Is there a boat of your dreams out there? What if you had a chance to charter her for a few days? I've given a lot of thought to what would be the perfect boat for us. Of course it starts with intended use. We're not going to sail around the world or even to the South Pacific. Our cruising grounds are the waters from South Puget Sound to Alaska--mostly protected or semi protected waters with some open ocean stuff. We're not racers, but sailing performance is important. We spend months at a time on the boat so living comfort is important. We sail year around so protection from the elements is also a factor. And very critical to me is the ability to do single handed day sailing which means the boat can't be really big. I've been looking at Nauticats for a long time, attracted by both their quality reputation and their pilot house design which would enable us to sail completely shielded from our frequently cool rainy weather. But the Nauticats that appealed were too big and heavy to be good sailors and were definitely out of the question for single handed day sailing. But finally in 2003 they came out with a Nauticat 37 that had a design we liked with the pilothouse, and a displacement of only 19,200 pounds, and was small enough to singlehand. The first one finally made it to the West Coast for the Seattle Boat Show in January. I liked the boat a lot. The Admiral liked it even more. The broker said the boat would be in charter less than 20 miles from us right after the show. We decided to do the charter and just came back from three days out on her. The attached link gives a complete description of the boat. While the owner had been out on her a few times, we were the first charterers. Keep in mind the boat sells for more than $400,000. What we liked: The boat was very luxurious. The interior wood was beautiful. Lots of indirect lighting. It was extremely quiet. The motor was buried deep below the pilothouse sole. It would motor at 7 knots at 2000 rpm and you'd hardly hear the engine. Ditto for the fresh water pump. Ditto for the auto helm. Visibility from the pilothouse was great. All of the instruments, steering and throttle controls were repeated in the pilothouse and in the cockpit. Sitting up in the pilothouse at anchor or in a marina was great in terms of the deck level view as opposed to sitting down in the hull. Use of space on the boat, storage, etc. was fantastic. The aft cabin was extremely comfortable and cosy. What we didn't like: The boom was at least eight feet above deck level in order to clear the pilothouse and the spray dodger. Access to the boom just aft of the mast for flaking the main or taking off or putting on the sail cover, you were standing on the pilothouse windshield, slippery and at a 45 degree angle. The attachment of the main halyard to the headboard was probably twelve feet off the deck and required climbing two mast steps and a mast winch to get to it. While the cockpit was reasonably spacious, there were no comfortable seats with good back supports. Access to the engine require removal of carpeting, two locking floorboards, and two additional boards, just to check the oil, cooland level, etc. All engine work would have to be done standing on your head. And then there's the sailing and handling. She powered very well and was surpisingly maneuverable though not as maneuverable as my Hunter. In light to moderate winds, she sailed well and comfortably though again, not as well as my Hunter. What really disappointed me was her performance in heavier air. I had expected a Nauticat to be rock solid when the wind picked up. Our third day out we had 20 knot winds. Even before getting out in clear air, I buried the lee rail in 17-18 knots apparent with a reef in the main and the genoa rolled up to 100% of the foretriangle. To her credit there was very little weather helm, but the heel angle was excessive in my opinion. We crossed and recrossed Haro Strait in 20 knots of true wind with two reefs in the main and the genny rolled up to 100%. She handled that well, but I was surprised at the tenderness. So is this a boat I'd want to drop an incremental $300,000 on plus $50,000 in transaction costs? Don't think so. My new dream boat? A 1992 Hunter 37.5 named Wanderlust. The more I see and experience, the more I appreciate my own boat. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust h37.5
- Status
With a Bazillion Bucks
OK - I am mostly a small boat sailor, so take any big boat dreams with that in mind. The link below is what I might have built for me if, say, a bazillion bucks suddenly found me. 38 feet, steel or aluminum, pilot house to stay out of the nasty bits of your PNW weather. Looks like a nice live-aboard, at least to this small boat sailor. Cruising catamarans scare me - as a beach cat sailor, I know how easy the little ones are to get mast down & worry about the big ones. And we beach cat sailors get in the habit of pushing it more than we should! At least our little ones come back up easily. The Catalina 34 that I last chartered took good care of us in force 6-7 off Catalina island (35 kts reported at Cat harbor), though to be fair we had the lee of the island to keep the waves down and motored as the wind was on our nose. I'd bet that your Hunter is a fine boat for what you do - though in the PNW it would seem that a pilot house would be welcome for cold wet days. My Admiral loves the northwest - whats the best cruising guide for that area?
