G
Guest
Guest
Leaving aside things like cost, maintenance, and short handling, do you feel that there comes a point when size, comfort, and ride lessens the 'yachting experience' ?
G
Guest
Guest
You bet! As a big boat sailor, I hanker after an International 14. The thrill as the bow drops off the wave and you struggle to keep your footing whilst on the trapeze is incomprable.... as an alternative try pushing a 50' off the dock to put a fender back. Small boat for fun, big ones for going places!
Jeremy_W
New member
It depends on the design. I have sailed an old Whitbread maxi and a 1997 Whitbread 60. Both were far more responsive than, say a 35-foot cruiser designed about its accommodation.
The larger a yacht becomes with a small crew of moderate physical ability, the more you rely on mechanical aids (and I dislike that). At 40 and strong, if not supple, the yachts I love sailing require a fair bit of hard graft.
Ask me again in ten years' time with, possibly, a wife (lacking the sailing instincts that come from years of dinghy racing) and a couple of toddlers in tow and I might offer a different opinion.
The larger a yacht becomes with a small crew of moderate physical ability, the more you rely on mechanical aids (and I dislike that). At 40 and strong, if not supple, the yachts I love sailing require a fair bit of hard graft.
Ask me again in ten years' time with, possibly, a wife (lacking the sailing instincts that come from years of dinghy racing) and a couple of toddlers in tow and I might offer a different opinion.
billmacfarlane
Active member
Yes and no !!! It depends on what yachting experience you want. If you want the immediacy and the sheer physical feel of sailing , then you can experience it in a dinghy assuming you're fit enough. If you want to feel the power of a big boat surging along in a strong breeze then in theory you can. To parody that God awful advert , size doesn't necessarily matter - if you want a buzz from a larger boat then chose your boat carefully. An HR 42 will give you a totally different ride from it's equivalent J boat for instance.
G
Guest
Guest
Depends where you want to go, try getting a sixty footer up the essex creeks or into a traditional cornish harbour?
Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster
Roly, Voya Con Dios, Glasson, Lancaster
ianwright
New member
Anythig bigger than a Vertue smacks of showing off,,,,,, and if you suffer from a short handle ,well, better keep it to yourself,,,,,,,(?)
IanW
Vertue 203, Patience
IanW
Vertue 203, Patience
BrianJ
New member
Depends where you wish to go and what you want to do. I found the answer was to have my 36' van de stadt and sail her to a destination then mess arround in my sabot..which I also used as a tender. Remember some island daestinations dont allow you to anchor too close in, so rig up your sail "tender" and your made.
BrianJ
BrianJ
G
Guest
Guest
It is really a matter of taste, isn´t it ? Some people like sports cars, some like big four-wheel drives.
But I think the issue of handling is key. With a large boat you often have to have external crew members on board - and that will make a big difference to everything from choice of food to sex on deck to your sailing itinerary.
Andreas
But I think the issue of handling is key. With a large boat you often have to have external crew members on board - and that will make a big difference to everything from choice of food to sex on deck to your sailing itinerary.
Andreas
Twister_Ken
Well-known member
Jeremy, I am that man - except the toddlers are now teenagers.
Used to race Swans up to 57'. They are heavy and require plenty of muscley staff.
For family sailing have Sunsailed in several sizes up to 42'. 42' was definitely too big, not at sea, but in small harbours especially trying to park in a crosswind.
I like my boat (28' and not generously canvassed) because there's not much I can't do one-handed, and Madame (who defines the word petite) can also cope with everything. But 28' is not big enough for extended cruising.
I reckon 34-36' would be about right for that, for two people. Anything more would be sheer ostentation!
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by kimhollamby on Wed Jan 30 21:25:48 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>
Used to race Swans up to 57'. They are heavy and require plenty of muscley staff.
For family sailing have Sunsailed in several sizes up to 42'. 42' was definitely too big, not at sea, but in small harbours especially trying to park in a crosswind.
I like my boat (28' and not generously canvassed) because there's not much I can't do one-handed, and Madame (who defines the word petite) can also cope with everything. But 28' is not big enough for extended cruising.
