Boat size for cruising in the Caribbean

scubadivingdoc

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Can anyone tell me what would be the minimum size requirement for a motor yacht to safely cruise the Caribbean?
For example from Key West to the Cayman Islands?
 

scubadivingdoc

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I'm more concerned about safety in the open seas and inclement weather. What minimum size cruiser would you feel safe in in the middle of the Caribbean?
 

webcraft

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Just met up with a friend in Horta who has done the Atlantic both ways in an Achilles 24 - he felt safe.

It is more to do with what YOU feel safe in . . .

33ft is probably the minimum to be able to swing a small feline and have essential luxuries like fridges, but many are living the dream in smaller boats. Design and construction are more important than size.

- W
 

snowleopard

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Unless you plan to be there during the summer (i.e. the hurricane season), reckon on something that would be comfortable with a force 6 on the beam in open water. That is what you'll get for a fair bit of the time and because it's open to the ocean the seas get pretty big relative to wind strength, say 7 ft.

Not being a stinkie I wouldn't know what that equates to but I would mention that among the raggies our 40 ft made us feel quite small. Not many motor boats do long open-sea passages out there and those that do tend to be around the 100-150 ft mark!
 

tcm

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Rogue MOBO question tho ?

I think the orig q related to motorboats tho? It's around 700miles south around cuba to caymans, so I reckon it needs a range of at least 420miles if the trip is spilt at mexico, so probly needs not less than a 40 footer - to hold the diesel tanks. I need to know more about the question, background really, though, and of course sheer size does not equate to safety but should help.
 
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