Great Minds Choose Smaller Boats?

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

I cannot stand the little craped cockpits you guys think are a danger offshore.

They are only crapped cockpits if you are being chased by a breaking 50 foot wave, and then it's less about the cockpit and more about the scuppers.

The below "joke" photo is the best one I've found, but it demonstrates that you can have the small and safe "footbath" cockpit (the fellow is standing in it and failing to look seamanlike), combined with a flush deck and seating around the perimeter. Combine cushions on the rails and under the bottoms of those "benches", and add a bimini above, and it seats about 10 people.

The traveller is forward of the sailing wheel and the winches are directly on the flush deck, all within arm's reach of the helmsman.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by skrap1r0n

For some reason, in looking at boats on line, the first images I usually look at are the nav station and the cockpit in that order.

I will say, though, that I do like the looks of the sleek custom pilot house boats.

The Dix 38 Pilot House model and the Bruce Roberts Voyager 388 are both styles I like.

Both those boats are from the same range as my boat and the Nauticat line.

[RickBowman]

Originally Posted by Idiens

The real pilot house test is whether you can sail them from the inside (get at the halyards, winches and sheets).

It's tough to really sail from the inside of a pilothouse. Of course the sails can be up, and the vessel making way but the visibility is somewhat restricted to sail shape, catching those catpaws on a calm day and the feel of the spray. It would be an awful spot to try and place in a race.

On the flip slide, those blasted bug hatches can be escaped by closing the door. Charts can be left open on the table with a dependable laptop at the helm running "fill in the blank" chart plotter program, sharing the screen with a Captain Ron dvd. In thicker weather green water can splash over the pilothouse and aft cockpit and inside it's dry. It can be snowing on the deck with the witches wind howling but inside it's quiet and warm, so warm that it sometimes produces guilt, but one can get over that easily with a sip of warm soup and knowing that other vessels just won't venture out in these conditions. Cockpit enclosures are very nice, I have had them. But now only a bimini is needed for the aft helm.
I can not really sail as efficiently from inside of a pilothouse but the tradeoff can leave water behind the stern in conditions that only a fish could enjoy arirving at port not all beat up, half froze, wind and sunburned, and having more bug bites then Madonnas headboard has notches. It is a safer way, a more civilized way to sail, and I intend to keep my mate comfortable so that she enjoys our voyaging. I know way to many marriages whose mates no longer sail with them, for many reasons. I hope to circumvent that. I need her aboard, she is very dependable and has taken advanced boating classes with me and has logged as many sea hours as I. I am a very fortunate sailor.

[RickBowman]

Originally Posted by skrap1r0n

How are pilot house boats in warm weather? I can see where they would be helpful in cold and/or foul weather, but it seems like it may be a bit of a greenhouse.

Think of a screened in porch with a sea breeze blowing through with your body sitting in the shade, with motion of the swells. Imho it just doesn't get any better then this.

It isn't just helpful in cold or foul weather, it can be life saving in cold or foul weather.

[seabreeze_97]

Originally Posted by Kacper

I'm actually headed out with my Girlfriend, who's buying the boat with me(without her I wouldnt be able to buy the Bayfield, lol, she's selling her apartment and we're using some of the cash for the boat!)

YIKES!!!!!!!!!

[tigerregis]

One day in the ICW, down to shorts only, no shade. Next day, longjohns, watchcap and floater coat. Anything a sailor does to alleviate the pains of nature are jake in my book. If you haven't suffered, you will, unless you have the gear to offset it.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by RickBowman

It is a safer way, a more civilized way to sail, and I intend to keep my mate comfortable so that she enjoys our voyaging. I know way to many marriages whose mates no longer sail with them, for many reasons. I hope to circumvent that. I need her aboard, she is very dependable and has taken advanced boating classes with me and has logged as many sea hours as I. I am a very fortunate sailor.

My wife is co-captain, and while it was me who found the pilothouse and urged for it as a good choice, she had to sign on...literally! We sail from the aft deck steering station, but we have the option to "retreat inside" and still sail, instead of giving up a 'good day for the boat, bad day for the crew'.

