Bart wrote:
Are boats like the Tayana 37 still popular and still a good choice for
ocean crossings?

I've crawled in and out of a few boats during the past couple weeks
and it looks to me that the heavy displacment boats are just built a
lot better than the mid to light displacement ones. This is
especially true in the price range I can afford (less than $100k).

Most of the heavy displacement boats also have more storage because
the tanks are usually located in the bilge leaving the settees free
for storage. This appears to be another plus.

When comparing open ocean vessels, Is the performace between a heavy
and mid displacment boat really all that much different? If not, then
maybe I wouldn't get bored with a lower performance heavy displacment
vessel. I'm not sure about this and would like comments.

Most heavy displacement boats have bow sprits. If a boat has a 5'
bowsprit, do you add that into the total length of the boat when
computing moorage charges? It would be ashame to get charged for 42'
when the boat is only has 37' on deck and 37' of living space.

As you can see, I'm still having trouble finding a suitable boat. I
want something to liveaboard here in Alaska and in 3 years take off
and at least sail the S. Pacific if not farther.


Our daughter and son-in-law worked in Saipan for 5 years. During that
time they bought a very badly maintained 36' Union and worked hard to
make it livable and seaworthy.

In Seattle, I was telling a sail boating friend about the purchase and
the product and he put on a disappointed face, saying "I hate to see
kids buying a boat like that." I was alarmed but, in a flash, realized
he was a racing sailor for whom nothing was as important as that. And
he confirmed it as he went on: "The damn things are like Hans Christians
- they can't get out of their own way in less than a full gale."

He must have seen my anxiety, because he seemed to relent and finally
said: "Of course, no matter how bad it gets, she'll bring her crew home".

Our kids had previously had no significant blue water experience,
maintenance and surveying on Saipan was minimal, and I was terribly
worried about their planned crossing to Seattle in the summer of 2001.
We got reports from Pacific Seafarers' Net, but worried constantly. We
could tell they were having some trouble with equipment - the Saipan
fuel congealed in the cold weather of the north Pacific, the water maker
stopped working... All through those months I clung to those words like
a mantra: "She'll bring them home". And she did.

Our daughter told us later that they experienced about every type of
condition they could imagine, and not once had any concern for their
safety.

My vote is: "Heavy"

g


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