ocean cruising boats list

[passage_paul]

As I continue to research and fine tune a shopping/review list I came across what I think is a very good website that may help others that are new and shopping around for a boat that will make ocean crossings.

mahina.com/cruise.html

about 3/4 way down is this fellows list. It has many boats and some great notes about positives and negatives.

This guy has quite the resume so I assume he has a pretty good idea of whats up, 38 years and 332k nm,,, what a blessed life that must be!

Mostly posted here for the benefit of new folks out looking for long haul home but may be of benefit for old timers looking to switch it up.


I was also pleased to see that most of the suggestions folks here on the forum gave to me are also listed. Thanks for not leading me astray..!!

[robert sailor]

It's an old list and while some of his picks are common sense others just point out his personal bias. He is a very experienced sailor but all that time has been spent in a couple of boat designs, primarily HR's. So if you actually haven't owned a boat, or sailed that boat or maintained that boat your simply throwing a personal opinion out there with not much to support it. It is not a bad reference but until recently he never had a Catamaran, he's not a Catamaran guy but he is in the business of helping people select boats so he has added some Cats as without it he would lose business. I think he puts out some really good sailing seminars and good offshore training but when it comes to boat selection I would expand my sources.

[slug]

I just looked at his boat

Teak deck ?

Yikes

Be careful with internet know it alls and cruising consultants

If you would like to research boats contact a high class yacht designer and look thru his catalogue of study plans , stock designs

Once you find a design that suits your style communicate with the designer and find out what’s on the market

[Pizzazz]

Most people who go into cruising start with coastal sailing and then a small percentage cast off full time after a couple of years. Most will be better served with a popular coastal cruiser that is cheap, easier to handle and easy to take out often vs. an ocean optimized cruiser.

These historic lists show a great many boats in the 28-40 ft range that are heavy, old fashioned and not appealing to younger folk. Any modern boat over 40 ft long will be a solid ocean boat. Length does a lot more for stability and comfort than anything else. Then the question of cost comes a long. Teak looks great and you should only admire people who are willing to pay to buy it and maintain it. Older boats, while cheap require a lot of maintenance and by the time you fix every potential issue you would have spent the equivalent amount for a new boat.

Lastly, the appetite for risk vs. adventure vs. time. It is a very personal decision. Some people buy a boat for $30K, put another $20K in it, then cruise happily for many years. Others buy a boat for $300K, put another $100K in it and never take it further out than 20 nm offshore. But they brag to their friends about their ocean going boat.

My only advice is stick with modern designs (fin keel, lots of light, good sail plan) and established, volume manufacturers (top 10 by volume, current boats). Everything else is a project.

SV Pizzazz

[slug]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

Most people who go into cruising start with coastal sailing and then a small percentage cast off full time after a couple of years. Most will be better served with a popular coastal cruiser that is cheap, easier to handle and easy to take out often vs. an ocean optimized cruiser.

These historic lists show a great many boats in the 28-40 ft range that are heavy, old fashioned and not appealing to younger folk. Any modern boat over 40 ft long will be a solid ocean boat. Length does a lot more for stability and comfort than anything else. Then the question of cost comes a long. Teak looks great and you should only admire people who are willing to pay to buy it and maintain it. Older boats, while cheap require a lot of maintenance and by the time you fix every potential issue you would have spent the equivalent amount for a new boat.

Lastly, the appetite for risk vs. adventure vs. time. It is a very personal decision. Some people buy a boat for $30K, put another $20K in it, then cruise happily for many years. Others buy a boat for $300K, put another $100K in it and never take it further out than 20 nm offshore. But they brag to their friends about their ocean going boat.

My only advice is stick with modern designs (fin keel, lots of light, good sail plan) and established, volume manufacturers (top 10 by volume, current boats). Everything else is a project.

SV Pizzazz

I’m an old guy

Modern designs are absolutely superior

Both sailing ability and human ergonomics

A thousand mile downwind passage on an old pinched stern , , heavy , full keel skeg rudder is torture

[passage_paul]

"It's an old list"
..updated 2019


"your simply throwing a personal opinion out there with not much to support it"
..something that NEVER occurs on this forum...??


"Be careful with internet know it alls"
...I know.. right?? especially those in random forums with out a resume!


"If you would like to research boats contact a high class yacht designer and look thru his catalogue of study plans , stock designs"

...riiight.. cause everyone new to boats has the time, availability, and funds to do so... ya..


"Teak deck"?
Can you believe it??!! Why does the industry still do this??!! How can they possible float about with teak decks??!! How can any living soul possible have the time or desire to maintain this??!!



Good G-D people.. this is a list by someone who at least has the balls to put up a "resume" of sorts and provides a list of several boats that HE feels are appropriate. How many NM do you have under your belt?... he is obviously not stalking forums living in a bubble. He gets paid to share..how many people feel confident to pay for your OPINION??


I posted this here primarily as a basic STARTER for new folks.. Folks that may not even be aware of some of the choices.

It was NOT posted here for undocumenteds to nay say the efforts of a highly experienced sailor who has given of his time to provide a resource for others.. something more than "thats stupid" .. the non comment type of comments that are prolific in public forums.

The list is not up here for debate. The list is here to allow NEWBIES an additional resource, a resource that consists of more than some non credentialed anonymous poster on a forum.. ie fake news.

