First Post - modern yacht but classic styling?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Bligh-Tea

PS - I do have a question about Spirit Yahcts - they claim they are "ocean going" but... they seem to be really flat-decked, open-topped, and don't appear to have any guard-rails around them anywhere! Wouldn't that make them pretty dangerous in rough, open waters? I mean, I can imagine someone being swept off by a single rogue wave, no?

Guard rails, or life lines, are really just more for a feeling of security IMO. Well, I guess they give you something to grab for on your way out. My old boat had no lifelines and I never got swept off by a rogue wave. In reality it is nice to have life lines to hold on to on the upwind side of the boat but if you are going forward on the downwind side the lifelines don't do you much good. The jacklines that you clip your harness to are the things that will keep you aboard when those big waves come along (which is pretty rare unless you choose to be out on deck in rough weather.) My wife hates my lifelines because she would much rather have a rigid rail to hold on to, so she doesn't care to grab the lifelines. Nowadays since most boats have furling headsails so no one really needs to go forward anymore in rough weather to change sails. It's a pity... so many folks missing out on one of the true adventures of sailing; being slid around on a foredeck, half underwater, wrestling with bringing down one sail and getting another one up.
Fear not, you'll be fine!

[JPA Cate]

. so many folks missing out on one of the true adventures of sailing; being slid around on a foredeck, half underwater, wrestling with bringing down one sail and getting another one up.

Many's the time I renewed the lifeline lacing, it kept one on the boat, as well as one's sails.

For the OP:

You have a dream: it is naught but fantasy. Someone above mentioned sailing on other people's boats. It is a great way to learn to sail. Volunteer as crew on round the buoys low level racing. Show up on time, help out at haulout time. Bring something to share. In return, you get a day out, learn about sail trim (if you pay attention), you may find out to what extent you get seasick, all of which will inform choices you make going forward. You'd also learn about different skippering styles if you crew for different skippers. My first skipper what not a well organized person. My second one was my Jim. My third one was the first one who insisted his crew always wear a life jacket during races, and in having his crew work all the positions. Never sailed with a screamer.

Some sailing clubs offer classes. That is a different way to learn. But if you want to aim at your dream, the sooner you start experiencing being at sea, the more likely the dream is to come to fruition.

Boats are compromises. The more varied your sailing experiences, the more likely you are to have your choices work out. It's not like reading car magazines and deciding what you want. Because the ocean is a very different kettle of fish from the highway, the balance you pick between modern and safety at sea is really important.

Take a good look at some of the aluminum French boats if you're serious, and well heeled. We met a European couple aboard a 24 ft. Django who had come here via Patagonia and the Horn. A lightweight, fun to sail, "pocket cruiser". Which isn't what you said you were interested in, but represent varied approaches for cruising boats outside what you mentioned.

Immersion is what you need, out of your head and into experience.

Ann

[Bligh-Tea]

Originally Posted by Rohan

I'm really surprised by the responses here that there are none. Sure there are! There are plenty of sailboat makers that still use traditional styling. In fact Morris Yachts specifically advertises "modern technology, traditional feel" or something like that.

Off the top of my head, I would put Morris, Alerion, Hinckley, Tartan, Hylas, Passport, Gozzard, Island Packet, Cabo Rico and Seaward all in that category (although are the last two still in business? I'm not sure). I'm sure there are more.

Catalina, Oyster, Southerly, and Hallberg-Rassy are kind of a mid point - not totally traditional, but also haven't totally gone to the modern Ikea style like the largest charter boatmakers have.

I should also point out that, other than having enough handholds to grab onto, interior style really doesn't have much to do with function at sea. Hull shape does, to a point. Also, in general the more modern styles with more port openings and larger cockpits are generally better in warmer climates, while the more traditional layouts tend to be better in colder ones, but that's really a generalization.

I know some people will dismiss you for focusing on style, but I get it - if someone is going to shell out hundreds of thousands (or more) for a boat, it should be one that they really like!!

OK, this is what I'm talking about! Lots of boats I hadn't heard of before...


