What You ESPECIALLY like about your boat's design

[Sandero]

We all "end up" with a boat we generally come to love. But all designs are compromises of some sort... some better in a seaway... others offer better accommodation plans for live aboards and so on.

Perhaps you might name the 5 things (or more) about your boat's design which stand out for YOU. This may be difficult, but think of how THOSE features may be different from other boats and ones you did not choose.

1. large protected aft cockpit with stern boarding ladder which allows several people to lie down at once on wide "seats"... including a fold up cockpit table for dining... and especially a bridge deck allowing one to sit protected (under dodger) and see all instruments on forward "dash"

2. flush decks.. easy to work / walk on which provides lots of volume and headroom below.

3. all mainsail control lines led aft to cockpit

4. large U shaped galley adjacent to companionway w/ CL sink

5. large sit down nav station which accommodates large charts and instruments... facing forward, adjacent to companionway with instrument displays readable from companionway

What say you?

Jef
sv Shiva
Contest 36s

[swagman]

Hi Jef,

I'd prefer to look at the differing features as 'customisation' as opposed to 'compromise'. We've all got (I hope) what we actually wanted to get from our yachts - and we should thank God we don't all want the same thing - or life and marinas would look really boring.

Our own yacht suits us 100%. I'm equally sure yours suits your needs also.

So 'Vive la difference' says I.

Cheers
JOHN

[Talbot]

John you could take your comments further and say that two people who believe they are looking for a similar compromise may still disagree fundamentally on boat choice.

Boat choice is such a subjective assessment that it is very difficult to achieve meaningful objective assessment criteria.

[swagman]

Agreed Talbot

JOHN

[Sandero]

Of course this thread was not meant to establish an object standard... but it might be interesting to see what features people like about their boats. No?

Jef
sv Shiva
Contest 36s

[Dman]

I really like the way my boat keeps the water on the outside.I had one before that didn`t and it was very expensive to operate without insurance.Now that i think of it ,it wasn`t a very comfortable vessel either and had a poor resale value.

[BC Mike]

My boat takes very good care of me when it is rough. The rougher it gets the more problems others have, and the better my boat looks after me. We can also hit things with the keel and the keel does not get upset. Zero blisters is also nice.
Michael

Five things on each of my boats. HMMM... I will leave out the trimaran because I have not yet sailed her.
So... The Challenger 40 Ketch
1) Interior room is unbelievable. For live aboard, I have never been on a more comfortable boat
2) Modifed full keel, very sea kindly vessel.
3) Ketch rig, easy to hadle sails for a 40 footer. Lots of sail combos.
4) Aft cabin. I hate sleeping in the main saloon.
5) Huge aft cockpit. I am not a center cockpit person, and the huge aft cockpit is great when you take 6 or 8 people sailing. Lots of room to hang out.

Kittiwake (28' Norwegian double ender)
1) Wood boat
2) Cutter rig. Easily single handed, points well
3) Tight interior, lots of places to grab on in a seaway. Critical items always within reach
4) Tiller. Easy to rig sheet to tiller steering, good feel when underway. Simple. Not much to break.
5) Double ender. Great in following seas. Pleasing to look at.

There are other good and bad things about both, and some are a double edged sword. Lots of room below, means room to get thrown in a seaway. Tight below can get really tight when anchored out, and the weather is too cruddy to go ashore.
Great thread! I will rate the trimaran if it ever stops raining long enough to finish the darn thing

[Talbot]

two hulls
full size double bed
lots of headroom
heads compartment that can be used at sea and is large enough for a shower
hot water
cockpit that can take more people than the boat has bunks
wheelhouse
chart plotter
in-mast reefing
electric windlass
plenty of sunbathing space

[Joli]

Since no one else said it, I like the way our boat sails.

[Weyalan]

It is difficult to make individual points, because, for me, its a "whole boat" thing. The thing that I like best, which is actually a whole combination of things, is that my boat is such a good compromise between being an out and out racer and a cruiser. I mean, she has a racing pedigree design, is light and fast and her rig and deck layout is very much race-inspired, but down below, she has a far more cruising orientated layou than most racers. Having 2 x double sized quarterberth cabins instead of just pipe cots, for example.
Having tankage for 200 litres of water and 110 litres of diesel instead of the more common (in racers) 50 & 50. Having a stove with a grill & oven. Having plenty of windows to let in natural light. Double hatches up forward so you can get plenty of fresh air directly into the head... All these things are, by themselves, small details, but together they make my boat feel "right" to me.

[CaptainK]

Eventhough, I'm the only sailor on my boat. My boat starter boat is just perfect for me.

But, hopefully down the road. I could buy another boat (project boat). Or build me a steel hulled sailboat. And build her longer than 50 feet!!

That's just me!!

[coot]

Some aspects that I really like:

1) high availability systems -- many of our systems have alternates. e.g. heat comes from a diesel heater, reverse cycle AC/heat pump, or space heaters. AC power comes from inverter, generator, or shore power. Battery charging comes from main engine alternator, AC generator, or shore power. There are two water tanks, two heads. I only have one house battery bank, but I can separate it into two banks easily.

I have made use of the alternative systems on many occasions.

1) big enough to stand up inside -- I believe most boat designers are hobbits, but I am not.

1) the center cockpit -- You are up higher, so you get a really good view. This is nice at anchor as well as under way. Being in the middle of the boat really helps keep you dry when the waves get nasty, too. (You ever had waves crashing over both ends of the boat at the same time? It's an experience.)

1) fin keel - It can make fantastically tight turns. This is very helpful in tight spaces like marinas. With prop walk, I can rotate the boat in a space only 10 or 20 feet longer than the boat. It is very easy to control in reverse at low speeds.

1) much storage space -- You never have enough, though, so we converted our entire forward berth into storage. It is now shelving with boxes and tie-down straps.

I list all as #1 because they all are important.

[Wynand]

what I like best?
She was designed by myself. Beauty of this is the fact that one know what is best for the boat without trying to convince a client who'm is only worried about staterooms, heads and where to put the damn TV....

[Pura Vida]

What I like about my C&C 27...
1 Sails great
2 Small enough to comfortably single hand
3 Enough projects to keep me busy
4 Sound enough to make the time and investment in those projects worthwhile.
5 No Payments
6 Passing a very popular 30 footer on every point of sail.