Advantages to have a small boat

[tommyprince]

A small boat is safer. It is much more fun as maneuvering the boat will be easier.

[Jim Cate]

A small boat is safer.

Another boldly posed opinion with no supporting statements. Just exactly why is a small boat safer, what is it safer than, and under what conditions, and where? And how small is the safer boat?

Fun? Yes, small boats can be fun, but so can bigger boats.

I've enjoyed owning and sailing vessels from 9 to 46 feet. They have all had advantages, and the costs have been proportionate to the size. I've done long passages on 30, 36 and 46 foot yachts. I have enjoyed all of the boats, but none more that our current 46 footer.

Jim

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by tommyprince

A small boat is safer. It is much more fun as maneuvering the boat will be easier.

I suspect that it is easier to maneuver a 50 foot fin keel boat than it is a 26 full keel boat. Most certainly when docking in reverse.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by makobuilders

Interesting that there doesn't appear to be any feedback from those with boats bigger than say 40ft... so 50's or 60's

I spent 7 years cruising on a 33footer ( Freedom) , loved everybit of it. I'm now on 47 foot yacht. There are things I definitely prefered about my smaller boat but they were more design related than size.
Really the only size related advantage of the smaller boat that I miss is the close quarter manouverbilty. The comfort that comes with the larger boat more than makes up for this. I'd only go back to smaller if money was to dictate I had to.
Would I have been happier cruising on this boat over the last 7 years rather than the smaller boat? nope, I would of been more comfortable but not happier, I remember the experiences and the people not the sometimes uncomfortable bits.

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[Kenomac]

Why buy a small boat?

You'll be admired and even idolized on this forum. Even better if you're flat broke and jobless.

Dumpster dive or crap in a bucket... and become a God.

[TJ D]

I'm one of the big boat guys who also replied early.

There are a lot of opinions here that seem to be made by folks who have spent little or no time on boats on the bigger end of the spectrum. I've done both ends of this discussion, and for being offshore, the 55 footer that we currently own is far and away a more capable sea boat than the smaller ones, despite this one being a lightweight, high-performance boat with a SA/D around 30, and our previous boats being more traditional 'blue water' cruisers as is generally defined around here.

It also helps that our 55 weighs 8 tons less than the steel 43', and only a little more than the 36 footer we had before that it replaced. This often gets missed in this discussion. The old, heavy, 'blue water' boats that are generally in favor are so damned heavy that the rigging loads are actually higher than a larger, more modern design.

The idea that a big boat is too hard to manage by a single person is simply no longer true. I do all of our sail handling alone if I want to, and have singlehanded the boat just fine. It all comes down to how the gear is set up. We do have a single electric winch to help with the main, but the whole show doesn't come to a stop if it does.

Have a look at the skinny Frenchmen who are regularly racing open 60's around the world. They're not supermen. Well, they sort of are, but they're not freakishly strong either.

The gear has come a LONG way since the 70's, kids.

And, no, costs do not go up exponentially with size. Or even that much. Slip/hauling fees are linear, after all.

With the exception of the sailing gear I mentioned earlier, which is vastly more expensive, systems belowdecks can be basically identical to the smaller rigs.

Of course, I'm not talking about the crowd who has a single 12v light, no fridge, and a bungee cord for an autopilot, but we're not lugging around that much more gear than your average 35 footer which is fitted out in the normal long distance cruising way.

Yes, the big rigs suck around the dock. No argument there, but it's really just a small part of things, isn't it?

TJ

[thomm225]

I'm still thinking a smaller boat is better for the weekend/vacationing type of cruiser.....especially a single hander

They are just easier to handle and maintain.

Also, sailing 45-70 miles over the weekend on a 40'-50' boat wouldn't be much of an adventure whereas it can be on a smaller one

There are just so many variables for each person (boat owner) and bigger simply isn't always better.

As far as cost, I'm sure some folks buy small because it's what they can afford but many others of us buy smaller because it fits with what we are doing.

I don't need another condo, apartment, or home on the water. I just need a boat with a place to put a few things, one that has a place to sleep, and sails reasonably well

My GPS units are not mounted in the cockpit but you can move them out there. They are still hard to see. One is now on the blink and my old Danforth Compass has failed so I "upgraded" with a Suunto Handheld Compass. (It's the A-10 for $20.00!)

I'll be using this handheld to navigate in open water. When I'm close to shore, I'll rely more on the GPS if I need to so I won't run aground when taking short cuts out of the marked channels.

If I do run aground though, it's not a big deal because I have a small, full keel boat that I can manhandle somewhat, and that is pretty tough. Running aground with a deeper draft fin keeled 45' plus boat would be a different story and you can forget about taking short cuts out of the channel near shore or exploring up a creek passed the marked channels.......

Now if you are cruising long distance and will not be back to your home or condo for a few months or years etc then having a bigger boat is understandable but as a single hander, I'm thinking 32'-35' or so

On the big boat side, there's the speed thing. Bigger is faster .....which would help the weekender cover more ground but after covering said ground could you dock the thing?

Example: There is a C&C 37R up here for sale. This boat is about 40' long and draws 8.16'. It's PHRF is in the 60's. The problem is that you cannot get in most creek especially up the bay a ways.........

[daletournier]

I wonder what percentage of big yacht owners want a smaller yacht compared to small yacht owners wanting a bigger yacht?

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[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Why buy a small boat?

You'll be admired and even idolized on this forum. Even better if you're flat broke and jobless.

Dumpster dive or crap in a bucket... and become a God.

Looks like some Big Boat Guys crap in buckets also.

Like I have been saying, it's all about each individual sailor's needs and priorities

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

[mako]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I wonder what percentage of big yacht owners want a smaller yacht compared to small yacht owners wanting a bigger yacht?

When I sold my 65' I was wishing for a 50', if that counts? Granted that was a powerboat not a sail. Nowadays I wouldn't mind going back to the bigger one again, although this time it will be a boat not a yacht.

[barnakiel]

I think few big boat owners want a small boat. I think many small boat owners want a bigger boat.

It is basically the money thing that makes one buy a small boat in the first place. One of many reasons why so many owners finance the buy.

But financing a boat normally implies limitations on how long you can be out.

b.

[svseachange]

Notch one up for a "big" boat owner that would prefer a smaller boat.

When our kids leave home we will be "downgrading" to under 40'. 30-35' is my ideal size for a couple.

[Don C L]

Yes it is a money thing, but I'd say more specifically a cash flow thing. I might be able to buy a larger boat but I'd never keep up with cash flow it would demand of me. On a shoestring, there are still some nice boats that can give one safe and fun access to the sea.

[boatman61]

Another thing that one must remember is.. most 90% of big and small boat owners are 'Coast Hoppers'.. never more than 24hrs from a port.. that covers the Med and Caribe as well.. so it boils down to whether your happy with a 5litre shower in the cockpit or prefer a 17gallon shower down below..

[laika]

Big boats and small boats are both awesome. Small boats make a lot of sense for some people, big boats make a lot of sense for others. There have been times when I wished I had something larger and times when I was very glad to not. Strokes, folks and circumstances. No blanket statements apply outside individual opinions.