[billknny]

Originally Posted by slug

Be careful with internet know it alls and cruising consultants

Originally Posted by slug

Modern designs are absolutely superior

Both sailing ability and human ergonomics

A thousand mile downwind passage on an old pinched stern , , heavy , full keel skeg rudder is torture

As a fellow internet know-it-all I can say that the two boats I have sailed on that were the most comfortable as far as easy, sea kindly motion--both up wind and down--were a Cabo Rico 38 (a full keel, canoe stern) and a Hans Christian Christina 52 (1970 era keel and skeg rudder, not "traditional" but hardly "modern"). Not that they were the best all round boats, but they were very comfortable and easy handling on passage. The Christina had far and away the most stable course holding of any boat I have sailed when running before the wind. It was like it was on rails.

The least comfortable I have ever had the misery to sail on--by a very long margin--was a Jeanneau 49, the most modern of the bunch. Fun, easy and fast to sail in the bay on flat water, AWFUL in the ocean waves. It would pound the fillings out of your teeth upwind and was nervous and squirrelly when running. Modern ain't everything it's cracked up to be.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by passage_paul

"It's an old list"
..updated 2019


"your simply throwing a personal opinion out there with not much to support it"
..something that NEVER occurs on this forum...??


"Be careful with internet know it alls"
...I know.. right?? especially those in random forums with out a resume!


"If you would like to research boats contact a high class yacht designer and look thru his catalogue of study plans , stock designs"

...riiight.. cause everyone new to boats has the time, availability, and funds to do so... ya..


"Teak deck"?
Can you believe it??!! Why does the industry still do this??!! How can they possible float about with teak decks??!! How can any living soul possible have the time or desire to maintain this??!!



Good G-D people.. this is a list by someone who at least has the balls to put up a "resume" of sorts and provides a list of several boats that HE feels are appropriate. How many NM do you have under your belt?... he is obviously not stalking forums living in a bubble. He gets paid to share..how many people feel confident to pay for your OPINION??


I posted this here primarily as a basic STARTER for new folks.. Folks that may not even be aware of some of the choices.

It was NOT posted here for undocumenteds to nay say the efforts of a highly experienced sailor who has given of his time to provide a resource for others.. something more than "thats stupid" .. the non comment type of comments that are prolific in public forums.

The list is not up here for debate. The list is here to allow NEWBIES an additional resource, a resource that consists of more than some non credentialed anonymous poster on a forum.. ie fake news.

There are many, many threads on this forum and others doing just what your intention is. While I don't agree with all the above comments as well, some are founded. Another good resource for good ole cruisers is https://sailboat.guide/blue-water-boats

[sailorboy1]

damn I'm not on the list, how am I going to get underway tomorrow

it always cracks me up when wannabes don't have the boat experience to choose a boat so go to a list, but think they are going to going on some big ocean crossing adventure

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by slug

I’m an old guy



Modern designs are absolutely superior



Both sailing ability and human ergonomics



A thousand mile downwind passage on an old pinched stern , , heavy , full keel skeg rudder is torture

I just don’t get this.

What are these ergonomics that are so important?

And the only thing my old boat does better than a modern design is run downwind! It’s deepest draft is near the stern, it follows downwind sails downwind!

[Fore and Aft]

Steady on Passage Paul it’s only the Internet, no need to bite. I bit few times on this forum and got put back in my kennel.
As for lists regarding the best boat that’s like a list for the best partner. There is no such thing. After surveying thousands of boats a lot which have crossed the pacific the best boat is the one you can afford or makes your heart sing. That’s it, then if your treasure is not “Offshore perfect” you need balls and a bit of luck.
Cheers

[robert sailor]

John Neale does not care for liner built boats and that pretty much covers almost all modern boats other than the higher quality boats built today. So your not going to see a Beneteau or Jeanneau or Barvaria or Hunter or Hansa or Durfour or any boat built to similar standards show up on his list...it ain't there. I read somewhere that in his travels he had seen some examples of these boats suffer catastrophic liner/bulkhead failures so he wants nothing to do with them. He wants to see bulkheads glassed into the hull not glued in a slot in the liner that is then spot glued to the hull.
I understand his thinking and I prefer stick built boats over liner built boats myself but it's also my opinion that if you are crossing oceans in the lower latitudes where 95% of sailors want to cross then a liner built boat is up to the task in most cases. Its true that liner built boats are built down to a price but there is nothing wrong with that. It keeps them affordable and high in value. Most high production items manufactured these days are built down to a price so there is no need to apologise for that. So are stick built boats tougher and more durable than liner built boats, sure they are but for most sailors a liner built boat will get you there and do it at a much more affordable price. A price you can actually afford to pay.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I'm even more cracked up by a vomiting wannabe with dreams of ocean crossings that hasn't been on a boat enough to have any idea of what would be good, and who then thinks he is helping other by posting a new thread to an old tired boat list like no one has heard of it before.

Once you stop vomiting consider this - only a fool with no knowledge or experience would allow someone else to choose a boat for them. Is it now safe to assume that any boat NOT on that list is not to be considered?

Geez Sailorboy, that's a low blow even for you.

Save that for us that you know not for the relatively "new" guys

And BTW, which oceans have you crossed lately? (or ever for that matter) I have suddenly forgotten. (cruise ships don't count!)

Okay, you do have an excuse though as I understand you don't have the best boat for crossing oceans like I do.

Btw, here's a multiple ocean crosser purchased for $1,000. Bristol 27, 1973. With a Catalina Mainsail which I'm betting cost less than $200. (and your boat cost was ......to cross the 60-70 miles to the Bahamas?)

Good anchored out music .....

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

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by thomm225

And BTW, which oceans have you crossed lately? (or ever for that matter) I have suddenly forgotten]

Says the bay and beach cat guy.

I have been going slow lately. Only did a 150 mile passage last week.

[OrinocoFlo]

Passage Paul,

Thank you so much for posting the link to an excellent article. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like further assistance with boat selection.

Pam