How much longer (or shorter) is your next boat going to be?

[Hillster]

I voted for 1 to 3 feet bigger only because the models I'm saving for will be 33 to 34 in length. I am fine with my O'day 322 32' but my dream "old shoe" boat is a nice 33' Cape Dory or a 34' Pacific Seacraft Crealock. If I can find a nice condition Valiant 32 for sale this summer, I may just stay the same size.

When I first got the bug/dream I had visions of some monster center cockpit 45 footer or bigger. After actually owning a boat now and having to singlehand her most of the time, I am sold on this size of boat.

I could easily live on a 27' Norsea, Pacific Seacraft, or 27' to 28' Cape Dory. Unfortunately, the marinas around Galveston and houston will only allow livaboards with 30 footers or bigger.

I can truely see why Skip allen really liked his custom 27' "wildflower" for his journeys. It is so nice to just unhook and go without stress of manuvering a big whale of a boat.

[SteveRobison]

Happy with my 34'er.

[mrwuffles]

hopefully longer .....we'll see how that goes down

[CalebD]

Since I already have a windsurfer, 14' daysailor, 19' Lightning and a 27' Tartan I find that I love you people with bigger boats who need crew. I have my hands full with my own fleet and frankly, can't afford more boat(s) then I already have at the tender young age of 50.
Thanks for the poll Bene505.

[eryka]

Had a 27', now have been perfectly comfortable living on our 33 for the last 6+ years. Planning to take it cruising next year, and continue to live on it till we're too old and feeble. Then we'll become "transvesselites" and switch to a trawler, approx same size.

[Rockter]

A 36 is a good ship, and just about right for me.

[Bene505]

Looking at the results of the poll, I've worked out some statistics. I used the middle number for doing averaging. E.g., for a range of "4-6", I used 5. Since this was 1 more than the smallest number, I used 11 feet for the "10 or more feet" category. Here are the results:

Firstly, 27% of us were perfectly happy. They can buy the first round next time we are together. Or vice-vera. I don't care as long as it's soon.

Average Over All: 4.32 feet increase.

Average Downsizing: 8 feet. That was by 7% of us. My perception is that this is mostly by older sailors that want to keep sailing in spite of decreasing physical abilities. (I hope I'm similarly able, as that time is not far off for any of us.) So when we get older, we downsize decisively.

Average Increase: 7 feet 4 inches exactly. That was by 66% of us. So let's not hear anything about 2-foot-itis or 3-foot-itis. We have officially determined those phrases to be inaccurate. From now on, I'd expect all true sailnetters to use the term "7-feet-4-inch-itis". Or use "88-inch-itis".

When adult beverages are involved, or when actually out on the water, the term "7-foot-itis" is an acceptable rounded number. Giu can use "2.2 meter-itis", but somehow I think he's perfectly happy with his boat.

Regards

[xort]

What new boat? I'll "Die Behind the wheel" of this one. Call me Deacon Blue

[Selkirk]

I was happy with my O'Day 322. Sailed it a lot by myself. We owned her for about 12 years.

But I'm going down to a Cape Dory 25D, which can be moved around on a trailer. I think that'll work out just fine for me, and I'll get to go to all the places around the US that I always wanted to see and sail.

[hobohut]

I'm going for a much smaller open boat. I currently have a Cape Dory 25 but it requires to much work to rig and launch. Living here in the midwest I get tired of sailing the same lake all the time. Id like to explore a lot more. However I loved my Cape Dory when I was sailing out east.