Internal Headroom

[WDS123]

Designing in 6'2" of clear headroom in a 30 footer invariably results in either a ungainly high cabin top or excessive freeboard or excessive wetted area - neither outcome is good for stability or boat handling. One can not change the laws of physics.

The J/105 - a popular 34 footer - has a mere 5'4" of headroom. And it isn't a particulary stiff boat.

Achieving 6'0" clear in a 30ftr requires deft and subtle balancing of design criteria.

Boat buyers for coastal cruisers and weekenders should carefully consider factors such as

1) keel to displacement ratios (anything less tha 40% in a 25-40 foot boat will be tender)

2) waterline to beam ( anything under 2.75 will tend to be beamy and have a lot of wetted surface which often equals slow )

3) sail area to displacement ( any ratio under 21 will tend to be a dog in light air, any ratio over 25 will tend to be a lot to handle for most people in a breeze over 15 knts)

4) cockpit size ( the cockpit is where one spends 95% of one's time on a sailboat, even offshore )

Production Boatbuilders recognize that the vast majority of boat buyers tend to buy based on cabin size, instead of the critical performance characteristics mentioned above. They understand that Wives have veto power over the purchase - wives always are sold on Cabins.

[PBzeer]

My Ontario 32, a C&C design, has 6'4" of headroom down the centerline (the areas where you actually stand), from companionway to v-berth. When compared to the similar era C&C 32 across the dock from me, you can see the difference in headroom of the two boats in the design of the cabintop. Mine being squarer to the other's sloping lines.

[rbrasi]

WDShock nailed it.

[SlowButSteady]

Although this thread is a bit long in the tooth, I'll toss in my $0.02.

Finding a 27-30 footer with more than 6-foot head room is going to be tough. A more important criterion, in my opinion, are the berth lengths and cockpit seat length. Many 27-ish foot boats will have berths that seem a bit short for anyone taller than about 6 feet; this is particularly true of the V-berths. I'm 5'11" and I've found this to be true of many, if not most, boats less than about 30 feet. The Lapworth designed Cals are an exception to this general trend. Bill Lapworth was supposedly well over 6 feet tall (I never met him), and his designs generally have very usable berths and cockpit seats. The latter comes in very handy for stretching out for a little nap, or for using the cockpit for a couple of extra berths on a nice summer night. My Cal 2-27 has plenty of standing headroom for me, and that's with shoes and "Dri-Dek" in the salon (although, it would probably be a tad short for someone 6'2"). More importantly, the berths and the cockpit seats are all quite comfortable.

[WDS123]

Slow - well Said

[bobperry]

I'm with Schock.
My own boat has standing headroom for me, I'm 6'3", but only when I stand in the companionway, with it open. My guess is that my true headroom is closer to 5'6" but I have never measured it. But my boat is very good looking ( a Peter Norlin design) and I'd rather stoop than look ugly.

[rikhall]

• sitting headroom (if you scrunch down) in our Tanzer 22
• 6' 2" in our Tanzer 28
• more than 6' 2" in our Irwin Citation 34

Rik