Daydream believer
Well-known member
One of the reasons that I chose the Hanse 311 was the headroom. I am 6.5ft & although it is a tiny bit short of that I can manage Ok. It has an excellent heads department where i can stand close to the pan. The Elan, which I originally considered, has a droped beam above the heads. Unless one is hung like a donkey it is almost impossible to pee into the bowl from a standing position, because one cannot get close to it. This means stripping clothes & a lot of effort when in full oilies etc.
The bunks are long which is another plus. The Elan had narrow doors but also were restricted in height. This made it difficult to get through with full gear LJ etc. on.
So one should not just look at headroom. Look at the bunks, the heads, the shower, the headroom over the galley, the width & height of the door apertures, the headroom where one intends to get dressed
Even the width of the cockpit when helming is an issue. My son is tall but complains that his feet cannot reach the opposite side seats when heeled to brace himself. I can, so It suits me Ok.
Finally, If you must have one of those silly tents try getting in & out of the cabin under it without breaking your back. Then try winching the jib up the foil whilst standing under it to use cabin top winches ( assuming aft led halyards which is a must on any boat)
Then you might start cutting out lots of the suggestions above.
The bunks are long which is another plus. The Elan had narrow doors but also were restricted in height. This made it difficult to get through with full gear LJ etc. on.
So one should not just look at headroom. Look at the bunks, the heads, the shower, the headroom over the galley, the width & height of the door apertures, the headroom where one intends to get dressed
Even the width of the cockpit when helming is an issue. My son is tall but complains that his feet cannot reach the opposite side seats when heeled to brace himself. I can, so It suits me Ok.
Finally, If you must have one of those silly tents try getting in & out of the cabin under it without breaking your back. Then try winching the jib up the foil whilst standing under it to use cabin top winches ( assuming aft led halyards which is a must on any boat)
Then you might start cutting out lots of the suggestions above.