I own a 1984 Newport 33 which I sail out of San Francisco.
Here are my ideas.
For 1-2 week voyages in coatal waters a 30 to 33 ft boat is great, it
has enough storage and room for 2 people for this kind of trip. 70 gal
of water and 35 gal of diesel make this a great coastal boat. My
experience is that I use 20 to 25 gal of water for 2 people per day. I
like to take a shower at least once per day.

The old idea that for blue water you need a full keel boat is now
outdated. The new idea is that a fin keel, spade rudder is faster and
more maneuverable. I single hand my boat all the time, especially
during docking. Even if I have guests on board I don't rely on them to
help me. It is much safer to do it by yourself alone. You know what you
are doing.

If you want a boat to cross oceans, just space for the gear needed,
dictates at least a 36 ft boat. Average size for full time cruisers is
now 46 ft. A boat up to 50 ft can be handled by a husbband and wife
team where one does most of the actual sailing work.

For single handing, a super reliable auto pilot and a very reliable
engine are a must. If you want to sleep while under sail overnight, you
also need a good radar. So part of your budget has to reserved for
things you need to buy.
Rolf

wrote:
I want to thank those who replied to my question. I have looked at
some
of the boats mentioned above; the Nonsuch(seems to me to be a good,
more affordable option to the Bristol Channel Cutter and, since it
has
a Freedom-like set-up, is easier to single-hand). I have also been
keeping track of the CS36 (I consider Canada my second home - one for
sale in Annapolis), the Catalina 30 (tons of these on the market
below
35k), the old Cherubini Hunter Cutter ( a diamond in the rough), and
the older C&C35. I have also read about the Dickerson (Ferenc Mate).
I
have read, perhaps on this forum, that the Camper & Nicholsons had
serious blistering problems (any confirmation?).Note that my
familiarity with most of these boats is via the internet. I may go to
Annapolis this weekend to meet them.I am just trying to narrow my
options down. I will probably go with the boat that I ( after
confirmed
by a surveyor) think is a good deal, given the criteria I outlined in
a
previous post: can single-hand, but not too small of a boat; I do not
have to run for cover when the weather turns moderately nasty; has a
solid hull, but is not slow; has traditional looks inside - I confess
to liking mohogany or 'teak caves'- and out (love the BCC)
Let me ask a more specific question(s).What displacement, keel,
rudder parameters make it very difficult to dock single-handed, even
in
the relatively calm airs of the northern Chesapeake? I am assuming
that
a real heavy (given LWL plus or minus 26-28') boat with a full-length
keel like the Westsail has would be very hard to dock by myself, or
at
least be a pain in the butt if I daysail frequently - assume that I
will be docking under engine power.I am leaning toward a traditional
more heavily displacing boat whose LWL is greater than 26' so as to
give me decent internal room when I am in the company of three other
adults, but I do not want a boat with so heavy an initial stability
that I could out-swim it in lighter airs.
Thanks, Brian, sail out of Havre de Grace, MD - home, Lititz, PA
PS: anybody know of a broker in the Annapolis area who may be my
'cup
of tea'. The website of 'rouguewaves' out of Annapolis intrigues me.