Centre v aft cockpit?

geem said:
I dont think you can over simplify the comparison between AC and CC boats. You have to look at the whole picture. A light AC boat with a very low ballast ratio would benefit from a low cockpit floor as it is likely to be a lively boat in a bumpy sea where as a heavier CC boat with a higher cockpit floor and a high ballast ratio would have a slower motion and the higher cockpit floor then may not be an issue. Just as a CC boat light displacement and minimal ballast ratio with a high cockpit floor could be miserable in a bumpy sea. A think the bigger the boat gets the less of an issue it becomes.
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Sailing wise I’m sure you are right, but for useability, the aft cockpit remains a strong option for stern-to mooring as helm is by the aft cleats, for getting into the tender and swimming and of course for the larger size of the main room on the boat. But anything can be made to work - just slight conveniences one way or the other.
 
RupertW said:
Sailing wise I’m sure you are right, but for useability, the aft cockpit remains a strong option for stern-to mooring as helm is by the aft cleats, for getting into the tender and swimming and of course for the larger size of the main room on the boat. But anything can be made to work - just slight conveniences one way or the other.
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Do you swim in your aft cockpit. We would rather swim in the sea? sorry, couldn't resist! You can debate layouts for ever and the benefits of AC vs CC as well. One mans meat is another mans poison and all that. I never get the ‘getting in the dinghy off the sugar scoop thing’. Its way harder in our experience when we visit friends boats with sugar scoops to get out of the dinghy. With a vertical ladder on our boat there are ready made handholds at which ever height you need. Very easy when the sea is choppy or its windy and you need to grab hold quickly. With sugar scoops the handholds tend to be away from the bottom of the sugar scoop so you have to lean out to reach them. When a boat is really bouncing at anchor a sugar scoop landing can by quite hazardous. Not so with a vertical ladder
 
geem said:
I never get the ‘getting in the dinghy off the sugar scoop thing’. Its way harder in our experience when we visit friends boats with sugar scoops to get out of the dinghy. With a vertical ladder on our boat there are ready made handholds at which ever height you need. Very easy when the sea is choppy or its windy and you need to grab hold quickly. With sugar scoops the handholds tend to be away from the bottom of the sugar scoop so you have to lean out to reach them. When a boat is really bouncing at anchor a sugar scoop landing can by quite hazardous. Not so with a vertical ladder
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It must vary from one sugar scoop to another but ours happens to have a split backstay so there is a near vertical handhold on each side that combined with the top step of the swimming ladder makes for an easy and stable step out for even inexperienced guests. I’d never really considered that some boats would be more awkward.
 
Talking of High cockpits the Beneteau has always looked a bit high to me compared to my Colvic Countess, maybe it's the Pilot House that changes the impression.
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Just been reading a review of aHR 44 and looks good for a centre cockpit if budget permits . Agree the crew of the beneteau versions always look perched so perhaps not as useful as other brands at this design?
 
My major gripe with cc boats is actually getting in and out of the cockpit. I sail mainly in the Med where biminis are the norm: negotiating your way into the cockpit always brings a conflict between body and frame or straps..... Yes, I know that if it was my boat I’d get used to it but there’s always either too many things in the way for an easy entrance and exit or there’s nothing to hold on to to step up or down. And that’s across a variety of boats from Bavaria’s to HRs via the odd Moody.
Having sailed them, there’s little to choose in my opinion. The view from a CC boat is often better but the AC boat is usually less hassle to moor, especially when mooring stern to.
Despite all that, the only boat I’ve ever considered changing our Bavaria was to the Ocean version which offered a much easier access to the engine, more saloon space for the winter and a “proper” bed in the aft cabin. Didn’t swap in the end mainly because the relatively marginal advantages outweighed what the swap would have cost.
 
laika said:
Najad offer synthetic as an option on the 395CC (or so the nice salesperson reassured me at Boot)
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Najad have traditionally been more open to custom requests. I sold my old HR because the teak deck was getting close to needing replacement. The new boat has fake teak - should last forever!
 
We have a Moody with Flexiteak so surprised HR don’t offer the option but bow to views of more learned forumites on topic. Personally if I was spending HR money I would expect some flexibility though as demonstrated by Najad . I had thought the issue with HR decks was the plugs becoming higher than decks but maybe this has changed with newer versions ?
 
ashtead said:
We have a Moody with Flexiteak so surprised HR don’t offer the option but bow to views of more learned forumites on topic. Personally if I was spending HR money I would expect some flexibility though as demonstrated by Najad . I had thought the issue with HR decks was the plugs becoming higher than decks but maybe this has changed with newer versions ?
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Teak decks tend not to be screwed down these days. Either glue or epoxy.
 
So, if somebody wandered along to the HR sales office waving a fistful of $$'s saying that they wanted a new HR 34 please, but with white fibreglass decks rather than teak, would HR refuse?
OK, so they wouldn't then have a 'moulded in' non skid pattern, but this can be easily achieved with a a painted non-skid deck - or would this be too demeaning to HR?
I would hope that they will offer a moulded in non skid deck at some stage on future boats - I can see teak decks going the same way as fur coats in the fashion industry.
 
sorry haven't read all 97 replies but many seen to have been written by people who never been on a CC let alone own one so its only there option .
we had both and at the moment we own a Moody 42 cc .
my comment is if you looking at a week end / summer holiday boat leave the CC alone,
if on the other hand you want to go Cruising , you find a CC boat hard to beat .
 
Bajansailor said:
So, if somebody wandered along to the HR sales office waving a fistful of $$'s saying that they wanted a new HR 34 please, but with white fibreglass decks rather than teak, would HR refuse?
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That's my understanding, and I used to own a Hallberg-Rassy. Many manufacturers spend a lot of time researching the specifications and optional extras which their customers want, then build only to those specs. For example, if you went to Mercedes-Benz and wanted to buy an E-Class with a manual gearbox, they'd refuse to build one.
 
pvb said:
That's my understanding, and I used to own a Hallberg-Rassy. Many manufacturers spend a lot of time researching the specifications and optional extras which their customers want, then build only to those specs. For example, if you went to Mercedes-Benz and wanted to buy an E-Class with a manual gearbox, they'd refuse to build one.
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But ( apparently) Aston Martin will supply an engine that runs on cheese!
 
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