I have a 24 foot weekender type of boat that once a year we use as a week or two for a holiday... and believe me at the end of two weeks I am glad I can step off for normal living... I would like an extra ten feet to be comfortable... Try different boat to define your space and comfort and budget. Good luck and good sailing.

[seahag]

There are very capable small boats, with maxed out space and features for cruising like the Pacific Seacraft Dana, Flicka and Orion. If it were me as a single person I would get the best Dana I could afford and never look back.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Maybe, but bigger doesn't have the same advantages as smaller.

See previous posts which point out some of the following:

Slips are less expensive

Sails are less expensive

Running rigging is less expensive

You can get to places on a small boat with shallower draft where larger/deeper draft boats cannot

Bottom jobs are easier

They are easier to dock single handed

You can replace the diesel with an outboard

You can manhandle a small boat if you ground it. You can damn near push it off in some instances

For weekend, vacation, and cruises lasting less than a couple months smaller boats work great with much less invested

The list is endless.........

Yeah right.... you keep telling yourself that.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Scot McPherson

in general, smaller boats are easier and cheaper all around. The question you need to ask yourself is how much space you need to be comfortable. Smaller boats also have less accomodations, so it's really what you are comfortable with.

I think everyone here will agree that you need to do some sailing in various boats of various sizes and configurations before you buy anything.

[fred4936]

My wife and I are sailing a Tartan 27-2, after sailing smaller boats for many years. We consider this our "learning to cruise boat", and it has been wonderful. THE boat will be a little larger, but not much. But we have not outgrown this one yet. One website the OP may check out is atomvoyages.com. Lots of good info on the pro's of smaller boats.

[oldsalt_1942]

In brief--A small boat and a suitcase full of money beats a 40-footer tied to a bank every time...

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Yeah right.... you keep telling yourself that.

I'm not sure what it is you are not understanding but each person's idea of cruising is different I guess

I like to go out for a few hours or a few days, and it's much easier on a small boat.

One day I plan to work up to a couple months but that may be a stretch.

I single hand and really don't need a larger boat. I've sailed down the bay in 30 mph winds, been anchored over night in about the same, and my 27' boat (and CQR anchor) did fine.

I do like to do things the hard way/old way though. I don't want to sail on a condo style boat

For example, one of my GPS's is on the blink so I bought a backup yesterday for my working GPS.

It's a Suunto A-10 Field Compass I found at REI. I paid $21.00 for it. (the old Danforth Compass that came on the boat finally bit the dust also. I usually steered by it)

http://su.factoryoutletstore.com/det...ogitemid=54299

Maybe that example will help you understand where I'm coming from

Another example is the fact that I have a kayak onboard instead of a dinghy with an engine. My kayak is 16'6" and I could probably get back home across the 20 miles of bay on it if I had to. (I bought a nice carbon fiber paddle to use instead of the one that came with the kayak.)

A bike to me is one you pedal......etc, etc...

We as a society don't use our bodies enough. I try to use mine as if I were 10-12 years old every chance I get and I'm over 60.

[Panope]

Adding to the numerous good responses.....

A smaller boat that can be easily moved over land by a boat mover (or even better, an owned trailer) opens up a lot of opportunities to cruise different areas without having to make long, sometimes difficult passages.

Also, trailer-ability allows one to bring a boat to a home or other private property where storage is free and work can be done without restriction.

Steve

[River Cruiser]

#1 advantage of smaller boats - faster and easier to wash and wax.

[hamburking]

I've owned big and small. I've got a laser in the back yard right now.

Big is expensive, and comfortable. Going out in 2 or 3 metre seas in a big boat (30-40 feet) is not a big deal. On a small boat, like a Tanzer 22 or a C&C25, its a soaking wet roller coaster ride.

Speed is a big issue. Small boats go slower. Its simple physics. I like to go a bit faster. Who doesn't?

I once read, you should get the biggest boat you can afford, and the smallest one you can tolerate.

I don't want to sound blunt or condescending, but IMHO its a lot about money. Big boats are expensive. Its a luxury, and a show of wealth. Most people who can afford a bigger boat, have a bigger boat.