OK - I am mostly a small boat sailor, so take any big boat dreams with that in mind. The link below is what I might have built for me if, say, a bazillion bucks suddenly found me. 38 feet, steel or aluminum, pilot house to stay out of the nasty bits of your PNW weather. Looks like a nice live-aboard, at least to this small boat sailor. Cruising catamarans scare me - as a beach cat sailor, I know how easy the little ones are to get mast down & worry about the big ones. And we beach cat sailors get in the habit of pushing it more than we should! At least our little ones come back up easily. The Catalina 34 that I last chartered took good care of us in force 6-7 off Catalina island (35 kts reported at Cat harbor), though to be fair we had the lee of the island to keep the waves down and motored as the wind was on our nose. I'd bet that your Hunter is a fine boat for what you do - though in the PNW it would seem that a pilot house would be welcome for cold wet days. My Admiral loves the northwest - whats the best cruising guide for that area?
Oldcat
Which guides depends on where you want to go up here. The annual Waggoner guides are very good. So are the Don Douglas guides. Many are available in the chandlery on this site. I would suggest the Armchair Sailor in Seattle as a backup. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust h37.5
Which guides depends on where you want to go up here. The annual Waggoner guides are very good. So are the Don Douglas guides. Many are available in the chandlery on this site. I would suggest the Armchair Sailor in Seattle as a backup. Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust h37.5
Gary...
I'm with you. I look constantly at boats and can identify several that I want based on the interior spaces. I basically stay aboard and would pay dearly for a 3rd stateroom or a devoted area that coule become an office. (IP 48' cc for example.) But, when I sit down and evaluate it all, I still come back to my good ole '93 37.5 - where I sit as I type. I wind up single handling some and can do it comfortably with this boat. The boat is comfortable, stable, fast and it seems just right...at least for me.
I'm with you. I look constantly at boats and can identify several that I want based on the interior spaces. I basically stay aboard and would pay dearly for a 3rd stateroom or a devoted area that coule become an office. (IP 48' cc for example.) But, when I sit down and evaluate it all, I still come back to my good ole '93 37.5 - where I sit as I type. I wind up single handling some and can do it comfortably with this boat. The boat is comfortable, stable, fast and it seems just right...at least for me.
My dream boat changes from day to day
My dream is to sock away enough fun tickets to retire early 15 to 20 years from now and do so some serious bluewater cruising with my wife. Life is pretty unpredictable so who knows if it will play out, but for now I am learning to crawl (actually, more like learning to sit upright) on my H31. I'm already learning a lot about what I like in a boat, but there is just so much more that I need to experience that I tend to run across a lot of boats that become my dream-boat-of-the-day. I tend to really like Bob Perry designs built in the Ta Shing boatyard, but since I have yet to step foot on any then for all I know I would hate living on one.
My dream is to sock away enough fun tickets to retire early 15 to 20 years from now and do so some serious bluewater cruising with my wife. Life is pretty unpredictable so who knows if it will play out, but for now I am learning to crawl (actually, more like learning to sit upright) on my H31. I'm already learning a lot about what I like in a boat, but there is just so much more that I need to experience that I tend to run across a lot of boats that become my dream-boat-of-the-day. I tend to really like Bob Perry designs built in the Ta Shing boatyard, but since I have yet to step foot on any then for all I know I would hate living on one.
