"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 11 Dec 2006 18:26:26 -0600, "KLC Lewis"
wrote:

One point that seems to have been overlooked (either by previous replies
or
simply me, in missing it) is: "What's the largest boat you can comfortably
maintain?" Larger boat means larger sails, bigger engine, more paint, more
brightwork (possibly)...all in all, it's quite a bit easier for a
single-hander to do the maintenance on a smaller boat than a larger one.

That's a good point but within a range of sizes I have not found big
differences between something like a 28 and 34, and I'd certainly
prefer the 34 for a number of reasons. Better yet a 40 for two people
doing extended cruising or liveaboard.

I think the biggest difference occurs when you start adding complexity
like pressure hot water, refrigeration, generators, multiple heads,
heating, air conditioning, etc. These systems all add greatly to the
liveability of a boat but they push the maintenance costs and effort
at an exponential rate.


You make good points also, especially between the 28 and 34 foot range. But
as for the 40 footer, that will be an entirely different matter. Our first
boat was a CT41, our current boat a Rawson 30, both are ketch rig. The
Rawson is MUCH easier to maintain -- more than 10 extra feet of length and 2
extra feet of beam would lead one to believe. Both are William Garden
designs, with teak in the same places (wherever it would fit).