How much boat do I need????

[Tom]

Hard Sail

Starting small is good advice. After you learn to sail and are ready to move aboard you might want to drive to somewhere between Texas and Key West and then buy a boat. Mobile is good. Why??? The Gulf is a more forgiving place to learn how to cruise. Running aground here usually means a soft stop and nothing goes crunch. Plenty of large protected Bays. Warm water most of the time. Maybe reverse your course and save the challenges of the northwest for last....Did I mention that fog is rarely a problem??? But starting a cruise with long distances between safe harbors. Huge ocean on your right and a rocky coast on your left doesn't give many options. Icy cold water...fog strong currents. You can go from Brownsville Texas to Port Saint Joe without going into the open gulf of mexico. then it's just a little over a hundred miles of open gulf to the next section of ICW. Did I mention only 2' of tidal range and generally weak currents?? The Gulf of Mexico presents it's own challenges but it seems like a gentler place to start cruising.

 

[hman]

Cruise where you live!

Find a comfortable boat for the family, take some lessons and spend some time cruising the San Juans close to home, you have some of the prettiest islands there are right in your own back yard. I'm sure there are some other locals that would cruise with you. After a few years of local cruising you will be ready to head out for the big one........

 

[jprieto]

How much boat do I need?

No Boat yet: We have a 2005 Hunter 306. It is 30 feet long and 9' 11" wide. Roomy and great for sailing on the Chesapeake Bay. OK for four for a few nights, but for 6, it would be just hell for a trip from Washington State to Florida because of lack of storage space. And I must say that it probably has as much storage as most 30 foot boats. In other words, don't even think of getting a boat as small as 30 feet long for such a trip for six people. I would say that you are hurting in anything as small as a 35 foot boat. Where are they all going to sleep? You will have to convert the cabin to a double bed every night. Anyone going to the head from the V berth will necessarily walk all over the cabin sleepers. Really unsat!!! You are probably going to have to go to 40 feet to begin to be comfortable with 6 persons aboard.

 

[John Nantz]

Heat and Air Conditioning

wjssr's post made me think of another item that'll probably become important if you head south. Up here in Puget Sound boats have heaters, mostly forced air vice bulkhead in the size you're looking at, but as you go south the people on board will be wanting air conditioning. If you buy a northwest boat without air then that'll be an expense to add on - plus - it takes up space!Water: Smaller boats generally have less water capacity than larger boats. So, if you get a smaller boat, with six people on board who have been accustomed to shore living, then you'll probably need a watermaker because as you go south of the boarder water availability gets less.Refrigeration: Going south this will be a very important item. The Adler-Barbour air-cooled systems we use in the northwest won't do well down south. You'll need a different and more efficient system. (more $)Refrigeration will run longer and therefore require more energy. Add to that the watermaker, kids wanting to listen to their stereo, etc., and you'll probaby need to upgrade the generating capacity. Generators require fuel - so maybe more tankage. Solar and wind options cost more money and there is another learning curve in operating and maintaining them.Anyway, there's a few thoughts for starters.

 

[Tom Spohn]

Join

a Yacht Club. Here is the link to ours: http://www.ttpyc.org/We have several members who have made the transit south to Mexico and beyond. You are lucky that the Puget Sound and north to British Columbia is a great area to learn in. Before you buy a boat take some lessons from one of the great sailing schools we have in the area. We went with Windworks which moves up in boat size as you progress through the classes. This will really help you get a handle on what will work for you.

 

[sailaway78]

Taking off

I don't think the size of the boat is as important as the other factors involved. A smaller boat is safer, with a good skipper, than a big boat with an idiot at the helm. Fuel and water tankage will be a major consideration, as well as the ability to generate the required energy to run all your accessories. So, learn to manage the boat in any conditions, not just the ideal conditions we all dram of, sail and look at lots and lots of boats. There are 35 footers out there with much more usable room than some 40's. Some boats are designed more for a couple, than a family of six. So, keep yourself busy looking and learing. Then one of these days, with lots of hard learned knowledge, you will see the perfect boat for your needs.

 

[TJ]

Get something about 30 feet and sail around

Vancouver Island. This may satisfy your dream or at least you'll learn a little, then fly the family to Disneyworld. This will save you money, your family and marriage.Do-it next spring before the fog rolls in.Quit dreaming by the boat tomorrow.

 

[Tom]

Remember Where he s Planning to Sail!!

Down the left coast with a few thousand miles of open ocean on his right and a rocky coast with few safe harbors on his left. Not a great place to learn to cruise...not a great place to find out that your boat is big but not well made.

 

[newly anonymous]

you're asking the wrong question

Regardless of the size of the boat you purchase, the boat you'll need will be about five feet longer than the boat you end up with. Conversely, the boat you end up with often ends up being about five feet longer than the one you can handle comfortably in the middle of the night when the gales come up and everyone else is down below seasick.All cruising boats are simultaneously too large and too small. Until you understand this, you're not ready to make the purchase. Unfortunately, a huge number of people who don't understand this principle purchase sailboats anyway, which is why 60% of the sailboats in any given marina never leave the slip.When it comes to sailing, how many people a given boat can sleep is ALWAYS the wrong question. The only question that matters is how large a vessel can you handle safely in rough conditions.