Best Sailboat Opinions

[jssmke]

Hello, my wife and I are looking to convert to sailing and will be looking to go full time traveling (sailing) for a few years. We would like to see most parts of the globe including the Bahamas and Pacific. We are looking for opinions in boats and a few simple questions.

First a few general questions for long distance travel. What speeds can one expect to achieve across the Atlantic? Are there sites available to provide optimal travel routes/windiest times of year? What kind of docking fees can one expect in europe? And finally, do any sailboats offer storage for a motorcycle - I have heard of others doing it with a davit and was intrigued. Also how often do you run the engine typically? I've seen fuel holds between 80g and 210g (around same size engine) why would more not be better?

Now for what we are looking for in a boat:

Budget: $350k

Skill: Moderate

Crew: 2

We have been looking at the Hunter 50, any other suggestions?

[cormeum]

Originally Posted by jssmke

Hello, my wife and I are looking to convert to sailing and will be looking to go full time traveling (sailing) for a few years. We would like to see most parts of the globe including the Bahamas and Pacific. We are looking for opinions in boats and a few simple questions.

First a few general questions for long distance travel. What speeds can one expect to achieve across the Atlantic? Are there sites available to provide optimal travel routes/windiest times of year? What kind of docking fees can one expect in europe? And finally, do any sailboats offer storage for a motorcycle - I have heard of others doing it with a davit and was intrigued. Also how often do you run the engine typically? I've seen fuel holds between 80g and 210g (around same size engine) why would more not be better?

Now for what we are looking for in a boat:

Budget: $350k

Skill: Moderate

Crew: 2

We have been looking at the Hunter 50, any other suggestions?

At that size you should plan on 6 kts. (Boats never go as fast as you think they will).
I'd recommend Jimmy Cornell's "World Cruising Routes" as a good guide for the places you want to go.

How often you run your engine is dependent on how fast you want to get somewhere.

Docking fees are variable and in some places you may have to option to anchor out for free.

Most bikes I've seen on a boat were foldable mopeds- not a full street bike. They probably wouldn't appreciate a long time on a deck.

More tankage is generally better.

For going across the Atlantic you may want to look at an Oyster, Island packet or Swan. it really depends what you're looking to do- the high latitude sailor will look at things differently than someone who stays in the tropics.

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by jssmke

why would more not be better?

Because diesel fuel is subject to bacterial contamination if it sits in the tank too long. Besides that, on a long voyage you will need storage space and it doesn't make much sense to take up lots of space with a gigantic fuel tank if you're not going to use the fuel. You want "enough" fuel, but not "too much".

How much is "enough" and how much is "too much"? That depends entirely on your sailing style. Lots of people have sailed around the world without using any fuel at all, because their boat doesn't even have a motor. Lots of other people burn hundreds of gallons in almost no time at all, because they ALWAYS run the engine. Yes, honest to God, I know a guy who has owned a sailboat for 4 years now and has NEVER been away from the dock, except when anchored, without the motor running!

There are just far too many variables for anyone else to be able to tell you what would be "best" for you. My advice would be to start modestly, do some cruising close to home, and learn for yourself what works for you, what doesn't, what you need, and what you don't. Chances are extremely high that no matter what boat you buy first, you'll eventually want another boat when you have more experience and better understand your own priorities and inclinations.

Good luck!

[Jeff_H]

My first suggestion is that you slow down and do a huge amount more research because if your goal is to see the world, from the Bahama's to the Pacific and the only first choice that comes to mind is a Hunter 50 (unless you mean the Hunter 50 HC which is the only Hunter that was actually designed for offshore voyaging but which is too deep for the Bahamas and is much more expensive than your budget) then you need to take your time, do a lot of homework, and do an apprentiship afloat, learn everything you can, and then you might know why this first post makes zero sense.

I do not mean this as a put down, we all started somewhere, but I sincerely suggest that you start with something way smaller, go coastal cruising for a while in order to build your skills. Buy a used boat that is in decent shape and sail it for a year or so. In this market, you should be able to sell the boat for what you paid for it and consider any minor expenditures as a very cheap education, way cheaper than buying the wrong 50 footer and killing someone since boats this big require a lot of skill to keep from maiming soimeone badly.

Respectfully,
Jeff

[Lookin4Freedom]

In reference to the fuel tankage, many boats will err on the side of having too little for a large crossing. Bigger tanks means less storage space and more weight. When they go out for a longer cruise, they stow the extra fuel in jerry cans. Same with water. This helps by only taking up the space when needed, and provides extra security against single point of failure. Besides, since your in a sailboat running out of fuel isn't as big a deal as in a powerboat. You can always sail her home. Well, almost always :-)

As far as speed goes, multihull is your best bet. I'm not familiar with large production cruising trimarans, but if your willing to sacrifice the space for speed you may be surprised. Big cruising cats mostly just allow for more space as the weight kills the speed, as well as the design the ability to sail well to windward, etc. There are exceptions to that of course. Finally I would say the caveat of going fast is more strain on the equipment, and more money to keep the boat safe and the equipment in good order.