I like this boat

[Toccata]

I went down to my jetty and took some photos of a local HC. It has the same issue with chainplate bolts compressing the grp. I am trying to upload some images for you, Standby...

[Jim Cate]

Look, lists of "approved" Water boats">blue water boats include some good boats. They make no claim to include ALL good boats, and of course they can not do so.

I humbly suggest that you stop worrying about such sources of wisdom. You have some fixed ideas about what sort of boat you want... and that is what you should be honoring.

I think you are not well experienced and have little to base such opinions upon, but they are important to you, so carry on and buy a vessel that you can love. Folks have made great voyages in all sorts of yachts, everything from sea slugs to whippets. Find a boat that appeals to you, that you can afford to buy and maintain and get on with it. Agonizing about internet opinions will only yield ulcers and angst. Such opinions will not help you at sea or on the hard.

My own experience leads me in a different direction, but we've met all sorts of boats in distant anchorages. I don't make judgements about others choices when we have all arrived in the Marquesas or the Solomons or wherever. I do sometimes make judgements about folks pontificating whilst tied to a marina berth in the midst of "civilization" or sitting in their mother's basement!
\
Jim

[thomm225]

Jim,

I'm betting that boat you have now has a very nice, long waterline especially as compared to your Yankee 30, and a decently deep fin keel.

I've had lots of boats, but this old Bristol 27 is my first monohull.

I got it for a song to see if I even liked slow boat sailing (cruising) which after 12 years or so I'm still trying to figure out.

This Bristol 27 is tough, handles squalls well, is easy to maintain, but it's 19.75' waterline and long keel can be a problem especially trying to get to windward. In certain wave conditions, it wants to bob along.

I figured since I'd raced for 14-15 years performance wouldn't matter much, but it would be nice to have some upwind/speed performance at times.

If I knew for sure I would cruise far and wide, I would probably get a bit larger boat with maybe 28'-30' of waterline or more.

I was parked next to a Catalina 36 MKII in the yard recently and that boat although not on the list looked to be a pretty nice boat. Probably built in the late 1990's. Waterline length is 30.25'!

The OP is enjoying looking at these old, salty looking boats, but there are much better boats available for that kind of money.

It's all up to the OP of course, but a new idea here and there doesn't hurt.

As far as lists go, they don't include all the best boats, but when you need some idea of what is definitely well built these boat lists by established "experts" can help.

As far as those of us posting our opinions, sometimes people like to talk anything having to do with sailing or boats when not sailing ourselves.

For us up this way though, good sailing weather is very nearly here.

Also, seeing that Class 40 (39.96' LWL) of Cole Brauer blasting along reminded me of the speed of a beach cat but in a monohull. A very nice combination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27kEWo2IvXg

Tom

[Thomas1985]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Tabs? Not knees? Encapsulated chainplates?

Fiberglass may have issues, but there aren't many wooden boats still out there after 50, 60, 70 years as compared to your average old fiberglass boat.

I owed 3 wooden boats as a teenager all about to fall apart.

There are quite a few 1800s wooden boats still around. Even an entire website dedicated to sale of wooden ships.

Wood is strong.

[Thomas1985]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Look, lists of "approved" blue water boats include some good boats. They make no claim to include ALL good boats, and of course they can not do so.

I humbly suggest that you stop worrying about such sources of wisdom. You have some fixed ideas about what sort of boat you want... and that is what you should be honoring.

I think you are not well experienced and have little to base such opinions upon, but they are important to you, so carry on and buy a vessel that you can love. Folks have made great voyages in all sorts of yachts, everything from sea slugs to whippets. Find a boat that appeals to you, that you can afford to buy and maintain and get on with it. Agonizing about internet opinions will only yield ulcers and angst. Such opinions will not help you at sea or on the hard.

My own experience leads me in a different direction, but we've met all sorts of boats in distant anchorages. I don't make judgements about others choices when we have all arrived in the Marquesas or the Solomons or wherever. I do sometimes make judgements about folks pontificating whilst tied to a marina berth in the midst of "civilization" or sitting in their mother's basement!
\
Jim

This is true and probably contributes to what I like. All my cruising experience is on a whitby 42 (barely remember that boat) and mostly a Wellington 57. I absolutely LOVED that boat. It was awesome. Probably a boat everyone on here says can’t sail at all, but we sailed that thing all over the Caribbean.

This is my first cabin cruising sailboat as owner.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Thomas1985

There are quite a few 1800s wooden boats still around. Even an entire website dedicated to sale of wooden ships.

Wood is strong.

Right but quite hard to maintain especially when used to build a boat.

[thomm225]

Many folk would say a Contessa 26 is a terrible boat and tiny yet several have circumnavigated.

They are tiny though but well proportioned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3pcXWUZ5Pk

[Thomas1985]

That hull deflection is crazy. I’ve never really picked up on it before…

Crazy what you can miss walking by boats on the dock lol

[Thomas1985]

We see a Kadey Krogen 38 tomorrow. I’m pretty excited about it.

I originally passed by the ad, but started researching the boat few weeks ago…

Sounds a lot like a small version of that Wellington 57 I loved being on.

[Kettlewell]

My own experience leads me in a different direction, but we've met all sorts of boats in distant anchorages. I don't make judgements about others choices when we have all arrived in the Marquesas or the Solomons or wherever. I do sometimes make judgements about folks pontificating whilst tied to a marina berth in the midst of "civilization" or sitting in their mother's basement!

^^This^^I have run into all sorts of boats in all sorts of places, indicating to me it is more about the skills of the sailors than the boat itself. Plus, there are many different factors that go into what makes a boat pleasing to one person or another, and sometimes what suits me will be the opposite of what suits you. What experienced cruiser insisted on having a bathtub onboard? Some must have deep draft, while others must have shallow draft. Some hate motoring, while others want a powerful engine. The list goes on and on. However, I know that nobody really knows what they will want until they've been cruising for awhile, so get a small, cheap, older boat first and try it out for a few years to really learn what is important to you.