Center cockpit v. Aft cockpit
 

I am sure this has been a topic before but what do you all think of
these. Which do you prefer and why? Just curious.

Center cockpit v. Aft cockpit
 

On Apr 7, 7:59 am, Gogarty wrote:
In article .com,
says...

I am sure this has been a topic before but what do you all think of
these. Which do you prefer and why? Just curious.

We have owned only center cockpit boats, first a Dawson 26, now an O'Day
37. One word: Privacy. And I don't just mean when we have guests on
board but the ability to get away from one another or to leave the other
in peace. I can muck around in the galley or even get underway without
disturbing my slumbering wife in the aft cabin. These boats did not and
do not have a pass through below decks. To get from one cabin to the
other you have to go through the cockpit. But this also means the boat
keeps a low and sleek profile where other boats of the same size that do
have internal pass throughs look like floating barns and the cockpit is
shallow and looks like a howdah on top of an elephant. I think you have
to get to 45 frrt ot more before you get pleasing proportions in boats
with a below deck pass through. Anyway, we have long been sold on the
center cockpit. And oh yeah, that big breaking wave looming up behind
you doesn't look so threatening from a center cockpit.

Amen. We were open to all when we started, having no design
specifications about center or aft cockpit, but the aft cabin, and
related separation, was the seller for us.

However, we (well, Lydia) nixed the walkovers because she didn't want
to have to make the climb, in potentially rough or wet circumstances,
between living and sleeping areas.

However, with a 45' boat, our cockpit protrusion from the deck line is
only a few inches, so it's a good visual line, we think.

L8R

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC
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Center cockpit v. Aft cockpit
 

"Skip Gundlach" wrote:

On Apr 7, 7:59 am, Gogarty wrote:
In article .com,
says...

I am sure this has been a topic before but what do you all think of
these. Which do you prefer and why? Just curious.

We have owned only center cockpit boats, first a Dawson 26, now an O'Day
37. One word: Privacy. And I don't just mean when we have guests on
board but the ability to get away from one another or to leave the other
in peace. I can muck around in the galley or even get underway without
disturbing my slumbering wife in the aft cabin. These boats did not and
do not have a pass through below decks. To get from one cabin to the
other you have to go through the cockpit. But this also means the boat
keeps a low and sleek profile where other boats of the same size that do
have internal pass throughs look like floating barns and the cockpit is
shallow and looks like a howdah on top of an elephant. I think you have
to get to 45 frrt ot more before you get pleasing proportions in boats
with a below deck pass through. Anyway, we have long been sold on the
center cockpit. And oh yeah, that big breaking wave looming up behind
you doesn't look so threatening from a center cockpit.

Amen. We were open to all when we started, having no design
specifications about center or aft cockpit, but the aft cabin, and
related separation, was the seller for us.

We've only had a center cockpit, and I don't think I'd like an aft
cockpit boat .

However, we (well, Lydia) nixed the walkovers because she didn't want
to have to make the climb, in potentially rough or wet circumstances,
between living and sleeping areas.

We were the opposite. Bob wanted the WT (walkthrough) because he
could walk into the engine room, and there's more room in there than
in the WO (walkover) I didn't like the WT version of our boat (CSY)
because

a) I felt the cockpit was up too high. It made me dizzy. Acerbated
by the fact (unique to our kind of boat) that the WTs all had a tall
mast (65 feet) and a shoal draft (5 feet) which made the boat very
tender and it felt tippy to me.

This is even though our boat is technically a 44' (actually measures
over 48 feet if you count the bow pulpit and the stuff at the stern.

b) There were more steps down to the saloon, and only one companionway
rather than two. It felt more closed in
c) The galley was not set up as well. On the WO (walkover) the sink
was almost on the centerline and was perpendicular to the length of
the boat. On the WT, it was necessarily on the side. The WO had
chest type refrigerator/freezer which keeps the cold in it - the WT
had an upright style.
d) The nav. table was more accessible to the cockpit on the WO
e) The cockpit was smaller and not as comfortable. I couldn't sit
behind the wheel and put my feet on the floor. Some of the WTs that
I saw later had a contoured seat and raised floor behind the wheel,
but the one we lived on for a week didn't, so I didn't know that.

I totally didn't mind coming up and into the cockpit in order to get
to the other half of the boat, but we have a cockpit enclosure so it
isn't wet to do that.

The other differenced on OUR boat (i.e. CSY) is that the WO has 400
gallons of water and 100 gallons of fuel, and that tankage was removed
to make room for the WT part. They have fuel and water tanks stashed
around in various places and they have less total tankage.

Also it is way harder to get the engine out for a replacement in the
WT - it has to be dragged out through the saloon and up the
companionway, and the WO has hatches in the cockpit floor and the
engine can just be lifted out.

However, with a 45' boat, our cockpit protrusion from the deck line is
only a few inches, so it's a good visual line, we think.

Skip

Morgan 461 #2
SV Flying Pig KI4MPC

Center cockpit v. Aft cockpit
 

I am sure this has been a topic before but what do you all think of
these. Which do you prefer and why? Just curious.

Oh, that fabulous after saloon! Standing room, full double bed lying fore
and aft, each side with its own long shelf and stowage . . . all on 41ft.
Now what aft cockpit vessel could offer sssuch a lovely forn****orium?

JimB
Google 'jimb europe' for comparisons between European Cruise areas,
or go www.jimbaerselman.f2s.com/

Center cockpit v. Aft cockpit
 

Gogarty wrote:
In article ,
says...



I am sure this has been a topic before but what do you all think of
these. Which do you prefer and why? Just curious.
Oh, that fabulous after saloon! Standing room, full double bed lying fore
and aft, each side with its own long shelf and stowage . . . all on 41ft.
Now what aft cockpit vessel could offer sssuch a lovely forn****orium?

Thirty seven feet is not quite so roomy. There is full standing room in the
aft cabin and a full head with toilet and shower. But the berth is
athwartship, not best for sleeping underway and the occupant closest to the
transom is trapped. But it is plenty wide enough and long enough for the
dog, too. But the headroom in the berth does leave a little to be desired.
Still, it's a whole lot better than being stuffed under the cockpit.

What is your 37 cc? An Irwin?