We need every inch of of our 44 feet because the admiral thinks my snoring is louder than a chainsaw so every now and then I'm bannished to the pointy end. I think this might be one arguement the catamaran boys could use as to why two hulls is better than one.

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I used to be undecided but now I'm not so sure.
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder!

We need every inch of of our 44 feet because the admiral thinks my snoring is louder than a chainsaw so every now and then I'm bannished to the pointy end. I think this might be one arguement the catamaran boys could use as to why two hulls is better than one.

I have been known to snore a bit myself, but I had some guests recently and I don't think the beam of any catamaran would have been enough to muffle the sound.

The reality is that you can have almost as many luxuries on a large displacement 30 ft boat as you can on a 45 ft boat, with the exception of (1) extra bunks, and (2) a separate shower stall or bathtub (although you could probably squeeze one into a 30 footer if you were willing to compromise elsewhere).

As for the snoring issue, there's plenty of room on a 30 footer for a few sets of earplugs.

The reality is that you can have almost as many luxuries on a large displacement 30 ft boat as you can on a 45 ft boat.

Not sure I quite agree. Water, fuel and foodstorage together with electricity generation come to mind. There room for a watermaker and this can make up for the lack of water but you then rely on the watermaker working. There is also less room for lots of solar pannels and/or a generator with the associated fuel to run it.This leads to less electricty availability especially if a watermaker is run.
There are other luxuries I have on board my yacht that would not fit into a 30 foot yacht (at least not all of them) such as
A workshop
Island queen size bedstorage for an RIB on the transom
Lots of storage for spares, hobbies etc

Dont get me wrong these are luxuries. you can have lots of fun in a smaller yacht and I would encourage anyone to get out and do it rather than saving up too long, but there are compromises to made as you go smaller and cruse remote places.

Agree with others that each to their own - and a never ending discussion

Quote:

Originally Posted by noelex 77

With a limited budget their is no choice, but to go for a smaller yacht.

Yes. and no. Trying to be (thinking they are?) couple B, but on the budget of couple A?

I figure easy and tempting to end up with a more expensive boat (for the increased size?) and trading the ability to fly that engineer out to the pacific atoll.........to adjust the aerial on your TV set

BTW I do have a big boat. It's 30 foot (ok, it's tied to the Dock, but I ain't tied to the boat either ).

Ok we are couple "A", small boat no refridgeration, but we are only coastal cruising down the east coast and the Caribbean so we will never be more then 20 hours from land. And the more you save on food and gas, the more Rummoney you have....lol.

Which ever way you decide to cruise and on what ever type of boat, GOOD FOR YOU!! Just do it safely.

I certainly wasn't offended. All boats are a compromise. Despite owning a 25 year old 40' ex-racing boat with very few creature comforts I very, very rarely get boat envy (although there is a certain Swan 44...) because the reality is that I am very happy with the boat we have and I am very proud of the work that we have done on it. And as I tell Lisa when a million dollar yacht goes past (or, as is more usually the case, when we pass them) ... "they aren't having any more fun than we are, darling".

How much fun you have is all about state of mind and expectations. Over the past 25 years we have owned a 22', 25', 28', 35', 42' and currently have a 47'. We have enjoyed every one of our boats thoroughly, no one boat is any better than the other in terms of enjoyment and we have cruised all of them throughout the PNW for weeks at a time in all seasons.

We would be category B/C sailors as we do enjoy our creature comforts and the ability to be comfortable in all weather conditions but we don't let any system problems interfere with our sailing if at all possible. We once spent a week cruising in the Gulf Islands in our current boat with no engine as it broke down on the way across from Vancouver and needed major repairs and we weren't willing to give up the week of vacation. Sailed everywhere, anchored under sail, used the tender as necessary as a tow boat and just kept electric power consumption to a minimum.

IMHO the best boat is the one that you will actually sail and that you are comfortable with in all ways, including handling it under both power and sail; maintaining it, both in terms of complexity and cost; and being able to afford it and still get out on the water.

. Sailed everywhere, anchored under sail, used the tender as necessary as a tow boat and just kept electric power consumption to a minimum.
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Wow that's independence and seamanship . I recently suffered an engine failure. I was forced to wait a few weeks and sail a few hundred miles to have it replaced. I was scared to death most of the time. When anchored I imagined the wind springing up from an unprotected direction and dragging us onto a lee shore. When sailing spent 36 hours with 0 wind, no steerage, lots of large ships and a forcast (which never eventuated) of fog.
If I could have got the problem fixed sooner I would have. To continue with your cruising plans shows you are more independent of technology than I imagined Couple C could be.

Sailed everywhere, anchored under sail, used the tender as necessary as a tow boat and just kept electric power consumption to a minimum.

I had a similar experinece, except I didn't have a dingy outboard either. I spent a couple weeks working my way back through the Abacos and abck to Florida. I then walked to West Marine and purchased a dinghyoutboard which slapped that on the back of the big boat to get up the Okachobee waterway. I was surprised at how simple it really was making due without an engine. It all goes back to the previous point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by zeppelin

IMHO the best boat is the one that you will actually sail and that you are comfortable with in all ways, including handling it under both power and sail; maintaining it, both in terms of complexity and cost; and being able to afford it and still get out on the water.

Again, I think so well said, I'd just like to second it. Everyone has different priorities, different experiences and different finances. I don't think there is any such thing as a better boat - just one that is more appropriate to your particular circumstances.

Couple A can stay out on the beautiful islands of “Paradise Found” for a week and half before they need to re-provision . They can get fruit etc at the islands but for water or non perishable supplies they need to sail back to the capital The quickly discover however that “Paradise Found” capital and only source of water and major supplies is dirty noisy and not a pleasant space to stay.

Bring a little less fuel, and more water and cut your water intake down to 1.5 gallons of fresh water per person per day or less if things get tight. (and of course all the salt water you want.) Enjoy the isolated islands for 3 weeks before having to stop at a town, which by no means has to be the capital city. Any town offering fresh water and a few basic provisions will suffice. (Green Turtle for example after three weeks north of there)

I used to go up to 32 days without reprvisioning on canoe trips. If a 17 foot, 32 inch beam canoe can carry everything I need for 32 days, a 26-foot 8.5 foot beam sailboat certainly can as well. Brian Caldwell and Tania Aebi are proof of that. It's all a matter of how simply one is willing to live and that will vary greatly depending on the person and circumstances.

I see your point, but when it comes to real world cruising, I think the time one can spend out there without resupply is as much a function of priorities, and outfitting choices as it is the size of the boat.

cut your water intake down to 1.5 gallons of fresh water per person per day or less if things get tight. (and of course all the salt water you want.)
I used to go up to 32 days without reprvisioning on canoe trips.

I see your point, but when it comes to real world cruising, I think the time one can spend out there without resupply is as much a function of priorities, and outfitting choices as it is the size of the boat.

Thanks for your input. 1.5 gallons per person per day is good going. That's 11.4 L a day for a couple and would extend the time away in my theoretical example to almost 16 days (without any reserve). I find my wife usually use 16L day, more is nice, but doesn't make much difference. Under 14L day starts to get tough, but I admire you for being able to do it. Once you stop showering in fresh water clothes cushions etc start to become salty and unpleasant. (note these consumption figures assume you are drinking water from the tank. If you drink bottled water or soft drink you will reduce consumption, but have to find storage for the drinks.
I note what you say about the canoists. I think we could learn a lot from how they manage happily on very little, but in rivers at least they dont have to worry about water consumption.