Quote:
Originally Posted by ed91e
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It will be mainly sailed short handed for longer trips.
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Pro’s and cons?
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Whenever I look at boats, I ask two questions:
1. How easy is it to get to the dipstick to check the
oil level?
2. How easy would it be to
dock the
boat singlehanded without any help from
either the
boat side
or dock side?
The old "what happens if your crew is sick?" is, to me, a not unreasonable question.
I singlehand a lot, so easy access to the
equipment and tips&techniques for singlehanded
docking are foremost in my mind. My aft
cockpit 34 footer is easy. A
center cockpit, to me, would not be as easy but I am sure folks do it all the time. I see gorgeous
motor yachts, but even with midship doors, unless there is easy access to the throttle when
docking, it seems it would be difficult. I see many
motor yachts, usually smaller ones, with
engine controls inside, duplicates on the flybridge, and also on the aft bulkhead, which makes eminent sense to me.
I am also not the spring chicken I used to be. Spring? maybe. Chicken? usually!~!~
But when your knees start telling you certain things, you may begin to question going up and down even a few stairs all the time. I am not so good on stairs anymore, but I sure can still run my boat. Th handholds going down my
companionway steps are extremely good. When I broke my leg skiing in 2009, when I got back on the boat after 3 months of recuperation, it was easier to get around on the boat than it was at home! True.
The point about
winch locations and access, I believe, is critical.
When all is said and done, though, personal preferences and experiences that other people have can only be anecdotal in this particular case.
Another "issue" is
navigation and instrumentation. The idea of having repeating
instruments down on the main level has a certain attraction to it, vs. having to go up to the
wheel for the basics:
chartplotter and
autopilot. Does it really make sense to have to go upstairs to tweak the
autopilot? I'm sure remotes are available.
I recommend thinking about ALL of the ergonomics involved before you make the decision. Plus, you also have to love the REST of the boat's fittings.
Good luck. Remember, when all is said and done, it will be "your choice, your boat."
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