Smallest Sailboats with Standing Headroom in the Cabin and/or Inboard Engine

[jepomer]

I'm just researching the possibilities right now. I am trying to identify the smallest sailboats which have standing headroom in the cabin (6 feet minimum) and/or which ones have an inboard engine.

There are many parameters that go into choosing a sailboat. These two are difficult to identify in searches so I am hoping that people will chime in with their knowledge.

My wife and I started sailing about 5 years ago (I had sailed casually before in the early '80s) when a friend lent us his small 12 footer while he and his wife sailed on a Hobie Cat 16. My wife squeezed into the cockpit much like one does in a kayak and I thought it would be the last of our sailing. On the contrary, she loved it!

The next season we purchased a Hobie Cat 14 which was great for small lakes but when we got stranded for many hours with no wind on Lake Champlain one July 3rd, we decided that our "mature" bodies needed seats and a cabin with "facilities". We then purchased an O'Day 19 and sailed it for 3 seasons beginning to venture out into both Portsmouth and Boston harbors. This year we have a Capri 22 berthed in Winthrop and a Cape Dory 25 getting ready for next season.

The Cape Dory 25 has more headroom and cabin space than the Capri 22 but not significantly more. Both are fine for overnighting and weekends. I can trailer either one of these back home for winter storage which had been an important criteria up until now. This is the first year that we have had a boat in a slip. We enjoyed the convenience over trailer sailing and the option just to sit in the boat on the hot summer days we had this year in New England.

Our long term goal is to have a cruising "summer home" and to journey the intercoastal waterway when we retire (in the next 5 years or so). We do want reasonable cabin space for standing, preparing food, etc. and to be more than just "camping" like the our Capri 22 is (I know this is subjective). Since I do enjoy working on the boat's maintenance, fiberglass and mechanical repairs, I want to find that "special" boat that needs some TLC. So far we have not poured humongous amounts of money into our holes in the water. Size helps control the costs. Hence the question ---

What are the Smallest Sailboats with Standing Headroom in the Cabin and/or Inboard Engine?

John

 

[Sandy Stone]

Flicka 20?

You said smallest, not cheapest.

 

[rardiH36]

Suggest that you post your question also on the Cherubini Hunter forum. http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/forumdisplay.php?f=44

I don't know if 27 ft is "small" enough, but might be worth a quick read about the Cherubini Hunter 27 from the late 70's to early 80's. The one time that I looked at one, I was struck by what felt as an extremely spacious feeling cabin for such smaller boat. I believe it had enough head room for a 6' person to move around fully erect. You could also look at the owner reviews/comments.

Here's a link to the original Hunter brochure:

http://www.huntermarine.com/Models/HunterPreviousModels/27_1982.pdf

 

[Ross]

Re: Flicka 20?

Probably the flicka. http://www.flicka20.com/

 

[Scott T-Bird]

Always a compromise when considering 'smallest' ...

I've seen a 27' boat that had headroom for a 6' person ... in my eyes it was ugly because the profile was simply too high, had way too much windage, and performance suffered greatly. On the other hand, we considered purchasing a Cal 27-2 which was pleasing and had headroom for the most part for a 6' person (me) but the sole of the boat was essentially the hull and it sloped to a small flat spot over the bilge/keel assembly. The comments I read about the boat complained mainly that because the bilge is so shallow, water overflows the floor anytime the bilge filled by more than a couple of inches. This also was not for me.

Our 27' boat is very pleasing to the eye and has very sweet performance because it is designed well, but I can only stand erect under the sliding top or if the top is slid back so I can stand in the sun. Otherwise, I stoop. My wife, at 5'7" can walk comfortably anywhere in the cabin and only has to stoop to duck under the companionway to the head. I live with this compromise because I love the way the boat looks and performs. So far, I have not found any boat at 27' that has standing headroom for me AND has decent performance and looks like a sleek sailboat. I don't like sailing a boat that looks like a slug to me. That includes all of the boats in that size or smaller that are touted for blue-water safety. But that's just me ... beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think everyone realizes.

 

[BarryL]

Hello,

I think that you should be able to find a boat in the 27-28' range that meets your requirements.

My first 'big' boat was a Newport 28. That was the smallest boat I liked that had inboard diesel, standing headroom (I'm 5'7" so I don't know if it has 6' headroom everywhere), real marine head with holding tank, pressure hot and cold water, and a decent galley with stove, oven, and icebox.

The Catalina 27' would probably work for you too. I have been on a few and I liked the Newport 28' better, but that was just me.

