What happened to the "small" "Affordable" cruisers?

[sailorboy1]

The real reasons that larger new boats got less expensive in the 90s:

1 - the introduction of modern assembly line production instead of "stick built" greatly lower manufacturing/building costs
2 - the "luxury" tax from the 80s inflation days got changed, dropping costs 20%
3 - the Bloomers started getting ready to retire/retiring and they had money

[LarryDW]

Originally Posted by Enfant Du Vent

Ahoy Little Otter:
Your replied:

Oh believe me I've already been down that road but she is amazing and even though she doesn't understand my obsession with the sea she still supports my dreams to circumnavigate. When my dad asked her what she thought of it she said "I'll kill him if i have to spend months in the ocean with this lunatic on a small boat. But I'll happily fly out and meet him once he gets to shore."


My first wife would totally concur with your wife's sentiments. Once, when I was having the 4 Man Avon life raft serviced, I had her come with me to see what it was like inflated--in a warm, dry shed. As we sat cross-legged and our knees touched she said, "If we ever really need it you'd better be a lot further away from me than this!"

I so busted out laughing when I read this!

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Pete7

Hanked on sails were kind of fun in the warm water of the Canaries as a young soldier, along with the inevitable drenchings when green waves crashed over the bow. However, quickly wore off winter sailing in the English Channel when a sail change was needed at some godforsaken hour.

The furling main means I don't even have to leave the protection of the sprayhood to reef, perfect

Pete

And actually, you can watch youtube videos and you never even have to leave you apartment.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by Little Otter

Oh believe me I've already been down that road but she is amazing and even though she doesn't understand my obsession with the sea she still supports my dreams to circumnavigate. When my dad asked her what she thought of it she said "I'll kill him if i have to spend months in the ocean with this lunatic on a small boat. But I'll happily fly out and meet him once he gets to shore."

I must be one of the luckiest men, when my wife was first asked if she wanted to fly across the ocean and meet the boat there, she answered then, and every time since, "If he's going to go out and die in the ocean I'm not letting him do it without me."

[Sofa King Fishy]

I live aboard a 42’ Catalina MK2. I couldn’t imagine living on anything smaller. I’m also 6’1”, 245...and you should see my kids! As people grow larger so goes their boats, cars, etc!

[Poche]

Interesting topic.
I think people want or expect too much. If you want luxury go on those ugly cruise "ships".

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by Phantom Jim

I will state, without any proof or evidence whatever, that our 1981 36 foot Pearson 365 ketch is most likely a stronger boat today than many brand new boats for sale. I also suspect she will be around long after these newer boats are landfill.

I will also state they will not have more serenity than we had either!

God love the Good Old Days!

You are probably right in that hulls were built a lot more conservatively 40 years ago. If the water stays on the right side of the hull, the keel stays on, and the mast stays upright you are probably going to be ok. Has anything improved regarding those essentials in the last 40 years?

Sailboats have certainly gotten prettier, faster, roomier, more luxurious, and more convenient. Not stronger though.

[swordds]

I was laying on the settee in my live aboard old style Alberg 30 last night trying to get to sleep and staring at the ceiling thinking “This is just so much space! I could really do with a boat two foot narrower, perhaps a South Coast 23?” But the cheapest boat to own is probably the one you already own and it is hard to trade down. Still, anyone in the New Orleans area interested in upsizing, I am interested in downsizing.

[Poche]

Originally Posted by Statistical

You are probably right in that hulls were built a lot more conservatively 40 years ago. If the water stays on the right side of the hull, the keel stays on, and the mast stays upright you are probably going to be ok. Has anything improved regarding those essentials in the last 40 years?

Sailboats have certainly gotten prettier, faster, roomier, more luxurious, and more convenient. Not stronger though.

Beside encapsulated keels probably not much.

[BlackHeron]

Lightweight flimsy bendytoy ikea crap. Pretty, my sweet patootie. They pretty much quit building decent sailboats 30 years ago outside of a few higher-end custom jobs.

