What happened to the "small" "Affordable" cruisers?

[lo2jones]

I took a Pearson 28 around Point Conception in a blow, and was impressed by her performance for a boat of that sort and size...I’d call her a terrific pocket cruiser. Other Smallish boats I have sailed offshore that I’d sail again: my old Columbia 29, Beneteau Oceanis 35, C&C 27.

[Mike OReilly]

The Pardey's message always resonated with me. My approach, and my advice, is to go with the smallest boat that you need. This is in opposition to the more typical message we hear which says get the largest boat you can afford.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

The Pardey's message always resonated with me. My approach, and my advice, is to go with the smallest boat that you need. This is in opposition to the more typical message we hear which says get the largest boat you can afford.

yeah but then after a while, or as you get older, you start saying things like, "I NEED a shower!" When I was young I considered it the height of obscene luxury even just to be able to stand up in a boat! Times have changed a bit.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Don C L

yeah but then after a while, or as you get older, you start saying things like, "I NEED a shower!" When I was young I considered it the height of obscene luxury even just to be able to stand up in a boat! Times have changed a bit.

True. And it's funny how "needs" often run in parallel with one's pocketbook.

My simple point is that people should consider what they really need in a boat. Instead of just looking at maximizing everything, get the boat that fits your actual needs. That could be a 60-footer, or a 22', or even a 37-footer .

[barnakiel]

I think he added big way to the legend of BCC style boats. One of the few dock legends that I would say are based in a fact.


b.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

True. And it's funny how "needs" often run in parallel with one's pocketbook.

My simple point is that people should consider what they really need in a boat. Instead of just looking at maximizing everything, get the boat that fits your actual needs. That could be a 60-footer, or a 22', or even a 37-footer .

I'll be honest, ego was part of my "need" for a 40'+boat. I wanted a cool big boat, and boats over 40' looked big to me. Under 40', they looked small.

Of course that was a dumb way to choose a boat.

I also wanted a very excellent sailing boat, whatever size it was, that was fast and weatherly as well as tough and seaworthy. That dictated that I buy a strong racing boat.

Then, I needed enough room and comfort aboard to be able to live there without wishing I could go home to my apartment. I felt that if the boat wasn't as comfortable as my home ashore I would find more and more reasons not to be aboard. This had also to be true sailing or at anchor.

Of course money was a limitation. Here again, old racing boats met this requirement by being cheap.

We had to be able to sail it, but there were two of us, and old racing boats are set up to be efficient for crew to operate, so that part was easy if we picked an old racing boat..

So when we found a 43' racing boat with a good record for an acceptable price we took a look, to see if we could live there. We measured the locker space and compared it to our apartment's space. We looked at what it would take to install, of course, a great galley, a good shower, hot water, heating, and excellent, intimate, lighting, and a workshop, and heaps of storage. plus room for a super sized hanging locker since we were both still working in downtown.

We found that the boat met all those requirements; in 43'. It has voluminous interior, thousands of dollars of expensive sails and high end winches and other equipment, and we could afford it. And it sailed like a dream. But it was a project. It needed an interior.

So that is what we bought and started work. In three months we had a galley, shower, heat, water lighting, comfy settees, and an 8' hanging locker and we moved aboard.

That was 34 years ago. We still love living on the boat. When someone asks if I want to stay in their house to "get off the boat" I just have to ask, "why would I?"

Honestly, I don't think we could have done it in 36 feet or even 42'

[gilgsn]

I just bought a 20 footer... I went from 32 to 26 to 20.

I don't need refrigeration, a head or a shower. There is this common notion that comfort is necessary or even desirable... Neither is true. Comfort makes you weak, swells the belly... Sure, I could use a 32 footer again, but it would still be very basic. Every foot of length adds expenses, not just volume. My only limitation is that it is pretty much a one-person boat, two at the most, and you better be a loving couple. I am alone so it's big enough. I can easily manage the sails and the anchor without winches. Walking to the bow only takes a few steps. My Volvo MD1 burns 1L/hour. Financially it is much easier than a larger boat. I think it is also somewhat safer. If you get tossed around in the cabin you won't fly very far... Everything is smaller, easier to cut away if needed. It's just more uncomfortable to bob around, but not inherently unsafe. I can even enter port without my engine (yuloh). I also pay less to spend the night in a marina. Small boats have lots of advantages, comfort not being one of them...


Gil.

