What do you want out of a blue water boat?

geem

geem

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My requirements are;

A strong boat that can handle rough weather without too much intervention from me. If I am sick or injured I may need to be strapped to the bunk. Can the boat handle a battering from waves.

Are there excellent sea bunks for rough passages. At least two

Is the bilge deep so water stays under the floor when healed

Is there shelter in the cockpit from rain and wind

In light winds will the boat sail well so I don’t need to resort to the engine.

Has the boat got good tankage. Something like enough water for a month for two people.

Can the boat sail well to windward

The boat doesn’t need to be fast but she shouldn’t be slow either

At anchor the boat should be a pleasure to live on. A well designed cockpit that allows you to live outside and entertain without having ropes everywhere and the wheel in the way.

Place to carry a decent rib and deck lockers to stow diving gear, fenders, inflatable paddleboard, canoe etc, I don’t like fender hanging over the stern and I don’t want a deck that looks like a storage yard.

Can I add 4 ton of gear to the basic boat and she isn’t down on her design marks.

What do you want?
 
That's basically what we wanted and bought a heavy displacement steel ketch with a long keel and cutaway forefoot. The boat weighed 12 tons but in the slings it was 14 tons - water, diesel, water and diesel containers on deck, tinned food, lots of spares, tools for everyhting, spare sails, spare rigging and , dive gear etc etc.
 
Any blue water boat I bought would also have to be good for living on and the destinations at the end as I would expect the blue water part to be a smallish part of the whole thing.

I've already sailed on my ideal blue water boat on a long passage and it wasn't one I think I'll be able to afford in a hurry even if old.
Something which is:
Fast
Stable downwind - no rolling at sea or anchor
Large and comfortable to live on - if it looks after the crew we will make difficult decisions better
Easy to cook on in rough weather
Ok upwind - if it beats at 50 degrees at 6 knots plus that will do me
Turns on a sixpence in harbour
Can sit inside in horrible weather and steer with full visibilty from the cabin via autopilot

But I think I will happily put up with our existing ex-charter AWB which is not nearly as fast, does roll a bit but goes upwind fine and fortunately isn't a slammer, and most importantly for doesn't cost as much to moor as the catamaran I would most like.
 
RupertW said:
Any blue water boat I bought would also have to be good for living on and the destinations at the end as I would expect the blue water part to be a smallish part of the whole thing.

I've already sailed on my ideal blue water boat on a long passage and it wasn't one I think I'll be able to afford in a hurry even if old.
Something which is:
Fast
Stable downwind - no rolling at sea or anchor
Large and comfortable to live on - if it looks after the crew we will make difficult decisions better
Easy to cook on in rough weather
Ok upwind - if it beats at 50 degrees at 6 knots plus that will do me
Turns on a sixpence in harbour
Can sit inside in horrible weather and steer with full visibilty from the cabin via autopilot
Click to expand...

Yep ..... that's definitely a catamaran!

Mine's not for sale. :)

Richard
 
SWMBO decrees that the only non-negotiable is a bathing ladder that can be deployed from the water. 'Adrift' left a deep impression.
 
RichardS said:
Yep ..... that's definitely a catamaran!

Mine's not for sale. :)

Richard
Click to expand...
That was my first thought as well. If I were to go on an extended cruise it would be to destinations warm. A cat has got to be the way to go.
 
bbg said:
That was my first thought as well. If I were to go on an extended cruise it would be to destinations warm. A cat has got to be the way to go.
Click to expand...

Did an Atlantic circuit on a cat 10 years ago. Three weeks to windward in a cat put me off somewhat! Now have a mono that goes to windward. If I was chartering in the Caribbean I would go for a cat. Great platform to enjoy Caribbean climate but anything other than off the wind mono wins for me
 
Bimini
Fwd looking sounder ( for shallow water work when you get there)
Wind self steering
Good anchor, windlass and lots of chain
Wind and solar power
Water maker

All attached to a strong stiff boat with a secure cockpit, wide side decks, encapsulated or well bonded keel, skeg or semi skeg rudder, secure galley with easy access to companion way, good stowage and an easy motion at sea.
 
No annoying overhead leaks.
No squeaks which cannot be traced to their source, and eliminated.
No wave tops which miraculously find their way into your lap after you've changed into clean and dry clothing for the first time in a week.
 
I'd want a cabin dedicated as a workshop with at least a bench, vice and power tools, both for my own use and either helping other boats around or maybe making the odd few quid.
 
No one has mentioned space to carry a proper 9 foot sailing dinghy and an inflatable..... even on a 27 footer I found space to carry a small dinghy with was useful in laying out second anchors going ashore etc
 
>Stable downwind - no rolling at sea or anchor

A cat is relatively stable but every monohull will roll or worse. For example over the Atlantic we had 8 foot waves, a 12 foot swell from behind, a 4 foot swell from a gale in the north Atlantic and a 3 foot swell from a gale in the south Atlanic the boat wasn't rolling it was corkscrewing. If the swell had been behind it would have only been a roll.

To cut down rolling fit a twin headsail Twistle rig which has two free flying poles with a centre joint which we had. Rolling is exacerbated in a standard poled out sail because the sail pushes the mast and vice versa.
 
I think a steel hull would be desirable - pretty tough if one should hit a bit of coral.

Liveable down below in a seaway - plenty of handholds and places to wedge oneself.
Smallish, deep cockpit - secure and able to be filled with a sea without causing problems.
Proper sea berths.
 
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