45' Boat Too Big for First Boat ?

[kb79]

possibly a useful link: http://www.bethandevans.com/pdf/tenBiggerboat.pdf

[jallum]

Originally Posted by kb79

interesting that cost's only been mentioned once.

i read somewhere that ownership costs roughly double every 10'. dunno if that's true, but seems plausible enough. $$ would be my biggest hesitation.

I wouldn't argue with that. Big boat == lots of space for big toys that break, more maintenance (paint, sanding, varnish, canvas, etc.) and just more work in general.

Having said that, we're happy with our particular choice and I cut down on the bills by doing lots of work myself (went to school for it). If we had bought a 45', we'd probably be a little further along on our learning curve and we would have spent a lot less... but we like having friends and family come and stay for a week at a time without being in each others' faces -- separate heads, doors and walls that don't transmit sound, big galley, lots of deck space, etc.

[Curmudgeon]

The sailing is no problem; it's just docking and maneuvering in tight spaces, such as narrow channels. Also, almost everything costs more on a bigger boat. There's heavier tackle, higher fees for haulout and storage, more stuff to maintain, etc.

IMHO any reasonably spacious boat with a decent double bunk aft and a v berth is fine for three people, and you can find those attributes in lots of 35-36 ft boats.