Tough and safe family boat

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by thomm225

With a family of 4 to be pleasant would take about a 50'-60' boat, and the kids would still get bored with it after a very short time.

Most of the old geezers giving advice here have forgotten what it's like to be young and even if they could remember kids today are very different than we were with all the instant technology etc. they have had since birth.

I would not agree with a 50-60 footer , I know two families crossing in a 393 and a 42 footer, one has three early teen kids, Kids are adaptable , and many are enthusiastic sailors

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I would not agree with a 50-60 footer , I know two families crossing in a 393 and a 42 footer, one has three early teen kids, Kids are adaptable , and many are enthusiastic sailors

Nice but your average teenager or even young person in their 20's will get tired of the sailing very quickly.

All you have to do to know this is go down to your local marina and see how many folks you see under age 40 or so.

[more]

Originally Posted by AiniA

I would agree that HR and an older Amel would be good. .

All boat older from 2000 is garbage and for recycling.

cheapest 2008 Amel 54 54ft €399,000 (US$455,710) tax not paid
Le Marin, Martinique
over budget. i living from repair boat if you come to me with boat older from 2000. i don't want talk with you. every bolt is a problem on this semi-custom boat.
Only Bavaria because simply Germany design is a good boat and easy maintenance.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by more

All boat older from 2000 is garbage and for recycling.

.

Huh?

[goboatingnow]

Only Bavaria because simply Germany design is a good boat and easy maintenance.

absolutely true, my Bav 36 is one of the best boats I've ever owned to owner service and upgrade.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Nice but your average teenager or even young person in their 20's will get tired of the sailing very quickly.

All you have to do to know this is go down to your local marina and see how many folks you see under age 40 or so.

causation and correlation

the fact is I bought my first boat at 29 ( 33K) my generation is the last with guaranteed state backed pensions , generous health plans and elderly supports, coupled with the fact that I have experienced the greatest growth in asset prices thats been seen

Young professionals cant afford houses, They certainly cant afford boats and then they have no time to enjoy them anyway

Thats why , not that they arent interested in sailing

Folks crossing oceans in small boats are an extreme rarity , kids even less so , but its not because they are bored

Dinghy sailing around me is fantastically popular with kids , may more then when I was growing up

[Na Mara]

I would argue that long term cruising with a family of four does not require a 50 ft boat. It requires three sleeping cabins outside the saloon to be comfortable but that’s about it. A Bavaria 36 will give you sufficient space. If a second heads is needed is up to individual tastes but that pushes you up to maybe 40ft. My boat is 43ft and is more than spacious enough for my family of 4 for long term cruising. The key is having a separate sleeping cabin for each of the kids and then one big one for the two adults. That lets everyone escape from each other as and when they need to.

[EQJim]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Only a 26?

Funny how folks think they need a bigger boat to sail a longer distance.

Several Contessa 26's have circumnavigated while others simply crossed an ocean or two.

Ok. We are a family of 5 with 3 small boys. I don't think we need a very large boat but coastal cruising for longer periods of time (let alone crossings) on a 26 is not the most realistic and responsible scenario.

If it was just me (or with the wife) it might've been different.

[EQJim]

Originally Posted by thomm225

With a family of 4 to be pleasant would take about a 50'-60' boat, and the kids would still get bored with it after a very short time.

Most of the old geezers giving advice here have forgotten what it's like to be young and even if they could remember kids today are very different than we were with all the instant technology etc. they have had since birth.

Yes very true. But between you and me (and the rest of the world on this public forum) one of the many reasons we are attracted to the cruising world is because of the lesser exposure to constant social media and tech. My kids will have a life time of tablet, VR, internet and social media in front of them, so if we can tone that down just a tiny bit and swap it for real life advantures we would be very thankful.

[Na Mara]

When I was a lad I grew up doing 2-3 week cruises in the English Channel on a 26ft Westerly Griffon as a family of 4. It was great!!

For family holiday cruising you don’t need much and indeed the whole camping on the water thing but can be part of the charm.

However, that cosy charm wears off after a few weeks and the need for some personal privacy imposes itself. Hence if going offshore for longer than a couple of weeks you really do need a separate sleeping cabin for each child plus one for the parents.

You can get 45ft yachts with 4 cabin layouts that would do a family of 5 but these will be charter orientated boats. It’s easier to get a boat for a family of 4 as there is lots of choice in the 36-45 ft range of 3 cabin boats. If you’ve got 4 or more kids then unless you are willing to go to 55+ft, then you will need to have them in shared cabins. That can work but you will find that the older the kids get the less they will want to be part of the adventure. It’s tough enough being a teenager, imagine doing that without any personal space.

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

though the all teak inside is a northern european things, southern boats often had less dark interiors

You are correct. That boat has been built on the shores of Baltic Sea.

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Most of the old geezers giving advice here have forgotten what it's like to be young and even if they could remember kids today are very different than we were with all the instant technology etc. they have had since birth.

Not really, the days sailing with 3 children on a 27' boat around Sardinia are still very present. However, even if it's fun for a week or two, I wouldn't suggest going cruising with such a boat with the family.

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by more

All boat older from 2000 is garbage and for recycling.

Has to take the prize for dumbest hyperbolic post of the day (although the day is still young).

[Joh.Ghurt]

Originally Posted by Statistical

Has to take the prize for dumbest hyperbolic post of the day (although the day is still young).

The statement may be a bit hyperbolic, but in the essence has a lot of merits. With a family of 5 you can't expect to do half a year of boat work on the hard before leaving the dock. This kicks most boats over 20 years old off the list of reasonable candidates. That's basically anything before 2000.

I write this sitting on a 40 year old boat, but still agree it would be a brain-dead choice for a family of 5 with little experience in boat work.

[Don C L]

But there are many older boats, in very good condition, and as ready to go as boats that are less than 10 years old. Age is not the whole story is the point I think one might make…..