I reckon 34-36' would be about right for that, for two people. Anything more would be sheer ostentation!
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by kimhollamby on Wed Jan 30 21:25:48 2002 (server time).</FONT></P>
G
Guest
Guest
Can you tell me what you mean by a "traditional" Cornish harbour? I've lived here for nigh on 40 years and I thought our harbours to be no different from anybody else's, and I've parked a 72 foot (+ 14 foot of bowsprit) gaff schooner in most of them!
Mirelle
N/A
Yes, I think that is quite big enough (I have a "small" 37ft boat). An 87ft Alden schooner that I was aboard for a week some years ago was too big - magnificent, but no longer a boat.
I think the short handing question, although excluded from consideration, is vital. A friend has a boat like mine but somewhat larger. He depends on friends to crew for him in order to sail her and consequently he has hardly sailed her at all this season. I can readily singlehand mine, which makes a huge difference.
I think the short handing question, although excluded from consideration, is vital. A friend has a boat like mine but somewhat larger. He depends on friends to crew for him in order to sail her and consequently he has hardly sailed her at all this season. I can readily singlehand mine, which makes a huge difference.
G
Guest
Guest
Middle aged Yotties and Motorbikes
I don't know what it's like in everyone else's part of the world, but in mine there seems to be an increase in old gits like us that 'do' sailing, have fairly recently taken up riding motorbikes (in good weather of course). I recently logged into Tom Cunliffe's site and noted that he goes in for it too.
Is it the leather or do we still like a bit of a thrill ?
With regard to your International 14 Mike, is that the equivalent of a 50 year old taking a Category A drug ?
I still think no matter how old we are, we still like a decent 'ride' in a boat and some do it and some don't. As suggested, a man (or woman) has to be able to sail a boat on his or her own when he wants to. Perhaps 36 foot comes out as a good average to do anything, and go anywhere slanted towards one's own type of sailing and likings.
I don't know what it's like in everyone else's part of the world, but in mine there seems to be an increase in old gits like us that 'do' sailing, have fairly recently taken up riding motorbikes (in good weather of course). I recently logged into Tom Cunliffe's site and noted that he goes in for it too.
Is it the leather or do we still like a bit of a thrill ?
With regard to your International 14 Mike, is that the equivalent of a 50 year old taking a Category A drug ?
I still think no matter how old we are, we still like a decent 'ride' in a boat and some do it and some don't. As suggested, a man (or woman) has to be able to sail a boat on his or her own when he wants to. Perhaps 36 foot comes out as a good average to do anything, and go anywhere slanted towards one's own type of sailing and likings.
chippie
New member
Re: Middle aged Yotties and Motorbikes
You are right, I think l will sell the boat and buy the latest Ducati, or maybe sell something else and keep the boat as well.
You are right, I think l will sell the boat and buy the latest Ducati, or maybe sell something else and keep the boat as well.
Mirelle
N/A
Re: Middle aged Yotties and Motorbikes
OK, I admit it; I'm another one.
OK, I admit it; I'm another one.
G
Guest
Guest
Hi,
Wouldn't it be nice to leave aside cost? If this is a theoretical discussion then the answer is no, you can't possibly have a yacht that is too big. With paid crew and expensive powered winches, a helicopter on the fantail to fly you in to port who cares what size the boat actually is.
Being practical then surely the limitation on size is very much based on what you and your regular crew can handle with ease in normal conditions. The difference between putting a reef in a 30 footer with less than 200 sq ft of mainsail area and trying to cope with 1000 sq ft is dramatic. Pulling up my 10Kg anchor with 20 Mtrs of chain is fairly straightforward - what about the practicalities of having a 50Kg anchor with 100 Mtrs of chain? What do you do if the electric windlass packs in?
I would assume that most people go sailing because they enjoy it. If you can sheet in easily and without fuss, deal with sail changes and generally enjoy the experience then your boat is probably in the right size bracket. If you need the help of powered winches, electric windlasses, power steering and so forth then the boat is probably too big. OK, it may be a different story if you take a bunch of foredeck gorrilas round the cans then that would be different - but would you really enjoy that any more than competing is something like a contessa 32?
