HI again folks, Thanks for the replies! I want plenty of opinions since this
is a broad topic!

So here goes, what SIZE of boat would be a maximum for 2 (healthy and late
50's) people underway. I am thinking in the 45 to 65 foot range with modern
roller furling and etc.
I have been partial to ketch sail configurations. I need good room for
visitors/family if they where to fly over and spend some time in port with
us as we go along. I may never get out of the Caribbean- but want a boat
that can make it if we want to do some extended cruising.

Thanks,
RB


"RB" wrote in message
...
Just what is a blue water boat- size- sail plan- tankage- hull material-
and so on?
My wife and I want to retire and do a circumnavigation just the 2 of us.
What should I look for in a boat?
Rick in St Louis

On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 15:16:10 -0500, "RB" wrote:

HI again folks, Thanks for the replies! I want plenty of opinions since this
is a broad topic!

So here goes, what SIZE of boat would be a maximum for 2 (healthy and late
50's) people underway. I am thinking in the 45 to 65 foot range with modern
roller furling and etc.

Electric winches go from "luxury" to "necessity" in my view at about
the 45 foot mark for two people, unless you are both 5' 10" and
unusually strong. Getting the mainsail up and down is usually the
issue, as the the height of the boom on bigger boats. More electrics,
furling, etc. equals more stuff to break...hiring crew is probably
cheaper in the long run. That being said, the maximum is what your
wallet can handle when half your assistive devices go on the fritz.
Most couples I know of stay in the 39-45 foot band, as the price of
maintenance (not to mention the price of docking, canals, etc.) is
higher with longer boats.

I have been partial to ketch sail configurations. I need good room for
visitors/family if they where to fly over and spend some time in port with
us as we go along. I may never get out of the Caribbean- but want a boat
that can make it if we want to do some extended cruising.

You have several possibly contradictory requirements. You have to
figure that YOU and your wife are the actual liveaboards: size the
boat for your capacities to sail it and your comfort in living in it,
not for its suitability as a floating hotel for visitors who may or
may not show or help in running the boat.

As for the ketch rig, while I personally like it, it is both more
tunable and more complex than a sloop rig, and they point less high on
average and are frequently found 20% too short on boats 40% too heavy.
It's a trade wind/downwind rig, really, and is good if you've got time
or find the more but smaller sails aspect attractive. I do (I like the
center cockpit options frequently found on ketches as well), but I
have no illusions that it takes more wind to get them moving and they
are a rig for comfort, not speed. If J-Boats made a ketch, then
maybe...!

Also, in the Caribbean, there's a lot of thin water. You may find a
swing keel/centerboard makes more sense, as the bigger the boat, the
deeper the keel as a rule. A Whitby 42 is a good example of a tested
Caribbean cruiser.

R.

rhys wrote:
On Fri, 9 Sep 2005 15:16:10 -0500, "RB" wrote:

HI again folks, Thanks for the replies! I want plenty of opinions since this
is a broad topic!

So here goes, what SIZE of boat would be a maximum for 2 (healthy and late
50's) people underway. I am thinking in the 45 to 65 foot range with modern
roller furling and etc.

Electric winches go from "luxury" to "necessity" in my view at about
the 45 foot mark for two people, unless you are both 5' 10" and
unusually strong. Getting the mainsail up and down is usually the
issue, as the the height of the boom on bigger boats. More electrics,
furling, etc. equals more stuff to break...hiring crew is probably
cheaper in the long run. That being said, the maximum is what your
wallet can handle when half your assistive devices go on the fritz.
Most couples I know of stay in the 39-45 foot band, as the price of
maintenance (not to mention the price of docking, canals, etc.) is
higher with longer boats.

I have been partial to ketch sail configurations. I need good room for
visitors/family if they where to fly over and spend some time in port with
us as we go along. I may never get out of the Caribbean- but want a boat
that can make it if we want to do some extended cruising.

You have several possibly contradictory requirements. You have to
figure that YOU and your wife are the actual liveaboards: size the
boat for your capacities to sail it and your comfort in living in it,
not for its suitability as a floating hotel for visitors who may or
may not show or help in running the boat.

As for the ketch rig, while I personally like it, it is both more
tunable and more complex than a sloop rig, and they point less high on
average and are frequently found 20% too short on boats 40% too heavy.
It's a trade wind/downwind rig, really, and is good if you've got time
or find the more but smaller sails aspect attractive. I do (I like the
center cockpit options frequently found on ketches as well), but I
have no illusions that it takes more wind to get them moving and they
are a rig for comfort, not speed. If J-Boats made a ketch, then
maybe...!

Also, in the Caribbean, there's a lot of thin water. You may find a
swing keel/centerboard makes more sense, as the bigger the boat, the
deeper the keel as a rule. A Whitby 42 is a good example of a tested
Caribbean cruiser.

R.

um do you remember any particulars on boat Joshua Slocum sailed around
the world in , I dont recall him looking like a body builder.

On 12 Sep 2005 14:59:39 -0700, "akcarlos" wrote:


um do you remember any particulars on boat Joshua Slocum sailed around
the world in , I dont recall him looking like a body builder.

