Is 35ft really a starter boat?

[eddystone]

It's not the suffering that we wish to impose on the young, though goodness knows, they deserve it, but the experience of manoeuvring a small craft which is light enough to be blown about by the slightest puff of wind, but also light enough to fend itself off with just a hand put out without risk of injury or damage.

Not entirely sure about that - some years ago a fellow parent unwisely got his hand between an out of control Topper and a stone set in an attempt to stop it mounting the shore - and spent the rest of the day in A&E - just saying even a small dinghy can have a surprising amount of kinetic energy.

Anyway, back to the theme, I think I still regard a Mirror Offshore as entry-level and the Centaur as aspirational. I seem to remember the brochure for the Mirror actually using the word "luxury" - Mum and Dad can sleep in the spacious saloon and the kids in the cockpit under the tent sort of thing. This has now started me thinking how on earth my parents and 3 biggish boys and luggage managed in an Austin 7 (Mini) in the 1960's.

During some further procrastination from the job in hand, I've found a new benchmark for "entry-level". That is apparently how Maclaren describe their new M570 C sports car at a mere £149,000. Entry level being relative to the P1 at c£1M or the track version at a cool £1.9M. So you could imagine the Oyster or Discovery salesman pointing out what a value proposition their latest 60 footer is - "But Sir, some cars cost more than this!"

 

[PeterR]

I don’t think the article referred to the Elan 35 as being a starter boat but an entry –level boat. The difference being that that is the smallest size you can get in their range rather than what the authors’ consider is an ideal size to own as your first boat. Oyster used to do a 26 footer – their entry level boat is now 47 feet!

In any case the Elan is not a 35 footer. If you discount the protruding bow roller it’s a 32 footer with the beam of a 34 footer and the freeboard of a 35 footer – hence the dumpy appearance. We are used to makers rounding length up to the nearest foot but to the nearest 3 feet seems to be taking it a bit far. In the same magazine is a review of the Bavaria Easy 9.7. – which is in effect a stripped out Cruiser 33. That is exactly the same length as the Elan 35.

I don’t suppose any purchasers remain in ignorance as to the true dimension for long and they may like to say they own a 35 footer but it can be a pain in the neck when you visit a marina and tell them your boat is under 10metres and they point out the big label on the side that says it is nearer 11metres.

 

[PaulMcC]

I think I'm a prime example of someone who bought a biggish boat (34 foot) as a first boat and while being relatively new to sailing.
I think there is definitely something to the earlier comment that if all you have ever seen are biggish boats then it feels more comfortable to buy something similar. My prior experience was weekending on a Dufour 40 footer and chartering a range of Bav/Jen's between 32 and 46 foot. All these boats felt fairly similar, much more similar to each other than any one of them is to my UFO.
The second consideration is the price picture. Buying a new small boat costs a lot more than buying a 30 year old but still good bigger boat. I expect that has changed with the advent of GRP construction. I think maybe 20 years ago you it was much harder to find a 30 year old boat in good condition that was so much cheaper than anything new.

For me the price was the main driver. I knew how much I had to spend and wanted a solid, reliable boat in good condition, and after that I wanted the biggest I could afford basically.
Buying again knowing what I know now I would think much harder about the kind of sailing I wanted to do and that would be a more important criteria than size. But back then I didn't really know what I wanted to do and so a bigger boat seemed like it gave more options.

 

[Babylon]

Buying again knowing what I know now I would think much harder about the kind of sailing I wanted to do and that would be a more important criteria than size.

So, out of interest, what kind of sailing do you want to do, and what would your criteria be now?

 

[Poignard]

One relatively inexpensive item (ca £1,200) that greatly increased the enjoyment of our 28' boat was a cockpit enclosure. In harbour we eat all our meals in the cockpit and it's very pleasant sitting there having a drink and watching the world go by while shielded from the weather.

 

[PaulMcC]

So, out of interest, what kind of sailing do you want to do, and what would your criteria be now?

I'm keen to try two things, offshore racing and long distance live aboard passages (a year off work type of thing). The ufo is fine for the first but I would need to spend a fair bit making it compliance with the regs. The second it isn't really the right boat for from my experience of long down wind passages so far and thinking about things like ventilation.

 

[GrahamM376]

I see plenty of families in smaller boats. The notion that all families sail in boats at least 35' long is a myth.

SWMBO once asked a French friend why the French are often seen peeing overboard, the reply was "we French have small boats but with lots of people on board so the heads is often full"

 

[Poignard]

SWMBO once asked a French friend why the French are often seen peeing overboard, the reply was "we French have small boats but with lots of people on board so the heads is often full"

It's all that funny foreign food they eat

 

[JumbleDuck]

Yes but you're from the North aren't you?

Nah, I'm from about as far south as it's possible to get.

We couldn't afford a 35 ft boat until our kids left home We sailed in 27 and 29 ft boats for years when there were four of us. Perfectly safe and comfortable.

I normally sail 1 1/2 up in 26', which is more than big enough. We often take friends, and 2 1/2 up is fine as well.