Check out the Sabre 28, Tartan 27, O'day 28', etc etc etc

Barry

 

[jepomer]

Yes, I did say "smallest" meaning the shortest LOA, not "cheapest". I do like the Flicka. "Smallest, practical" may be a better way to ask the question. The other parameters will come into play soon enough before any serious decisions need to be made. What I have seen so far is when the boats go from 25 to 27 feet LOA, headroom increases and the outboard becomes an inboard.

I am 5' 8" and my wife is an even 5' so that helps. I do suspect that we will find something around the 30 foot range to be a practical solution. Our dock neighbor suggests a 32 footer. (He wants one that size.)

Looking at the Cape Dory 25 verses the Cape Dory 25D, there appears to be a significant increase in headroom and other cabin space for two.

When problem solving, I try to look at the extremes and then the subtle differences. We will be sailing the Cape Dory 25 next year. In the meantime we are trying to see what we like and don't like. I don't think my wife would really enjoy extended "camping" in the limited space if we were to be on an extended cruise.


Thank you for the input so far. It is all useful.
John

 

[Cayennita]

The Hunter 27 has everything you are looking for. They have crossed oceans and we know of 3 of them in the VI's that are live aboard.
Check it out. They did come with various keels from shallow to not so shallow.

 

[Cayennita]

Look up a Bristol 28. Very competitive which means good performance under sail and has all the bell and whistles.

 

[Ross]

You don't need 6 feet of headroom unless you jump around a lot. You need bunk length more than headroom. Sometimes when they add two feet in length it is mostly in the cockpit. My Islander 30 had an 8 foot long cockpit, My friend's O'Day 26 had a 5 foot long cockpit and nearly as much room inside as my 30.

 

[Warren Milberg]

Just keep in mind what the famous designer Herreshoff had to say about headroom:
The interior of a boat is only used for three things: eating, sleeping, and making love. None of which require standing headroom.

or something to that effect....

 

[wonkodsane]

Depends on which page of the boata-sutra you're on.

But honestly, it is nice to stand fully upright and not bump one's head.

 

[SailArkansas]

The Precision 28 has standing headroom and an inboard diesel. The cabin has a very spacious feeling as the v-berth has no bulkhead. A curtain provides privacy. The model was discontinued several years back but you can find a couple of listings at PrecisionSaiboatOwners.com

Its a great boat and I am very satisfied with my 1994 copy.

 

[Jalepeno]

My CAL 2-25 (aka CAL 25 mk II) has more usable interior room, wider beam and longer waterline length than a CAT 27. She also has standiing head room, Yanmar YSM12 diesel, easy to single hand, fast and will take heavy weather.

http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=711

 

[druid]

I have a Crown 28: inboard diesel, standing headroom, decent galley (often missing in the newer models that are focused on daysails), enclosed head with sink... Back then, a 28-ft boat was considered a good size for cruising and were built as such. Now it's hard to get a decent galley in anything under 32 ft.

So - I'd look at some older boats if you want a good cruising boat under 30 ft.

druid

 

[Ross]

A well fed crew is likely to be a happier crew so be certain that the galley is complete. The stove must have an oven and a broiler and two burners is minimum. Plenty of Ice Box volume with at least 4 inches of insulation.

 

[Valentina]

Ericson

Ericson 27 pleasantly surprised me with it's cabin size.
It has 6'1" head room and a fully enclosed head, stove, ice box and powered with a very well supported Atomic4 4-cyl gas engine.
I also like the overall design and the fact that the lead of a keel is encapsulated in fiberglass, so there is no keel bolt issue.
Good luck finding your dream boat.
Once you see her- you will know...

 

[Chilidog]

Although some may argue that they are not true sailboats, but the Nimble Kodiak and the Nimble Wanderer have huge cabins.

 

[Todd Smith]

I sail a lot on a friend's Tartan 28. It has good headroom ( I am 6'3" ) throughout and is a great cruiser for 2 or 3 people. There is a good head. V berth, double in the cabin, quarter berth. A good table in the cabin and a good galley with stove and oven.

It sails really well also. This is the earlier design of Tartan 28, ( 1984-1990), not the 28 Piper.

 

[Drew13440]

Well, we've had:

Flicka (wins the race on size, standing headroom and inboard diesel)
Cape Dory 25D (best value in this race)

I would add Dana 24 to these small, "Blue water" boats, but plan on spending a small fortune to get one.

Your plans don't seem to include "Blue water," so I'd look at small boats with outboard engines, particularly those that have lazarette-mounted engines, like your CD25. The Bristol 24 comes to mind, as do some of the Pearsons.

Putting your pants on standing up is great. Not hanging upside down into a diesel engine compartment is even better. Think it through and good luck.