ocean cruising boats list

[passage_paul]

Originally Posted by OrinocoFlo

Passage Paul,

Thank you so much for posting the link to an excellent article. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like further assistance with boat selection or wish to meet up and tour one of our two Oyster yachts.

Pam

Thanks for the positive post and offer for additional assistance and tour for the Oysters.


New folks like myself are always appreciative information we can build on.


Nice to hear from you. Most of the Oysters I have seen are real beauties. My budget is far more modest but you never know.. just when you think the orange is squeezed a change of angle and you can get a whole 'nother glass!

[DanCan]

It is an article, that’s it. I can’t understand why someone could get triggered by it. Some may find useful info if they are new into boating. Lists are maybe just illustrative, nothing written on stone...

[passage_paul]

Originally Posted by DanCan

It is an article, that’s it. I can’t understand why someone could get triggered by it. Some may find useful info if they are new into boating. Lists are maybe just illustrative, nothing written on stone...

Great point! That was exactly what I was thinking. Information is only a problem for the truly ignorant as they are unable to pull meaning, to whatever extent, from it. That is how I figured most normal people go about processing data.


But can you believe that guy is now PMing me even more insults....LOLOL


Got a real tuff guy there..


Reminds me of being younger and the "tuff guy" on his bicycle, peddling away while yelling out insults to someone on foot.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by passage_paul

Great point! That was exactly what I was thinking. Information is only a problem for the truly ignorant as they are unable to pull meaning, to whatever extent, from it. That is how I figured most normal people go about processing data.


But can you believe that guy is now PMing me even more insults....LOLOL


Got a real tuff guy there..


Reminds me of being younger and the "tuff guy" on his bicycle, peddling away while yelling out insults to someone on foot.

Hahaha! I love when they do that. I usually post the contents of those emails in the thread for all to see. It really drives them nuts I finally got around to your article. Pretty good, I would add other boats to that list and take some off for my own personal preferences but it’s a pretty extensive well put together and thought out list.

[barnakiel]

Anything goes.


The list contains mostly old heavy boats.


The world has moved on though.


b.

[passage_paul]

Originally Posted by rbk

Hahaha! I love when they do that. I usually post the contents of those emails in the thread for all to see. It really drives them nuts I finally got around to your article. Pretty good, I would add other boats to that list and take some off for my own personal preferences but it’s a pretty extensive well put together and thought out list.

I thought it was decent primer for many folks. I found value from it. Not just the list but his website in general.



I see, even in the short time I have been here, countless people looking for good boats and suggestions. Usually when we are at that stage we are looking for the rudiments to cause us to explore more details.



I really appreciate all the folks here that have freely and in a friendly way shared their experiences.

[billknny]

The venom here created is silly.

ANY list generated by ANYONE is a result of their experiences and preferences. You can be reasonably sure that any boat on the OP's posted list is a good choice for crossing oceans. Even though I share much of the list author's preferences, I have some "issues" with some of the comments in the list.

There are other boats that are not on the list that might do as well crossing oceans. (And, BTW, sailing from Florida to the Bahamas is NOT crossing oceans!)

One thing that frequently gets lost in the dust-ups is that there are a LOT of great boats that are NOT suited for crossing oceans, and a lot of great ocean crossing boats that would make medicore (at best!) gunkholeing boats in Chesapeake Bay!

I can do an excellent job of picking a boat for someone else, I did it professionally for quite a while. The KEY is I have to spend HOURS asking questions before I even think of making a recommendation. And you never have a "single" answer. It's always a range.

An example of a "special case:" One client told me he LOVED to varnish. I was dubious, until I saw his current boat. It was obvious that caring for brightwork was truly a passion for him, so, unlike for most people, a boat with a lot of brightwork was an advantage--for him. The thing is this: EVERYBODY is a special case.

Most boats are right for somebody, and no boat is perfect for anybody.

[Mike OReilly]

Good summary and overview of how to look at any boat, let alone an offshore craft. Not sure what the acrimony is all about, except I see it's coming from the same old grumpy pants, so I guess I understand.

