Does Size Matter ?

[daddle]

I always singlehand. I like sailing this 50 way more than the 36. She's far more stable. I can move around on her much easier. She is much faster. Displaces about the same. I'm not a hoarder, the contents of the two are identical. So there are many empty lockers. But the costs are much greater: paint, sails, rig all increase square-law, 200%, or worse.

And as I'm finding today, it a much greater climb to the top of the mast.

[hummingway]

I single hand a 42 footer quite comfortably most of the time. She's quite heavy at close to 19 ton. Living aboard I like the comfort my design afords but a smaller lighter boat is nice for sailing. When I out the 110 Genoa on instead of the 150 it's a nice change though in lighter winds miss the extra sail area. Docking in a heavier boat is harder (this one anyway) but the stability is nice.

I posted the dimensions of Slocum's Spray on another thread and was interested in peoples perspective on ideal size but didn't get a response. Slocum had a lot of ocean experience and arrived at 37 feet of length, 14 feet of beam and 4 of draught. It worked out well for him. His mast was very low by modern standards so didn't need more draught I guess. My Honeysuckle has a 14 foot beam and it sure makes for a nice space.

As boatman says 'horses for courses'.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by kiper204

Size matters.... and if someone says no they are lying
We stay small 30ft... for reasons such as, we dont need anything more, we dont want to pay more, our draft is shallow, our upkeep is less, and mainly because if we had a bigger boat we would just clutter it with more stuff and wouldnt really gain anything. Oh plus it allows us to tell people NO when the ask to come along...lol.
Sails 6, feeds 4, only sleeps 2

Sounds like a very familiar philosophy!

[zeehag]

bigger boats have wider decks and more stability than do smaller ones..that is essentially duh.... i would rather face a 30 ft sea in a 35+ ft boat than a 20+ ft boat. i would rather have the boat under me be as strong and as stable as possible. i would really like to sail a 47 vagabond, but that is another thing.....

[hummingway]

Originally Posted by zeehag

i would really like to sail a 47 vagabond, but that is another thing.....

I can see why ... a beautiful boat:
View Boat Photos - YachtWorld.com

[zeehag]

(OMG!!! dont tease me just please me--gimme dat gimmedat---lol--YES -- divine cruiser!!!! my boat on awesome steroids....lol...)(droool on screen)
best looking modern boat made......
yes, i like those-- lovely boats...

[barnakiel]

size counts

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

size counts

only in ketches. i like my sloops smaller and my ketches larger-- but not larger than 50 - 52 ft.

[kiper204]

We may not have all the big deck space, but like I said, it's all about what you think you need. We only need 30ft. It is a strong, sturdy, blue water sailor, and we love how the bigger (Vagabond ... oh ya baby) boats look, but we personally love our Baba 30. We want for nothing

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by zeehag

bigger boats have wider decks and more stability than do smaller ones..that is essentially duh.... i would rather face a 30 ft sea in a 35+ ft boat than a 20+ ft boat. i would rather have the boat under me be as strong and as stable as possible. i would really like to sail a 47 vagabond, but that is another thing.....

It never hurts to fantasize?

I was working for a month or so with a perfect view of the 172’ ketch “Squall”
Squall 52.3m. (172') Fast Cruising Ketch - Dubois Yachts Ltd
To brighten the monotony of the workplace, for a sailor and surfer it was absolutely impossible not to dream away at how incredible this thing would be to sail in strong winds on a 10 m swell.

Now how about a price tag? Then I am guessing weekly up-keep would be over if not at least double the gross value of my yacht?

[roger.waite]

It all depends on what you are doing, where, and for how long ... but it is truly amazing what some people can do in very small boats. What I did in my youth would leave me uncomfortable and cranky today. And size will rise with ambitions ...

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by roger.waite

It all depends on what you are doing, where, and for how long ... but it is truly amazing what some people can do in very small boats. What I did in my youth would leave me uncomfortable and cranky today. And size will rise with ambitions ...

Amazingly, although my H 28 only has a very low free-board her performance actually seems to improve as conditions deteriorate. Once I decided to take her for a bit of a “surf” and dropped into a couple of 5 m + sets. At the heads the bottom basically fell out of one and these things. Instantly I was looking down this feathering monster having thoughts of how utterly horrific it would be to get pitch-poled. The boat handled the situation like it was on Valium. Needless to say, instead of attempting to take the drop like some sort of manic big wave ridder taking off deep at Sunset Beach, I ran off the shoulder of the next few peaks!

I am also sure there is a point where this performance relationship takes a backward slide and I am going to experience the sort of situation mariners fear most? A couple of quick waves are also a lot different to riding out days on end of similar weather in the remote southern seas?

[rusky]

Originally Posted by daddle

I always singlehand. I like sailing this 50 way more than the 36. She's far more stable. I can move around on her much easier. She is much faster. Displaces about the same. I'm not a hoarder, the contents of the two are identical. So there are many empty lockers. But the costs are much greater: paint, sails, rig all increase square-law, 200%, or worse.

And as I'm finding today, it a much greater climb to the top of the mast.

Yup - exactly


We went from a 36' to a 46'. I found there was not a real lot of adjustment to sail solo (or with the chief catering officer aboard).

However, the comfort and motion [and therefore related safety] of a bigger boat is great in all ways - sailing, living, cooking, eating, stowage etc.

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by rusky

Yup - exactly


We went from a 36' to a 46'. I found there was not a real lot of adjustment to sail solo (or with the chief catering officer aboard).

However, the comfort and motion [and therefore related safety] of a bigger boat is great in all ways - sailing, living, cooking, eating, stowage etc.

Conversely, I have had a few experienced sailors (both 50 or so +) who owned boats around the 40’ mark comment that they would like to downsize to a boat the same size as mine. One actually refused to sell his larger boat to anyone he thought did not have the experience to handle her.

Still, I can clearly remember being impressed by this article in “Cruising World” by this couple who would do passages in the off-season knowing their big fast aluminium boat had the speed and technology to comfortably out-run hurricanes. Again, while not as extravagant as the S V Squall (see my post above), their navigational and weather reporting systems are probably worth more than the gross value of my little boat?

[rusky]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

Conversely, I have had a few experienced sailors (both 50 or so +) who owned boats around the 40’ mark comment that they would like to downsize to a boat the same size as mine.

Yeah mate, I have too. (and they have been around more than me so maybe I will be doing similar in a few years, when the boy has left home)