What boat served you best?

[Johnathon123]

I am keen to look at a different type of information for boat selection.

So, what is the boat that served you best in your long term ocean adventure? (I realise this may not apply to everyone as we haven't all been fortunate to get a long term adventure)

If you have the time and inclination could you list how many were on board, for roughly how long and what it was about the boat that made you list it here?

No doubt everyone will be different but I am hoping to get some interesting and unusual answers.

[Jim Cate]

James, all of ours have all done well IMO.

Our first serious boat was a yankee 30, a nice production S&S design. We did about 25000 miles in her, with a finale of SF to Hawaii and back in 1983. Two aboard and never a long term live aboard cruiser, but a sweet boat to sail.

Number two was the first Insatiable, a Palmer Johnson built IOR one tonner, 36 feet by 12 feet by 7'2" when loaded for cruising. Totally unsuitable for cruising sayeth the experts. We lived aboard full time for 17 years and logged 86000 miles, so I'd have to say she served us very well indeed. How so? She kept us alive and kicking despite all our novice indiscretions, and provided a platform for many adventures.

Number three is Insatiable II, a Jon Sayer one-off. Light, slippery and to our eyes quite handsome, with a beautiful New Guinea Rosewood interior... but a bolt on fin keel and partial skeg rudder, flat bottom and again 7'2" draft, all damning factors according to the experts here on CF. Oh, she's also built of timber, not steel or glass... how archaic! We've only had her for 12 y ears now, and within the next couple of days we will crack the 50000 mile mark. She's comfortable, fast for a cruising boat, fun to sail and has taken very good care of us, so that's good service, too.

In reality, I suspect that your question sort of answers itself. If you have had a "long term ocean adventure' on a boat, I reckon that it has served you well. Thus, most long term cruisers will report that their current boat has been a good 'un, and for them it has been so. Still, I reckon that you will get some interesting and contrasting replies!

Cheers,

Jim

[Johnathon123]

Thanks Jim, It's interesting that you have the history of "fast and slippery" which are , as you say, traditionally not thought of as suitable for cruising despite a number of benefits.

I am a great fan of Jon Sayer, he has designed a number of exciting single or double handed boats in particular in the Melbourne - Osaka fleet. Obviously he has also served you well.

Happy Sailing and Fair winds

[gjordan]

WHAT SERVED ME BEST? for the most miles ,for the least money, and in many respects, the most fun, was a Contessa 26. No motor, no electrics, no freezer, no(almost) any comfort. The most comfortable boat that I owned was a Peterson 44. Lots of water, fuel, fridge, freezer, Did I say comfort??? But 10 times the maintainance costs as the 26 footer, and less shallow anchorages to get in to. How well your pocket book serves you should be part of the question, and my advice is go a little smaller, and leave more money in the bank, to keep going. Modern electronics are great, but people spend huge sums of money to think they are safe, when a few things,AND GOOD SEAMANSHIP would keep them perfectly safe. Just my opinion. ______Grant.

[ewitts]

I sailed a lot of boats as a delivery captain but long term living aboard and owning just a couple. I have to say that I did a lot of work moving a J 120 around the ocean, and the fact that a friend of mine sunk one when hitting a whale, maybe not the best idea for passage making. It did open my eyes to the fact that performance is really important to me for enjoying sailing. Pretty impressed with a HR 40 I sailed across the Atlantic. I did my first live aboard cruising on an Island Packet 40. 2-3 people nice boat but not a great sailing boat. Motored more than I like to.
I bought my current boat understanding that it is really fun to sail in light air. A custom Gary Mull design done in aluminum 47ft. She has been a wonderful boat. Lived aboard for 6 years, three trips San Francisco to Mexico and back. Fast and very safe, handles well in heavy weather. Great comfortable interior. Since the interior was done by owners, not a factory, everything is set up with the understanding you will someday be fixing it. Selling her now for a small boat for shorter trips.

[boatman61]

Westerly Longbow was my best all rounder out of all 14 of them..
easy to solo, rode a couple of big storms better than the rest, great storage.. the list goes on...
Only down side was the foam backed head lining they used.. once it died it fell on your head..

[jamhass]

Gotta give some points to the Valiant 40. Factory (and others) claim more V40's (including the 42 -- same hull) have circumnavigated than any other hull. Counts for something if planning long offshore passages.

I will also say that the V40 is a real pleasure to single-hand especially when the wind pipes up a bit.

OK by "modern" standards, she doesn't have the roominess or speed of some more current designs, but for offshore I can't thing of many in her size range that would do as well.

If looking for the V40, give extra points to the V42 (V40 with added bowsprit) or the "Texas-built" V40s. These avoid the blister issues prevalent on some older V40s, besides enjoying a few more modern frills and (perhaps) fresher systems.

[Cheechako]

What served me best was the fastest, therefore the biggest. I loved my 30 footer and had a lot of fun in it. But once I had 44 ft and a 42 cat, I could not go back. My Contessa 26 was an attempt... but way too slow, narrow & wet for me to put up with. :>)


Favorite mono overall? Tanton 44
Favorite boat Point A to Point B? Lagoon 42

[neilpride]

Best 6 sailing years of my life... Abeking & Rasmussen 62 ft Steel cutter. I miss that Lady...

[Ramjet60s]

17' Venture with a cuddy over 45 years ago doing Canyon Lake sailing in AZ.

...until on a windy head wind afternoon I couldn't get it to point well enough to get around the bend. grins YET I was hooked.

Then a 22' O'Day that I sailed out of Tucson to trailer to Lake Powell then another trip to California and Mission Bay and the Channel Islands.

Then the sailing regatta in the Sea of Cortez with two of my old college buddies who had never sailed... what a riot!

After ten years sold it for a 21' sting potter to ski and fish. That lasted 5 years.

BUT IN 1988 I was promoted with AT&T and moved here to the PNW (Edmonds/Seattle) I bought Odyssey a Pearson 43'. I had Gig Harbor make 15' rowing-sailing matching yatch tender (Illiad) and along with my Old Town back packer canoe (Homer) our family of five sailed for the next 20 years building literally hundreds of priceless memories with that combination of boats. Sold all but Homer (the canoe) in 2006 since the kids were now off raising families of their own.

I retired 18 months ago and about two weeks ago started looking for another sailboat. Don't need to sleep nine this time, but with grandkids now... want to be in about the 34' to 38' range for extended sailing (months at a time) here in this marvelous PNW region.

BEST BOAT? ...the one I had that got me hooked on sailing.

NEXT BOAT? I'm deciding now between a Fiji 35' ketch and a pretty old 42' sloop. I'm interested in what folks think about those since I know sloop's pretty well yet have no experience with a ketch.

Get aboard and cast off. waves

Rodger

[chuckr]

We are not very good sailors - so we need a boat that sails well, sails easily, and very comfortable for full time liveaboard. She is the only boat we have owned and bought her new in 2003 and still going strong in 2015.

She is a Jeanneau DS40.

She is strong and for 2 people excellent room inside. We are also a bit older at late 60s when we started and I am now 70. We sailed her across the Atlantic in 2013 and now just finished year 3 in the Med. We have probably over 30,000nm on her and more to come. When we want to go fast she is fast and yet stable and comfortable. When we need to slug it out in big winds and seas we can slow her a bit and she sails well and comfortable. She is built very strong with lots of little things most people don't think about until you need it. We do have inmast furling and love it.
Just our opinion.

[zeehag]

formosa ketch. this was against many boats i have sailed and some even cruised... and owned... sloop is too busy in heavy weather, ketch manages to make it thru with only a lil speed overground increase and more fun and enjoyment, even in 60 plus kts...