B32, D32, A33 - searching for wisdom about my first boat.

[lbdavis]

After over a year of endless research, countless miles, continuous self-education and tireless searching, I feel like I have narrowed it down to three.

My goals: A boat on a small budget that will allow me to do lots of coastal cruising in Maine; occasional extended trips to the Canadian Maritmes, and possibly extensive cruising in 5 years or so. (for two adults with occasional friends and family.)

Me: I'm tall (requiring headroom), very capable of tackling large projects, but not looking for complete "project" boat. I want to sail now and work on improving said vessel for its future uses.

The candidates: Bristol 32, Allied Luders 33, and a Douglas 32. They are all in various needs of systems upgrades, repairs, re- rigging, etc.

My question: How do you feel about these boats holding up to the task (design/construction/etc)? Are they candidates for eventual blue water cruising? Can they be? Should I just S#!& or get of the pot?

I know there are other candidates, and I'm definitely open to suggestions; but the above three are also available....

Thanks for any input,
Decisionless in Maine

[sailingdog]

The Bristol is probably the most seaworthy of the three you've listed. I'd also recommend the Contessa 32, Westsail 32, the Alberg 30, and the Southern Cross 31. These four are proven bluewater cruisers.

[yotphix]

Now that's just plain mean...suggesting a contessa 32 to a tall guy! My 5'9" dock neighbour on a contessa 32 had a permanent scab on the back of his head! A great, seaworthy submarine of a boat though.

[sailingdog]

Originally Posted by yotphix

Now that's just plain mean...suggesting a contessa 32 to a tall guy! My 5'9" dock neighbour on a contessa 32 had a permanent scab on the back of his head! A great, seaworthy submarine of a boat though.

LOL.....Tall is such a relative term, especially if they don't give a height. Most people are tall to me... since I'm less than 5' 6".

[yotphix]

Man are you ever lucky! So few restrictions in boat choices! I used to work in a metal shop where I was the short guy at 5'11" so I guess I might have a warped idea of tall

[seabreeze_97]

If you're curious about the bluewater capabilities of the Bristol 32, check out these sites.
The Adventures of Ute
S/V Kestrel
Sailboat for Sale Bristol 32
This one's in the pacific...
Intrepid Seas
6" headroom all the way into the V-berth. Also, the Bristol 32 has a solid, heavy construction of solid fiberglass. No wood cores in the hull or deck to rot.

[sailingdog]

The real question is how big are the berths on the Bristol.... having 6' of head room doesn't mean much if you can't find a space big enough to lie down in to sleep.

[lbdavis]

I'm 6'2" kind of tall. A wicked pain in the butt. - well in this case the neck, or the head, then eventually the lower back.

So is the consensus that the allied luders and the D32 are not seaworthy boats? It seems like a lot of their ratios look good. They certainly seem to be well constructed hulls. I can always beef up the rigging......

[TSteele65]

The Luders and the Douglas are certainly seaworthy; it's a just a matter of degree in that grouping.

[cpa2]

i would say of that list: 1 luders,2 douglas, 3 bristol.
I have never been a big fan of the older pre-point bristols. I would add a wauquiez centurian 32 and muira 31 if it were my list. I have sailed a bit on the muira 31 and found it to be a great boat(owner did cape town to Rio race in it). I owned an allied seawind back in the day and thought it was very well constructed (although primitive). Their are 2 muiras on yachtworld, The one in Ft. Lauderdale came through my marina after a trans Atlantic crossing. The guy furthered my opinion of the design after i talked to him about it. If i lost my boat in a hurricane i would most likely look for a muira.