Do women prefer new boats?

[30boat]

Although I love the look of the older, more traditional boats, I much prefer the interiors of the new boats. I love the spacious well designed interiors these boats have. There's more room, the sofas are comfortable, the galleys are well designed with lots of useful storage, and, most importantly for us girls, the heads are roomy and easy to keep clean. I love a nice loo, with a holding tank. No more bucket and chucket for me!

I like the look of this one:

http://www.hanseyachts.co.uk/showdetails.asp?boatid=17#

I'm with you.My boat may be 30 years old but it's in very good nick inside.The heads are always clean and don't smell.If I could afford a modern boat I would own one but since I can't I did my best to make mine as close to new as possible.I think however that there's a lot wrong with some of the modern trends that favour wide livable spaces while at anchor but neglect safety and praticality at sea.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

If you think I shouldn't be here, aren't you saying that it's not my prerogative? Anyway, the OP is more than welcome to buy a block of flats furnished to look like a coffee shop. That's her prerogative.

I think the group referred to was the "the overwhelming majority of leisure boat users, (for whom) comfort and convenience are more important than heavy weather seakeeping" not "here" as in posting here.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

This thread is c r a p. Cutofherjib, in my opinion, got what she/he wanted from the announcement in the OP; a thread of opinionated bickering.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

This thread is c r a p. Cutofherjib, in my opinion, got what she/he wanted from the announcement in the OP; a thread of opinionated bickering.

Your comments are a very useful additon to the discussion.

I personally believe that everyone has their own ideas and their own preferences. The OP will no doubt make up her own mind as to what floats her boat. We have a new Benny 323 with roomy heads, a shower, toilet, holding tank and it's all easy to clean. Our sofas are comfy, and our cabin for sleeping is large and comfortable. We have hand holds, strangely enough! I cook at sea and have always felt safe. The boat hasn't yet tipped right over but we do heel a bit sometimes, which is fine with me!

We had a benny 21 before, which we had some fun with, but we really needed something to cater for us for long weekends and holidays. This is especially necessary for us as we live a long way from where we keep the boat, so it has to be a home from home as well as a sailing boat.

 

[Ubergeekian]

My boat is neither average, nor white. Nor is it manky, nor auld. Don't really know where that leaves me.

It makes my Jouster look positively palatial. Bet it's fun, though.

 

[Ubergeekian]

I think the group referred to was the "the overwhelming majority of leisure boat users, (for whom) comfort and convenience are more important than heavy weather seakeeping" not "here" as in posting here.

Oh. Right. Yeah, that makes sense.

<Stares at feet. Shuffles nervously. Resolves to improve comprehension skills.>

 

[Lakesailor]

...my Jouster look...

Missed an opportunity there.

 

[Ubergeekian]

We had a benny 21 before, which we had some fun with, but we really needed something to cater for us for long weekends and holidays. This is especially necessary for us as we live a long way from where we keep the boat, so it has to be a home from home as well as a sailing boat.

One reason I chose the Victoria - apart from the overwhelming factor of just loving the shape - was that she has absolutely massive amounts of storage below. It makes the cabin a wee bit narrower that it might be, and therefore a wee bit more cramped, but since I like pottering around places without shops it's important to me to be able to stow two or three weeks' food for everybody easily. That clearly wouldn't be a priority for everyone, which is fine.

Wouldn't life be boring if we all wanted to do the same sort of thing in the same sort of boat?

 

[BuzzFan]

hear hear

Although I love the look of the older, more traditional boats, I much prefer the interiors of the new boats. I love the spacious well designed interiors these boats have. There's more room, the sofas are comfortable, the galleys are well designed with lots of useful storage, and, most importantly for us girls, the heads are roomy and easy to keep clean. I love a nice loo, with a holding tank. No more bucket and chucket for me!

I like the look of this one:

http://www.hanseyachts.co.uk/showdetails.asp?boatid=17#

I quite agree.

To the dissenters, look at most larger ocean racing yachts - many are now extra wide & flat bottomed, yet cope with the southern seas.

Where the racers vary perhaps from the latest awb is a) strength - some of the cheaper new awb's have flimsier joinery & rigging/hardware intended for light duty, and b) their resourceful skippers have fine tuned them with minor modifications - so a handhold here, fiddle & lee cloth there shouldnt be beyond most leisure skippers.

Re the internal width/safety aspect, many of the ultrawide cruisers are now designed with a structural island which can be braced against.

My dream boat might be a Truly Classic 56 but for liveaboard life, time split travelling at at anchor/marina, I'd far rather have one of the new beneteau sense 50's for - twin helm, great 2 zone cockpit, the daylight & see-out lifestyle when working/resting "down below", an island berth where a couple can get in/out of bed without clambering over each other...for me, it's a no brainer!

 

[snowleopard]

I fully intend to take my AWB to the big boys sea, as many others have done. It is a matter of record that all boats spend at least 85% of their time at anchor or in marinas

When long-distance cruising very few boats spend significantly more than 15% of the time at sea. A weekender however will spend a much higher percentage of the on-board time at sea.

