My wife and I are currently sailing a Mac 26S in the Vancouver, BC area, but we're considering moving up to a bigger boat in a few years. We like the idea of a pilothouse, with my wife being more drawn toward trawler-style boats like the Fisher while I gravitate toward more pure sailboats, like the Tanzer 10.5 Pilothouse. But lately I've been wondering about how practical a pilothouse really is in this area. It's obviously a huge advantage when you're motoring. But, when under sail, don't you end up going outside all the time to tend sheets and so on? Can you really sail from within the pilothouse? I suppose it depends on how well the boat is set up, but I'm interested in the experience of those who have sailed a pilothouse in the PNW--coastal cruising, not blue water.
I'm not looking for a discussion of the sailing characteristics of the various boats. There's more than enough opinion on that subject expressed elsewhere!
I'm not looking for a discussion of the sailing characteristics of the various boats. There's more than enough opinion on that subject expressed elsewhere!