"Spray" was 36 feet long and easily handled by a man who not only
rebuilt her from frames to be easily handled, but by a man who had
spent his entire career on muscle-powered sailing vessels.

Today's boats are very different, and today's people, as well.

R.

rhys wrote:
On 12 Sep 2005 14:59:39 -0700, "akcarlos" wrote:


um do you remember any particulars on boat Joshua Slocum sailed around
the world in , I dont recall him looking like a body builder.

"Spray" was 36 feet long and easily handled by a man who not only
rebuilt her from frames to be easily handled, but by a man who had
spent his entire career on muscle-powered sailing vessels.

Today's boats are very different, and today's people, as well.

R.

my point was that you can have a larger yacht and sail it quite well
short crewed
without having lots of modern toys like roller furling, electric
winches etc .

"RB" wrote:

HI again folks, Thanks for the replies! I want plenty of opinions since this
is a broad topic!

So here goes, what SIZE of boat would be a maximum for 2 (healthy and late
50's) people underway. I am thinking in the 45 to 65 foot range with modern
roller furling and etc.

Our boat is called a CSY 44 and is really closer to 50 if you count
the bow pulpit with the anchor and the dinghy davits and solar panels
on the stern.. That's plenty big enough IMHO for two people to sail.
She can be single handed, but not easily.

We have a cutter and all three sails are roller furled and can be run
from the cockpit. The cutter is nicer than a sloop IMHO.

We don't have either electric winches or an electric windlass. I can
only furl the staysail all by myself because the other sails are too
big for me to handle, but I'm older than you and not as strong. Bob
managed to unfurl and furl the sails himself even though he was in the
process of having a heart attack, so I'm sure a healthy and more fit
person could manage.

I have been partial to ketch sail configurations. I need good room for
visitors/family if they where to fly over and spend some time in port with
us as we go along. I may never get out of the Caribbean- but want a boat
that can make it if we want to do some extended cruising.

There are (since we've modified her a bit), berths for 6.5 (one
smaller person). Enough that children and/or grandchildren could come
and visit. We took out one double and made a single out of it.

We have two heads and a separate shower. This is important.

It is a center cockpit boat which I prefer, although our boat isn't a
walk-through which my husband would prefer.

The boat was built for the Caribbean bareboat trade, and does very
well there as it has lots of ventilation (which I think more modern
boats are lacking) and lots of storage. Ventilation, storage and lots
of handholds are very important IMHO. Don't pay too much attention to
'light and airy saloons' if there's nowhere to hold on in a seaway.

It is a very heavy boat which makes her a bit harder to handle in
strong wind and current, and also somewhat (IMO) underpowered.

HTH


"RB" wrote in message
...
Just what is a blue water boat- size- sail plan- tankage- hull material-
and so on?
My wife and I want to retire and do a circumnavigation just the 2 of us.
What should I look for in a boat?
Rick in St Louis





grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html

I'd go cutter just because it's easier to handle 2 smaller headsails
rather than one monster. G

"Rosalie B." wrote in message
...
"RB" wrote:

HI again folks, Thanks for the replies! I want plenty of opinions since
this
is a broad topic!

So here goes, what SIZE of boat would be a maximum for 2 (healthy and
late
50's) people underway. I am thinking in the 45 to 65 foot range with
modern
roller furling and etc.

Our boat is called a CSY 44 and is really closer to 50 if you count
the bow pulpit with the anchor and the dinghy davits and solar panels
on the stern.. That's plenty big enough IMHO for two people to sail.
She can be single handed, but not easily.

We have a cutter and all three sails are roller furled and can be run
from the cockpit. The cutter is nicer than a sloop IMHO.

We don't have either electric winches or an electric windlass. I can
only furl the staysail all by myself because the other sails are too
big for me to handle, but I'm older than you and not as strong. Bob
managed to unfurl and furl the sails himself even though he was in the
process of having a heart attack, so I'm sure a healthy and more fit
person could manage.

I have been partial to ketch sail configurations. I need good room for
visitors/family if they where to fly over and spend some time in port
with
us as we go along. I may never get out of the Caribbean- but want a boat
that can make it if we want to do some extended cruising.

There are (since we've modified her a bit), berths for 6.5 (one
smaller person). Enough that children and/or grandchildren could come
and visit. We took out one double and made a single out of it.

We have two heads and a separate shower. This is important.

It is a center cockpit boat which I prefer, although our boat isn't a
walk-through which my husband would prefer.

The boat was built for the Caribbean bareboat trade, and does very
well there as it has lots of ventilation (which I think more modern
boats are lacking) and lots of storage. Ventilation, storage and lots
of handholds are very important IMHO. Don't pay too much attention to
'light and airy saloons' if there's nowhere to hold on in a seaway.

It is a very heavy boat which makes her a bit harder to handle in
strong wind and current, and also somewhat (IMO) underpowered.

HTH


"RB" wrote in message
...
Just what is a blue water boat- size- sail plan- tankage- hull
material-
and so on?
My wife and I want to retire and do a circumnavigation just the 2 of
us.
What should I look for in a boat?
Rick in St Louis





grandma Rosalie

S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD
CSY 44 WO #156
http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id1.html