Maybe I will revist Hallberg-Rassy... they look serious for sure.



Those Alerions look like a lot of fun for learning smaller boats on...


I like the interior style on the Hylas, more old-skool for sure...


And those Cabo Ricos have awesome pirate style.. nice. (Cabo Rico 38 - I like it!) 45 looks nice too.. will investigate these.



Thanks!

[Bligh-Tea]

Originally Posted by DEAN2140

Island Packet would fill the bill.

I do quite like their interiors but.. I find the name so stupid that I would never consider buying one! (really)

[Bligh-Tea]

"It's a pity... so many folks missing out on one of the true adventures of sailing; being slid around on a foredeck, half underwater, wrestling with bringing down one sail and getting another one up."


Honestly... that's kinda what I imagined I would be doing! (I'll do it even if it isn't necessary) South Seas perhaps..


But very interesting nonetheless. This is when imagination and reality might veer from one another. Only experince could teach me if these life-lines are even necessary or not at sea...

[Bligh-Tea]

"And you are but an ignorant. But that's fine."


Oh no... there's always one!

[Bligh-Tea]

"aluminum French boats if you're serious, and well heeled" - I thought metal boats bang a lot when waves hit them?

[NorthCoastJoe]

Aluminum boats with insulation are quiet, very quiet, like a graveyard at midnight quiet.

The paint holds well to the aluminum. The only problem area with paint is where there is stainless steel. I am removing all stainless and going 100% aluminum on deck, except where there is no other choice. It took several years for the paint to bubble around the stainless. Otherwise perfect and most people can't tell its a metal boat.

What is really nice is that everything inside the boat comes off with a screwdriver and I can access everywhere. It is a work of art I will try to post a picture.

The new Ford F150s are all aluminum body and even my 2001 Ford truck has an aluminum hood. Do it right and paint holds to aluminum.

[ShakyIsler]

If I was newb sailor in USA and I wanted to learn how to sail , I'd pick up an old Alberg 30 or Triton 28 type boat for $4-5K off that Craigslist online advert thing, stick an outboard on the back as the inboard is probably kaput, and start with that for a few years before I thought about moving up to a 40 footer - but each their own.

[JPA Cate]

Most boats will transmit some noise from wave slap. So what? Not all points of sail will be quiet, and it will vary a lot with the design, anyway. It is part of why I think you need experience, to form your own ideas of what works best for you.

We prefer boats that are good light air sailers, and easy for us to handle. We like finger rails or handholds below, and not so much beam to fall across as some modern boats. We also wanted a boat that will do 200 n. mi. days, but what turned out was that after we had recorded it, we shortened sail, because it turned out that we preferred comfort over speed in that case.

Cruising is an interactive process, as indicated in the previous paragraph, and you will react in ways that may surprise you and your ideas will probably change over time.

Ann

[Scrimshaw4]

Take a look at any of the Gozzard's that are on the market: 41 & 44. No need for words, their pictures will say it all.

[dan104]

Backing up others, I started with a craigslist 5k Columbia 8.7 (29') for 4 years learned to sail her, lots of single handing.

Built up skills and learned what I wanted, Then found a Gozzard 36 in the islands! Came in around 95k, covered all my points and was rock solid, even a new engine and dingy with motor, all the spares you could ever need, water maker, solar and wind gens.

Why so reasonable, she has brass hatches and winches, wood butterfly overhead hatches, otherwise known as upkeep items. (The original owner wanted real classic and the 3 years later had a new one made with no brass or wood hatches).

3 years later I have sailed her from USVI to Chesapeake and then up and down the east coast, and never felt at risk, Gozzard makes solid boats and unique interiors lots of pics under Riparian on my site Home of The Yacht SV Full Sail

Used boats come in either one of two ways: well taken care of and needs work, but either way they tend to come with lower prices and lots of things you need to add to a boat to make them useful. It is said that if you buy a new baot figure on an additional 20% just to get it ready to go.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by dan104

Backing up others, I started with a craigslist 5k Columbia 8.7 (29') for 4 years learned to sail her, lots of single handing.

