kupono wrote:
I'm looking to compile a list of favorite cruising boats based upon
your completely subjective opinions. Eddy and Duff's criteria might be
a useful guide, but don't feel constrained by it.

1. She must be easy to handle.
2. She must be comfortable.
3. She must be seaworthy.
4. She must be fast.
5. She must be beautiful.

Please qualify your choices with fully founded, and no doubt, highly
subjective arguments based on well thought out personal opinion (and
hopefully experience).

Let the opionions fly.

Some years ago I posted a copy of Edey & Duff's essay here. Still
worth consideration IMHO... their Stone Horse is a lovely boat but
it's a bit small for most people to consider for more than weekending.

My favorite cruiser is our 36' tugboat, in which my wife & I are
currently cruising the Great Loop... not the same as crossing an ocean
and this would not be the boat for that. However we are very
comfortable, certainly easy to handle (and another consideration along
those lines is "easy to maintain"), not fast but OTOH we get there.
Beautiful? Well, I find the Winnie W's looks pleasant and we
occasionally get compliments...
http://sports.webshots.com/album/550708407IeSjaU

"Seaworthiness" is also rather subjective... our boat is not built for
battling rough weather, and so it's primary "seaworthiness"
characteristic is the skipper's ability to hear weather forecasts. In
eight months (over 5,000 miles) of full time cruising we've had
weather that was difficult only 5 times, and all five of those were
due to being in a hurry and setting off with a marginal (or in one
case, just plain bad) forecasts.... at the time we were willing to
take the hit and we would not set out at all with more than a slight
risk of real danger...

One factor that is very important, but rarely discussed (at least,
that I've seen) is the cruiser's radius of action. How long can you go
out, in either miles or in time, and stay in your desired cruising
area? For a powerboat, that is heavily dependent on fuel capacity &
efficiency. For sailboats & powerboats alike, other considerations are
draft, ground tackle, stores, water capacity, holding tank
capacity.... then lesser items like "can you dry towels aboard without
turning the cabin into a swamp."

A really marvelous way to cruise, and my family did this for years....
get a trailerable racing class boat, go to regattas and either camp or
stay with friends. You get to sail a lot of different places, and
learn a lot of good skills too. Sort of like touring on land in a
sports car & staying in hotels, instead of buying an RV!

Fresh Breezes- Doug King