Does size matter! 26' or 32'

Zagato

Zagato

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For example what would be the improvement if any in sailing characteristics between a small to medium yacht.

I have been looking at Contessa 26's and wondered why (apart from internal space etc) you would move up to a bigger yacht say a Contessa 32. Would there be an improvement in pure sailing terms?
 
The exta lenght is not in the ends so a 32 footer has 6 foot more boat which accounts for more displacement,greater sail carrying ability and related to that the rigging and all the fittings etc are proportionally bigger and stronger.Iwould fenture to say a 32 footer is twice the size of a 26 footer...at least when applying antifoul!
 
Why is carrying more sail a benefit, per se?
That's like saying it's better to have a 4 litre engine in a Landcruiser over a 2 litre engine in a Grand Vitara. You only need the extra power to overcome the extra mass.

Perhaps the real benefits lie in the fact, as already mentioned, that the extra length is all in the centre of the boat so the beam and accommodation grow disproportionately.
The greater LWL will give a theoretical increase in speed (provided the sail area really does compensate for the extra inertia and drag of the larger hull) and probably, in conjunction with the greater ballast mass, will give safer and more comfortable seakeeping abilities.

Other than that, as already mentioned, everything is bigger and more expensive.
 
my friend has a contessa 32 and I have a contessa 26, We can both achieve the same speed but he can stand up inside his, though l could stand up in mine If I were 5' 4" He pay's more for berthing, new sails engine paint antifoul etc, but as he points out, he would be more Inclined to sail further afield and for longer but more importantly he finds it easier to get crew as there is more comfort. PS. I love my ConteSsa 26 and will take it on the scuttlebutt Cherbourg ralley next week.
 
There is a big difference. Way back in the mists of time we moved from a 24ft Trident to a 30ft Elizabethan 30. The Liz was quite capable of sailing upwind in a gale, the Trident (nice as it was) could not. Both these boats had hanked on sails and foredeck work was infinitely easier on the more stable Liz. In speed terms the difference was enormous, especially upwind. We planned long trips in the Trident at 4kts average, whereas we planned 5kts with the Liz and regularly beat it, so for a 60ml cross Channel that was 15hrs in the Trident or 12 hours in the Liz, however we would be motoring or motor sailing in the Trident and sailing most of the time in the Liz and 10hrs under sail all the way was not unusual, the limitation on plan speed being more for when we had to motor.

Another comparison was a trip from Salcombe to St Peter Port CI in the Liz in company with a 26ft Centaur. We sailed the whole way, the Centaur motor sailed to keep up but had to ask us to slow down half way as even then they couldn't keep up, so we periodically dropped the genoa to allow them to catch up.

Speed comes from waterline length and normal max hull speed is reckoned to be 1.34 x sqrt LWL (in feet). Hull speed of a 26 footer (LWL guessed at 22ft) would be 6.28kts and of a 32 footer (LWL guessed at 28ft) would be 7.1kts, that difference of 0.82kts is 13%.

As already said a 32 footer is probably twice the size of a 26 footer internally.
 
Zagato said:
For example what would be the improvement if any in sailing characteristics between a small to medium yacht.

I have been looking at Contessa 26's and wondered why (apart from internal space etc) you would move up to a bigger yacht say a Contessa 32. Would there be an improvement in pure sailing terms?
Click to expand...

I would agree with most of the above but the question says "pure sailing terms". As well as simply length (LOA or LWL) it must be important to compare hull shapes, keel configurations, rigs, etc. as these will all affect how she sails. Moving up in length may well open up more options with regard to these factors. Theoretical hull speed is an obvious difference but how a boat performs depends on so many other facets such as length/displacement ratio, sail area/displacement ratio, length/beam ratio, ballast displacement ratio, etc..
It's already been pointed out that displacement ("volume") usually increases proportionally faster than length because of associated increase in beam (3 x 3 x 3 is a lot more than 2 x 2 x 2), hence usually meaning greater comfort options with better internal space, berth sizes, etc.. The increase in theoretical hull speed will only be attained if the rig, sail area, skipper, etc. make it possible.
All of this may lead to alternative sailing destinations or conditions - are these considerations "pure sailng terms" too :)?
 
Lots of good points already.
I made a very similar swap a number of years ago. What prompted the change was a desire for an inboard engine and standing headroom.
The most striking improvement was in seakeeping, to cut a long story short it takes a lot more "weather " before it gets scary. You would find a 32 a much more stable platform at sea, esp useful when shorthanded.
A larger boat also provides a real living space, particularly striking when you are holed up in harbour with the rain pelting on the coachroof.
 