Built up skills and learned what I wanted, Then found a Gozzard 36 in the islands! Came in around 95k, covered all my points and was rock solid, even a new engine and dingy with motor, all the spares you could ever need, water maker, solar and wind gens.

Why so reasonable, she has brass hatches and winches, wood butterfly overhead hatches, otherwise known as upkeep items. (The original owner wanted real classic and the 3 years later had a new one made with no brass or wood hatches).

3 years later I have sailed her from USVI to Chesapeake and then up and down the east coast, and never felt at risk, Gozzard makes solid boats and unique interiors lots of pics under Riparian on my site Home of The Yacht SV Full Sail

Used boats come in either one of two ways: well taken care of and needs work, but either way they tend to come with lower prices and lots of things you need to add to a boat to make them useful. It is said that if you buy a new baot figure on an additional 20% just to get it ready to go.

If you are new to sailing/cruising or new to sailing monohulls, it's definitely best to buy an older low priced boat first because you don't know what you don't know.

Many just see the ads of people on sailboats on beautiful days enjoying wine and cheese in the cockpit on a beautiful day. (Or some upbeat youtube video)

The problem is many days aren't like that.

This is why there are so many beautiful well made boats both new and old that sit in slips at marinas that are rarely ever used.

After 14 years racing and sailing beach cats which really teaches you a lot about sailing, I bought an old Bristol 27 for $2,000 in 2011 after being transferred back up here from Florida.

The plan was to try to see if I even enjoyed slow boat (monohull) sailing and cruising then buy a bigger, faster, more efficient possibly fin keeled sailboat.

I'm still sailing the Bristol 27 because I couldn't rationalize a bigger boat for the sailing/cruising I'm doing now before retirement.

If you are not retired, you don't need a larger boat because there is no time to cruise very far.

I had maybe 10 years on small power boats also which helped but cruising, anchoring over night while you sleep, and sleeping onboard or different than any boating most have ever done.

I bought my boat in 2011.

I'm still trying to figure out if I like cruising.

The problem is being stuck on a boat. It's also a very slow lifestyle and not the healthiest since you don't get a lot of exercise. Also if you don't have refrigeration, can and freeze dried food gets old quick unless you can catch fish which is what I do when possible.

I like the nights though because I'm usually away from the city and have a great view of the stars etc.

It's also nice to have free power from solar which is also enjoyable to setup if you have some electrical/electronics knowledge.

Same with your chart plotter which you can build for pennies on the dollar with an old laptop, GPS Dongle, and OpenCPN.

In a few months, I'll probably do a 2 week cruise up and down the entire Chesapeake Bay and see how that goes.

For the passed almost 14 years, I've just sailed the lower 100 miles exploring both sides up the many creeks and bays.

Photo from 2019 after third bottom job and second painting of the topside hulls plus a new dodger to replace the PO's old dodger.

Lifelines are polyester/Dyneema tied on.

Anchor, rode, and chain are the PO's.

Another reason I bought a tough old full keel boat is that none of my other 11 boats had much draft.

I knew I might hit bottom a few times learning to deal with a 4' draft so a beefy encapsulated full (cutaway) keel was perfect to train with.

But pointing on a small boat with a full keel is terrible. I could sail about 35 degrees off the wind on my beach cats with daggerboards, I'm lucky to sail this Bristol 27 60 degree off the wind in and kind of breeze (15 knots and up) so you have to plan ahead or motor sail with main only and engine a little above idle if you need to get someplace like work the next day.

[Rohan]

Originally Posted by Bligh-Tea

I do quite like their interiors but.. I find the name so stupid that I would never consider buying one! (really)

?? Island Packet is a highly respected line of yachts. And one of the very few that still make long keels, which is really traditional.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Bligh-Tea

I do quite like their interiors but.. I find the name so stupid that I would never consider buying one! (really)

Really? Perhaps you might check the history of the name to see it's not so bad.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Packet_boat

BTW you can always add lifelines to a boat without them.