Largest boat couple can handle

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Networker

Looking at more typical boats in the 44-50 foot range.

There's a Beneteau Oceanis 451 (I think) coming soon to market in Charleston, if that's useful to know. It'll be with the broker at the City Marina. I dunno much more about it, though...

-Chris

[MicHughV]

To me...the perfect boat size is one that fits your wallet

[Amapola]

If you are physically capable and mentally competent in handling all of the systems, I'd say you could handle a 60-70' boat.

[donradcliffe]

Originally Posted by Amapola

If you are physically capable and mentally competent in handling all of the systems, I'd say you could handle a 60-70' boat.

Buy a 70 ft boat if you want, but hire help to run it and maintain it. Even then, the deaths of the German couple point out the risks from the higher loads.

[Mickeyrouse]

Re the part of this about ferrocement. There seems to be a lot of comment that sounds like making a ferrocement hull as good as fiberglass. What’s the point of that? Unless it was a LOT better than GRP or carbon fiber it seems a massive waste of time and money putzing about something that might be “nearly as good as.” As to cheaper? We learned decades ago that the cost of a boat hull is a fairly small portion of the total cost of a boat. So where is the logic of a miniscule savings cost for dubious resale value to get something nearly as good?

[Bowdrie]

Originally Posted by Mickeyrouse

Re the part of this about ferrocement. There seems to be a lot of comment that sounds like making a ferrocement hull as good as fiberglass. What’s the point of that? Unless it was a LOT better than GRP or carbon fiber it seems a massive waste of time and money putzing about something that might be “nearly as good as.” As to cheaper? We learned decades ago that the cost of a boat hull is a fairly small portion of the total cost of a boat. So where is the logic of a miniscule savings cost for dubious resale value to get something nearly as good?

GRP/Aluminum/Steel? Many are the threads/posts where one of those three are argued to be "as good as or better" than the other two.
Interestingly, many of the high-end one-off yachts today are being built of cold-molded wood and epoxy, and many arguments can be made that they have several superior qualities that glass/aluminum/steel cannot offer.
I don't think any of us, (at least in this thread,) think that Ferro is "nearly as good as" more conventional construction, however, the word "nearly" is quite subjective.
The cost of a hull being such a small percentage of the finished boat?
Hey, we get that almost every day on this website; There is a constant stream of threads where somebody looks at some dubious wreck and thinks, "I could fix that up for a few bucks and not much time and I'll be sailing next summer".
It was the same in the "glory days" of Ferro, "I can plaster-up a hull for a few bucks, throw together an interior and be sailing next summer".
A lot of things have changed, but peoples' dreams, (mine too,) are usually prettier than reality.

[Fore and Aft]

This thread is almost dead now. But today while walking around a marine storage yard I had a bit of a light bulb moment and realised that in all my boatyard crawling you hardly see any smaller (less than 30-foot) international yachts in storage here in Queensland. I know there is probably a whole range of reasons why. But looking at a lot of these expensive boats I wonder just how many have overextended themselves and had to head home early to earn more cruising funds?
Cheers

[Kettlewell]

This thread is almost dead now. But today while walking around a marine storage yard I had a bit of a light bulb moment and realised that in all my boatyard crawling you hardly see any smaller (less than 30-foot) international yachts in storage here in Queensland. I know there is probably a whole range of reasons why. But looking at a lot of these expensive boats I wonder just how many have overextended themselves and had to head home early to earn more cruising funds?

My guess as to the reason why is that there are very few international voyagers using yachts of less than 30 feet. There are lots in the 30-40 foot range, but very few less than 30, at least as seen by me down in the Caribbean and headed toward the Panama Canal. I think the average length has crept up since I first began voyaging, and I would guess the average length may be around 40-45 feet or so.

[RaymondR]

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

My guess as to the reason why is that there are very few international voyagers using yachts of less than 30 feet. There are lots in the 30-40 foot range, but very few less than 30, at least as seen by me down in the Caribbean and headed toward the Panama Canal. I think the average length has crept up since I first began voyaging, and I would guess the average length may be around 40-45 feet or so.

30' you're camping out, 40' is a decent home.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

30' you're camping out, 40' is a decent home.

Folk who like 30-32ftrs find them a decent enough home.. hell I've lived comfortably enough on a 23ftr for over 18mths.
Folk who own 40+ft cannot imagine life on anything less.. lotsa stuff they can't live without..

[Don C L]

Yeah it seems the answer to “how much do I REALLY need?” has undergone inflation over the years. When the westail 32 came out and was the yacht of choice for world travel, I thought that boat was HUGE. It seems kinda small now. But not compared to mine!

[RaymondR]

32" would have been more than enough for me when I still had active hormones and could drink a carton of beer every day.

[Gianfranco]

at 78 and single-hander a 30 ft is a challenge. Changing sails is hard. They increase in weight by 50% or I see it that way.
a smaller boat is considered more friendly, less demanding, and more independent.
If you don't mind the cost and having people around to help, the size is unlimited.
I used to sail a 20 ft locally. most enjoyed boat. went up to 30 ft and above, I don't go out as much, becomes a seating cottage.
traveling the world? I think a 36 to 38 ft would be the best boat.
Think of your mate handling it alone in an emergency.
in any case, get a boat and go... Now... tomorrow is too late....

[Haddock1]

Been sailing since 2009 and started with a Jaguar 27 and my last boat was a Beneteau 46. Now sail a Bavaria C57 with just myself and wife onboard for company. She great at watches, anchoring and cooks a mean chilli but when it comes to boat handling it's all me. I am 63 I have every labour saving device onboard and find it easy to sail. I have a furling main and code Zero and a self taking foresail complimented with electric winches and bow & stern thrusters. We've done some serious miles around the Med been in some big blows and still here to tell the tale. IMO it's all about the kit and experience and not the length but would caveat that this is plenty big enough for us and would not buy a larger boat.

[mako]

@Networker, so if you wish to have the comfort of a large boat, and you desire it to travel the world, to explore, but not to live at a dock, and you have the financial wherewithal (you're considering and 65 or swan 70 after all), then (call me a heretic) you may consider ...

... buying a large trawler. An older cruising couple can easily handle, maintain, maneuver and wash a 65 footer. That's the limit I would place from a practical point of view.