Down to 4 Boats...Please Help Me Decide...

[Wild_At_Heart]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Looks like the old bluewaterboats.com site has gone away but you might scan these, if you haven't already.

https://sailboat.guide/discover/blue-water-boats

https://waterbornemag.com/best-bluewater-sailboats/

https://mahina.com/wp-content/upload...e-Cruising.pdf

https://atomvoyages.com/

from the first site I saw this one that seems it might be the kind of boat that is a good candidate, in Florida.
https://sailboat.guide/zojb42

That's a nice boat. Unfortunately, the draft is over my limit of 5 feet.

Perusing those sites now. Thanks!

[Wild_At_Heart]

Found this 76-page thread from 2015-2016 too...

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...er-138908.html

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Wild_At_Heart

Found this 76-page thread from 2015-2016 too...

https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...er-138908.html

Oh there are more.

[Wild_At_Heart]

Another interesting resource...

https://sailboat.guide/discover/twen...e-you-anywhere

[Wild_At_Heart]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Oh there are more.

[Wild_At_Heart]

Only two boats on the list now...

Morgan 383/384
Nautical Development Offshore 40

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Wild_At_Heart

Only two boats on the list now...

Morgan 383/384
Nautical Development Offshore 40

I don't know the Nautical Development 40, but it looks like it draws 5.16' if that makes a difference.
The prices on Morgans are in your budget:
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats-for...-morgan%20383/

[Wild_At_Heart]

Originally Posted by Don C L

I don't know the Nautical Development 40, but it looks like it draws 5.16' if that makes a difference.
The prices on Morgans are in your budget:
https://www.yachtworld.com/boats-for...-morgan%20383/

5.16' is close enough. The Offshore 40 is a stretch and I would have to hope for a desperate seller.

I like the Morgan 383/384s a lot. Fin-keeled, Airex-cored to the waterline. They're ubiquitous enough find at a reasonable price and outfit well. Fairly fast and stable boats. They have a nice functional layout too. I believe Ted Brewer and Charlie Morgan knew what they were doing.

[Don C L]

I wonder if the Morgans had trouble with the cored hulls. I was a little surprised at the low prices I saw.

[Wild_At_Heart]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Looks like the old bluewaterboats.com site has gone away but you might scan these, if you haven't already.

https://sailboat.guide/discover/blue-water-boats

https://waterbornemag.com/best-bluewater-sailboats/

https://mahina.com/wp-content/upload...e-Cruising.pdf

https://atomvoyages.com/

from the first site I saw this one that seems it might be the kind of boat that is a good candidate, in Florida.
https://sailboat.guide/zojb42

Updated John Neal list...

https://mahina.com/wp-content/upload...er-v4.23-1.pdf

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Wild_At_Heart

Updated John Neal list...

https://mahina.com/wp-content/upload...er-v4.23-1.pdf

Not a complete list IMO.

[Captain Red]

Originally Posted by Windpilot

If you're set on those boats, go for it, I'm not going to change your mind. But, for real world sailing I wouldn't want any of those boats.
One rarely sees those boats out there and I just completed a 5100 NM transpac singlehanded.
A modern, fast sloop, preferably cutter rigged, furling and all lines led aft to the cockpit which has self tailing winches is a must for ease and safety.
Not saying it can't be done and more power to you for taking on the project but will you be happy sailing with a old heavy lumbering ketch? The wind doesn't always blow 20 knots, will it move in 10 knots?

I agree wholeheartedly. There's a reason ketches are fading into history. They're more complex, slower and don't perform as well as a cutter rigged sloop. Throughout the 70s many boats designed to handle a mizzen mast either stopped supplying them or were rerigged. Single handing is complex enough, why limit your choices? And is a foot more keel going to make all the difference? It will if your boat is steadier in heavy weather. If your blue water ambitions include lots of gunkholing, get a better dinghy rather than add complexity or trade off safety at sea. Wing keels get stuck in the mud, swing keels need lots of looking after. You could buy a catamaran...

[Lastclipper]

I have had some experience with the Morgan... I would strike the Morgan contenders.

[ddugger]

After more than 50 years of owning a number of boats - cruising and gunkholing - I would suggest a catamaran rather than a deep draft monohull for a number of reasons. I have sailed both and would never go back to my first beautiful teak and glass ketch. Reason #1 - If you want to have a long lasting boating experience pick the boat with the least maintenance needs - especially very limited exterior bright work. Second if you go cat - go with one that can be beached for regular bottom painting at low tide, so you avoid haul out costs. Third - if you are going to be in a warm climate most of the time - you want the galley well ventilated and in a cat the closer to the cockpit the better. Personally, I like the R&C Leopard 46 as one of the most comfortable and practical cats on the market and has the best galley location with a reasonably shallow draft. No boat is perfect, but satisfy your basic needs (sailing - not maintenance) and that boat is more perfect than others.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by cal40john

I've sailed several boats. The only one on your list that I've sailed is the Morgan OI 41 sloop version. I was disappointed with its ability to sail upwind. Some people in some areas don't care about this. In the Salish Sea you're either sailing upwind or downwind and my destinations seemed to almost always be upwind.

A Morgan OI sloop will never be great upwind. Its got the same mainsail luff length as the Ketch! the Ketch has over 120sqrft more sail area than the sloop. This is important as the OI needs all the sail area it can get. She's a big heavy beamy boat that needs decent air to really get moving.

but in practice (with decent sails) I've been able to keep up with 40ft Bene's and a Catalina 400 ( wing keel)

You are definietly right though the OI is not an upwind boat. Its long shoal keel works against her. If you heal her over much she'll just slip off to leeward. But man are they comfortable and they track straight for says without much effort from the helm. I've changed tacks on my OI, got talking to guests onboard and reallised 30 minutes later that I forgot to re-engage the AP but the boat was still going in the right direction on the same angle to the wind without the AP's help.

But then I have my bias.. I've owned one for 8 years now!!