Small boats for tall people

[futurechimp]

I'm looking to buy a first sailboat on a relatively limited budget (less than 10K). The problem is complicated by the fact that I'm 6'1" and want to be able to sleep in either the v-berth up front, or on a double settee in the saloon if cruising with a similarly tall friend (and the related wimmins, who are quite a bit shorter and thus not as troublesome as us).

I've looked at several boats in the 23 - 30 foot range, and what's been interesting is that the overall boat length bears almost no relation to berth length, due to the different design choices made.

I'm interested in berth lengths for the following types, as anything too short can be more or less automatically crossed off the possibilities list, potentially saving a lot of travel time. Secondarily we might make do with something that had at least two suitably sized berths even if not all doubles, I guess.

Headroom is a related but lesser concern, I think we're resigned to the fact that in this size range we're not likely to be jumping up and down in the saloon.

Here's the list I'm currently evaluating:

• Tomahawk 25
• Westerly Pageant
• Colvic Sailor 26
• Centaur
• Jaguar 25
• Leisure 23
• Snapdragon 747
• Macwester 27

Basically, I'm looking for an east coast boat boat to learn on, preferably bilge keeled, so any other suggestions would also be welcome. Does anybody have any helpful info?

 

[Neil]

A bilge keel Sadler 25 might suit. The converted table berth (laughingly described as a double) and the quarter berth are both very long. The fore cabin berths aren't too short: I'm just short of 6ft and can lie straight - the problem is folding yourself up to get into them (also the quarter berth).

There are alternative layouts for Sadler 25's; I can't comment on their suitability

 

[rwoofer]

I'm 6'6" and the other half is 6', so we've always found berths challenging. Like you we found the size of the boat often bears no relation to berth size, which is why at the moment I have a 21 footer. Only has 4 berths, two of which are for children which the two pilot berths are 2 metres long (with room to overhand as I tend to do) and wide.

No substitute for personally testing berths, I'm afraid!

 

[Seajet]

On EVERY boat you go to see, lay down on the bunks, this is very important.

It is very easy for the eye to be fooled by bunk dimensions; I fell for this with a Carter 30.

The interior looked the part, but when I actually came to try it the ' dinette double ' was actually very short and 1.5 normal slim people wide.

The settee berth was long enough but so narrow I didn't dare turn over.

You'd think such things would be obvious but they aren't !

It was an eye opener for me as the saloon bunks in my Anderson 22 ( which I had before the Carter and bought back afterwards, lessons learned ) are 6'4" & 6'7", wide too.

The A22 forepeak will take one tall and one shorter person, though there is a ' B ' forepeak version with the forepeak extended to one side, allowing 2 taller people.

I have shared the ' A ' forepeak of mine with my fiancee for a 3 week hol, she and I are both 5'9" ( a chum was along as well in the saloon ).

Since I looked at other boats I've always tried this laying down on the bunks test and found such things as aft cabins where one's feet are higher than head, with a ' passion killer ' rudder post inbetween !

Another feature ' nice to have but not essential ' with bunks is being able to lay in the forepeak, open the forehatch in the morning and peer around at the mooring / harbour wherever one is; also handy if at anchor to keep an eye on boats upwind or tide if worried about them dragging, but not really worried enough to be in the cockpit on anchor watch.

 

[ripvan1]

Macwester's a good choice - I'm same height and have standing headroom and ample legroom in the saloon berths along with enough room for the 2 of us forward. This is a 26. Edit sorry I'm 6'1" but do have several inches to spare in saloon

 

[SiteSurfer]

If it helps at all, I am 6.1 and my boat is the Prospect 900 (triple keel) which is about 29ft - the cabin actually has space above my head and the double bed is easily 6.3.
The pilot berth is even longer, but the 2 forward berths are a bit shorter - but I can still sleep in both, they are about 6.1 too.

The only thing I have had to do was to change the centre table as it was designed for 5ft people with anorexia. Once changed to a pivoting Lagun base I have loads (and loads) of room.

I am certain that the manufacturers had a sense of humour as the heads which are forward, have a hatch in a completely perfect position for a tall bloke to stick his head out of whilst attending to nature.

 

[Seajet]

Nah, my chum's 17' Silhouette had much better headroom at the loo than your Prospect; when he bought her there was a sea toilet plumbed in with the cockpit seats !

