Boat Size-to-Comfort Ratio

[sharpcoder]

Howdy Everyone!

I am currently in the planning phase of my master liveaboard plan, and feel slightly confused as to what type of boat I should be looking for. Now I know this topic gets asked a lot, so I'll put my own spin on it with a succinct question:

In your experience, what is the smallest boat a single, no-attachments person could reasonably live on while still being comfortable?

Naturally my inclination is to jump head-first and snag a boat loan for some awesome 42' yacht, but I realize this is a poor idea on so many levels. I can reasonably have 10-20k saved up before I commit to anything, and I think it's probably better to outright buy a smaller boat - just to learn on - and see if the liveaboard lifestyle is long-term compatible.

I realize buying a boat is like falling in love - angels will play a fanfare from on high the moment you lay eyes on her. But I am looking for a general way to narrow my search. I figure boat-length is probably a good start.

Thank you!