Boat differences

[longislandsound]

Newbie here.

I read about some boats being better suited for Coastal, others for racing and others for cruising.

Can someone show post photos of good:

Cruiser
Coastal
Racer/cruiser
racer
liveaboard

so I can see the differences? Thanks

Jeff

[Guesser]

Try looking in the Galleries section.

[camaraderie]

http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/...ile=885&size=1
Racing

http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/...le=1508&size=1
Custom Racer/Coastal Cruiser

http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/...ile=825&size=1
Production Coastal Cruiser

http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/....php?file=1677
Bluewater Liveaboard

As you can see...you can't tell a lot from the pictures. The differences are in the building quality and choice of materials and in how the boat hull/keel etc. are designed. Suggest you look at the recommended reading thread for a better explanation or tell us what you are intending to do so we may offer some appropriate models to look at.

[labatt]

Pictures won't show you the differences between the boats. It's how they are designed and built. A racer, generally speaking, will have lots of sail but a low displacement. A bluewater (ocean crossing boat) will, generally speaking, be heavier and more closed in (smaller cockpit, lots of places inside to wedge yourself, etc.). A coastal cruiser will be medium displacement and have more entertaining areas (generally). You may want to change your classifications to be: Bluewater, coastal cruiser and racer.
If you search for "Bluewater" on this site you will find many discussions as to characteristics of bluewater and coastal cruising boats.

[Insails]

another difference is in the keel..most (not all) blue water cruisers have a full keel and a narrower beam..Coastal cruisers normally have a wider beam and a fin keel or shoal draft with retractable centerboard...Most racers have more waterline not quite as rounded and a fin keel..

[longislandsound]

Thank you all, this is getting more confusing, what is a fin keel?

I can't look around for something I have no idea.

Thank you for the links, now I am really confused

Those boats all look alike to me, except the large blue one, with two masts. The big fat one has two wheels, why?

[T37Chef]

Originally Posted by longislandsound

Thank you all, this is getting more confusing, what is a fin keel?

I can't look around for something I have no idea.

Thank you for the links, now I am really confused

Those boats all look alike to me, except the large blue one, with two masts. The big fat one has two wheels, why?

I think its time for you to start reading some of the old threads on this site and maybe pick up a book, start with something like Chapman. Take a beginners course at a local community college or with the US Power Squadron or US Coast Guard

[sailingdog]

And you're still missing out on multihulls... Catamarans—which have two hulls, and Trimarans—which have three..

This is a fin keel sailboat.



This is a full-keel sailboat:



I hope this helps.

BTW, an excellent book for learning a lot about sailing and boats is David Seidman's The Complete Sailor, and David Gerr's The Nature of Boats.

[camaraderie]

Giu's boat is now officially...
"THE BIG FAT BOAT!!"


...and here's why he has a wheel on each side...
http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/...le=1584&size=1

and here is a racing boat keel and rudder:
http://www.sailnet.com/photogallery/...le=1730&size=1

[longislandsound]

Thank you.Am I missing somethin?

Why is that guy flying?