BVI charter: 43 ft vs 51 ft monohull? Is 51 ft too big?

[BeneG]

Hello there!

4-5 friends and I will be heading to the BVI to charter( 3 of us are very much into sailing and have done some racing on smaller sonar boats and all 3 of us have ASA 101-103-104 certification) and we are debating between a 43 ft Dufour and a 51 ft Beneteau.


We are trying to decide between a 43 ft Dufour and a 51 ft Beneteau.


We want to prioritize comfort (also the wife is coming and i am trying to convince her that sailing/cruising is great fun so she'll want to do it again in the future). and the Dufour has no AC- May in the BVI should be very hot,

This is our Maiden voyage: so this will be the first time any of us have sailed on a boat larger than 30 ft without an instructor. If the 3 sailors of the group are diligent about safety (reefing those big sails) etc and remain aware of risks/our surroundings and take it nice and slow, would this be a realistic option?

I know it's possible to sail it, but what i am trying to understand is what percent chance/how likely do you think we'd run into trouble with the 51ft vs the 43ft ? Is mooring, anchoring that much more difficult? Might we run into more issues when trying to find a place to moor between other boats etc? we wouldn't plan to dock it other than coming back to return the boat.

Thanks in advance!

BeneG

[AnsleyS]

Ben,


One thing to consider is the short distances that one sails around the Virgins. If you think the gals can enjoy being close together get the forty rather than the fifty. You will feel more comfortable maneuvering the smaller boat.

[gonesail]

that 51 footer is a huge boat. heavy sails. big jibs. big anchor but you might just grab a mooring. yes it will be warm in May but there are trade winds down there. seems like 4 could be alright in the 43 footer. your decision of course.

[BeneG]

Thanks for your input!

The trade wind comment makes me feel a little better about the 430 Dufour. Last night I ran worst case scenarios (in terms of climate) in my head where the wind didn't blow or it rained a lot (the hatches remained shut) and no air was moving through the boat. Perhaps bring a bunch of battery powered fans and a lot of back up batteries would suffice.

[Zanshin]

@BeneG - most charter boats will have at least one fan per cabin powered by the house bank.
The BVI have some of the easiest Caribbean cruising grounds. Most anchorage have mooring balls, and there are growing number of "Boatyball" reserved moorings now. I would recommend taking the bigger and more comfortable boat if the price difference isn't much. The internal difference in size between the two models is a lot, I've owned both boat sizes. The physical effort of sailing will be similar, as the winches will be sized accordingly.

If you set aside some time on the first day to practice mooring ball pickup technique then you shouldn't have to worry. The charter company will be happy to take you off the dock and bring you back to the dock.

[BeneG]

Thanks Zanshin for your insight.

I had someone (not on these forums) mention that we may have to dock the boat to refuel. Does that seem right? Seems wrong, considering we will only have the boat for a week and only be sailing/motoring for part of the day?

[Reeve21]

We had 3 couples. 2 of the couples were were experienced on sailboats up to 38 feet at the time. The third couple were fairly new power boaters and did not participate in the sailing "work."

We chartered a 54 foot monohull. It was just right in size. Always took a mooring. Furling main and jib were easily handled with electric winches. It was a 2 person operation to handle the boat, one on the wheel and one to pick up moorings, trim sails, etc.

We did not run the AC but it was March and still pretty warm at night. I would want AC in May.

[gsuescum]

You’re going to have a great time. Remember your primary goal…. You want your wife to love cruising.

Get the bigger boat with A/C, ESPECIALLY if you want to get your wife excited about cruising.

Don’t go for the adrenaline sailing trip if you want your wife to have fun and think about future cruising. I know way too many guys that went that path and now have to sail alone and will never go cruising.

The entire loop of the BVI is about 60 miles and that’s including a stop in Anegada. All your sails are going to be short. It’s all mooring balls; super easy.

There’s a saying when you start to get into larger boats…. On the ocean your boat is always to small and in the marina it’s always too big. So when you’re out sailing you’re going to be fine. let the charter company take her out and bring her into dock for you if you have any doubts. No stress and more enjoyment for your wife.

Don’t worry about running out of diesel. You’re only going for a week. If you motored the whole time (60nm) you’d burn 10-12 gals. IF you run out diesel there are several good docks to refuel at that won’t be stressful.

Do try and get a boat with a water maker if at all possible (as a future cruiser you’ll have one). Running out of water will bring you to a dock at least once on your trip unless you impose serious rationing; again not so much fun, especially for your wife who you want to love this lifestyle.

Have fun!

[Zanshin]

Originally Posted by BeneG

Thanks Zanshin for your insight.

I had someone (not on these forums) mention that we may have to dock the boat to refuel. Does that seem right? Seems wrong, considering we will only have the boat for a week and only be sailing/motoring for part of the day?

If you are chartering out of Nanny Cay then the usual procedure is to go to the fuel dock and refuel there. While refuelling you can move your stuff off the boat and the charter company will then move the boat to the final dock - which is quite often rather narrow while the fuel dock has lots of room.

But if there's a stiff breeze and you feel uncomfortable, call up the charter company and they send someone out in a dinghy to pilot the boat in. Considering how often I've seen charter boats bang about on the docks and get damaged I'm surprised that the charter companies don't offer the service up front for all. In places such as Antigua (Jolly Harbour and English Harbour), the charter company will always drive off and into the dock. It saves so much potential damage and stress for the charter guests.

[leboyd]

Originally Posted by BeneG

Hello there!

4-5 friends and I will be heading to the BVI to charter( 3 of us are very much into sailing and have done some racing on smaller sonar boats and all 3 of us have ASA 101-103-104 certification) and we are debating between a 43 ft Dufour and a 51 ft Beneteau.

Most charter companies will not let you charter a boat 65% larger than you’ve ever sailed. I’m sure you can find a 40-45ft with AC and Gen. We’ve chartered several, including a Dufour 42 with ac/gen.

[MartinF]

30ft to 50 ft is a huge step in size. The boat will weigh more than three times as much, with proportionally increased damage if you hit anything. The sails weigh x3, with increased risk of bruises and problems. Even picking up a buoy will demand experience and skill in any breeze; mooring fields and anchorages are often crowded. If you tell your wife you are thinking of soliciting help to get you alongside she will probably freak out. She might feel much happier if she felt that you were in control of the situation.

Some posters who have been sailing for half a century might have forgotten the difficulties of their early days.

Best wishes for your trip!
M