Best boat for 6'4" and possibly 4 adults

[scarpozzi]

I've decided I'm going to get a small sailboat for my local lakes, but start saving up for a more serious boat for cruising. I started a thread on that earlier this year and got some good feedback. My lake has been drained the past few years and is going back online soon. That's why I've not been in a hurry to get started. I've been refurbing my other boats in preparation.


Long term, I want to get a monohull that I can keep at a Marina on the East Coast between VA and GA somewhere. (probably further South to make motoring South on the ICW easier) I figure I'll either sail 1-2 seasons and sell, but it depends on a lot of factors.

What are the best bluewater monohull sailboats that have 2 heads minimum and 3 berths and what should my budget be for boat purchase and maintenance? I totally get that's an opinionated question. I'm just looking for some sound advice. I've been looking at 35-38' lengths, but wonder if I should be looking only at 40' and up...I've just never maneuvered a sailboat that large and have a lot to learn.

[LLCoolDave]

You'll usually find two heads on larger boats, 40ft and up. Also a blue water boat is overkill for what you want to do. Just about any boat will do. By three berths, do you mean cabins or will sleeping on a settee do? Most any boat will sleep two in the vberth and you'll have two settees.

Also it's tough to find headroom for tall people in boats under 40ft. I'm close to 6'4 and my headroom is 6'3. Hasn't bothered me at all.

[Madehn]

gulfstar 47

[Swift Drift]

Get the red one.....

[44walkover]

CSY 44', I'm 6'4 and plenty of headroom.

[Mother1ship]

Morgan OI 41'

[roland stockham]

For that headroom across the saloon and galley anything less than about 42/44ft is likely to significantly compromise sailing qualities beam to height and beam to length ratios are main parameters in boat design. With the modern trend for wide bodies shallow depth hulls adding free board to create headroom can make it sail horribly.

[Don C L]

This comes up from time to time. This thread, and others may be of help. Try the search function for "headroom."
https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...om-228378.html

I only personally have seen the headroom on the Columbia 50 and 43 and Downeast 38 (but the Downeast or Downeaster only has one head.) has which is substantial. Check bunk lengths too.

[Davidhoy]

I live aboard a Catalina 470. Lots of headroom (over 7'), two full heads, two full cabins. Good blue water boat. You can get a decent one in the $160-200k range, sometimes less depending on condition, equipment, and location. Pretty easy to handle, even short handed. Twin wheels, all lines led aft to the cockpit, electric halyard winch, big oversized primary winches, typically come with in-mast furling for the main in addition to the regular roller furling genoa.

As to maintenance budget, that is going to depend on the age of the boat and how well the previous owner(s) kept her up. A good rule of thumb is 5-10% of a boat's value as a yearly maintenance budget.