# Advice on the Perfect Boat Please



## dreamdoer (Mar 7, 2013)

Well I have followed the sage advice given to date and have signed up to take my second USCG approved boating safety/intro to boating class and I have sent for an application to join the Pelagic Sailing club as a crew member so I can get some ocean sailing experience. Providing I like ocean sailing and decide to invest in an ocean capable sailboat, I will be looking for a boat that is seaworthy enough and big enough to comfortably and safely (as much as that is possible) sail the coastal waters of the Atlantic seacoast and forays offshore. 

I am cautious by nature so I am leaning towards a boat that can handle pretty much any weather that might be expected and then some. I can see myself sailing and living aboard for up to a month (with stops for provisioning). My wife will come and sail with me (hopefully) sometimes, but I do not anticipate she will be with me all the time. Moral is, I will be sailing single handed. 

So my questions, are (always erring on the side of caution please) 

1)are there options to consider besides a full keel or modified full keel boat? I know from the ladies comments that I need a full head with a closing and LOCKING door! See girls we can listen when we want something bad enough!, 

2) What is the smallest/shortest boat I should consider so we don’t end up like the Honeymooners (My wife and I are quite compatible and like to be close)? 

3) What equipment would you consider NECESSARY for single handed sailing in most conditions (please consider reliability, simplicity and safety as paramount). 

Please be specific as possible, examples rollerfurling (what brand if it matters), boomvang, rigging, sail material, etc.? I have read everyone from Joshua Slocum to Beth Leonard (Both remarkable), but I want to know what works now in the most minimalist and safest way with the necessary, but minimal creature comforts. I know this is dependent on each individual, but I want your opinion. 

I am a minimalist to the extreme. I once lived for 5 months with only a backpack and 40 pounds of gear. My wife……………………………….Nope! Perhaps I will never get to the point that I put your advice to use, but I Love to sail in inland waters and I Love the ocean (Almost got to spend 2 weeks with Jacques Cousteau!) And I am determined! Someone once said that, “The whole world steps aside for a man who knows where he goes”. 

Please comment so I can get there. Thank you.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

The perfect boat, the perfect wife, and the perfect .... are all matters of personal preference. You will need to get up close and personal with a whole bunch of boats to determine what your personal preferences are.

I like

cutter rigged ketchs
cutters
sloops 

smallish aft located heads facing forward
smallish u shaped galleys with centreline sinks 
propane stoves (Force 10)
galley harnesses
leecloths
floor that can be bolted / screwed down
Magma or Dickenson BBQs
big nav station

fractional rigs
backstays
slab reefing main with stowable lazy jacks (reefing hooks and leech reefing line)
removable inner forestays
Dacron sails
high modulus halyards (winches on the mast)
Dacron sheets

gennakers

I do not like 
most island queen berths
curved seating in the saloon 
electric winches
in mast furling
hydraulic steering
cockpit cushions

etc..


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Jackdale is on a roll and gives good advice. For starters get rid of the idea that there is a perfect boat out there if there were, you would not find the products of many dozens of builders and a score or more designers out there.

Before suggest a boat, or even a configuration, for you we would need to know things like your age, your budget, and what you mean by 'offshore forays'. In our travels we have met several couples who were doing extensive cruising including circumnavigations in Vega 27s and having a grand and safe time. But they were all young and had limited budgets. I would not enjoy one at my age but almost bought one 35 years ago. You might not like it because the head is in a cupboard. BTW, why do you want a head door that locks?

Some advice re your wife. Get her involved in the boat selection process and it will be more likely that it becomes a joint dream. You can do the homework and short list 3 or 4 boats that will do the trick, but let her pick the boat you buy.

Unlike Jackdale I like furling mains on larger boats if they work properly.


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

If you've been "lurking" around here for a while, you may have found one of the most sage bits of wisdom I've seen: buy for your intended, regular use, not what you "might do" one day. Personally, I'd love a 35' or so, deep keel boat with a nice bow angle and modest beam to slice through the waves for the trip we hope to make to the Virgin Islands. But, as a practical matter, I live in the Northeast. Getting my "daily-use" boat to Florida so I could make the trip down to the VI's is a long prospect (unless I can convince my wife to take some of the night shifts), and as a practical matter, I don't have that kind of vacation time. Once I realized that, my perspective changed significantly, because I, like you, wanted a VERY safe boat since my kids and wife would be aboard. But there's "blue water" safe, and then there's near-shore/inland safe. As a practical matter, in the next 5-10 years (i.e., the timeframe I expect to keep our new-to-us boat) I highly doubt I'll be going much beyond a trip from Barnegat Bay, in NJ to New York/Long Island or the Chesapeake, and even those longer trips are probably a year or two away at the very least. So, what I needed was a boat that would fit my family's needs at this moment in time. If I somehow strike it rich and can afford the time away from work, and have the inclination to try the voyage to the USVI's before I have the right boat, I can always charter. And then I can come home to the boat I'm used to, the boat that fits my "regular" needs.