[Green Horn]

I bought a 28 ft. Cape Dory last year against the advice of everyone who said it's too small to do bluewater cruising. But not one person could tell me WHY it's too small for bluewater cruising.
I'm a single hander and I don't have a lot of stuff, so it's good for me. When I'm rocking due to current or high winds I do sometimes wish I had a bigger heavier boat. But in sailing everything is a trade off and most of the time 28 ft. Is fine. The cost difference by having a few less feet is substantial when at a Marina.

[Hoodsail]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Tillerjockey, with all due respect, you have no idea what you are talking about.

We do not have roller furling. Our sails, genoa or jib, are tossed on deck and run up the head foil as easy as pie. To reduce sail we drop one on deck and run up a smaller one, often we run the new one up before dropping the old one.

Our boat is 43'. We are two old people, in our 70's. IT IS NOT TOUGH.

And actually, I've sailed on boats the size of ours with roller furling. It isn't that easy.

AND THEN, how do you get a smaller sail up? Do you propose to sail with a partially furled genoa?

Roller furling hasn't made bigger boats possible. It has made lazy sailors possible.

Hey, I resemble that response!!

[ELC]

So, my wife and I and for a while a kid, have lived aboard and knocked around on several boats for 30 plus years. The 30 footer was honestly a bit tight for us but would have been a great solo boat.

The 36 footer was the one I wish I'd never parted with. Perfect for two of us.

Currently on a 46 footer. Prepping for a transpacific. She's really roomy and comfortable. Easily handled by two although it could be done solo. Only reason for this size is we will be having guests on board fairly often.

As to building standards I've worked on and surveyed many boats over the years. While cosmetics and goodies have improved basic construction is a mix. They understand resin yo glass

[Happ]

Originally Posted by dwedeking2

Demand by the market for more space, storage and living.


Increase in demand for amenities like fridge, watermaker etc which require more space.


Increase use of furlers and electric winches make it easier to handle more sails (one of the reasons there are more sloops vs ketches now as well).

You nailed it! I had this discussion a few months back who has lived aboard his 41' ketch for the past 15 or so years. The cruiser of today wants all the bells and whistles. They don't want to go sleep at night in damp sheets. They want A/C. If you go the Bahamas watermakers are almost a mandatory item. On a small boat where do you put all this and still have room for you?

As long as I can remember the sweet spot in cruising boats was 36 to 38'. That was due to the ease of handling the boat shorthanded. Now with all the technology larger boats can easily be shorthanded.

Personally I'll stay in the 36'-38' range with a/c. watermaker, furlers, single line reefing, etc.. The new battery technology makes this all possible.

[ELC]

So, my wife and I and for a while a kid, have lived aboard and knocked around on several boats for 30 plus years. The 30 footer was honestly a bit tight for us but would have been a great solo boat.

The 36 footer was the one I wish I'd never parted with. Perfect for two of us.

Currently on a 46 footer. Prepping for a transpacific. She's really roomy and comfortable. Easily handled by two although it could be done solo. Only reason for this size is we will be having guests on board fairly often.

As to building standards I've worked on and surveyed many boats over the years. While cosmetics and goodies have improved basic construction is a mix. They understand resin to glass ratios better but very often corners get cut to save production costs. It costs more per pound of hull, per foot, per foot of rig, etc. All those convenient systems add up as well.

Also the industry knows that the vast majority of boats will only leave the dock occasionally for short or day trips. Many, quite frankly, are not built to cross oceans as most never will. When I worked as a surveyor first thing I wanted to know was what the people wanted the boat to do. It made a difference in how we looked at things. The couple who wanted to entertain friends with local sails didn't need the boat the folks who wanted to visit antarctica needed.

An old, smaller, simpler boat is great as long as you are comfortable with the trade offs. But we all have our own wants and budgets. To each their own.