When is it time to trade up to a bigger boat? When your boat starts to feel too small? When it develops nagging maintenance problems and requires frequent repairs? When you fall in love with a newer, bigger model? Or just because you can? Is bigger truly better? Share you big ideas here, then vote in this week's Quick Quiz at the bottom of the home page.
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Don
I Suspect It's Like Buying A Home
When your young, and relatively poor, you start on a shoestring, buy a small boat that you can afford and feel comfortable about handling. And of course its just you and your mate, and you really don't mind camping in your boat. Kids generally come along, add on bedrooms, and move up. And creature comforts would be kinda nice, so bring on the systems. This is where I am right now. After the kids are gone, you downsize as you really don't need the space, and you crave a simpler lifestyle. Sort of like buying homes. I see parallels along these lines with sailing friends who are in various states of sizing their homes and boats. These are all generalities of course and there are exceptions for sure. Don
When your young, and relatively poor, you start on a shoestring, buy a small boat that you can afford and feel comfortable about handling. And of course its just you and your mate, and you really don't mind camping in your boat. Kids generally come along, add on bedrooms, and move up. And creature comforts would be kinda nice, so bring on the systems. This is where I am right now. After the kids are gone, you downsize as you really don't need the space, and you crave a simpler lifestyle. Sort of like buying homes. I see parallels along these lines with sailing friends who are in various states of sizing their homes and boats. These are all generalities of course and there are exceptions for sure. Don
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Glenn Bevensee
There's always the hobby angle...
My father used to have a friend who would buy a wreck of a home, and live in it, while he restored it. he would then sell them at a sometimes obscene profit. He loved the woodworking part of it, hated selling homes. I imagine you could do the same thing. Buy it, fix it, sell it, move up to the next bigger wreck, and fix that...
My father used to have a friend who would buy a wreck of a home, and live in it, while he restored it. he would then sell them at a sometimes obscene profit. He loved the woodworking part of it, hated selling homes. I imagine you could do the same thing. Buy it, fix it, sell it, move up to the next bigger wreck, and fix that...
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Paul Rondina
Tradin up: Your sailing objective
I have wrestled with this decision many, many times. To find out if I liked bigger boats (i.e. 30feet and up), I joined a sailing club for 3 years and sailed boats from 28 to 42 feet. I even tried multi-hulls. Bottom line: You have to identify your sailing objectives. Are you a day sailer, coastal cruiser, or blue water sailer? Bigger boats take more time, more money, more people to crew, bigger slips/moorings, but offer greater cruising comfort, more speed and ability to handle heavier weather. A second consideration is the wife/family. If she/they love sailing, you've got it made. If not, stay small (to avoid the inevitable 'sailing widow" lament) In my opinion bigger boats feel more like "yachting", whereas smaller boats feel to me more like "sailing", plus they are inexpensive, easy to handle, fun, and can be easily shoved off a sandbar in cases of groundings.
I have wrestled with this decision many, many times. To find out if I liked bigger boats (i.e. 30feet and up), I joined a sailing club for 3 years and sailed boats from 28 to 42 feet. I even tried multi-hulls. Bottom line: You have to identify your sailing objectives. Are you a day sailer, coastal cruiser, or blue water sailer? Bigger boats take more time, more money, more people to crew, bigger slips/moorings, but offer greater cruising comfort, more speed and ability to handle heavier weather. A second consideration is the wife/family. If she/they love sailing, you've got it made. If not, stay small (to avoid the inevitable 'sailing widow" lament) In my opinion bigger boats feel more like "yachting", whereas smaller boats feel to me more like "sailing", plus they are inexpensive, easy to handle, fun, and can be easily shoved off a sandbar in cases of groundings.
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Ned Young
Bigger is not always Better
My wife and I have talked about trading up from our O'Day 28 and have concluded that to increase the interior size to any material effect we would have to go up to at least a 38 footer. Most of the larger boats just cut up the addtional space into more "berths" not liveable space. I have sailed for over 30 years and find that the larger the boat the less you want to sail it.
My wife and I have talked about trading up from our O'Day 28 and have concluded that to increase the interior size to any material effect we would have to go up to at least a 38 footer. Most of the larger boats just cut up the addtional space into more "berths" not liveable space. I have sailed for over 30 years and find that the larger the boat the less you want to sail it.
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Paul Mieszczenski
It will be like losing a Dear Friend
After 3,000+ miles in our O'day 25,"Ursa Minor", my wife and I have started talking about how nice a little extra room would be. The cold plate in the ice box that we could have with an inboard, being able to stand up when we cook, and all the other pluses that come with a little larger boat. Then we put up our raggetty old sails and blast off down Blackwater sound and look at each other wondering WHY??? We rebuilt our '77 hull completly and it will be a sad day when she finally sails off under someone else's hand.
After 3,000+ miles in our O'day 25,"Ursa Minor", my wife and I have started talking about how nice a little extra room would be. The cold plate in the ice box that we could have with an inboard, being able to stand up when we cook, and all the other pluses that come with a little larger boat. Then we put up our raggetty old sails and blast off down Blackwater sound and look at each other wondering WHY??? We rebuilt our '77 hull completly and it will be a sad day when she finally sails off under someone else's hand.
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ODO Editorial
Final results
Final results for the Quick Quiz ending 10/15/2000: It's time to trade up when... 43% Boat's too small 39% Because you can 12% Never 04% Boat's too old
Final results for the Quick Quiz ending 10/15/2000: It's time to trade up when... 43% Boat's too small 39% Because you can 12% Never 04% Boat's too old
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