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mrcarson · 02-03-2023, 22:00

Another thing to watch out for. Is motion. My wife has been out atrocious Offshore in Southern Ocean (Off SOuth Aust) and West of Strahan.
In both of my Steelies. The 32 ft. Twisting itself up in knots. Madam Making a meal or drink for me with smile on face.
Same Conditions in the 42ft. Single chine compared to Multi Chine. Larger vessel with Different motions, She often chucked,
Just another thing to watch for. (Women)

Boatwright · 03-03-2023, 01:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bycrick

When I started looking for my first boat in 1975, my very first yacht broker defined a "cruising sailboat" as: a boat that drinks six, feeds four, sleeps two and your wife can single-hand it. He wasn’t far wrong.

Exactly!

Our Hinterhoeler Niagara 35 is ideal for all of the above. She's big enough to have the grandkids aboard for a weekend, but just right for two old sailors. 35' is in my opinion a minimum size for cruising longer than a weekend.

Features we like:

All line handling from the cockpit, including first reef.

No V-berth. Large sail, chain, and line storage fwd.. Since we do 100% of our own maintenance there is also small workbench with a vice, and plenty of tool / spares storage.

We sleep aft in the roomy quarter berths on 8" memory-foam. Quietly away from ground tackle noise. Close to nav station, radio, anchor alarm, and cockpit. which allows easy middle of the night checks when at anchor, and safe one person sailing at night. Watch changes with a two person crew are also easy. We normally do night passages only a few times a season, so short handed it's very nice for the person on watch to have the other half of the crew close while they are sleeping. Do not underestimate the effect of comfortable quiet sleeping arrangements. We notice the haggard looks on many of our fellow cruising couples, who build up sleep deficits while cruising in smaller boats.

Hot water from our on-demand system. There is nothing better than an hot shower in the morning.

Mechanical refrigeration. Our 12V Isotherm is a liberation from the tyranny and soggy mess of ice. We use bagged ice for our sundown needs.

She's fast and stable under sail. Fast and economical under power. Our 45 year old, built to last, simple, non oil leaking, non-smelly Volvo MD11 keeps on ticking, burning about 3/4 L / hour.

My very wise brother when comparing boats notes: Cruisers are often drawn to "sea kindly" designs which tend to be on the slow side. He says it's simple: fast is better.

And lastly -- no way unless we win the MegaMillions could we afford an Amel 50! Our annual fixed costs, including yard bills, insurance, and club mooring are approx. $5,000.

Bowdrie · 03-03-2023, 11:56

Data such as D/L, SA/D, LWL, and perhaps comfort and capsize ratios are arguably more important for comparison of "cruising" boats of close to equal length.
The ability to carry huge quantities of beer must be factored in.

Length does have its own rewards though.

**s/v Jedi** · 03-03-2023, 12:19

So today I finished knocking all the barnacle bases off the hull. 5 hours total time with two persons. Had to do it in two morning settings because it was h@ll, especially the part where you work above your head and it’s too low to stand.

This is where a smaller boat shines because you can do it in one session. Antifouling paintI need two or three times as much as well, but that’s a matter of cost because applying it is easy.

HeinSdL · 03-03-2023, 12:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrcarson

Another thing to watch out for. Is motion. My wife has been out atrocious Offshore in Southern Ocean (Off SOuth Aust) and West of Strahan.
In both of my Steelies. The 32 ft. Twisting itself up in knots. Madam Making a meal or drink for me with smile on face.
Same Conditions in the 42ft. Single chine compared to Multi Chine. Larger vessel with Different motions, She often chucked,
Just another thing to watch for. (Women)

So yes, key takeaway, watch out for women. Esp. when selecting the ideal boat size.