Great Minds Choose Smaller Boats?

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by sailortjk1

Seems as soon as you hit 40 ft. you get two.
I would think the room could be better utilized elsewhere.

I have one Lavac in one head for two adults and a child. The emergency system is a deck bucket. It suffices.

I suppose the last option is to clip on at the bowspirit, perform the action, and let the waves stand in for toilet paper!

[pmoyer]

Originally Posted by Valiente

I suppose the last option is to clip on at the bowspirit, perform the action, and let the waves stand in for toilet paper!

Well, that *is* where the name "head" came from.... :-)

Cheers!

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by tdw

We will never cruise with more than two (at a pinch, three) people on board so anything larger than around 40' is for me overkill. Sure I'd like the space but I don't need the aggravation that would go with it.

As for the need for washing machines and dryers, perlease. Maybe others want to haul a bloody chinese steam laundry around the world with them but not this little brown rodent I can tell you.

We have the space to sleep several, but realistically, this isn't going to happen on passage, and if we have that many visitors, I would bite the bullet and come in to dock so they could have access to shoreside toilets and showers and I could have a power line for the inevitable constant fridge accessing...

What I have, which is a slightly different approach, is a double bed in an aft cabin that we will likely only use at anchor. We have approximately six to seven other bunks/daybeds, however, that can be rigged with lee clothes to provide pilot berths. Why so many? Because on passage you might have two out of three crew asleep below and on a single tack, one side of the boat will be more comfortable than the other for sleeping.

I am also considering putting in a folding pipe berth in the forepeak, which would make a rather Spartan but private separate cabin for any crew we take on. The toolbench would be on port, and the pipe berth on starboard. There's AC and DC outlets there, plus a 7 x 14" hatch portlight that would give loads of ventilation as long as water wasn't coming over the bow much.

So the solution for us is to not contemplate ever NEEDING the six or seven berths, which frees up half the boat for provisions and stowage. It's the opposite of a standard Moorings-type charter, with two or even three sleeping cabins.

[Valiente]

Originally Posted by pmoyer

Well, that *is* where the name "head" came from.... :-)

Cheers!

I am reminded of the port prostitute who was told by her doctor to reduce her salt intake, and who replied "But doctor, them sailors is so cute!"

[Cruisingdad]

Ian,

I AM WITH YOU!

I love large cockpits. Want to know why? That is where you spend the majority of your time. I cannot stand the little craped cockpits you guys think are a danger offshore. I dissagree. In hurricane conditions, maybe... but the 99.9999999999999% of the time you are laying back in the cockpit (even at sea), stretched out, reading a book, and glancing around every 10-15 minutes to make sure you are still alone. Buy your boat for the 99.99%, not the off chance of .001% (unless you are crossing the ocean where you have to deal with what mother nature throws).

Salons: There is another area that should have attention. That is where you will spend the down-below bulk of your time. It better be comfortable and have the things there to KEEP you comfortable. Being able to stretch out, read a book, (we honestly do not watch many movies, but can), etc. I also think it should have a nice Nav station that is comfortable. I cannot understand why many of the new boats are putting in smaller nav stations (or awkward) when you have more and more toys going in now than you did 10 years ago!

My complaint with many of the new boats is they skimp on the nav station to put in these luxurious berths... WHICH IS WHERE YOU SPEND THE VERY LEAST AMOUNT OF YOUR TIME. I spend more time on the crapper (during waking hours) than I do in the cabin. Cracks me up. I will tell you what else many boats lack: a dedicated, seperate shower. No big deal when you are a weekender... but as a Liveaboard, sitting on a wet toilet or getting the TP wet because you forgot to close the face of the holder, etc... sucks!!

As far as the 2 heads... I would prefer one large head versus 2 smaller heads (which is what I got). Unfortunately, Kris was fairly adamant about 2 heads because she had no desire of sharing her toilet with boys that miss the bowl half the time. Can I blame her... I guess not. But if it was just us, it would be different.

You make a lot of sacrifices on a boat with kids. Everything (costs) seem to go up exponentially. Chase is 6 and right now he eats almost as much as I do (and more than mom). Glen is quickly approaching behind him. I will tell you what: I GOTTA TEACH THOSE BOYS TO FISH OR I WILL BE BROKE!

Know what I mean??!!!

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

one time I was trying to follow my twin brother

HOLLY JEAYSUS!!!


There's two of you???????!!!!!!


Like we say here, disaster never comes alone....

[sailingdog]

CD-

The small cockpit doesn't bother me much on my boat... I've got lots more deck space to spread out on to...

Giu-

Were... My twin was killed by a drunk driver 20 years ago.

[Giulietta]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

CD-

The small cockpit doesn't bother me much on my boat... I've got lots more deck space to spread out on to...

Giu-

Were... My twin was killed by a drunk driver 20 years ago.

SD..sorry about that. I didn't know about that..

anyway...regarding your deck space, just be carefull not to drop any coins

[sailingdog]

Dropping coins isn't a problem... I don't have any left over after doing all the boat needs done.....

[skrap1r0n]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

My complaint with many of the new boats is they skimp on the nav station to put in these luxurious berths...

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.