What would your favourite yacht be?

[Bajansailor]

If I won the lottery I'd commission a yacht along the lines of Dashew's Beowulf:

I love the idea of 200-mile days.

Re 200 mile days, many catamarans and trimarans are good at doing this - or how about a Garcia Maracuja 42?
MARACUJA 42-1993

They look rather 'innocent' in appearance, yet some pals had one years ago (1989) and they crossed the Atlantic in her from the Canaries to Barbados in 14 days flat, averaging 200 miles every day.
They wound up the keel, hoisted two big genoas that were boomed out, and simply surfed the whole way.

 

[jaminb]

I dont know what I am talking about but I dream of one of these;

55CS | Contest Yachts

 

[Daydream believer]

I love the idea of 200-mile days.

Do that in a Figaro

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I think most blokes need to own three boats. One for Wednesday night racing, one for weekend cruises along the coast and one for cruising the Caribbean each year.

In order mine would be Open 60, HR and 80ft Oyster.

 

[Frogmogman]

Modern cruising yacht design is running up a blind alley, even people with 15 year old boats are starting not to fancy a new one.

I didn’t have time to post anything longer in my original response, but I think you really need to try and justify this assertion.

Most boat builders currently have full order books and LONG waiting lists, despite prices that have really shot up over the past few years. Trust me, I asked a few at the Paris boat show yesterday. It’s hardly proof that the buying public don’t like what’s on offer…….

FWIW, I’m with Daydream Believer on this one. The latest generation of cruising boats offer a fabulous blend of space, sailing performance and ease of handling. The high volume hulls have evolved from what has been producing results in modern race boats.

I love the S&S Swan 43 on which I have the good fortune to race, for its elegance, build quality, and it’s sea kindly motion, but have resisted all entreaties to join the syndicate of owners over the last 10 years, because it’s just not the boat I want to own. It has quite an intimidating rig, it’s terrible to sail short handed, and the interior is like a rather pokey cavern. It’s manoeuvrability under motor is appalling, and it’s not a boat that would be suitable for my kids to use with their mates. That’s why I’ll actually be buying a modern AWB.

 

[Kukri]

I’ve not considered this question since I was a teenager. The question has always been “what’s the best boat for what I want to do that I can afford?”

 

[Laminar Flow]

Having gone from 50' o.d to 31.5 o.d I'm rather amused by those who feel the need to go bigger. I will never miss the maintenance of acres of teak deck nor the miles of varnished cabin sides. I do not need 50' to go coastal cruising as a couple either. We quite happily manage to live and cruise on or little tub.

Our current piece of flotation is by no means perfect; she certainly wasn't when we got her, but I enjoy the process of improvement, not just for her looks or comfort, but for the performance as well.
Frankly, I couldn't imagine owning the "perfect" dream yacht. Nothing to tinker with, no improvements to her rig I could dream up and then enjoy the delicious challenge taking them to fruition? How terribly bored I would be! Thankfully, it won't be happening any time soon.
It doesn't stop us going places either. We do and have fun doing so as a couple.
We are quite happy with our boat and our current reality. Our dreams are real.

When I quit a prosperous corporate career in my thirties to go on a world cruise, a colleague said to me: "Some dream all their lives, others live their dreams." I have tried to keep that in mind since.

To quote from "The Best Marigold Hotel": "In the end everything will be perfect, if its not perfect its not the end".

 

[KompetentKrew]

Having gone from 50' o.d to 31.5 o.d I'm rather amused by those who feel the need to go bigger. … I do not need 50' to go coastal cruising as a couple either. We quite happily manage to live and cruise on or little tub.

Clearly you are neater, tidier and better organised than me.

 

[westhinder]

I think most blokes need to own three boats. One for Wednesday night racing, one for weekend cruises along the coast and one for cruising the Caribbean each year.

In order mine would be Open 60, HR and 80ft Oyster.

I think you’re right. My three boats would be
1 A small Wally, both for purely aesthetic reasons and to enjoy the good life in warmer climates
2 An expedition yacht, aluminium hull, reinforced for ice, pilot house, for high latitude sailing, think Bestevaer, Koopmans…
3 My current Starlight 39, as it enables me to hugely enjoy sailing and to travel all along the West European shores

 

[Kukri]

Clearly you are neater, tidier and better organised than me.

