Big boat cruising problems?

[RainDog]

I have a friend considering cruising on a Beneteau 57. West Coast of North America, South Pacific, Carribean, Mediterranean.

How much of a liability will 25 meter mast height and 2.6 meter draft be in these places?

[Jman]

Well, since the description contains most of the cruising grounds in the world it will depend.

Is this "friend" you?


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[donradcliffe]

The skinny water in the world is the SE coast of the US, West Coast of Florida, E coast of OZ, and the Bahamas. Its not an issue in the places you listed.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by Jman

Is this "friend" you?

I wish.

[delmarrey]

Being a deep keel sailer, I'd suggest you/he study the charts in the areas one plans to travel. Some large bodies of water maybe more shallow then it looks from a regular map. It's the shoals and submerged rocks that will get one in trouble.

And stay away from those lee shores!

[stillbuilding]

I would not have described E coast of Aus as "skinny water".


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[goat]

Originally Posted by Jman

Well, since the description contains most of the cruising grounds in the world it will depend.

Is this "friend" you?


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I don't think raindog and ocean girl want an even taller mast than they have now.

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[Kenomac]

The mast height has never been a problem for us, but occasionally our 2.5 meter draft prevents us from entering some marinas.

[Horus]

The "Vestas" crew can tell you where not to go.

[IdoraKeeper]

I think if Mr&Mrs Raindog can get their mitts on a 57 footer and cruise all those places, the occasional shallow area would be the least concern in a beautiful life.

[seasick]

I would advise your friends to get a fast dinghy as they will be anchoring further out then much of the fleet.

[seandepagnier]

my draft is 1.2m and I plan the next boat to have a .2 meter draft because I find the deeper draft a serious limitation.

[reed1v]

Big boat, less areas to dock or moor. A lot of out of the way places will not be able to accommodate boats longer than 40 feet. Mast height not an issue, nor the draft for the most part. South Pacific mostly small boat harbors except for the big cities. Caribbean shallow waters may give you concern during storms as your keel hits bottom. Mediterranean areas: your boat will probably be tiny compared to the really big yachts over there. West coast no problems.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by RainDog

I have a friend considering cruising on a Beneteau 57. West Coast of North America, South Pacific, Carribean, Mediterranean.

How much of a liability will 25 meter mast height and 2.6 meter draft be in these places?

There's not really any answer to that question. It's all relative.

You just go where you can get into, with whatever boat you have. If you have 1.5 meters of draft, there's always someplace you could go if only you had 1 meter. And so forth.

I have cruised the Baltic from one end to the other -- twice. In the Baltic, a 40' boat is considered "big"; anything over 50' is a "ship". Despite that, I had few problems. I regretted not getting into Poorvu, Finland, for having just a little too much draft. I regretted having to sail clear around Fehmarn, Germany, because my mast was one meter too high to get under the bridge. Tying up bows-to in some of the rustic "guest harbor" marinas in Sweden in a "ship" is a challenge (but at the same time, you are sometimes allowed to use regular commercial harbors otherwise closed to yachts). But these inconveniences are very minor in the grand scheme of things. A bigger boat is more comfortable at anchor and can anchor in deeper water. And you can carry a bigger, faster dinghy

Bottom line, is I have never met a cruiser who said "dang; I wish I had a smaller boat".

There might be exceptions if you are based in SW Florida or if you plan to spend a whole year cruising the Bahamas.


The B57 is a nice, fast, comfortable boat, and probably an excellent choice for your friend, especially if he's planning to get BETWEEN all those places you listed

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Bottom line, is I have never met a cruiser who said "dang; I wish I had a smaller boat".

Only when paying for things,
I bought a 38' as I was afraid the wife and I couldn't handle bigger. It's our first sailboat.