By way of example, the boat we've bought has high freeboard and a shallow draft, which makes it a poor candidate for sailing to windward, and the large cockpit can be disadvantageous when waves and rain are flooding the cockpit. But at 31' long with a 3'10" draft, I can take her almost anywhere in Barnegat Bay or the Chesapeake where the water in some places is only 4-5' at low tide, if you're lucky. The "tri-cabin" layout of our boat gives my wife and me some private space while still giving our boys a cabin to call their own. The 6'5" headroom in the cabin means even my father-in-law can come along and hide out below without having to stoop. The big cockpit means we can have family and friends over for rides without feeling cramped, and the wide beam makes for significantly more "elbow room" both below and on deck.

So, I would encourage you to think carefully about how, and WHERE, you truly plan to use the boat. For example, you said you expect to live aboard for a month, yet your wife won't be with you. Does she know this? (or, as might be the case for me, did she suggest it?)  Once you can better define the use case, then I think we can help you better find the "perfect boat for you", keeping in mind that, as others have said, all boats are compromises.

Edited to add:
If you REALLY want to start looking at boats now, at least give us your area, whether you primarily want to race or cruise, and what your budget is. For example, if your budget is fairly modest, something like an O'Day or Catalina in the 25-30 range, or even some of the Cherubini-era Hunters, would probably be a good place to start. In my opinion, once you begin to push the 35+' range, you get into a LOT of sail, and a LOT of boat, and that can make it tougher to single-hand unless the boat is properly equipped (e.g., electronic winches, bow thrusters, etc.) especially if this is your first boat. Sure, some of the folks here may single-hand their 42'er with manual winches, etc., but most of them have been sailing for years. The last thing you want to do is to buy a first boat that is so big, and so hard to handle, that you get discouraged from sailing or using her (and that happens more often than you think).


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

If you intend to spend nights on the hook with your wife. Forget about the furling, AIS, autopilot and carbon fiber spinaker poles, she does not care. 
The only absolutely critical, indisputable feature that she will not let you live without is "HEAT".


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## paul323 (Mar 13, 2010)

Something that often gets overlooked - and is rarely mentioned - accessibility.

What I mean by this, is that boat stuff breaks. Wires corrode, pipes leak, engines need servicing...can you *get* to all that stuff? I have crawled around almost every inch of my boat, and am grateful that she was designed with access in mind. Okay, soe areas I wish I had double-jointed arms 12" longer, but I can get everywhere, if uncomfortably. I have a friend with a beautiful teak interior (I love that), but to access almost anything the paneling needs to be removed, and even then, there are some areas that cannot be reached without an element of destructive removal. Why anybody would design a boat that way beats me.

If you like tinkering - you either like tinkering, or have huge stack of sack to pay somebody to do it - you need to reach the guts of the old girl.

So when you look at boats, poke around everywhere, and imagine maintaining her...


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

killarney_sailor said:


> ...
> 
> Some advice re your wife. Get her involved in the boat selection process and it will be more likely that it becomes a joint dream. You can do the homework and short list 3 or 4 boats that will do the trick, but let her pick the boat you buy.
> 
> ...


I would even suggest earlier involvement. She needs to be personally equipped to make that final choice. Ask her to make a list of Requirements and Wants (two separate things) before you even start the boat research. This will hopefully get her to start putting things in perspective as you *both* do research and start visiting boats. Hopefully she can then visualize how her needs may or may not be based in reality.

The way John and I did it was I got his requirements (thankfully very few), we decided on a budget and he said to let him know when I had it down to three boats. I spent two years researching online (which narrowed the list), one year visiting boats (which eliminated quite a few) and I narrowed it down to, well, one. That's what we bought and that's what both of us are extremely happy in for the way we're sailing today.

Now we're going through a similar process for the Next Boat. We're evaluating how we're using this boat, where we want to sail next and taking note of what's working now and what isn't.

Good luck!