Most AWBs are optimised for life at rest. The best ones are also reasonably comfortable at sea. Unless you have a gung-ho partner, the more comfortable the boat is under way the further you are likely to go. Gritting the teeth till you get there is likely to result in 'let's go to the Folly' rather than 'how about St Malo'.

As for 'beautiful older boats' they usually involve a lot of varnish work. I often say a classic boat is like a supermodel - nice to look at but I wouldn't want to own one.

 

[Ubergeekian]

To the dissenters, look at most larger ocean racing yachts - many are now extra wide & flat bottomed, yet cope with the southern seas.

The principle is now pretty old. When Patrick Ellam and Colin Mudie took Sopranino (by Laurent Giles) across the Atlantic in 1950 they showed pretty conclusively that lightweight boats could be just as seaworthy, or more so, than traditional heavy built ones.

 

[cutofherjib]

This thread is c r a p. Cutofherjib, in my opinion, got what she/he wanted from the announcement in the OP; a thread of opinionated bickering.

Actually, apart from the opinionated bickering , it's been quite a useful thread IMHO. No need to be a GOG now is there?

 

[MapisM]

it's been quite a useful thread IMHO.

Waddumean "it's been"?!?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Actually, apart from the opinionated bickering , it's been quite a useful thread IMHO. No need to be a GOG now is there?

I am not being a GOG. I dont care what floats your boat I just find your announcement to be shallow as a basis of a discussion. I interpret it as a tease, to bait, rather than a thread on the merits of modern yachts for the modern thinking woman, or even what sort of yacht does a modern thinking woman want.

My first post on this thread was to offer an alternative view point, crudely for emphasis, that the conditions you like are also available in older boats. However, my post obviously failed to engage the readers to discuss this.

 

[semisimple]

I quite agree.

To the dissenters, look at most larger ocean racing yachts - many are now extra wide & flat bottomed, yet cope with the southern seas.

aren't they designed like that so they can surf fast off the wind as they spend most of their time going with the prevailing winds.

Not sure I'd like to be in one of those hard on the wind.

 

[Plaicemat]

Its nice to know what you like, prevents disappointment if things dont turn out as expected. Are you making a point or just announcing?

My Rival 41C has all the features you mention (except the holding tank) and she was built in 1974. I also have a four burner hob, grill and oven, have fine dined in great comfort around my saloon table, bonked in standing head room fore and aft cabins athwart ships, dumped in opulent spaciousness (the aft heads is narrow but the forward head is the width of the boat) and showered standing while yielding the scrubbing brush with vigour.

Not bad for a 36 year old boat.

Your boat sounds lovely! I'd come sailing with you.

I think the OP's question is valid. I've wondered why some women go sailing and others don't and whether the sort of boat is a factor in the decision. I suppose it's a wide held belief that women like their creature comforts and I wouldn't argue with that!

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Your boat sounds lovely! I'd come sailing with you.

I think the OP's question is valid. I've wondered why some women go sailing and others don't and whether the sort of boat is a factor in the decision. I suppose it's a wide held belief that women like their creature comforts and I wouldn't argue with that!

Thanks. Its not crew I am short of, its speed at low wind strengths. This is one area that modern boats win hands down compared to most MABs, probably, and most summer sailing is in winds of F3 or less.

My wife liked the Rival because it was solid and stable and didn't "tip like the rest". The large galley, aft cabin and heads were a winner for her as well, she didn't want the smaller space that shorter boats had, so for the same cash, the bigger but older boat was purchased.

 

[Victoria Sponge]

Thanks. Its not crew I am short of, its speed at low wind strengths. This is one area that modern boats win hands down compared to most MABs, probably, and most summer sailing is in winds of F3 or less.

My wife liked the Rival because it was solid and stable and didn't "tip like the rest". The large galley, aft cabin and heads were a winner for her as well, she didn't want the smaller space that shorter boats had, so for the same cash, the bigger but older boat was purchased.

That makes a lot of sense to me. I know Rivals are good boats and very well thought of. I must admit our boat has been known to tip. My OH gets a bit agitated when it does, but he puts this down to all the dinghy sailing he's done. He doesn't quite hang over the side, but you can see he wants to.

Yes, the wind thing is a sailor's lament isn't it?

 

[sighmoon]

I quite agree.

To the dissenters, look at most larger ocean racing yachts - many are now extra wide & flat bottomed, yet cope with the southern seas.

Cruising boats have always resembled racing boats. In this case though, they've drawn on the look, but not the design. With twin rudders, you can maintain control of a wide transomed boat as it heels. I've not sailed the Hanse, but I'm guessing that with a transom that wide, the single rudder loses bite at relatively small angles of heel.

... gentlemen don't beat unless necessary. Third, my newer boat will likely have a much higher engine power to weight ratio, and is a propulsion device rather than an auxiliary for puttering into a marina.

Personally, I find sailing into a chop much more comfortable than motoring into one.

 

[haydude]

Is the Pope a catholic?

I am not sure why you have to involve religion with silly, possibly offensive questions.