Thought on a Larger Boat (7-foot-itis...)

[jaysweet]

I think the low to mid thirties is a good practical size for a sailboat to be single handed or double handed. It is roomie enough if you don't load it up with a bunch of crap.
As for weight related to seaworthiness, I think it's more hull design that creates a comfortable ride. I had a 26' keelboat with a pretty flat forefoot. Yeah it slammed into a chop uncomfortably. Had the hull been more veered shaped in that area I think it would have been much more comfortable in a chop. I would point out that many of the cruising designs known for seaworthiness are in fact designed to sail off the wind. So they will not necessarily be comfortable in that Cheasy chop either.
All in all, I think a S&S inspired hull is a pretty good compromise in sea keeping, upwind ability and cabin space. I like a fractional rig for its easy adjustment of power and I wouldn't be without a windlass for geriatric cruising. That sorta adds up to a Tartan 33 with the Scheel keel. A great cruising platform but aging out.

I will say that, much as I like my 306, it seems to have a flat entry and pounds something awful when the wave heights get up to maybe 3-4 feet on the nose. I guess it's part of the "new designs with roomy cabins" vs. "older seaworthy designs with less volume below" compromise. It's pretty awesome to have full standing headroom for a 6' guy all throughout the main cabin in a 30-footer, but there has to be a price to be paid.

 

[jaysweet]

Jay you raise some great thoughts.

Getting ready to retire is a great time to identify the things you would like and then do them.

I moved from camping in a 15ft Trailer yacht to sailing a 35ft boat. I had looked at a 50-foot boat filled with plenty of features. But when I picked up the sail bag, I realized that my sailing solo days would be limited.

You need a boat that you can master if solo sailing (or sailing the boat with non-sailing guests) is in your future. 35-36 ft with a traditional hull and designed to manage a turbulent sea will make sailing in all conditions manageable, if not enjoyable. Choose a sail plan that you can handle. Smaller sails are better than one great big sail. Note Mast head sloops are jib priority sized. A Bermude rigged boat leans to large mainsails and smaller fractional jibs. A cutter rig is very versatile in sail plan.

Make a list. Certainly, a shower would be nice. I have on that is in the head. It uses a shower curtain to curtail the water. It is not an easy functional experience. It is not used. Shore showers are the norm. I am looking into a cockpit shower. Don't look if we are in the same anchorage.

You could use AC in the Chesapeake Bay. You would need to have heat if sailing year-round is desired. Heat is also nice in the shoulder sailing periods of early spring and late fall.

You know what you liked for the past 20 years. Incorporate those thoughts into a list of boat priorities. Then match boats to your list. Whatever you choose will be a compromise of important and doable features.

John,
I think I'd be able to tolerate a furling main, although maybe a 37-foot boat with a Strong Track would still be reasonable. I suspect A/C is in the card, regardless of whether I get a new boat. It's pretty brutal in the Chesapeake from around July 4th to the end of August (but then it's also pretty windless, so that's just not the best time of year to sail). My normal season is mid-May to the end of October. If I retire or go part-time, I'd like to get the boat in the water a couple of months earlier, and take advantage of the shoulder seasons, which is when we have the best wind.

 

[shemandr]

I will say that, much as I like my 306, it seems to have a flat entry and pounds something awful when the wave heights get up to maybe 3-4 feet on the nose...

On the other hand if the chine forward is a bit hard, while heeled the boat will have an easier motion upwind in waves. But a canoe shape has the least drag from the water. So designers like that.
Driving upwind in waves is a challenge that takes a lot of concentration. It can be a beautiful thing especially if the crew trimmers are in tune with the constant course changes. But it's work.

 

[jaysweet]

Driving upwind in waves is a challenge that takes a lot of concentration. It can be a beautiful thing especially if the crew trimmers are in tune with the constant course changes. But it's work.

It'll make you lose your fillings, that's for sure.