What the boat lacks currently is a bimini (a dodger isn't really needed as the pilothouse and the general height of the "poop deck" keeps most of the spray on the foredeck). This bimini will have to carry solar panels and comm gear, but will also have to fold down for service and "extreme windage" and will need some lashable or snap-on canvas. I saw something another Sailnet poster posted that looked pretty good and which I may copy.

Back to the pilothouse...it's very nice indeed. We need to install a helm seat, but there's a "day berth" to port, and I intend to put in a retractable chart table to port also, and that's where I plan to stash the SSB, the radar and the laptop, the idea being that I want the actual helm to have a clear view forward with just the wheel, the throttle, a depth meter and the Ritchie compass. Everything else can be elsewhere, as I really subscribe to the notion that if you have a plotting display in front of your eyes, you'll look at it rather than the sea in front of you.

And let's face it...on passage you're not going to be actively helming much from the pilothouse...it's strictly a motoring thing...in good weather you'll be on AP or on deck, and if the weather's bad enough to overwhelm the AP...you have BETTER be on deck...unless you hove to.

One big plus...vast amount of handy and DRY stowage, plus a big hatch to reach the engine bay...it's not a room, but it's significantly bigger than a compartment. One minus...it gets stinking hot if you aren't moving. I need to have fans aimed at my head if I'm at dock.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by RickBowman

Think of a screened in porch with a sea breeze blowing through with your body sitting in the shade, with motion of the swells. Imho it just doesn't get any better then this.

It isn't just helpful in cold or foul weather, it can be life saving in cold or foul weather.

In cold weather, you can seal up the pilothouse, crack an overhead hatch for ventilation and light an oil lamp, the minimal heat of which will send all the damp out of the boat. I have a hanging oil lamp and I am installing a wall-mounted lamp. Eventually, I will install a diesel heater. I follow the precepts of this book:
Nighthawk Marine Ltd. - The Warm Dry Boat

[RickBowman]

Originally Posted by Valiente

In cold weather, you can seal up the pilothouse, crack an overhead hatch for ventilation and light an oil lamp, the minimal heat of which will send all the damp out of the boat. I have a hanging oil lamp and I am installing a wall-mounted lamp. Eventually, I will install a diesel heater. I follow the precepts of this book:
Nighthawk Marine Ltd. - The Warm Dry Boat

This winter I installed a 40,000 btu furnace from Heatercraft. It is nothing but a simple fan powered heat exchanger that gets its heat from the hot engine coolant.

Otherwise there is a 17,000 btu reverse cycle furnace/air that kicks out the comfort if the vessel is connected to shore power.

I have looked at the diesel furnaces and am holding off for the time being, although for the type of sailing that you are planning, I would certainly be considering one of those heaters also. A diesel powered furnace can be hooked up to the heatercraft hot water system in the future if so desired. That would then also provide hot potable water besides hot air. I routed five 4" supply tubes through the pilothouse, galley and head. One of them blows directly on the front windshield. One small compartment under a quarter berth was sacrificed for the furnace; oh darn, but I carry to much stuff anyways. That sure was a nice spot to stow the cannon though in damp weather.

Valiente,

Every time I stumble past another immage of your vessel here on sailnet it looks better and better. I can understand why you have high regards for her, I would also.

Rick

[RickBowman]

Originally Posted by TrueBlue

I've yet to see a pilothouse sailboat that passes that test - although I considered mounting winches just inside the port & starboard sliding doors, since the Genoa tracks are located adjacent to each. Turning blocks could be installed for the halyards and mainsheet, leading all lines to the inside helm station.

With the operable overhead hatch, sail trim can be checked as well:



The problem I see, is messing up all that beautiful teak cabinetry and teak/holly sole with soggy lines - considering heavy weather is what drove us from the aft helm to the pilothouse in the first place.

However, we do on occasion sail from there very comfortably and effectively - when on a long tack.

True Blue,

What an awesome looking vessel you own. I was able to look at one like yours last year near Mt.Clemens. Very impressive indeed. How is your Nauticat heated/cooled?

Rick