Small flush decked boats

One of the many advantages of a smaller boat, especially with a flat cabin top e.g. The Cape Cutter, Shrimper, Norfolk Gypsy, or a Kotic from Iian Oughtred is by chopping off 4-5' you simply step up onto the cabin top and hold on to the mast, shrouds or grab rails. Once forward you step into the outside anchor well and you are easily placed to put a hand on the mast or forestay or even bowsprit if you have messed up picking up the buoy.
This brings us onto the fact that you don,t need a boat hook as you can easily reach anything from the water, including your tender, in fact it is a tender, you don,t need one of those either!
This brings you onto the fact that you can beach it easily, which brings you to be able to trailer it home for the negligible maintenance it will require and it's FREE, no yard fees!
This brings you onto the fact it can expand your sailing grounds to inland waters, and to far flung places home and abroad. I fancy Venice and Scandinavia, but mainly you can go well away from all the 6 deep chaos on pontoons at tuck yourself away for the night up quiet creeks and onto your own beaches.
Have to say I wouldn,t own another yacht, too much hassle and cost versus reward. Keep it simple, no through hull holes, easily maintained engine (with the ability to explore by rowing) everything is light and easy to use, not even a winch is required with sheets and even shrouds made of string. No electrics to untangle and go wrong, no water bladders to go mouldy, no gas lines to frighten you, no heads to bung up and service, no seacocks, no through hull rudders or keel bolts to stress about, no cabin lining to fall off, no furnishings to go mouldy, the list goes on BUT one of the factors I like is that you have a cockpit that can challenge the size of a classic style 30' yacht. Plenty of room for picnicking and fun with friends and family. This may bring you to the conclusion life is too short and yachts are too long 🤣
 
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Wansworth said:
The Jouet24 a French design has a flush deck broken by a very small raised section that accommodates a slit type window,it’s all very streamlined but one up from the cockpit there is nothing to hold on to unless you crouch down and grab the wooden rail,the life lines are along way away and low so heading towards them could precipitate a ducking.Myonly idea to solve this would be a stainless steel cadge about two foot high for inf a hand rail fromother cockpit to the mast,obviously it would need bracing and possibly form part of the sprayhood.
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That's a possible solution, but if you get it I'd strongly advise trying it out as is for a bit to ensure (a) that it really is as much as a problem as you anticipate, and (b) whether that arrangement is the best way to deal with it. I can't tell exactly what you have in mind, but I can imagine something like 'granny bars', with a rectangular foot print, extending back from the mast are, and/or those spray hoods that have an external grab bar.

In my experience one quite often reasonably quickly (and largely unconsciously) develops ways of tackling the bits that at first seem awkward and difficult - e.g. which foot to place first, and where, what is useful to hang on to at each point, etc. (The same applies to narrow side decks, by the way!)

I think, though, that you are right to note such potential issues, and am surprised that you haven't picked up on several suggestions on here that the Jouet 24 is rather tippy - i.e. is it overall (e.g. deck arrangement & alleged tenderness) too sporty for your needs and desires? (Was it afloat when you visited, and if so did you get an impression of how stable or not was when you stepped aboard.)

The other thing about the deck/cabin arrangement is that you presumably can't see out (apart from a bit of sky) when sitting in the saloon, which I find makes quite a bit of difference to how one experiences time aboard (much of which isn't actually sailing, I find). On the other hand the flush deck-ish arrangement does seem to provide a generous amount of space below.

There is no perfect boat (other than the Anderson 22, of course😁), and the compromises are all the more acute in a small boat. The important thing is to find one that is broadly suitable and in decent condition, and get out there and enjoy it, warts and all.

Happy sailing!
 
LittleSister said:
That's a possible solution, but if you get it I'd strongly advise trying it out as is for a bit to ensure (a) that it really is as much as a problem as you anticipate, and (b) whether that arrangement is the best way to deal with it. I can't tell exactly what you have in mind, but I can imagine something like 'granny bars', with a rectangular foot print, extending back from the mast are, and/or those spray hoods that have an external grab bar.

In my experience one quite often reasonably quickly (and largely unconsciously) develops ways of tackling the bits that at first seem awkward and difficult - e.g. which foot to place first, and where, what is useful to hang on to at each point, etc. (The same applies to narrow side decks, by the way!)

I think, though, that you are right to note such potential issues, and am surprised that you haven't picked up on several suggestions on here that the Jouet 24 is rather tippy - i.e. is it overall (e.g. deck arrangement & alleged tenderness) too sporty for your needs and desires? (Was it afloat when you visited, and if so did you get an impression of how stable or not was when you stepped aboard.)

The other thing about the deck/cabin arrangement is that you presumably can't see out (apart from a bit of sky) when sitting in the saloon, which I find makes quite a bit of difference to how one experiences time aboard (much of which isn't actually sailing, I find). On the other hand the flush deck-ish arrangement does seem to provide a generous amount of space below.

There is no perfect boat (other than the Anderson 22, of course😁), and the compromises are all the more acute in a small boat. The important thing is to find one that is broadly suitable and in decent condition, and get out there and enjoy it, warts and all.

Happy sailing!
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Thanks,have found a boat in Ares in the ria de Coruña not so extreme as the Jouet with a normal interior layout so will go and visit,it has an 10 hp outboard…..Garbí.Southwind 23
 
And do not fear outboard power on such a boat. Particularly on water without big waves, I don’t see any disadvantages. We are outboard power, 2 tons and 30 ft. We do a lift and inspect each year, and the outboard man comes and services it during the fairly brief time ashore. Ours is just a 15hp, it steers with the tiller but has a quick disconnect for when it’s lifted. No prop drag, light weight, and doesn’t take up valuable space on a small boat.
 
Wansworth said:
Thanks,have found a boat in Ares in the ria de Coruña not so extreme as the Jouet with a normal interior layout so will go and visit,it has an 10 hp outboard…..Garbí.Southwind 23
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Is that nice other 23 footer (can't remember the name) you looked at previously (but dismissed at the time for some not entirely convincing reason) still available?
 
Just sayin, but the Kelt that lounges by my barn, has the similar deck with a slightly raised hatch area, but the cabin windows at least allow some view when sitting. As for clambering about on deck. Decent grab rails either side of the hatch forward, then shrouds. Likey skidding on my bum, when back on the water.
 
DownWest said:
Just sayin, but the Kelt that lounges by my barn, has the similar deck with a slightly raised hatch area, but the cabin windows at least allow some view when sitting. As for clambering about on deck. Decent grab rails either side of the hatch forward, then shrouds. Likey skidding on my bum, when back on the water.
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On my Commando class yacht I had fabricated a hoop over the sprayhood with two bars going forward and bolted to the deck giving a good sturdy handrail from thr cockpit tothe mast,also handy to loop the sail ties on
 
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