Thinking about moving up.

Jackdaw · Feb 27, 2016

centerline said:
but it seems you eventually found your way to peace and harmony... you got rid of what didnt fit into your lifestyle.
often times, for long term investment, its a much more reasonable decision than getting rid of the boat....

The two circumstances in the end we're not related, but yes in my case it ended up better. I would not want however to offer it up as relationship advice!

Pat · Feb 27, 2016

I can only speak of our 272LE. we bought new in 86 and it's only the two of us 70 percent of the time. We have had as many as 12 on board during long distance night races....there is NO smell of diesel as the diesel has never leaked anything that has made it to the bilge....we take great pride in her and she has rewarded us with safe passages in some harrowing conditions, the most harrowing were while we were motoring, vs. sailing....The highest winds we have sailed in at Cheney Reservoir in Wichita were right at 42 mph and gusty.....I would not have gone sailing, but my brother in law from Charleston who has a J35
wanted to sail and so we did....the boat did fine...of course we were reefed with maybe a 60 percent headsail...but the point is we have done it....my wife would probably not have sailed alone with me in the same conditions....always stow everything..Never store something that can fall and cause a problem....Since 1986 when we bought the boat I have been talking about sewing sleeves of sunbrella to protect the plexiglass hatches...maybe in the next week or so I will make them. We have of course sailed on many other makes and model of boats, but my own is still my favorite...Imagine that....patrick

Scott T-Bird · Feb 28, 2016

Hi Ward,
Would you say that my 27' boat is much different in size than your boat? I don't have that impression. OTOH, the 31' Hunter next to us seems significantly more comfortable looking. There is standing headroom under that bimini/arch. Lounging in that shady cockpit on a hot summer day looks pretty inviting. I'm not sure you can get that kind of comfort in a 27' - 28' boat. What Stu says about the economics of a 28' boat is interesting.
We'll have to discuss the finer points of this argument over a few beers ... hopefully sooner than later! BTW, Sue & I made a major step today which should help expand our sailing horizons!

Scotty C-M · Feb 28, 2016

And what would that step be??
At any rate, having faced this same situation several times, I have one strong opinion: Find the boat your wife Likes. Yes, I (you) have to like it too, but … Happy Wife, Happy Life. When my wife saw our current boat she said "Wow, what a boat!" as she walked the dock towards the boat. When she was sitting on the bed (aft cabin ) she said, "I LOVE this boat". Decision made.

Monterey385 · Feb 28, 2016

Scotty C-M said:
And what would that step be??
At any rate, having faced this same situation several times, I have one strong opinion: Find the boat your wife Likes. Yes, I (you) have to like it too, but … Happy Wife, Happy Life. When my wife saw our current boat she said "Wow, what a boat!" as she walked the dock towards the boat. When she was sitting on the bed (aft cabin ) she said, "I LOVE this boat". Decision made.

I could not agree more ... served us well with every boat we've purchased.

SlimPickens · Feb 29, 2016

Ward, thanks for your previous help on this forum. What about a smaller 2nd dog and one of the several mods to widen the cabin berth? BTW, I found my centerboard!
If the 25 has enough headroom for you, why not try spending the night on her before you decide?

Kings Gambit · Feb 29, 2016

We traded a Pearson 30 for the Bavaria 38 in one step, skipping all of the "intermediate" steps to the larger boat. We owned the P-30 for 11 years and sailed her to many overnight destinations in SW Florida as well as here in Southern California. The P-30 was comfortable for two, but not roomy, being of narrow beam (9 ft). The driving force for the larger boat was really three-fold. First, I thought we needed more range and endurance. Range for the weekender really equates with speed; endurance with tank capacity for water and fuel, principally. Second, I wished for a much newer boat and wanted to trade the Pearson before its 25th year, which we did. Third, the Admiral, being of a social nature, wished for a boat large, and comfortable, enough to take another couple with us on weekend trips. So, we were together on the decision to move up. No dispute there. My wife, as the the daughter of a cockpit flight engineer in the days of TWA, had been well introduced to the concept of maintenance. So we keep the boat well maintained with bottom jobs, etc. I consider myself fortunate. The Bavaria 38E is the perfect boat for our needs. Two cabins, two heads, 39-hp Yanmar diesel w/sail drive, plus fully-battened mainsail, the boat can comfortably carry two couples to the islands for the weekend, or remain out as long as 14-16 days w/ four aboard, transiting the 18 n.mi. from Ventura to Santa Cruz Island, across the East Santa Barbara Channel, in just 2 1/2 hr.

I don't envision any trips around the world in this boat; it's not really designed for that task. However, if I decided to sail around the world, I'd trade it for the right boat for that job! So, get the boat that serves your needs in your sailing venue, and get on with it! Time is short!

centerline · Feb 29, 2016

Ward H said:
I have read and reread my post and your responses. As usual this helped me to reset my course after veering off a bit.
I originally said "Do I need a bigger boat? No. I am very happy with my O'day 25 and the upgrades I have done. A new jib and traveler are just the last two items on my upgrade list.

its good to hear you have escaped the 2footitus syndrome. just think of all the money you have just saved on a transition.... that can now be spent on your 25. win-win

Brian S · Mar 1, 2016

Ward, I see you have worked through your boat lust for now, and are back to happy with the O'day 25.

Some key things that jumped out at me from your original post:

1) Need bigger cockpit because you have big dogs.