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

boatpoker said:


> If you intend to spend nights on the hook with your wife. Forget about the furling, AIS, autopilot and carbon fiber spinaker poles, she does not care.
> The only absolutely critical, indisputable feature that she will not let you live without is "HEAT".


I humbly suggest paying more attention to what *your wife* wants and not to what strangers think women in general want. You aren't buying the boat for the rest of us.

I know the OP said his wife probably won't be sailing that much but others in a similar situation will read this thread. If in doubt about what your partner's needs are...ask.


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## killarney_sailor (May 4, 2006)

Donna, I guess it depends on the spouses' relative interest in spending the time and having the knowledge to make a short list. June came to see all the boats that I had short-listed, we took it as an opportunity to have mini-vacations ranging from one day to about four days. When we got right to the end of the process it was June's choice since any of the last three were fine with me.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

killarney_sailor said:


> Donna, I guess it depends on the spouses' relative interest in spending the time and having the knowledge to make a short list. June came to see all the boats that I had short-listed, we took it as an opportunity to have mini-vacations ranging from one day to about four days. When we got right to the end of the process it was June's choice since any of the last three were fine with me.


I get that, and you're right. I guess I'm trying to counter the "all women want heated head seats" tendency to overgeneralize. We aren't all cut from the same cloth and from asking some of the men in my boating courses, I know that some of them didn't even think to involve their SOs. They just assumed she wouldn't care (to which the women in the room snorted in disgust).


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

Donna, I both agree and disagree with you. I certainly think it's a good idea to get your SO involved, and to do your best to accomodate your needs and his/hers, especially if the goal is for both of you to be able to enjoy the time on the boat (and if you want the boat to "grow" on him/her). But, it's amazing to me how many of my requirements (i.e., must haves) weren't even a consideration for my wife, even when they were things that I wanted for our kids. The opposite was also true to some extent. So, I can understand some people thinking that their SO "won't care" about *certain* things - mine certainly didn't. Again, though, I think it's wise to at least have the conversations, even if in the end he/she doesn't care.


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## dreamdoer (Mar 7, 2013)

Hi Everyone:
Thank you all for offering such great advice and please continue to provide it. Donna, I was not generalizing when I said that the women who had offered advice all talked about the importance of a well equipped head. That was the advice I got from an earlier thread and my wife concurred. I apologize and hope you believe I meant no offense. For clarification, my wife is intriqued, but not interested enough to actively participate in investigating what would be the MOST perfect boat for us. I am hoping that after I take her and a bottle of wine and sail away on a local lake, she will be "bitten" and want to sail more and in different waters (The ocean). I have the utmost of respect and Love for my wife and I want her to not only accompany me, but to enjoy sailing as I do. That is why I am preparing as best I know how including seeking advice from the wise souls who so gratiously offer their advice here. Both men and women! And please be assured that your time and efforts are not wasted. Thanks to all of you once again.


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

jimgo said:


> Donna, I both agree and disagree with you. I certainly think it's a good idea to get your SO involved, and to do your best to accomodate your needs and his/hers, especially if the goal is for both of you to be able to enjoy the time on the boat (and if you want the boat to "grow" on him/her). But, it's amazing to me how many of my requirements (i.e., must haves) weren't even a consideration for my wife, even when they were things that I wanted for our kids. The opposite was also true to some extent. So, I can understand some people thinking that their SO "won't care" about *certain* things - mine certainly didn't. Again, though, I think it's wise to at least have the conversations, even if in the end he/she doesn't care.


Understood. But you engaged her, which is all I'm saying. I don't think everyone will care about everything. If she chooses to opt out of the entire (or parts of the) process, fine. You can't force her (or him) but to not give the other person the chance or guessing what they may want may be asking for a less than enjoyable boat ownership experience down the road.

Think of it as CYA if that helps.  Mitigating the risk of her ever winning the argument that you never asked/don't care what she thinks.


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

DRFerron said:


> Think of it as CYA if that helps.  Mitigating the risk of her ever winning the argument that you never asked/don't care what she thinks.


I'm 100% with you on that! Learned that lesson a long time ago.


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

dreamdoer said:


> Hi Everyone:
> I am hoping that after I take her and a bottle of wine and sail away on a local lake, she will be "bitten" and want to sail more and in different waters (The ocean). I have the utmost of respect and Love for my wife and I want her to not only accompany me, but to enjoy sailing as I do.


Excellent attitude (IMHO). So, tell us more about what you think SHE would want, and what you want. Where are you? What is the depth of the local lake? How big is it? Does the lake have a boat size restriction?


