Your Opinions on Seagoing Vessels Requested!

[SkiprJohn]

If you look next to my signature on this post you'll see two links and one book recommendation. You might get started there.
Kind regards

[MarkJ]

I crossed the Atlantic in a Swan 65. A new one will cost you about US$4 million and I crossed the Pacific in a Beneteau 39 with costa coupla hundred thou. Both were safe.

[skipmac]

Owned full length keel, deep draft, double enders and have owned modified fin keel boats. Would never go back to the full keel. A well designed hull form with a modified fin keel can track quite well and will generally out perform most full keel boats. Plus where I've done most of my sailing, south Florida to the islands, you do a lot of work dead upwind and full keel boats in general just don't point like a fin keel.

For the nit pickers out there, these statements are based on generalities and are generally true but I'm sure you can find some specific full keel boat that would beat the socks of of some specific fin keel boat.

[roverhi]

"Honestly, when is the last time that you read a news release about a "modern" boat that failed and everyone died?"

Actually, day before yesterday though no one died. A J120 sank so fast that they ended up swimming out of the cockpit to the life raft. Boat was nudged by a few whales that probably ripped off the rudder taking part of the hull with it. On my good old Westsail, the whale would have had a headache and we'd still be sailing south.

Heavy displacment, full keel boats are plodders. They just keep on going at a pretty good clip but aren't 'fun' to sail. They react slowly, won't turn on a dime but those are attributes that are a big big plus on 2,000 nm or even a 100nm passage. The carrying capacity of this type of boat are phenomonal and the extra weight doesn't kill the performance like it does on the lightweight modern boats. They also aren't slow. We averaged 118nm per day, through the water, for over 10,000 miles, two passages through the doldrums, with virtually no engine time. Not bad for a 27' water line, fat and heavy boat.

Going to weather isn't their strong point but ours would point as close to the wind as we cared to survive with. 4 or 5 days to weather is enough to make any sane person insane. They also aren't great light air boats. They will still sail, just not as fast as a fin keel, low wetted surface boat. Having said that, we found that winds blow force 3-5 most of the time on the ocean so light air isn't all that much a factor.

It's not to say that a modern light weight boat of comparable water line length isn't going to make a safe passage. It's just that it might not be very comfortable and you'll have to compromise on what you load on it.

[David M]

There are a thousands of ocean worthy designs. If this were not the case then wouldn't all boats crossing the ocean look the same?

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by JustInTheBreeze

"Is there a specific hull design to be a blue water crosser?"

No.

Originally Posted by JustInTheBreeze

"What boats have you old salts sailed the Atlantic or Pacific oceans in, and felt most secure aboard than others. And would you like to share why you felt more comfortable in said yacht compared to others. Your opinions will be very much appreciated!

Small (26) double-ender, mid-displacement, built 1981. Probably the worst boat to go. Too small, rolls downwind like hell, too slow, too old.

Perhaps I would feel more secure in same thing just say 30'+ and 50% heavier. I would also feel safe in the light, fast things (Minis, Opens, etc.).

b.

[SkiprJohn]

1967 Mariner 35 all wood ketch. Easy Pacific crossing in 22 days from Hawaii to Washington State. No more than 35k winds.