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Old 10-12-2008, 10:52   #10
Southern Star
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Belleville, Ontario, Canada; Playa Zaragoza, Isla de Margarita
Boat: 1994 Solaris Sunstream 40 'Estrella del Sur'
Posts: 1,014
Shadow, having previously owned a Cartwright 36 pilohouse cutter I can tell you that there are tremedous advantages to an inside steering station if you are planning offshore passages, or just sailing in northern latitudes:

1. A warm and comfortable crew are an alert crew.
2. You can keep your paper charts, guidebooks and yes, even chartplotters out of the elements for much greater utility/longevity.
3. A wheel autopilot can have the reliability of below decks mounted units at much less expense (and much easier maintenance) because it is belowdecks.
4. In truly heavy going you are much less apt to suffer injury from seas breaking over the cockpit.

Brad
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