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## Donna_F (Nov 7, 2005)

dreamdoer said:


> ... I apologize and hope you believe I meant no offense. For clarification, my wife is intriqued, but not interested enough to actively participate in investigating what would be the MOST perfect boat for us. I am hoping that after I take her and a bottle of wine and sail away on a local lake, she will be "bitten" and want to sail more and in different waters (The ocean). I have the utmost of respect and Love for my wife and I want her to not only accompany me, but to enjoy sailing as I do. That is why I am preparing as best I know how including seeking advice from the wise souls who so gratiously offer their advice here. Both men and women! And please be assured that your time and efforts are not wasted. Thanks to all of you once again.


No need to apologize. I just wanted to add a different perspective.


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## CarbonSink62 (Sep 29, 2011)

killarney_sailor said:


> BTW, why do you want a head door that locks?


I'm not the OP, but I can comment on this one.

My Catalina 18 had a port-o-potti that was simply in the saloon (if you could call it that); you had to close the companionway to use it. Not popular with the ladies.

My C25 has a real marine head, but it is behind a rattan (?) curtain that closes off the head and forward stateroom from the saloon. Better; a big step up; but still not quite enough.

My wife and sister-in-law (she's my BFF; I've known her forever) would really like a boat with a head that has a real, solid, actual door. It doesn't NEED to lock but I expect that it will be able to. I think that is what the OP (or his wife) is after.

To the original question:
This the boat I'm looking for as well. My answer so far is the Bristol 29.9 or Sabre 30. Small enough to single hand easily; big enough for a couple to spend a week cruising. You don't get 2 'real' staterooms until you get above 34 feet or so. That's a lot of boat. (In one of my comparisons the 30 was 8,800# the 34 was 14,000#)

My list:
Sloop - masthead rig
Skeg hung rudder - protected prop

Layout (from fwd going aft):
V-berth
Head
Traditional saloon with 2 settees that face each other
Galley & nav center
Quarterberth under one side of cockpit

That's the bones of the boat; equipping it is about 4 more threads

Ken


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## deltaten (Oct 10, 2012)

"Perfect boat?"

One that cleans itself, paints it's own hull and never needs repairs. It will also never heel too far, take on water or sink. Flat soles throughout, lots of warm, woody interior panels and endless storage lockers. It will have an engine that sips any fuel, plenty of room in the motor compartment and never need maintenance. Self-charging power source and more power than ever needed on tap.. at less-than-reasonable cost. The rigging never fails and the anchor never fouls. Always room for more and feels comfy with just one aboard. Bigger on the inside than out and never too large to fit a slip and not to small when it counts in weather. A blue-water, shoal-draft, lightweight and rock/bouy/dock proof gunk-holing hull is the ticket!

Is it possible... all-in-one?

I doubt it...but I'll take it ! 

Truthfully?? Find one that "speaks" to you. It *may* lie to you; but will be yours!


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

dreamdoer, first, to quote John McClane, "Welcome to the party, pal."

Second- You gave us all sorts of insight in your opening post and your following posts, and while I applaud your romantic streak and your humility and your love for your wife, it appears it falls to me yet again to be the big meany and drag us all back to reality...
what is your budget??????
Until we know how much dosh you have to throw at this adventure, all of our "perfect boat" advice will be, sadly, imperfect.


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## moonshadow (Dec 6, 2012)

Hi- some comments from Australia. 

Listen to as many people as you can, sail on as many boats as you can and make a list of the things you like in a boat. You will not find a boat that has them all - all boats are a compromise in one way or another. Get your wife involved in the decision - the most important thing about our boat is that we sail it together.

My wife and I have a Cavalier 37, (New Zealand design, fin keel, fin rudder. The same boat that Kay Cottee used to completed the first solo, non stop, unassisted circumnavigation by a female). We raced dinghies for 30 years and have been cruising keelboats for 13 years. Our time on the boat includes day sailing, weekends away and extended cruises of between a couple of weeks and 6 months.

Some of the things we like about our boat are......

Fin Keel/fin rudder - you spend a lot of time in and around "things" and it is very nice to have an easily manouverable boat in those situations. Our boat turns on a sixpence, (or should I say dime?), and it is very controllable in reverse. We rate these features quite highly. The boat is also very seaworthy - the fact that Kay Cottee circumnavigated single handed in a Cav is what interested us in the boat in the first place.

