the best cruiser
Good morning Dave, That is one loaded question. The answer to this really lies in the areas you wish to cruise and the type of cruising you are planning, the amount of comfort that you require, and the systems you want on board. Having said that, when specing a true traditional blue water passage maker, I would look for the following: modified fin or full keel, protected rudder (front loaded sked or full keel), medium to heavy displacement, split rig (cutter, ketch, or schooner), full glass hull (cored deck ok), storage storage and more storage. When properly designed either deck stepped or keel stepped masts are appropiate. As far as keel types, this is an area that we could spend days on. Both have significant advantages and dis-advantages. The bottom line is that I don't think I would not buy a boat based on the keel construction alone. I would probably shy away from boats with concrete keels. Water & fuel capacity are also prime considerations. Two of the most important issues would be the ability to do maintenance on the boat while still living aboard, and what we call "fall distance". This is the total distance you can fall (or be thrown) before being able to grab onto somethng or land on the other side of the boat. Dave, I hope this helps... Like I said at the outset this is a loaded question.... dave