Obviously Neale's list is not exhaustive, although it is pretty good. But if it's any consolation, my boat didn't make the list either. Obviously an oversight on Neale's part .

As others have said, there are a lot of great boats not on the list, but as other wiser folks have already said, the "perfect" depends on the owner and the intended use. Note, "perfect" is in quotes, because there is no perfect boat. There's just boat that ticks off more, or less, of your cruising needs.

It's important to gain some understanding of the broad design characteristics of each type or style of boat. But it's far more important to learn what you want and need in a boat. With that in mind you can then start to really compare what is out there for you.

[dickfred]

This may be complete url:

Mahina Expeditions - Selecting A Boat for Offshore Cruising

[ArmyDaveNY]

Thanks for posting that link. The article is pretty good, and it is especially useful for someone who is new to sailing/passage making. For those who haven't read the article, the author provides a reasonably good discussion of design considerations as well as a list of boats. I am sure that many of us get a lot of questions from people new to boating and this is a good reference we can give them.

[keyway]

Thanks for the tunes. Is that a yuloh on the stern of that boat?

[AiniA]

I have never been impressed with this list. Too many good boats missing and too many mediocre boats on the list. Perhaps it is impossible to come up with a meaningful, comprehensive list since different people have confidence in different kinds of boats.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by AiniA

I have never been impressed with this list. Too many good boats missing and too many mediocre boats on the list. Perhaps it is impossible to come up with a meaningful, comprehensive list since different people have confidence in different kinds of boats.

I don't think it is possible to have a comprehensive or complete list. There are too many variables as have been mentioned by others. I think it is a decent list as far as lists go but no matter what one is discussing, there will always be something that is left off that you or I thinks should be included.

I recall having a discussion with some friends about the top ten car chase scenes in the movies and not surprisingly, we could not come up with a complete list. There were always variables that would cause a scene to move up or down the list. FYI, some (but not all) that regularly came up included Bullet (Obviously!), The Seven Ups, The French Connection, Ronin, a couple of the Bond movies, and the original Gone in Sixty Seconds.

[Discovery 15797]

If you want a definitive list of "ocean cruising boats" then go to the anchorages and harbors in the north and south Pacific Islands and create your list. Those boats all crossed a very big ocean to get to those locations.

The vast majority of boats (even on Neale's list) that never cross an ocean.

There is also a significant number of boats not on that list that have crossed an ocean.

What I've learned over the years is that virtually any boat that is in good condition and well-fitted can cross an ocean under the right conditions and command.

I've also learned that even those so-called "blue-water" boats that are not maintained, or well-fitted, or piloted by inexperienced sailors, or in extreme conditions can be lost at sea.

Sure, some boat designs may be numerically more ideal, but the simple fact is that there is a big difference on paper vs. reality.

Neale has good thoughts on attributes of a good ocean going boat. I have my personal list, as I'm sure others do who've spent any significant time in the ocean (not coastal).

For example,
I prefer a small cockpit and the ability to tack/jibe as if I were the only person onboard.
Lots of good scuppers in the cockpit
You can never have too many handholds below decks...if you are not within arms reach of a solid handhold...you don't have enough.
My list goes on, but those are my preferences. I know folks with Catalinas with massive "party" cockpits who've sailed from Seattle to NZ.

Everyone has their opinions on what makes a good boat, but nothing replaces experience and preparation.

[AiniA]

One thing we found remarkable when in anchorages/ports in obscure places in the Pacific and Indian oceans is the remarkable range of boats you saw. In fact, you rarely would see more than one of anything in the course of a year. A couple of exceptions come to mind - Vega 27 and Beneteau 50 - two boats about as different as couple be. In both of these cases it was still something 4 to 5 at most over four years.

We had a Bristol 45.5 which I think is a great boat for crossing an ocean safely and comfortably, but never saw another one - or any other larger Bristol decimal model.