Plotter, VHF radio and autohelm are all usable stood behind the wheel. If you are single handing, or the crew is asleep these things are not much use in the cabin. We have them mounted so that they can be turned up or down to reduce glare and also spun around so that they can be seen if you are on auto pilot, taking shelter from the weather under the dodger.

Hard dodger with glass widows. Plastic dodgers are much harder to see through than glass when they are covered in spray, especially at night. 

Large cockpit. We love to sail in company with other boats and it's nice to have space for lots of visitors at 5 o'clock.

A well designed electrical system. Running out of power can be both annoying and dangerous. You need to try to reduce electrical demand as much as possible and make sure that there is sufficient charging going on to replace what is being used. (You can't solve problems just by having bigger batteries). We are able to stay at anchor for weeks on end without starting the engine to charge the batteries. Every light on our boat has an LED globe. The fridge is 12v/240v eutectic. We have 200 watts of solar panels and an airX wind generator.

Reasonable capacity in water/fuel tanks. We carry 400 litres of water and 100 litres of fuel plus another 100 in jerries.

Furling genoa. On a 5 month circumnavigation of Tasmania, which included 2 months in the wilderness, (no shops, no fuel), we only used the main sail about 20% of the time. For most of the time, just exploring and doing short hops, it was so convenient to just unfurl the genoa and then pull the rope to put it away again. We also have a whisker pole mounted on a track on the mast which we use to pole out the genoa when running down wind. The pole is just the right length so that we can furl the genoa with the pole still out. This enables us to get rid of the sail quickly in an emergency, but also to easily control the speed of the boat when running down wind.

A good anchor, plenty of chain and a nice anchor winch. We have a SARCA Excel anchor one size bigger than recomended, 50 metres of 8mm chain and a Maxwell anchor winch. (And there is an extension beeper mounted in my bunk about six inches from ear so that if the anchor alarm on the plotter goes off I hear it).

There are probably lots of other things that we take for granted that I can't think of right now. Hope this helps - good luck with your purchase - there's nothing better than mucking around in boats, especially if your wife is there.

Cheers - Phil


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## WindyFly (Jan 31, 2013)

Just to add to what everyone else has stated.... and keep in mind I'm as far away from someone to take advice on when it comes to purchasing a "perfect" vessel. All I can say is, do a little triage, a.k.a. what is most important to you. Nice head, storage room, ease of use, ocean worrthy, cruising, draft..... the perfect boat for me, might be far from the perfect boat for you. As the old adage goes, What is right for me, might not be right for you. Seriously think about what YOU want from a boat, and what you are willing to compromise.... or your significant other is willing to compromise as well, and go from there. You will have to give up on some things, but you get used to it. Think about the first house/apartment you lived in on your own. Probably not a good backyard, dining room, nice floors, good location, but it worked right? List things in order of importance and if you get 4/5 of your top 10, your probably in good shape. My perfect boat would have ample room for fishing gear storage, shallow draft, large dining area, be able to go underway with one person at the helm, be blue water capable, and not cost an arm and a leg..... the thing is, that it really doesn't exist, so making compromises is very, VERY important. Trust the senior members on this forum, and take their advise to heart. Hope you find exactly what you need, and have fun out there!


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## dreamdoer (Mar 7, 2013)

Thank you all for your advice. More specifics as to what my wife (W) and what I (I) would want in a sailboat; 
Full head –W
Not tender [email protected]
[email protected]
Comfortable for 2 for up to a month when coastal hopping (Mainly to sleep on and get from point A to B) [email protected] And yes I know this is relative, but the wife and I are very compatible and really like being within touching distance (Yes we are blessed and still sickeningly like newlyweds after 7+ years)
Well suited to single handed sailing-I
Capable of sailing to Bermuda- definitely I
Capable of being transported to my home town 60 miles inland so I can work on her in the winter without having to take out a second mortgage (Yes I am a jack of almost all trades and I prefer to do things myself whenever possible)-I
A hull design with a rudder that won’t catch stray lines or kelp or if it does, be easy to remove and clean without diving overboard.-I
Smaller rather than larger for overall manageability while still being “comfortable”.-I
Budget? $500-W
Budget?-I Hmmmmmmmmmm Not to be trite or circumspect, but I will spend whatever is necessary to get a boat that I feel will “reasonably” fit the bill. Lets say that right now I can’t envision spending more than $25,000 for the basic boat (used obviously) with more money after to equip her as I see fit. I am much more of a minimalist than the wife and I have to guard against the Viking/Spartan influence of my genes. I will not cut corners on safety. What am I leaning towards after much research and advice from wonderful and experienced people such as yourself? 
LOA-up to 35 feet
Beam-? I don’t mind paying the extra for a wide load permit.
Tiller stearing
Keel-Full or modified full, perhaps a fin with transom or skeg hung rudder if I can be convinced.
All and every possible safety item (I know there are no guarantees, but I could never forgive myself if something terrible happened to my wife).
So am I nuts? Am I an unrealistic dreamer? I honestly want to know because I am determined and capable of taking tough advice and “altering my course”.
Wow that was cathartic!
Thank you all again for your time and efforts.


