[Stede]

There is an article in the June issue of “Cruising World” that I thought was interesting. It’s titled “Second Thoughts on the Ideal Cruising Boat.” Six live aboard crews were interviewed. Their average cruising years ranged from 4-17 years. The article goes into a lot more detail than I can provide here, but below are a few items that they feel would be in an “ideal” cruising boat. It would be interesting to hear the opinions from other members of the cruising community on these items.

• Comfortable length (in feet) - 35 to 55

• Ideal comfortable length (in feet) - 40 to 50

• Ideal hull material - Five out of six crews chose fiberglass, with one preferring aluminum.

• Ideal rig - Five in six crews chose cutters, with one choosing a ketch, for the benefit of having a large private aft cabin.

• Ideal underbody -Five of the six crews preferred full or modified full keels, with one crew choosing a modified fin.

• Ideal cabin layout - Five crews preferred having an aft cabin, with one crew just stating a two cabin preference.