Boat Size-to-Comfort Ratio

[Unkle Toad]

welcome deffinatly take some sailing classes to make sure you like it. or find out you dont. either way its more information.. ive been doing a little research being in a similar boat(yeah I did that) Ive been researching bluewater capable live aboard able sailboats with headroom I myself am 6'2 but I have several on my list that will clear your brainpan. at least there is somewhere online that says they will give you headroom.


CSY 33 6'7"
Downeaster 32 6'6"
Grampion 34 6'5"
Mariah 31 6'5"
Morgan OI 33 6'5"
Mariner 31/32 6'5"

and several right at 6'4"
Vancouver 27/28
Tayana 37
Pearson Vanguard 32
Niagara 35
Fuji 35
baba 30

we might be looking at some of the same boats in the future I also live on the puget sound and am in the market.

one other thing I have looked at is local sailing club island sailing. they have clubs in kirland, olympia and portland. for less then the rental of a slip for your boat you can take one out anytime you want .. .. after you finish your training of course..

have fun with your search.

[Hudson Force]

Jedi makes a good point about the galley headroom. The first sailboat I lived aboard had 5'11" headroom and this was 4" below my height. Even though this was over forty years ago I can still assume that slouch that would be my stance below. I actually did quite well aboard that boat except at the sink in the galley. If your hands are busy with preparing food or washing dishes, all your awkward support will come from your back. Otherwise there's very little dificulty having a short headroom.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by CaptForce

Jedi makes a good point about the galley headroom. The first sailboat I lived aboard had 5'11" headroom and this was 4" below my height. Even though this was over forty years ago I can still assume that slouch that would be my stance below. I actually did quite well aboard that boat except at the sink in the galley. If your hands are busy with preparing food or washing dishes, all your awkward support will come from your back. Otherwise there's very little dificulty having a short headroom.

Yup.... headroom aint all its cracked up to be... 70% of my boats have been 5'6" or less... currently 4'6"...
Its the bunk length that's important

[valhalla360]

If you are just going to live and work on the boat, I would go houseboat and maybe pick up a cheap 18-20' saiboat to try out sailing.

The houseboat will be comfortable and give you a chance to experience the liveaboard lifestyle.

The odds of you buying the ultimate boat the first time is highly unlikely so don't fight it.

[sharpcoder]

Thank you everyone for your comments. So much information to sift through! I want to respond to a few specific ones, but I do appreciate everyone's input and I read it all

Originally Posted by valhalla360

The odds of you buying the ultimate boat the first time is highly unlikely so don't fight it.

I am actually totally fine with buying a less-than-ideal boat for living. I am not picky at all about my living arrangement and would be more than happy to accept a non-ideal boat for the change of pace it would offer.

Originally Posted by Unkle Toad

...Here is a list of boats with a lot of head room.

Thank you so much! This is an awesome list.

Originally Posted by Capt Phil

I believe the OP should get a little experience on the water before deciding.

Oh yes, definitely, I plan to take an introductory sailing course within a few weeks. I don't intend to actually move forward with anything until I am completely confident in my decision.

And after reading all of these responses, I'm definitely leaving my options open - but I'm leaning towards a 32' -> 36' boat (in length). There are of course many other factors. (Like head room). But I like having some starting criteria to help me feel less intimidated.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by sharpcoder

(...)

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

(...)

Something between 20 and 30'.

We are comfortable two in 26', others are comfortable solo in 70'.

Mind boat interior volume/layouts vary wildly. Beamy boats with tall topsides (or else with deep underbodies) and with high cabins tend to offer most volume.

Like all snakes, you can always move up if you find your skin is too tight.

b.

[goat]

Definitely look at pilot houses. You'll get (usually) a little more headroom and they're great for PNW with big windows to let light in. Or let the grey in. And you can stay dry when you get the occasional rain shower we get here. There's a thread on CF "best pilothouses" worth a look at. My Tanzer has 6'5" headroom but a little short for berths at 6'4". Being 5'9" I can use a trampoline in the galley ;^)

[CPseudonym]

Single guy wants to live aboard in the periodically not wet with a home office and nobody has mentioned a tri cabin trawler like a Grand Banks 36 yet? Seriously folks, not everybody wants to sail

Honestly I do truly love sailing but the idea of using one primarily as a dock condo makes me break out in hives. Older Grand Banks (or CHB, Marine Trader clones) are plentiful in your area and reasonably affordable too. Tri cabin or Europa layouts are very spacious. Tri or double cabin layouts would give you great office and living space with room left over to entertain in.

[Jim Cate]

IIRC the old Columbia 34 had heaps of headroom and were popular enough that there should be some on the market.

Cheers,

Jim

[Teknav]

A trawler, huh...sure...especially if you're voyaging near the United Emirates, where diesel fuel sells for about a $1 USD per gallon; he won't be near that area, though. Wind power...errr...sailing would be less painful on the wallet; life is a trade-off. Mauritz

[CPseudonym]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Wind power...errr...sailing would be less painful on the wallet; life is a trade-off. Mauritz

Go sail around the San Juan Islands of Washington state and let us know about fuel savings. If you buy a sailboat in the PNW don't forget an engine survey, if the boats been used there at all it'll need it. The sails won't exactly be blown out either if ya know what I mean.

Let's not even talk about the cost of standing and running rigging, sails etc. Hardly "free" power, lower overall cost for a world cruiser. If long distance cruising in the tropics I'd go sail. Sailing in the PNW is called motor sailing. Most of them have the sails up without being luffed.

And for the record the absolute cheapest part of boat ownership is fuel. Look at the avatar, that's a planing hull with a moderately cammed 350 V-8. My fuel cost is a non factor and that boat leaves the dock much more often than most folks boats.