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## dreamdoer (Mar 7, 2013)

OOps!
Capable of sailing to Bermuda- definitely I
I live in Massachusetts (Big difference than if I lived in Melbourne Australia right? LOL)


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

would never buy a boat the admiral did not steer (sight lines),tack (ergonomics of how the winch handle lines up to her body- for short people not beng able to get over the winch makes it hard), lie down on the berths (with me-grin), use the head, go through the galley and say-"I love it" on the drive home.

still have wife. She makes all the major decisions - I only type up the menu. Seriously we both then own the boat. Makes changing out the duckbill valve in the head a two person job.

?Why a tiller. Takes up a lot of cockpit real estate and once you cruise a bit you may find like many you try to spend a little time as possible steering.


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## bljones (Oct 13, 2008)

Alberg 30.
It may not be convenient to trailer, but it fits the rest of your needs.
As per hauling a big boat home to work on it, it makes much more sense to haul the parts of the boat home you wish to work on, and haul yourself to the boat for big projects. a decent used roadworthy trailer will set you back over $3500, and then you need to buy a vehicle capable of towing 12-15000 lbs. if you don't already own one.
It's a whole lot cheaper to travel back and forth with a generator and an old van full of tools.


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## boatpoker (Jul 21, 2008)

Alberg 30 - a fine little vessel but not for someone with claustrophobia.
If you could stand living in a toothpaste tube for a month, well worth looking at.


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## jimgo (Sep 12, 2011)

So, you're looking for a trailerable boat that can make the run to Bermuda? Or are you looking for a boat that you could have professionally hauled to your home? Have you explored the costs associated with having a pro do such a move twice a year? At only 60 miles, it MIGHT equal the winter storage costs somewhere, for one leg of the trip. For example, my Catalina 25 was trailered about 50 miles, and that cost me $500. A bigger boat, with a bigger beam, would have been more. If there are weight limits, width limits on roads/bridges, etc., that could come into play, you may be looking at even more cost each time the boat is moved. If you're OK with that, then that's great, just trying to set your expectations appropriately. Otherwise, you're back to looking at something that is trailerable, and there aren't a lot of trailerable boats that will safely and comfortably make a run to Bermuda, especially when you define trailerable as a boat that can be towed by a conventional SUV (as opposed to a dual-axle F350 or the like, unless you already happen to have one of those, in which case you just MIGHT be able to get away with this!).

Again, I'm not trying to be a downer here; sorry if I come across that way. I'm just trying to make sure you're understanding the issues I see. The right boat may be out there, and I'm sure the crew here will give you some great suggestions.


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## outbound (Dec 3, 2012)

norsea 27

trailable
seaworthy
tiller
aft berths

BCC28 Bristol Channel Cutter might be your "perfect" boat but it's way out of budget


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## Jiminri (Aug 26, 2012)

You've gotten a lot of good advice, especially on including your wife in the process--and it appears you are getting her input--and considering a boat that is suited to the sailing you'll do most often. If you haven't read them already, you also might want to consider locating copies of some books on the boat choice topic, such as:

"Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" by John Vigor

"Twenty Affordable Sailboats to Take You Anywhere" by Gregg Nestor and John Vigor

"The Best Used Boat Notebook" by Jack Kretschmer

I'm not suggesting you will find "The Answer" in these books, but I think they may help you appreciate the variety of issues that the authors' consider and compare and thus may help you further identify the issues that are key for you and your wife.


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

The perfect boat for me has always been the next boat. 
I'm not saying finding it ahead of time (now) isn't achievable, but doing so is more compromise than searching. 
It also takes true consensus when more than one person is involved.
I mean true consensus in the purest form, not just "I can live with it" but "I accept that and will not complain about it later" type consensus.

There are hundreds of boat designs out there and dozens will fit all your needs. 
Find one that meets all your needs and most of your wants, then start looking for the next perfect boat.


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