criteria for searching for a sailboat

jssailem · Jun 11, 2025

Assuming your planning to sail the Celtic Sea and the Atlantic, you might want to consider

the hull build design,
Comfort Ratio: This is a ratio created by Ted Brewer as a measure of motion comfort.
Numbers below 20 indicate a lightweight racing boat, small dinghy and such;
20 to 30 indicates a coastal cruiser;
30 to 40 indicates a moderate bluewater cruising boat;
40 to 50 indicates a heavy bluewater boat;
over 50 indicates an extremely heavy bluewater boat.
Comfort ratio = D ÷ (.65 x (.7 LWL + .3 LOA) x Beam^1.33), where
Capsize Screening Formula (CSF):
Designed to determine if a boat has blue water capability. The CSF compares beam with displacement since excess beam contributes to capsize and heavy displacement reduces capsize vulnerability. The boat is better suited for ocean passages (vs coastal cruising) if the result of the calculation is 2.0 or less. The lower the better.
CSF = Beam/Disp (cubic ft)^.333. The displacement in cubic feet can be found by dividing the displacement in pounds by 64.
S#: S# first appeared (that we know of) in TellTales, April 1988, “On a Scale of One to Ten” by A.P. Brooks . The equation incorporates SA/Disp (100% fore triangle) and Disp/length ratios to create a guide to probable boat performance vs. other boats of comparable size. For boats of the same length, generally the higher the S#, the lower the PHRF.
Under 2 – Slow, under powered.
2-3 – Cruiser
3-5 – Racer Cruiser
5+ – Fast/Racing
S# = 3.972*(10^(-[@[Dsp/LWL]]/526+(0.691*(LOG([@[SA/Dp]])-1)^0.8)))
Hull Speed:
The maximum speed of a displacement hull (referring to a hull that travels through the water rather than on top of it, e.g. planing).
HS = 1.34 x √LWL (in feet)

Tally Ho · Jun 11, 2025

Where are you going to sail? This is pretty critical to the decision in my mind…

Ocean sailing? In-land lakes ? Great Lakes? @jssailem’s notes on hull shape and design are important to consider and match to your use of the boat. I day sail primarily, so I am OK with my O’Day 322. But if I was ocean sailing or cruising the Great Lakes or oceans, I would want a heavier built full keel boat.

When I was shopping around for my first boat, I had a few criteria…
1) ~30 footer for sailing on Lake Michigan.
2) fixed keel boat (as opposed to a water-ballast or other “trailer sailer”)
3) diesel in-board
4) wheel steering (just my preference)

Then, it comes down to finding a boat that is in reasonable condition, priced within your budget, with a cabin that fits your needs, somewhere you can reasonably secure and deliver the boat to your area.

Greg

william24424 · Jun 11, 2025

Here's a Cal 33-2, perhaps close to what you might like. My 14 year old twin daughters love it, they made this 'how to sail' video for their school project. I read the script. I know it's just an overview of boat and sailing (not instructional) but it might give you some ideas.

Foswick · Jun 11, 2025

This is a really hard thing to advise another person on. As has been alluded to, much goes into the decision. Another point is that some of the suggestions of specific boats will be North American centric and might not be as widely available in your area - though there will be equivalents.

In your area, I would consider looking toward a more stable boat over a lighter one with good upwind performance. Those can go hand-in-hand, but in general, you will get broader use out of something that can safely and comfortably handle rougher conditions. I do not know your specific area, but off the west coast of Ireland, things can turn from fun to terrifying faster than you can make it to shore. I assume you have similar patterns.

When things get rough, you will want something that feels safe.

Greg and John have given you good information and things to think about. I couldn't even start to make suggestions until I knew a few more things:

What is your sailing experience? (An experienced sailor can more safely sail something a bit more spritely in rougher conditions.)
How is your general health? (Informs how hard you are willing to work to sail the boat. Doesn't really impact the model, directly, more the rigging.)
Does the age of the boat matter much? (It is harder to find a newer heavy displacement boat, for example, but some people are averse to an older boat.)
Do you plan to sail close to home and only during safe weather windows? Or, do you want more range and flexibility? (If you are willing to play it safe, you can get away with a lighter and/or less stable boat and possibly gain some performance advantages.)
What are your actual accommodation requirements. You mentioned two cabins. If you meant enclosed sleeping rooms, that can be tough to find on a sub-10 meter boat. And, it might not be what you actually need/want. There is a more-or-less standard layout for boats that size that works pretty well.
What is your budget? You don't have to answer directly. But, it is an important consideration. And, there are two numbers to think about: the initial purchase, and the cost of maintenance/repairs/upgrades. For some people, initial purchase price must be low, but they do not mind spending a steady flow of money on repairs and upgrades for a few years to bring the boat up to snuff. Others prefer to pay the money up front for something more turnkey. Boats get the money, one way or another.
What is actually important, for you, in terms of performance? You mentioned upwind performance, but all boats will sail upwind - just some a bit better than others. And, performance is more than speed, it is responsiveness, maneuverability under power (like at the marina), stability/comfort, safety against capsize, etc. (In fact, for me, speed is the performance factor I look at just about last - but that is my disposition. Your goals may vary.)

dLj · Jun 12, 2025

Patern said:
Hello,

I am looking for a sailboat to sail as a couple and sometimes with my daughters (they are 13 and 16, I am not sure they will come often on weekends).
My criteria are as follows:
- 10-meter keelboat maximum to keep costs down
- 1 aft cabin and one forward.
- Rear platform to go on the boat
- Race-cruise type boat to be able to sail upwind if I'm too close to the coast.
What do you think of these criteria?
Thanks to all

There are a lot of boats in your area that are not often available in the US. There are a number very well designed for sailing in your area.

Some comments on your list.

1) It won't be easy to find a 10 meter boat with forward and aft cabins.

2) 10 meters is a very good size for what you are planning to do.

3) I wouldn't put aft platform on a purchase list requirement, I plan to add one to the right boat. Lucky it would be to find a boat that works for you AND has that after platform already on. I highly recommend an aft platform. That an excellent addition.

4) ability to point is something I always like in a boat. Be careful with the racer type boats, some are excellent cruisers but some are too feisty for comfortable cruising.

Good luck and keep us posted.

dj

Foswick · Jun 12, 2025

DJ makes a good point about the aft platform. When I read that requirement, I assumed you meant a sugar scoop. I guess I would just say to evaluate what you are trying to accomplish, and understand there are multiple ways to get there. For example, if you want to back up to the dock and step on/off, you will want an open transom of some sort. Something like an extending platform may or may not be necessary.

If you want the functionality of a swim platform, hard to beat the sugar scoop, but there are other ways.

I made a crucial mistake with our most recent boat. It has an overhanging stern:

What I didn't think through was the fact that my wife (and my dog) are open-water swimmers. So, although we make due with a swim ladder off of the side, having some sort of platform would be nice, and that is pretty much impractical off of the transom. (We are considering a rigid-inflatable dock - just to have something.) Fortunately, not a lot of freeboard.

But ... I guess my point is that it is better to make your criteria mostly as use-cases, rather than specific features, since there are multiple ways to accomplish most things.

criteria for searching for a sailboat

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SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John

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