Ideal cruising sailboat length: 35-40 feet

[Sailor Sailor]

Contrary to many of the posts on this forum endorsing the purchase of larger sailboats, a survey conducted by Jimmy Cornell of experienced cruisers indicates that the ideal sailboat length is 35-40 feet, as follows:

" Most-satisfied sailors
The most satisfied owners were in the 35-40ft range, of which there were a total of 25 boats, with average crews of either two or three. It was interesting there were many more complaints about size both from skippers of boats under 35ft (12) and those over 45ft (16).

Several of the owners in the latter group complained about the difficulty of handling the boat with a small crew, with only a couple sailing on half of those boats."

https://www.pbo.co.uk/boats/jimmy-co..._IEwWMJUTRZAtc

[S/V Illusion]

Somewhat misleading - the subset of cruising boats in the 35-40 ft range is greater than any other size range therefore biasing any conclusion with incomplete statistical representation.
And the fact this size range is the most popular is due to a number of factors other than what is “ideal”, primarily having to do with cost.
Any conclusions on the best size for cruising based on the above is consequently meaningless

I don’t know why people develop these largely academic exercises - maybe too much free time?

[Sailor Sailor]

I can tell you did not read the article. Actually, the average length of cruising sailboat owned was much greater than the size that generated the most satisfaction.

Ideal size boat = greatest satisfaction of the cruiser with the boat size.

[s/v Jedi]

This is to be expected, with that size range designed and optimized for short handed, blue water cruising and large boats much harder to handle, needing larger crew.

Then there’s the exceptions… every experienced sailor who owns for example a Sundeer or Amel that is above 50’ will swear by it and never go back. This is because those boats are designed like described above and thus easier to sail than the 35-40’ range because they take advantage of length without giving up any of the handling features of the smaller range boats.

Of course that leaves price. You can’t buy a beat up Sundeer for $10k like you can for every beat up boat in the 35-40’ range.

[Shrew]

I think it depends.

docking, close quarters handling and dockage/storage fees.....25 foot

Heavy Weather......50 foot

Sitting at anchor......75 foot.

[Mike OReilly]

I read the article twice. Lots of good information, but I found it a bit hard to follow as he bounced between the 1979 survey and the recent one. I think the editor really eFed it up...

For example, as I read the article, the "ideal boat length" finding of 35-40 feet comes from the 1979 survey:

In my very first survey, I asked the 62 skippers to rate the relationship between the size of their boat and that of their crew. ...The most satisfied owners were in the 35-40ft range, of which there were a total of 25 boats, with average crews of either two or three. It was interesting there were many more complaints about size both from skippers of boats under 35ft (12) and those over 45ft (16).

Much later in the article, and buried in a discussion about the most important instrument, he writes (referencing the current survey):

There may not be such a thing as a ‘perfect’ cruising boat but a consensus did emerge from these experienced cruisers… No boat in the 35-46ft range with two crew was considered too difficult to handle, even in the worst conditions.

Personally, I decided my ideal boat size (monohull) was 36 to 42 feet. My current boat, at 37 feet (actually 36' 9") has not caused me any reason to change.

[Jolly Roger]

I like Shrew’s answer the best, to which I would add that the rig is just as important as length for a cruising boat.
My 24 ton Down East 45 actually measures 54’-feet overall, crance iron to dinghy, and I haven’t hit anything yet. She is also easy to sail, because I have set the rig up that way—all sails roller furled from the cockpit, etc. etc.
Horses for courses.

[Ryban]

The size of world voyaging cruising boats has increased in the decades since cruising became a "thing". I think this probably reflects a change in the demographics of people cruising, their budgets, and the availability of larger/mid-size boats.

To answer your question with an anecdote, I was pretty happy on my 27-foot boat, because if nothing else, it got me out cruising sooner with the budget I had. It certainly made it harder to carry "toys" and all the goodies that the bigger boats get to carry, but it was also an easy boat to handle with one person: the anchor could always be pulled up by hand, sails and lines could be man handled, draft was shallow enough to get into almost any anchorage, or in swimming distance of a beach, etc.