[swordds]

Gil - I am so jealous. I love my Alberg 30 but would love to downsize to a Kittiwake or a South Coast 23 but I have so much effort over many years invested in my Alberg 30 that I am feeling too old to start over and to take on the logistics of selling this boat and finding and buying the smaller boat. If someone by happenstance happens to read this post and is interested in trading up I am interested in trading down! :-)

[sailorboy1]

In another thread I showed that for ME cruising on a smaller boat would only save 4% of the overall total costs, but would be 100% living on a smaller boat.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by gilgsn

I just bought a 20 footer... I went from 32 to 26 to 20.

I don't need refrigeration, a head or a shower. There is this common notion that comfort is necessary or even desirable... Neither is true. Comfort makes you weak, swells the belly... Sure, I could use a 32 footer again, but it would still be very basic. Every foot of length adds expenses, not just volume. My only limitation is that it is pretty much a one-person boat, two at the most, and you better be a loving couple. I am alone so it's big enough. I can easily manage the sails and the anchor without winches. Walking to the bow only takes a few steps. My Volvo MD1 burns 1L/hour. Financially it is much easier than a larger boat. I think it is also somewhat safer. If you get tossed around in the cabin you won't fly very far... Everything is smaller, easier to cut away if needed. It's just more uncomfortable to bob around, but not inherently unsafe. I can even enter port without my engine (yuloh). I also pay less to spend the night in a marina. Small boats have lots of advantages, comfort not being one of them...


Gil.

And you can put on the coffee, cook breakfast, answer a radio call, turn on the music, and check the weather... and never leave your bunk That seems like the height of comfort to me!

[Poche]

Originally Posted by Don C L

And you can put on the coffee, cook breakfast, answer a radio call, turn on the music, and check the weather... and never leave your bunk That seems like the height of comfort to me!

When I lived on my 28 foot Atkins Jr. I used to joke that I could reach everything from my bunk, too. If I wanted room I went on deck! The girls were easier to catch.

[gansett]

I was just reminiscing the other day about my old Chrysler 26 that I used to trailer-sail. I remember being quite pleased at owning a boat with standing headroom after owning smaller trailer-sailers. It was the perfect boat for gunk-holing around Narragansett Bay and islands.
These days our Bristol 31.1 seems to be a great boat for the bay and venturing a bit beyond. But we sail past these Eauro-designed boats with their wide beam carried well aft, and their open transoms. My wife always says she'd like a boat like that, but then she's such a fair-weather sailor, I think a boat that size would be a waste.
Until I see us venturing out further and spending more time cruising than weekending, I'm content to do what we're doing with our Bristol. Anbd I think their are alot of folks like us, doing what we're doing on older 30-ish footers.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by gilgsn

I just bought a 20 footer... I went from 32 to 26 to 20.

I don't need refrigeration, a head or a shower. There is this common notion that comfort is necessary or even desirable... Neither is true. Comfort makes you weak, swells the belly... Sure, I could use a 32 footer again, but it would still be very basic. Every foot of length adds expenses, not just volume. My only limitation is that it is pretty much a one-person boat, two at the most, and you better be a loving couple. I am alone so it's big enough. ...

Good on you for understanding your needs . I've often thought that if I found myself a solo-cruiser (which happily, I am not), I'd probably downsize to something in the 28-32 foot range. It depends on the boat of course, but that size to me seems right for long distance/duration cruising.

When we went looking our current cruising boat we had already spent years learning what we needed and wanted. We knew our range was 36 to 42 feet, depending on the actual boat make. We settled on 37 feet (actually, 36' 9", the exact LOA of Slocum's Spray ).

With this boat I can go almost anywhere, and can easily spend months away from any dock. It is small enough to keep costs low, but large enough to house all the systems we need for comfortable cruising.

[barnakiel]

I too would say small decent craft starts at 25+ ft and it all is merry into 32/34 ft. Inexpensive, big enough and not too big. Viable for long offshore if one accepts the limited safety bound with small craft.


I have just had a look at a Rival 32 priced 15k only. And her engine looks newish too. Well. What not to like.


b.

[gilgsn]

Originally Posted by swordds

Gil - I am so jealous. I love my Alberg 30 but would love to downsize to a Kittiwake or a South Coast 23 but I have so much effort over many years invested in my Alberg 30 that I am feeling too old to start over and to take on the logistics of selling this boat and finding and buying the smaller boat. If someone by happenstance happens to read this post and is interested in trading up I am interested in trading down! :-)

You have a great boat, I wouldn't worry about it :-)