I love some of these answers! Thirty eight feet is the smallest to
accomodate two adults and two children? Must be nice.

Perhaps Frank's question needs to be expanded upon. Obviously, in
asking for the smallest boat, we are assuming budget constraints are the
priority therefore we are probably looking to meet a "minimum" comfort
level. Even within this context, certain questions need to be addressed
before anyone can give any sound advice (sorry to all those who felt that
it could be given previously).

What type of cruising are you doing? Will you always be an hour or two
between source and destination(s), or will you be traveling for hours on
end? What climate will you be traveling in? Florida? Will you need air
to be comfortabe?

When you travel what type of facilities will you plan to frequent? If
you are tying up at a full service marina (bathroom, showers, etc), and
perhaps near restaurants, you might not need ample onboard facilities.
Conversely, if your anchoring out, you'll want facilities to be able to
prepare, consume and expell your food.

How long will your trips be? If your only overnighting, perhaps you can
tolerate more modest conditions. If your going on 2-3 week trips, you
might need more space for gear, food, and to combat cabin fever.

Last, but by no means least, WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR CREW REQUIRE TO BE
MINIMALLY CONFORTABLE? How big are the people staying aboard? Also, if
your crews definition of roughing it is staying at a three star
motel/hotel, then you have to take that into consideraton. Often finding
the right boat layout will make as much difference as size in maintaining
your comfort.

Even if you were to give this information to the group, no one is going to
be able to tell you what YOU need to be minimally comfortable. By by
sharing experiences, you might be able to get a better idea as to where to
look first. Since you asked for stories pertaining to the smallest boat
overnighted on here are a few of my anectdotes:



As a child, I have taken 2-3 week trips around the great lakes, on MY
FATHERS 40 and 30 foot vessels with two siblings in comfort. Before
those boats, me and my parents started overnighting in a 16 foot bowrider
with my parents sleeping in the jump seats and me between the bow seats.

As an adult, I started overnighting on my 16 foot Cape Cod Catboat. Our
overnight crew consisted of two adults and two dogs. I have slept five
people and two mid sized dogs in a 19 ft spindrift. Even though it was
just one night, I would not recommended it to anyone, but it was a sucess
as the boat did not sink. My last sailboat, a 17 foot Renken, I've spent
a week along the Florida panhandle with a friend and one dog. That trip I
wound up getting Streph from a cruising partner's kid, and I HATED
Florida's humidity (especially when the sun went down, everything got
damp) but other than that the sleeping accomodations were fine.

Like all my previous sailboats. When I first got into powerboating, I
had a 16 foot Bayliner cuddy, which had only sleeping ammeneties. Took
that boat from Sandusky Ohio accross Lake Erie and up the Detroit River to
Windsor Ontario and stayed three nights with two people and a dog. My
next boat, a Trophy 2160 was large enough to have food, cooking, and a
head (which I never carried) aboard. It has often held three adults and
my dog and all our supplies (sans toilet) for weekends at a time. To
adults and one dog have cruised with this boat for 4-5 days at a time,
with the boat goig from Sandusky to Lake Huron.

My latest boat is a 23 foot Chris Craft mid cabin with everything from
shower to refrigerator and stove. Once again because of my needs, I
still don't use the head. I use it as a closet to free up space.
Cabin-wise there is more sleeping and standing room than the 21 foot
trophy. This should be more comfortable than anything right? Usually
yes, but since the cabin leaks (it is a project boat), it was extremely
onconfortable to stay on boad with only two people when we had a 20 hour
rainstorm on Labor Day. A lack of a bimini meant we could not sit on deck
or keep the companionway door open, so we were closed up inside a damp
cabin. This is a case were we would have been alot more comfortable in
the Trophy. See, even weather and boat layout can make an extreme
difference in one's comfort level.

Hope this helps, Frand et al.

Bob Dimond







In article ,
wrote:

On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 13:49:50 -0400, . .@. wrote:

On Tue, 16 Sep 2003 03:13:50 GMT, "FPrieto"
wrote:

I have a 21 ft Angler boat W/A that I find to small to overnight in. I
mostly boat in Biscayne Bay florida. I am looking for the minimun size boat
any of you guys have overnighted successfully in.
I have a wife and to kids 6 and 10,,,
Any advice is appreciated
Frank Prieto


With a wife and two kids aged 6 and 10? About 38 feet.
=================
Better yet, 38 foot catamaran. One hull for the kiddies,
one hull for the parents.

My wife and I are in this debate about how big a boat we need to live
aboard 4 to 6 months of the year. Most of our estimates are in the 43
to 53 foot range, though on occassion we decide half humorously that
there may not be a boat big enough, short of cruise ship proportions.

I've had several boats in the 34 foot range and that's just about
right for 4 people over no more than a week or two in my opinion.
Smaller is certainly possible but it's going to be very crowded.

One of the things that impressed us on our Rideau Canal cruise to
Canada was the number of significant families cruising on relatively
small boats. They would typically tie up ashore and set up folding
tables and chairs on the dock at meal time.