Wylie
With the loan of Trump's checkbook, I'd seriously look at a Wylie designed cruiser. The unstayed rig is so simple and forgiving, it looks like a boat we could sail so long as we could crawl to the dock, with less physical demands than many. Since I'm dreaming, I'd love one about 38 feet, designed for two adults, with some of the ideas stolen from the Wylie designed for the owner of West Marine (and a marine lab at Santa Cruz). Equipped properly, you could go anywhere safely, and enjoy some great sailing. I would not nmeed all the goodies on the WM version, but I really like the open coach house and the ability to steer by computer mouse. Till that day, I'm really happy with my current dream boat. S. s/v Good News s
With the loan of Trump's checkbook, I'd seriously look at a Wylie designed cruiser. The unstayed rig is so simple and forgiving, it looks like a boat we could sail so long as we could crawl to the dock, with less physical demands than many. Since I'm dreaming, I'd love one about 38 feet, designed for two adults, with some of the ideas stolen from the Wylie designed for the owner of West Marine (and a marine lab at Santa Cruz). Equipped properly, you could go anywhere safely, and enjoy some great sailing. I would not nmeed all the goodies on the WM version, but I really like the open coach house and the ability to steer by computer mouse. Till that day, I'm really happy with my current dream boat. S. s/v Good News s
Small world
I was born in Port Arthur and still have family around the area (especially Port Neches and Groves.) Someday I would like to explore Lake Sabine in a sailboat, but looking at the charts it is a lot shallower then I assumed as a kid fishing from Pleasure Island.
I was born in Port Arthur and still have family around the area (especially Port Neches and Groves.) Someday I would like to explore Lake Sabine in a sailboat, but looking at the charts it is a lot shallower then I assumed as a kid fishing from Pleasure Island.
Regina 48, HR48, Malo45, Hylas49, Najad
one for every day of the week....oops I need Saturday and Sunday...Oyster, Northwind 50+ft range. For now, very happy with Hunter36.
one for every day of the week....oops I need Saturday and Sunday...Oyster, Northwind 50+ft range. For now, very happy with Hunter36.
Huh.
I too am surprised the Nauticat was so tender. Maybe the pilothouse (high cog?) has something to do with that, or maybe it has a stub for a keel. But with that tall boom you'd think sail area would be low. I dunno. A problem for a marine engineer, I guess. Sure is cool that you got to charter such an exotic boat, though! P.S. Dream boat: Hylas 46.
I too am surprised the Nauticat was so tender. Maybe the pilothouse (high cog?) has something to do with that, or maybe it has a stub for a keel. But with that tall boom you'd think sail area would be low. I dunno. A problem for a marine engineer, I guess. Sure is cool that you got to charter such an exotic boat, though! P.S. Dream boat: Hylas 46.
Phil
Is that the same Hylas we saw at Boats Afloat about four years ago? Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust h37.5
Is that the same Hylas we saw at Boats Afloat about four years ago? Gary Wyngarden S/V Wanderlust h37.5
Most any Hylas 46 will do!
Gary/Don: I look at the new boats all the time too. The Strictly Sail Pacific is coming up and we will look at a lot of boats. We just got the new to us Hunter Vision 36 which is very similar to the H37.5 and it is a real learning experience. More later, got to go to the boat!
Gary/Don: I look at the new boats all the time too. The Strictly Sail Pacific is coming up and we will look at a lot of boats. We just got the new to us Hunter Vision 36 which is very similar to the H37.5 and it is a real learning experience. More later, got to go to the boat!
Same Hylas
Yep. As you can tell, that left a lasting impression.
I saw another one at Pac Sail Expo a couple years back that didn't have as many options but was still awfully nice...
Yep. As you can tell, that left a lasting impression.
I saw another one at Pac Sail Expo a couple years back that didn't have as many options but was still awfully nice...- Status