Trends ......
Europeans tend to favor boats in 26-35 ft. range, while americans seem to favor boats 35-45ft. The larger the boat the more work, especially in sail handling. The longest boat that you can afford is probably the best rule for selection as the longer waterline will affect faster passages, more storm avoidance, more sea-kindly motion etc. A stock Catalina 30 without MAJOR ($$$$) upgrade and MAJOR strengthening would probably NOT be a suitable choice as this is a lightly built 'coastal' boat. It would probably come apart in the first major storm you encounter. A blue water boat typically has the following characteristics: Built like Brick S__T House, small cockpit, very small and very strong 'windows', very robust construction to withstand a major 'pounding' by storm force conditions, LOTS of tankage, able to carry heavy stores without sinking greatly into the water and 'wallowing' because its too deep in the water. For American design 'ocean boats' follow such boat designers such as: Creighlock, Perry, Harris, Hess, etc. Certainly one can 'rebuild and refit' a coastal design to withstand the rigors of passagemaking. Many have done it and on a shoestring budget.... but its a lot of work, etc. For world famous passagemakers who either built their own boats or refitted/rebuilt lightweight coastal boats: www.setsail.com/s_logs/martin/martin.htmlwww.landlpardey.com A coastal design boat can do 'island hopping' - short 'dashes' between islands by waiting for appropriate weather. A blue water design is usually built to 'take whatever comes along'. That said and as as others have stated .... its not so much the boat as the sailing experience of the crew that really counts.