2) Haven't overnighted because it seems sleeping areas on O'day 25 are cramped or hard to get into.

So, one thing to consider is that often the smaller boats are considered more daysailer boats, and have a big cockpit. I know my little 192 has long enough seats that I can lay on them full length. Sometimes when you go into a bigger boat, they will shorted the cockpit some to make way for a bigger cabin and more space down below. So far, it sounds like such a design would be regressive for you, given you need maximum cockpit seat length for the dog(s).

Not all V-berths are created equally. I think you guys would find a V-berth with the notch cut into the head of it to be easier to get into. Sometimes these are found on bigger boats. But most, you'll probably have to crawl into from the head of the berth, to get your feet up into the bow. Unless there's standing headroom, it's probably going to be a problem no matter what. So the alternative is a double berth under the cockpit, which has its own troubles with climbing in, at least in the 27-30' range. Also, consider in the date range of your O'day, there weren't as many wide stern boats as there are now (I'm thinking the current crop of Beneteaus, Jeanneaus, and Catalinas in the 34-40' range. Saw a bunch this past weekend at G. Winter's across from Philly.)

So now you need to look for a dinette that can convert to a double berth, or maybe you'll have to build out a double berth out of a set of quarters. Hey, can you build a plywood platform with extra cushions for your O'day 25?

Monterey385 · Mar 1, 2016

Brian S said:
Ward, I see you have worked through your boat lust for now, and are back to happy with the O'day 25.

(I'm thinking the current crop of Beneteaus, Jeanneaus, and Catalinas in the 34-40' range. Saw a bunch this past weekend at G. Winter's across from Philly.)

Brian:
I've got to ask ... were you on the Catalina 385 ("s/v Monterey") with Brian Winters? He asked me if he could give someone a tour and your note caught my attention.
Kev

Scott T-Bird · Mar 1, 2016

Ward, as soon as the weather warms up, I've made it a goal to anchor out with Sue just inside Barnegat Inlet. I was reading a local's blog and it sounded like a great place to start. You can't tell me it isn't convenient enough!

Come on, we'll go together. We're planning trips to LBI and Lavallette when friends & family are on their beach house vacations. I also figure on a trip to A.C. I haven't looked forward to summer this much in a long time. It's giving me the same itch I used to have for windsurfing!
If I say too much, Sue think's I'll jinx us. But let's just say we should be ending our commitment to weekend home improvement projects!

Brian S · Mar 1, 2016

Monterey385 said:
Brian:
I've got to ask ... were you on the Catalina 385 ("s/v Monterey") with Brian Winters? He asked me if he could give someone a tour and your note caught my attention.
Kev

Nope, Kev. A friend from the club and I went out to the seminar day on Saturday a week ago. Dan is looking to retire and either get a blue water cruiser to sail around the world, or, since he's got his captain's license now, to get a bigger cruiser he could sail people out on charters on the Chesapeake. We were climbing around on mostly the Bene's and a few Catalinas just the two of us. I commented to him that after he shared the 'round the world idea, we kept looking at coastal cruisers which could maybe fetch Bermuda on good weather windows. None of them were capable blue water boats. That's when he told me about the charter idea. Me? I was just hanging out on boats.

Actually, if I could afford it, I have become quite enamored of the O'day 272 and the Pearson 27. But there's no budget for a bigger boat and a commitment to Barnegat or Cheasapeake.

Monterey385 · Mar 1, 2016

Scott T-Bird said:
Ward, as soon as the weather warms up, I've made it a goal to anchor out with Sue just inside Barnegat Inlet. I was reading a local's blog and it sounded like a great place to start. You can't tell me it isn't convenient enough! Come on, we'll go together. We're planning trips to LBI and Lavallette when friends & family are on their beach house vacations. I also figure on a trip to A.C. I haven't looked forward to summer this much in a long time. It's giving me the same itch I used to have for windsurfing!
If I say too much, Sue think's I'll jinx us. But let's just say we should be ending our commitment to weekend home improvement projects!

Scott:
Second the suggestion on Tices Shoal. Haven't been down there for a while, but we used to dinghy ashore and walk across to the beach. You could hear the ocean breakers all night and get a sea breeze while protected in the Bay.

centerline · Mar 1, 2016

Scott T-Bird said:
we should be ending our commitment to weekend home improvement projects!

I agree.
when a person owns a boat they like to use, commitments like home improvement projects are hard to keep, and I have a strict rule to never make commitments that Im not sure I can keep. true statement... and this philosophy has worked out pretty well for me in the last 20 or so years since I adopted it

Davidasailor26 · Mar 1, 2016

Monterey385 said:
Scott:
Second the suggestion on Tices Shoal. Haven't been down there for a while, but we used to dinghy ashore and walk across to the beach. You could hear the ocean breakers all night and get a sea breeze while protected in the Bay.

I agree as well. Sure it'll be crowded on a weekend afternoon, but by evening it calms down a bit. Go out sailing and enjoy the afternoon sea breeze by reaching back and forth between Tices and Forked River, then anchor out for dinner and the night. In the morning go over to the beach before it gets too busy. Special bonus on July 4th weekend is being able to see fireworks shows from across the whole area without being in any of the chaos. Only downsides are (1) the wind usually peaks right when you put your dinner on the grill and (2) sometimes a stronger than forecasted land breeze fills in overnight and the area isn't especially well protected from that.