Poll - Cruising yacht hull length; Longer or Shorter?

Shorter or Longer hull for cruising?

  • 30ft

    Votes: 39 37.1%

  • 40ft

    Votes: 66 62.9%
  • Total voters
    105
yodave

yodave

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For a coastal-hopping cruising yacht, taking interior space and money out of the equation, would you rather have a 30ft yacht or a 40ft yacht?

I guess what I'm looking to get at here are non-financial and non-interior space related benefits and drawbacks. So for example a 40ft yacht might typically be faster, but a 30ft yacht might be easier to handle without crew. Please keep in mind that it's specifically cruising, not racing that I'm interested in, so input from a racing perspective will only skew the results.

Many thanks in advance!
 
Once at sea the bigger the better (within reason) even singlehanded, assuming sail handling gear up to the job and commensurate with your fitness. Awkward marina berths are the problem. Moorings much easier.
 
We have always sailed in the smallest boats around. When we had a 22 footer, everyone else had 26. When we had 26, everyone else had 29, and so on. A 30 footer is fine for a two to three week sail for two people but an extended cruise needs more space, unless you are very well socially adapted.

My 34 is fine for my needs, but 40 would be finer if I could afford it, mainly because it would give me a wider weather window. Not that my boat is incapable of going out in half a gale; it's the crew that isn't. Modern sails and a bow-thruster (ugh) would get me over any difficulties.
 
It is an old axiom that all boats are too small offshore and too big in port. Having said that I have always hankered after a 45 foot square topsail gaff schooner, but I suspect that I shall continue to be satisfied with my Hunter Pilot 27.
 
I see from your profile that you say you are new to sailing although you have been a member here since 2010 so I may be teaching you to suck eggs. However...

What sort of sailing do you want to do? Exploring smaller harbours or sailing from marina to marina with pontoon berths. When the wind turns contrary will you turn on the engine or beat against strong winds.

If it's the joy of sailing, getting there fast is less important than sailing the boat well. If you are short/single handed you will probably do this better than with the smaller boat.

One of the things I regard with sadness is the constant increase in size. I started with a 16' dinghy with a lid, progressed to a Newbridge Navigator and via various "opportunities" including Jaguar 25 Contessa 28 and 32 and even the odd Southerly (the newer ones). I know I learned more with the smaller boats than the larger. I currently have a Dufour 31 and wouldn't change it (except for its deep keel - great in a blow but restricts my destinations). My wife and I tend to sail it together but I sometimes single hand. My wife is fairly short and anything bigger could present problems.

Increasing from 30 to 40 feet will typically give you a little under a knot. 30 miles down the coast might take you 4.5 hours in the (modern) 30' compared to 4 hrs in the 40' (all depending on LWL). But then factor in time getting into and out of harbour, you may well find the difference far smaller.

Where speed comes into its own is on longer passages where tidal gates my start to pose problems. If I do Weymouth to Plymouth my speed means I catch a foul tide at around Start. The extra speed could see me past Start and Bolt Head before the tide turned. But then if I want a West country cruise then I would probably want to include Dartmouth, Brixham and Torquay - as well as Fowey, Falmouth and Plymouth. But if I was heading for the Isles of Scilly...

To me size is fairly unimportant - it is matching all the capabilities of your boat to type of sailing you want to do.

Having said that I would opt for the smaller end of the scale.

But you might like to consider displacement as well. If you intend to sail in all weathers extra weight can be a real boon providing you have the sails to drive it in light airs.
 
yodave said:
For a coastal-hopping cruising yacht, taking interior space and money out of the equation, would you rather have a 30ft yacht or a 40ft yacht?

I guess what I'm looking to get at here are non-financial and non-interior space related benefits and drawbacks. So for example a 40ft yacht might typically be faster, but a 30ft yacht might be easier to handle without crew. Please keep in mind that it's specifically cruising, not racing that I'm interested in, so input from a racing perspective will only skew the results.

Many thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Noone has mentioned costs. What is the comparison between sails for 30, 35 and 40 foot??
 
This is our fourth boat - 26ft, 31ft, 34ft now 38ft. Smaller = easier to handle single/short handed and to berth, bigger = (generally) more comfortable ride so less tiring but heavier work so needing winches more often and harder to berth.
 
I'm reasonably happy with my 26' Centaur but realise it's a but slow for delivery trips to different cruising areas. And visitors can be cosy.

When my parents came to the Clyde in 1982 with a Leisure 27 they realised it was on the small side for the area and aimed at the 36' norm of the time/place for their next boat. The replacement has lasted 30 odd years for the two of them with occasional visitors so it can't be far off optimal. Easily managed by a well drilled couple.

Forgot to say, it's about 35' but a deck saloon so loads of room to live comfortably no matter the weather.
 
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Having moved from dinghies to a 26ft Folkboat to a 34ft to a 35ft to a 38ft and now back to a 32footer I am more than happy that it is the perfect compromise taking into account marina fees, maintenance, draught, accommodation and running costs and manageability for the two of us. It is also as capable and seaworthy as any 40 footer and costs an awful lot less in running and purchase costs.
Dunno whats wrong with people these days who think you need a 40 footer for a 25 mile coastal hop which is all many of them do.
 
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