The marinas around the coast are packed with yachts that are far too big for their owners to handle. The latest toys are fitted, all mod cons in place and yet going out for a simple day sail is too much effort. The owners would probably be happier with a smaller yacht. Many of them have probably finished up with something dictated by the minimum creature comforts their wife will accept - and she probably doesn't want to go sailing anyway.
How much more fun these poor little rich kids would have if they worked out why they wanted to go sailing and stuck to a charter every other year somewhere hot and sunny or bought a 27 footer to mess around in over the weekend or even both.
Seems to me that if a sports car is a penis symbol all too often a yacht becomes a penis substitute, pathetically sitting in it's expensive berth and the only movement it makes from one end of the season to the other is when the wash from a passing boat lifts it out of it's torpid slumber for a brief moment.
Regards
Fred.
Wouldn't it be nice to leave aside cost? If this is a theoretical discussion then the answer is no, you can't possibly have a yacht that is too big. With paid crew and expensive powered winches, a helicopter on the fantail to fly you in to port who cares what size the boat actually is.
Being practical then surely the limitation on size is very much based on what you and your regular crew can handle with ease in normal conditions. The difference between putting a reef in a 30 footer with less than 200 sq ft of mainsail area and trying to cope with 1000 sq ft is dramatic. Pulling up my 10Kg anchor with 20 Mtrs of chain is fairly straightforward - what about the practicalities of having a 50Kg anchor with 100 Mtrs of chain? What do you do if the electric windlass packs in?
I would assume that most people go sailing because they enjoy it. If you can sheet in easily and without fuss, deal with sail changes and generally enjoy the experience then your boat is probably in the right size bracket. If you need the help of powered winches, electric windlasses, power steering and so forth then the boat is probably too big. OK, it may be a different story if you take a bunch of foredeck gorrilas round the cans then that would be different - but would you really enjoy that any more than competing is something like a contessa 32?
The marinas around the coast are packed with yachts that are far too big for their owners to handle. The latest toys are fitted, all mod cons in place and yet going out for a simple day sail is too much effort. The owners would probably be happier with a smaller yacht. Many of them have probably finished up with something dictated by the minimum creature comforts their wife will accept - and she probably doesn't want to go sailing anyway.
How much more fun these poor little rich kids would have if they worked out why they wanted to go sailing and stuck to a charter every other year somewhere hot and sunny or bought a 27 footer to mess around in over the weekend or even both.
Seems to me that if a sports car is a penis symbol all too often a yacht becomes a penis substitute, pathetically sitting in it's expensive berth and the only movement it makes from one end of the season to the other is when the wash from a passing boat lifts it out of it's torpid slumber for a brief moment.
Regards
Fred.
charles_reed
Active member
definitely - draft rules out many superb anchorages, beam condemns you to hammerheads to enjoy wash and glancing blows.
On the positive side - longer waterline means faster boat, smoother ride, more stowage.
Personally I draw the line at 72' or a LWL of 68'
On the positive side - longer waterline means faster boat, smoother ride, more stowage.
Personally I draw the line at 72' or a LWL of 68'
charles_reed
Active member
How about parking in Mousehole, medear?
Mirelle
N/A
Absolutely right!
I think you have summed it up perfectly.
I think you have summed it up perfectly.
basic
New member
;26117 said:
My ''Sea Witch'' is a 30 year old Barbican 33.She is berthed at Camaret sur mer and I sail single handed. I sometimes think I will change her for something a little bigger and faster but then I watch the bigger boats arriving and see the panic amongst some of the crews when tying up. I think of the extra berthing costs and of trying to find a visitor berth during peak season. No thanks 10m is the perfect size for me. She will go anywhere I want in any weather I want to sail in. And she is easy and cheap to maintain. If I had to change her I might even go for something a little smaller.
stevebrassett
Well-known member
I did motorbikes before buying a yacht. I can only afford one expensive hobby at a time.
