Small center cockpits for coastal cruising liveboard family

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by Scout 30

Here's an interesting boat for sale that's a proven blue water design in your price range. It's priced low which is always a red flag but it might be due to it's location & not it's condition. If it's in good condition this would be quite a deal.

https://miami.craigslist.org/pbc/boa/5599269137.html

Looks to be one of the kit westsails where you buy the hull and finish out everything else. Looks like plywood was used for the deck and cabin structures. If the hull is not damaged and the ballast is intact, the price is about right.

[Scout 30]

Here's another interesting listing in your price range. I'm not familiar with them but a quick internet search indicates that it's a rugged Scandinavian boat.

https://fortmyers.craigslist.org/lee...600659212.html
THE VIKSUND STORY | Silver Donald Cameron
1974 Viksund Goldfish 31 MS Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com
Kystopplevelser : In English ( INFO ) Se face book Erling Viksund : The boat adventure ! :

[TrentePieds]

The "Goldfish" ["Goldfish :-)???] is not significantly different in length from TrentePieds and here are the specs:

VIKSUND 31 GOLDFISH MS sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Lord knows that TrentePieds is small enuff, and IMO jamming an aft cabin onto a 25Ft waterline totally buggers the comfort below decks. In TINY cruisers every cubic inch counts, and the waste of cubic inches in this design is - I think - quite striking!

She is a motor sailer with a SailArea/Displacement ratio at the low end of the feasible range, though greater than TrentePieds' :-). There are places when being "permanently reefed" can be an advantage (west coast of her native Norway is one such place), but I wouldn't think the Caribbean is, any more than is the Salish Sea. It is true, of course, that nothing goes to weather better than 1,500 RPM. With the 56HP Volvo (must be a retrofit since the specs call for 36HP) the consumption would be four litres an hour, so with her tankage of 200L and a cruising speed under power of 5 knts the range would be 250NM. Not too bad, but I wonder why the retrofit? Maybe the 36-er couldn't push her against the winds howling down from Greenland like a thousand demented banshees!

One of my dearly held dogmas is that a cruising boat MUST be weatherly. West Coast of Norway, and my native Denmark, are lee shores, and NASTY when it blows. Just like the coast of Oregon :-). A cruiser HAS to be able to cleave off. I wouldn't think that the Goldfish can do that, without the Volvo grinding away, any more than TrentePieds can. I can live with that in TrentePieds because I'm no longer quite a greenhorn, but a noob might want to take this consideration seriously!

I don't believe the Goldfish ever became popular even in her native waters - Norway's "midcoast" very near Bergen. I think there is a reason. I also think that the asking price for the one is Portugal is WAY, WAY out of line at $40K -green-backs at that!

TrentePieds

[barnakiel]

With all due respect to fellow posters, imho that W32 is a better not touched by anyone with little experience in boat projects.

How much she sails on the ear, how she takes water on the sidedeck, how the sidedeck is not dammed from the cockpit, then look at the MM size of the mooring cleats, etc. ... would you really sail away in a boat like this?

I would not.

And she is not a center cockpit either.

b.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

With all due respect to fellow posters, imho that W32 is a better not touched by anyone with little experience in boat projects.

How much she sails on the ear, how she takes water on the sidedeck, how the sidedeck is not dammed from the cockpit, then look at the MM size of the mooring cleats, etc. ... would you really sail away in a boat like this?

I would not.

And she is not a center cockpit either.

b.

Thank you for pointing out the weaknesses of the w32. I refrained due to the tons of protests when i condemn a boat. You are correct. Furthermore, the design of the doghouse is, to phrase a term, piss poor. If the poor design of the doghouse is any indication, this would be a real project boat for some years to bring it up to a factory finished westsail.

The w32 does however offer a large hull for its waterline, immense carrying capacity for its size, and a safe hull(assuming hull really was made by the factory and not a knockoff). The amidship cockpit was assumed to be a potential tradeoff for other attributes.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by alohafam

...................The plan is to daysail along the coast, anchor/marina at night, so really just need something that is comfortable to live on and safe to sail, but nothing fancy.

Also we do not need or want many systems. We are ok without refrigeration or pressure or hot water since we should be able to shower at a marina. Its all about the adventure and getting the most time with the kids now, while they are young.

We know many folks with our same boat. Many, many of them congratulate themselves for never using their head to poop or use their showers.

I say "Nonsense."

I much prefer showering on my boat than dragging my sorry ass a half a mile to what is usually a crappy, filthy shower with questionable hot water.

I just don't get how you could spend two or more nights at anchor and NOT want to take a shower.

OK, on my 25 footer that we had for 13 years before buying this boat in 1998, we didn't have a shower. So, I bought a SunShower and used that, but it only worked for me in the summer, and I am able to sail year round.

If you're in the PNW you will not only want, but will actually NEED a diesel heater. You have the choice of air (better heating with no condensation) or hydronic (heats the domestic water, too).

You might want to do some more research before you make these kinds of generalizations about what you don't NEED. Most of us buy bigger boats because they have these "luxury" systems, which take little or no maintenance if you do preventative maintenance to avoid nasty surprises.

Good luck, whatever you eventually choose.