My Offshore 8 metre has full standing head room, a reliable inboard engine, and she sails admirably well since I invested in a new main. She is easy to moor and anchor singlehanded and most importantly is reassuring rather than scary in a big blow. If i were sailing one up or two up I consider it an ideal boat. With a family crew of 5, she becomes cramped down below which limits our long term cruising horizons, hence we will most likely upsize soon.
 
from 26 to 32

We had a Contessa 26 for many years, then changed to a Nicholson 32. Being comfortably more spacious, faster in a blow, heavy enough to take an Aries windvane, and having more stability, we feel less tired after longer trips, and keep much drier. And there's so much more room for stuff - water, diesel, food, spares, clothing ... But it costs more in time and cash to keep. Gordon
 
Boat size

There is no doubt that when the weather gets rough bigger is better. A said the difference between a 26ft and 32 is near double in terms of weight and general size of everything. It works on a rule near to cube the total size because not only do you increase length but also beam draft and topsides so you increase in 3 dimensions. Hence huge increase in weight.
The question of speed is theoretical and assumes we want to move at more than theoretical hull speed. Below that speed then speed of the boat is not so much dependant on size. My 21fter regularly races against up to 32fters. In wind speeds up to 15knts I can beat them. As wind gets stronger especially beating into a choppy water the little boat struggles and is downright 'orrrible. That is when size matters.
But of course if bigger is better when do you stop. Given that costs increase if not at cube rate then definitely out of proportion to size increase. Every man to his own poison. olewill
 
It depends on what you do with it!

I have owned and cruised cross-Channel in long keel 27 and 32 footers. The larger boat is much heavier, which makes for challenging single-handed manouvres. However, cruising speed is at least a knot more, not just because of LWL but also because the heavier vessel will punch through waves and lose less speed in rough conditions. The larger vessel should be more tolerant of gusts and therefore carry relatively more sail when the wind is less constant. The costs associated with maintenance, rigging, sails, mooring fees etc. all increase, particularly the latter if you exceed 10m. You are also likely to draw more water and do less creek crawling.
However, these advantages are based on boats of similar design. A large, high volume, light displacement boat may behave totally differently and may be less comfortable in a blow or at anchor than a smaller heavy displacement boat.
 
It is possible to cruise enjoyably and safely in any size of boat. Over 40 years my boats have progressively risen in size from 22' to my current 34'. My ambition to sail more comfortably is continually thwarted by the fact that we seem to keep setting out in even worse weather - just because we can.

In cruising terms the main advantage of size as well as the bigger weather window is better stowage and bunkerage. My present boat can motor for 72 hours and carry enough water for many days of wastful use.
 
I agree with pretty much everthing that's been said so far. Better accomodation, better seakeeping, quicker, etc., always assuming you swap like for like.

Now the downside.

1. Prices go up with the square or cube of the length for sails, antifoul, rigging bits & so on. As a working hypothesis, I'd want to double the budget for a 32 compared with a 26

2. If things go a bit pearshaped coming alongside with a 24 or 26, a judicious shove will usually sort things out. A 32 is likely to shove back and continue its merry way towards the most expensive bit of kit around.

3. Singlehanding a 26 is generally easier than a 32. Of course, singlehanding a 32 can be done & lots do, but it is likely to require a bit more forethought and preparation.
 
I totally agree with the other points made, but the matter of safety and ease of movement about the deck of a 32ft boat is quite different. In the typical short steep seas of coastal Britain a 26ft boat is likely to 'hobby-horse' very unpleasantly. It is also dangerous when going forward if you are not very careful. Even on my very solid 26ft cat it is a problem. A few more feet make a big difference.
 
dmmbruce said:
I totally agree with the other points made, but the matter of safety and ease of movement about the deck of a 32ft boat is quite different. In the typical short steep seas of coastal Britain a 26ft boat is likely to 'hobby-horse' very unpleasantly. It is also dangerous when going forward if you are not very careful. Even on my very solid 26ft cat it is a problem. A few more feet make a big difference.
Click to expand...

I suspect that the 40-foot boys say exactly the same about the 34 footers, the 46-foot brigade say the same about the 40 footers and so on.
 
Wasn't there some comment about there being some benefits of being in a small boat when out offshore in a heavy sea?

Maybe one of the Atlantic crossing folk. I'm not sure. :)
 
Ubergeekian said:
Sopranino is still well worth a read - that's Patrick Ellam and Colin Mudie's book about taking a lightweight 19-footer across the Atlantic.

Do seagulls ever capsize?
Click to expand...

Sounds like a very good read. I'll be sure to add that to my read list.

Not sure about Seagulls. Noisy smelly things... ohhhh you mean the bird variety. :D
 
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