[paulk]

Talk to two sailors about deck width, and you''re likely to come up with five opinions about it. A big deck width is nice so you can drag the new jib forward, up from the cockpit locker, with the least amount of hassle when you change jibs. Of course many people now find it easier to simply furl their roller-furler jib from the cockpit, and not bother going forward at all. What''s wide enough depends a lot on how much the boat heels. If the boat heels just a little, narrower decks could be OK. If the boat heels a lot, wider decks would make it easier to maneuver. If the boat REALLY heels a lot, you''ll be walking on the cabin trunk anyway, so the width of the deck wouldn''t make too much difference, and you might like the added space below if the decks were narrow. Lots of options and opinions.