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.