Hunter 29.5 , offshore capacity ?

Nov 8, 2007
1,523
Hunter 27_75-84 Sandusky Harbor Marina, Ohio
Seasong, length is not the issue. There are a number of boats less than 30 feet that have designs that could handle an ocean cruise. Our hunter 27 has a capsize screen of 1.94, and a comfort ratio over 23. The 2.15 capsize ratio of the Hunter 29.5 tells you that its designer was not considering blue water cruising when he designed the boat.
 
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Sep 28, 2020
12
Hunter or other 30 In a bay in japan maybe
Jssailem : a 15 or 20 feet cruiser can indeed be "offshore capable" , but it sounds like an extreme, for a "minimum livable boat".
David : yeah, the features of certain boats are better than others of course, even in the same maker.
After that, numbers and calculations are sometimes different from the reality on the sea. According to that, many sailors have crossed oceans and travelled on very risky boats. And i don't even speak of some "catamarans caravans" , not really made originally to sail offshore, but more for "party times"!
This retired couple sails around the world on a Hunter 33 with quite the same characterics than the Hunter 29.5, just the lengh a bit above. I don't think there is so much differences between the behaviour on both boats.
But indeed, the features of a boat is often more important than its name
 
Sep 28, 2020
12
Hunter or other 30 In a bay in japan maybe
I think that these full keel boats are sturdy of course, but very slow, and less performing , upwind , etc, and very expensive. Finally the weight make big efforts on the rigging and the hull in hard weather, so can make failures also. On the contrary a more light, small and adaptative boat can be more flexible in heavy weather, offering less resistance to the elements, more fast to go away and avoid it. The story of the oak and the reed. I think western culture has chosen the rock , resisting to nature in opposition. The polynesian or others peoples of nature chosen the light canoes ,and harmony with the sea, shorter sails for more stability , etc. Two different philosophies of life
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
Two different philosophies of life
No question. Both have value.
Consider this. If light boats were the best idea then one might expect the canoes of the Polynesians to have been the first to circumnavigate the world. We would not have expected the British or the French in their heavy displacement boats to have sailed to Japan, it should have happened the other way around.

Why were the boats build of Oak with long keels and heavy sails able to master the winds of the Southern Ocean and discover the Asian coast of the Pacific. Why were they able to then sail home and then return.

Not that sailing in a light craft is not fun or relevant. It is one way to go.
 
Sep 28, 2020
12
Hunter or other 30 In a bay in japan maybe
Polynesians had already "discovered" many areas of the pacific before westerners ;) , and maybe more. Who knows if some native americans did not came from asia or polynesia on big double canoes? But i think they did not intend to invade the world , likewise westerners did ...lol . And it does not mean that their ships were bad to make offshore crossings. They did it, far before westerners and their colonialismn ( Colombus was a quite bad sailor, but a good "invader and exploiter of the natives, creating african slavery etc) . The polynesian double canoe, the proa and the crab claw rig, are now known to be very efficient , even with better performance to windward for this rigging , versus the bermudian rig. (Inspiring even James wharram, and many wharram catamarans have crossed oceans and travelled). So , all is relative ;)