Center Cockpit Sailboats and Blue Water Cruising

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by tropicalescape

Me too...DVC

Ad me to the halyards at the mast list!

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

Lines led to the cockpit usually mean green water over the deck ends up ... in the cockpit. Lots of extra friction just makes the choice worse.

Halyards belong at the mast.

YMMV.

I totally agree for all the above reasons plus the birds nest that ends up in the cockpit while the proverbial crap hits the fan.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Ad me to the halyards at the mast list!

Ditto...

[C4 King Cobra]

I agree with KBUDD as I also have a full enclosure, Sunbrella Canvas top with Izan glass around, Visability, dry and secure. Standing watch is more comfortable and less stressful. In heavy rains I stay dry and the winds have little effect on the enclosure as a whole. At dockside it acts as another room in foul weather. Of course you can roll up the Izan glass for ventilation or remove it completly.

[CFR]

i have a CC similar to the older Amels but built in Aluminium. this year i installed a new harddoger and full canvas. the old dodger was made in wood and plexiglas, now in alumnium and tinted safety glass, really nice and a secure place. very important is the design because so many CC have a very high cockpit and look ugly together with a harddodger, actually i dont know why. i have only 3 steps from the salon to the CC and it is really deep and protected. as mentioned already have a look at the amel , very clever design

[FruiVita]

I am new to sailing but have been bitten badly by the bug. Considering buying a sailboat but waiting for the 'deal of the year'. I've come to think a CC is right for me because of the aft cabin/head although I have yet to sail and dock one (trying to find one to charter in the Chesapeake Bay area). Since I will probably doing a lot of single-handing or sailing with passengers who don't know a halyard from a sheet ("they're all just ropes" my daughter said) it seems having all lines come to the cockpit makes a lot of sense. I'm also thinking that a sloop rig would be best because of less rigging to deal with. I've been looking at (online) 37'-40' Irwins from the '80s. Anyone have any advice on those?

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by Songlines

My wife and I are in the process of selling it all and starting the cruising life. We have looked at hundreds of boats and always come back to center cockpit ketch rigged boats. Are there any concerns I should be aware of that are unique to a center cockbit boat (such as the design not performing well into the wind or too much freeboard that hurts performance)?

I know there is no perfect boat so we want to balance creature comfort with sailing performance. Any thoughs on the topic would be appreciated.


Steve

Having just launched a 42' CC yacht, the main disadvantage is how much jealousy is created when other skippers wives see the back bedroom. Seriously though they are a little bit closer to the spray from the bow. We have counted this with a fabulous hard dodger. The boat has only done a 10 hour trip from Lake Macquarie to the Sydney boat show and that was into 3 - 4 metre swell on the nose. Plenty of green water over the deck but all the sailors stayed dry and warm behind the dodger anyway. Most other disadvantages or advantages that you hear will relate to the particular boat not the centre cockpit design as a concept. I'm definately a fan of CC.

[Andrew Troup]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Ad me to the halyards at the mast list!

Me too

I just came across an article with a well-reasoned and rather thoughtful rationale for this, at Running rigging offshore - Ocean Navigator - May/June 2012

Apologies for cross posting this: I couldn't find this thread and posted a fresh one - If I hurry I might be in time to delete the other....

[Pete7]

Andrew, good find

[gjordan]

Andrew, thanks for a very good link. The only thing I might add to the gear would be a boom brake or 3 or 4 part preventer, so that the inevitable gybe (intentional or not) is much more gentle. I also consider a boom gallows as an essential piece of gear for an offshore cruiser. Another 2 cents worth.____Grant.

[Andrew Troup]

gjordan
Good point

I think anyone fitting a side-deck preventer (or even some boom brakes) should give careful consideration to how to protect the boom (and gooseneck) from the loads this arrangement can induce, at the same time as protecting the crews' heads.

I'm not a fan for having the whole system fail. It's always possible to provide a weak link which lets the boom come far enough inboard to relieve the strain of being aback (or the much worse case, of dipping in the water at speed) and unequivocally STOP THERE.

This implies (for a boom of more massive nature) a controlled deceleration.
This is usually easier to provide with a brake than with a tackle, but most brakes can make it hard to get the boom out square in light winds.