 

[langstonelayabout]

My 25' (about to be offered for sale...) Jeanneau Eolia has a aft cabin that easily copes with me at 6'1" and Mrs LL at 5'1". We've also slept in the main cabin and there's loads of room there too.

I only have standing headroom under the main hatch. Mrs LL has standing headroom pretty much everywhere!

We've accommodated visitors inside and outside too. Don't write off a boat that isn't on your list till you know it isn't for you...

 

[elton]

I'm 6' 0.5" and have have a Pageant, and previously a Centaur. Headroom was about the same in both. I banged my head many, many times until I learned what's where. The Centaur forward berth is enormous compared to the Pageant. Though I can lay straight, it would be severely cramped with the addition of a 5'4'' love doll. I'm told Pageant headroom is more than typical for the length of 23', but this is at the expense of windage, which I know absolutely nothing about.

 

[Ceirwan]

A bilge keel Sadler 25 might suit. The converted table berth (laughingly described as a double) and the quarter berth are both very long. The fore cabin berths aren't too short: I'm just short of 6ft and can lie straight - the problem is folding yourself up to get into them (also the quarter berth).

There are alternative layouts for Sadler 25's; I can't comment on their suitability

I'm 6'4 and on my Sadler 25 I find the quarter berth good the saloon 'OK' and the fore peak unfortunately just a little too short.

As the op is only 6'" I'm sure he'd manage in any of those, that and he could get a really nice one if his budgets 10k.

 

[Seajet]

The Sadler 25 may be a very good bet; it's the old, old trap people fall into, buy a boat for its interior volume then find it sails like a barn !

The Sadler is a sailor's boat, but the OP's list is worryingly varied and includes some boats which are poor performers - need to be a bit more choosey as well as just thinking of long bunks...

 

[Wansworth]

If you don't want to sleep together on an uncomfortable double berth made partly by dismantling the kitchen I SUGGEST the ALBIN VEGA.

 

[Kelpie]

If you don't want to sleep together on an uncomfortable double berth made partly by dismantling the kitchen I SUGGEST the ALBIN VEGA.

Nice long berths, but I think the OP wants a bilge keeler.

 

[Roger52]

I would add the Mirage 26 and 28 to the list.

 

[dylanwinter]

The Centaur is the boat for you

five up for three weeks

me 6 foot, son 6 ft four

and three modestly proportioned women

I can sleep in the forecabin - but prefer the quarter berths which are well over 7 foot

there is a reason why they sold 2,500 centaurs

easy to buy and easy to sell

10 K would get you a blooming perfect one

 

[Tricia]

A bilge keel Sadler 25 might suit. The converted table berth (laughingly described as a double) and the quarter berth are both very long. The fore cabin berths aren't too short: I'm just short of 6ft and can lie straight - the problem is folding yourself up to get into them (also the quarter berth).

There are alternative layouts for Sadler 25's; I can't comment on their suitability

We've got one of the deep fin keel Sadler 25's. Rob is 6'4" and had to build a fold up extension on the V-berth so he can sleep there. The extension manages to block of access to the heads but that's not a major problem. He can sleep full length in the quarter berth and, until we changed the layout, could sleep full length in the berth formed by lowering the table.

Tricia

 

[Neil]

The only disadvantage to the Sadler 25 is the complete lack of head room. On the other hand, this lack is a consequence of it being a small, but beautifully-formed, boat that does not suffer great windage and sails very well.

 

[Neil]

If you don't want to sleep together on an uncomfortable double berth made partly by dismantling the kitchen I SUGGEST the ALBIN VEGA.

Just an incidental follow-up. I'd like to hear from anybody who managed to sleep doubled-up on a Sadler 25's 'converted dinette double berth'

 

[Austerby]

I am just over 6' and have an Achilles 24, which in triple-keel format is a great East Coast boat. I can comfortably stretch out on the quarter berths which extend under the cockpit, but find the fore cabin too short for me. It would be too cramped with four adults onboard unless of modest dimensions. It sails extremely well.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The longest bunk I own - way more than I need, and I'm 6'4" - is in my Hunter 490. Unfortunately there's only room for me when I'm lying down ... there isn't even sitting headroom. When I was looking for my current boat I wanted something about 26', and seriously considered a Folksong until I saw picture of the cabin interior. Shame, because it's a drop-dead gorgeous boat outside.