I think the ideal size is person specific, but in terms of objective ability to carry creature comforts that will make life more enjoyable on the boat, something probably in the 32-40' range.

[Mike OReilly]

In a discussion here a couple of years ago myself and another member (forget his handle) did an anlysis of RTW boats to look at LOA over time. What came out was somewhat surprising. Median LOA hadn't really changed over the decades.

Using data that went back into the late 1960s, but mostly from the 70s onward, the median size for RTW boats with small crews (likely mostly couples) had remained at about 42'.

This was a surprising result given the anecdotal evidence suggesting median boat size has been increasing, decade over decade.

One astute commenter pointed out that while LOA may not have increased, boat volume certainly has. Boats are now beamier now. And there's also the rise of the cruising catameran, which has tons more space for LOA.

[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.

[FabioC]

Not sure I agree with the conclusions of this article.
I own a 35', which I use primarily for daily outings and short-range cruising. I feel she is too small for extended cruising (she is a monohull, it would be an entirely different story for a catamaran)
When I charter a boat for one-or-two-week cruises, I try to charter monohulls in the 41' to 50' range (also in preparation for a potential future upgrade to a larger boat).
I think the ideal length for a couple for extended cruising is in the 41' to 44' range. The difference in handling a 41' or even a 44' is not significant compared to a 35'. The key is how the boat is set up, if it is optimized for short-handling, you barely notice the longer length.
The difference in comfort of a 44' with respect to a 35', instead, is huge. First of all, the fuel and water tank capacity can be significantly larger, which allows you extended range "off-the-grid" and also comforts like "taking a longer shower" that make a great difference. Second, the additional space available makes it easier to have a good watermaker and also a generator (true, you can live without it, but the difference in having those things in terms of comfort is huge). Also, a larger fridge and additional storage makes a big difference. Third, the behavior of the larger boat at anchor and also at sea is noticeably better (of course, it depends on the boat, I mean comparing boats of similar design but different lengths). And there are other advantages as well that make a difference in comfort (e.g., you can have a larger dinghy, it is easier having davits, there is more room for solar, etc.).
Above, say, 45', and certainly above 50', the difference in handling for a crew of two starts to become noticeable, especially docking and in close quarters, as there is simply a lot of boat to cover during maneuvers. Conversely, the additional space available on a 50' with respect to a 45' does not make an incredible difference in comfort.
Thus, I think the sweet spot (assuming one can afford it) is somewhere in the 41' to 44' range.

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Bycrick

a boat that drinks six, feeds four, sleeps two

IIRC, that is a quote taken from a book by Ernest Gann.
Although, I "seem" to recall that William Garden used that phrase in one of his books on yacht designs?

[Cheechako]

I think the 38 to 42 is probably better than 35-40. Big enough to handle some seas, and move faster, small enough to not be overpowering.
But whatever length you can handle gives you speed and once you go there it's hard going back!

I'm only 160# and I will say, my 47 footer had new #52 (?) winches. There were times in a big blow where I could not turn the winch with both hands on a dual hand winch handle. That's with a 115% semi high cut jib.

Then again... I had as much or more fun in my cruising 30' as anything else.

[DEAN2140]

As mentioned, how a boat is rigged makes a big difference. To this point, electric winches for halyards and sheets, though expensive, can take the strain out of many boat maneuvers, such as experienced by Cheechako, especially if you are in your senior years.

[sailorboy1]

A lot depends on the boat layout etc. I had a a Cal 39' and that was too small for us. Now I have lived full time for 6.5 years on a 41' boat. The volume and space of my Hunter 410 is HUGE compared to the Cal-39 and the sails and line layout makes even single handing possible and for the 2 of us it is easy.

I personally feel the sweet spot for a cruising couple is 40-45'. You get a lot more room and tankage above 40' and after 45' you just don't get much more owner space as it goes to guest areas.