Blue water cruising on a AWB

[Salty John]

Great response with which I agree fully. There has been many a discussion on this subject held in idyllic anchorages all over the world and I would guess the conclusions are pretty much the same: The most suitable boat to go cruising in is the one you have now, or the one you can get your hands on without spending too much of your cruising fund. However, don't expect an AWB to stand up to the punishment that a custom built one-off will, and don't expect to be as comfortable at sea in a light displacement AWB as in a heavy displacement long keel cruiser, but an AWB at the dock or in a secure anchorage is going to be a lot more comfortable than the bulletproof pocket cruiser.

 

[Robin]

Great little boats Centaurs but they had keel problems notably where moorings were in gloopy mud. Early ones too had a weakness where the lower shrouds were fitted over cabin window cutouts, later models had a grab handle spanning the aperture I believe. A friend of ours lost the mast on his and a sizeable piece of the coachroof when this chainplate attachment failed off St Alban's Head. Some also had problems with bent rudder shafts, again drying moorings and hard bottoms didn't help.

 

[bbg]

One of the magazines recently showed some data of the ARC over the last few years. There are certainly a lot of people who think that AWBs can be good blue water cruisers, as there are so many that have done the ARC.

I recall that one of the top ten boats to have done the ARC (in terms of numbers) was the Beneteau First 40.7. Hardly the kind of obat that many would think of first as a cruiser, but it obviously has a lot going for it for so many people to choose it.

As others have said, we all have different priorities and those will determine what we buy / sail. I can accept that some newer, lighter designs might be uncomfortable in certain weather, but the heavy displacement brigade must also concede that their "ideal" boats will often be less roomy and in some cases slower than an AWB.

Personally I would not hesitate in taking an AWB blue water cruising. Although if the truth were to be told, and money were no object, I would go for a cat.

 

[Sailfree]

I had a look at a Oceanlord as I knew they enjoyed a good reputation. The owner was not selling and he treated it as his pride and joy. I thought it a great boat but SWMBO hated it as dark and old fashioned.

I have to admit the interior did look old, dated and tired.

I have difficulty imagining a boat that had been well used not looking a bit tired.

The problem with AWB's is that they are popular, successful and ...... hence still made so you can compare an older one with a new one and hence the ability to a direct comparison makes them look especially tired.

 

[Sailfree]

Interested in your choice suggesting you favour the Beneteau. Both Beneteau and Jeanneau are owned by the same company but allowed to follow their own marketing and design strategies but I suspect they use their combined buying power on suppliers.

When I looked at them both I got the impression the Beneteau was trying to have a luxurious interior and be a cruiser to appeal to SWMBO while the Jeanneau was following on but 5 years behind on the interiors (I still chose a Jeanneau but a DS to be light and airy!) however what did strike me was that Beneteau's use a grid system of an inner moulding to strengthen the hull while the Jeanneau use traditional transverse beams and stringers. I remember some debate (I think it was a USA website!) about the inner lining becoming debonded with too much heavy pounding but never read any conclusions.

Is there a problem with an inner grid lining to strengthen hulls becoming debonded with age or heavy seas or just the odd case like the Bavaria keels that present golden opportunities for other to rubbish a particular brand or AWB's in general.

 

[Mirelle]

If you want to do it, go and do it.

But stop wasting perfectly good electrons with inane questions.

Of course you can potter about the tropics in an Average White Boat. There are loads of them doing it, even as we type.

Of course an AWB will feel cooler (relatively!) down below than a Vertue.

And of course the AWB will scare you sillier in the bad weather that you probably won't meet.

You knew all that anyway.

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]

It is always the 'person' not the boat!


[/ QUOTE ]

Only too true.

According to today's survey Yanita's a credit to us.
The buyer got a good deal - I know I should have asked more. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[rallyveteran]

The point about going to Bermuda in November is that it is the most common way of getting from the US East Coast to the Caribbean, not that it is reckless.

As for which boat to choose, if you want something that will be comfortable at sea, less likley to break and designed so that you can maintain it, you may have to compromise on space and age. (Decent stowage and seaberths are other factors I did not mention first time.) Vessels I have sailed with that have done well (worth less than £150K) have included Warriors, Rivals, older Moodys and some of the smaller older Oysters. Looking for something at £50K would be more of a struggle. One possiblity would be to look out for a boat that has returned from an Atlantic circuit, or ideally a circumnavigation. They will tend to have more of the equipment you will need and the owners are sometimes looking to shift them quickly.
No, they will not be as comfortable in a marina and your wife may not warm to them before she goes, but if she spoke to some of the wives in AWBs that I have met on the far side of the world, she would come round.
Rallyveteran