In the course of a survey of the red monster, the surveyor called up from the fore cabin “There’s another one here!” He had found a locker holding a 75lbs CQR clone whose existence I had completely forgotten about.

 

[Laminar Flow]

Clearly you are neater, tidier and better organised than me.

Not likely, but there were two cabins forward I rarely went into and that only were used to store junk.

 

[Baggywrinkle]

It was my 1999 Bavaria 36 .... it was my favourite because that's what I chose ..... after a decade of fun and wonderful memories, it's time for the next boat. In 2022 I am hoping to find a recent 46ft AWB with 3 double cabins, roller reefing main, an L shaped galley, proper chart table, and oodles of living space in cockpit and below ... a proper shower compartment is also essential. Then I'll fit a generator, solar panels, a massive bank of lithium batteries, a freezer, a washing machine and as many other mod cons as I can manage to create a small apartment I can explore the Mediterranean with. An Oceanis 46/45 looks like it might fit the bill quite well - I never had anything go seriously wrong with my Bavaria in the 10 years I had her, so will be buying the newest I can find/afford and hoping for the same again.

 

[Stemar]

If I won the lottery I'd commission a yacht along the lines of Dashew's Beowulf:

I love the idea of 200-mile days.

Lovely, but I've a feeling you'd need a second lottery win to maintain and park her.

My boat would have to be something I could single hand - Milady could steer while I do stuff, but doesn't need to be heaving on bits of string; but still have the space for guests. My idea of fun (and hers) is sailing for a bit then sipping a nice cold rosé in a quiet anchorage, The odd longer passage to get to more nice anchorages is fine, but neither of us wants to cross oceans,

The ability to take the ground is very useful, as it opens up so many more places, so I'm back to my cat. I know plenty of other boats would do that, but Milady's done with sloping decks.

 

[capnsensible]

I think most blokes need to own three boats. One for Wednesday night racing, one for weekend cruises along the coast and one for cruising the Caribbean each year.

In order mine would be Open 60, HR and 80ft Oyster.

If you've ever owned more than one boat and used them a lot, you might not want to go there......

 

[Stemar]

If you've ever owned more than one boat and used them a lot, you might not want to go there......

If I were rich enough to own - and run - more than one boat, I'd own one boat near home for day to day sailing without planning, and do high end charters for the winter cruise in the warm or exploring the European canals. Not only would it be cheaper less horrendously expensive, but I'd have the boat where I want it whether it's Barbados or Brittany, fully kitted and ready to go.

 

[doug748]

.....................That’s why I’ll actually be buying a modern AWB.

My advice, keep the Starlight.

 

[capnsensible]

If I were rich enough to own - and run - more than one boat, I'd own one boat near home for day to day sailing without planning, and do high end charters for the winter cruise in the warm or exploring the European canals. Not only would it be cheaper less horrendously expensive, but I'd have the boat where I want it whether it's Barbados or Brittany, fully kitted and ready to go.

I lived aboard one and the other was our sea school yacht. Plus another two that I managed as part of the school fleet. Had yakka.....but lots of fun still.

Quite a few years previously, a friend and I had shares in four yachts that we put out to charter. Plus another 17 under management. Never gonna do that again!

 

[Stemar]

If it's a business, it's a different matter, but I'm retired and have absolutely no intention of taking up any sort of work. Were I to become wealthy enough to even think about multiple boats, I'd employ someone to manage my investments - probably property and, while I'd keep an eye on them, I'd rather be off on my home boat or a charter.

 

[Kukri]

I have steered clear of yachting as work. I have friends who work in yachting, as brokers, surveyors, chandlers, designers, builders and paid crew, and who also enjoy sailing, but I always feared that, were I to do so, the pixie dust would be blown away, and I would stop enjoying sailing.

 

[doug748]

I have steered clear of yachting as work. I have friends who work in yachting, as brokers, surveyors, chandlers, designers, builders and paid crew, and who also enjoy sailing, but I always feared that, were I to do so, the pixie dust would be blown away, and I would stop enjoying sailing.

Wise, I think.
When I bought a boat in the early 80s, I got an insurance valuation from a young and very keen sailing guy who worked near me. Ten years later I met him in Dartmouth, working as a broker, I asked him what sailing he was doing, he said "nothing, I spend all day looking at boats it's the last thing I want to do at the weekend"

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