Minimum sailboat size to get two seperate sleeping quarters?

[duffer1960]

Right now my wife and I are in the dreaming/research stage of buying a new sailboat. The bug has bit, and it''s sting is strong. Anyway, we are in the used boat market and are wondering what is the smallest size boat that will give you two separate sleeping quarters? Not just a cabin for two in the bow, and fold down bunks in the saloon for two or so more, but two bonafide cabins separate from the main saloon and the galley. So far I have only seen layouts like this in boats over 35 feet. Are there any boats in the 30 - 35 foot range with this kind of layout, or is our dream bigger than our boatslip?

[hamiam]

Take a look at the Kirie Elite 32''s. They have a v-berth, the main cabin, and a double berth in the aft with a closing door. In addition, I have seen Catalina 25''s with a berth under the cockpit. My Nicholson 34 has an aft cabin as well.

[Centaur]

norsea 27, most were built with a 2 sleeper cabin aft of the cockpit //you can get a nice look at one at www.talon.net/timpe/norse.html .... make sure you get a used one though...the maker has a bad rep....

[DavidBasile]

I recently bought a 1986 Irwin 35 that has two seperate sleeping cabins. The boat has a 11.5 foot beam and a very large cockpit. It handles well in the bay or ocean and has wide, safe decks. The interior is well finished with a U shaped eating arrangement. The boat is well constructed for crusing and has a 4''8" draft. There is also a real nav station and enclosed head with shower. The boat carries 100 gallons of fresh water and 30 gallons of fuel.

[fei]

hallo duffer !

do a look to the european boat market!
there are a lot of small used boats
with 27" to 33" with two cabins !

good luck from an austrian med-sailor !

[RobHoman]

My Morgan 33'' Out Islander with its 12'' beam sleeps six. It has a separate v-berth forward that can be closed off from the rest of the boat, a settee that pulls out and will sleep 2 kids or one adult, a drop table that convert to a berth, and a rear quarter berth.
She carries 75 gals of fresh water, 52 gals of diesel and is pushed by a Perkins 4-108 with a 47'' mast. Morgans come with a variety of engines and tankage, so a different boat could have different tanks and floorplan. The Morgan 41 has separate staterooms.

[Denr]

Rather than ask vague questions on message boards about sleeping accommodations why not grab your bride and visit a boat yard or broker? Carpe Diem.

[duffer1960]

Well, we''ve been doing that, but you can''t always see inside, that is why I asked a not so vague question on the message board. I felt I could get more information on a worldwide source like this than from a broker trying to sell me only what he has.
Besides, what is so vague about "what is the smallest size sailboat that can give you two seperate sleeping quarters?" Sounds pretty to the point to me (especially if you read the whole post).

[Denr]

By looking at the "inside" of a boat, you CAN determine sleeping arrangements. Give the broker a short list of the boats that you would like to see in the "cabin". None of the brokers I''ve ever worked with has forced me at gunpoint to buy a boat that they were trying to sell. Boats broker work on a similar system to real estate brokers (MLS) or Multiple Listing System. Simply put the commission is shared if the listing broker is not the selling broker. Why do most people have this paranoia about brokers? Would you buy a car or for that matter a home by looking at it through the windows? Get real! Sit down, make a list of the things you''re looking for in a boat and get a broker that will work for you, it doesn''t cost the buyer a penny. You are making the process more complicated that it needs to be. Save the whining and cheese for the celebration after the purchase!

[byrnesp]

Perhaps some folks are too timid or embarrassed to talk to a broker before they have much of an idea of what they''re looking for. As someone gets more into the buying process and sees more boats, the specs will presumably get more detailed. It could be argued, for example that the Catalina 25 or even my old MacGregor 26 have two separate cabins, but a buyer may decide to define his or her requirements more specifically, as "an aft cabin with a closing door, hanging locker of a certain minimum size, and stand-up headroom in the entryway". Similarly, visiting boats, talking to owners, bumming rides, and chartering can give the buyer an idea as to whether a 15-gallon holding tank or any other particular detail is going to cut it. Probably the best approach is to use as many sources of info as possible ... reading, net surfing, talking to owners and brokers, and actually spending time on boats, in port and overnight. A lot of 32-34 production boats probably qualify, but their workability really depends upon an owner''s plans, lifestyle, pain tolerance, and wallet.