In article ,
Wayne.B wrote:

On Thu, 29 Dec 2005 06:05:10 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:

Unless we hit the lottery, we intend to keep Xan until after we've done
at least 3 months in the Bahamas or similar to see if we like living
aboard.

You raise an interesting point there. A boat that is well suited for
living aboard is not necessarily the right one for crossing oceans. I
agree with your other point that so few people actually cross oceans
in small sail boats that it does not make sense to purchase a boat for
that purpose unless you are really going to do it.

Most people get a very quick reality check after spending a few days
going to windward on the open ocean, and quickly change their mind
regarding the "right" boat.

Personally, I'd choose a boat that has the least flaws for the 90% of
what we do over one that had the best sailing qualities. The right set
of sails can make any reasonably-strong boat acceptable, even if not
ideal.

To my mind, being able to live together aboard the boat is a primary
consideration, mostly because my lady isn't sure she could stand being
with me 24/7 in such a confined space -- and let's acknowledge that even
a 60' cat can get pretty small for two.

We did quite well on a 25-day trip, but knowing that we *were* returning
might have helped. From what I've heard and read, it's only after a year
or so on an open-ended cruise that a crew really knows whether they can
live aboard in harmony.

The other aspect of liveaboard is that long distance cruisers spend
90-95% of their time on the hook by actual survey (Cornell, at least).
Understanding what's required to enjoy that vs. what would be nice can
only be gained by doing. [In the tropics, dryers are the #1 most-useless
addition, closely followed by ovens.]

--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/