Seeking "Willy's Jeep" of Bluewater Monohulls

[TheOldPilot]

I want to thank everyone who has replied so far.


I apologize that I wasn't more clear on my original post that this isn't simply a shoe-string budget kind of thing. No offense to those who go that way, growing up on a farm I admire that mentality a lot. Nor am I rich, by any means, so there are some financial considerations to be had. Not to mention, who wants to spend money they don't have to?

My motivation comes from a preference for simple, strong, and easy to maintain. For instance, I used to be a firefighter. The bean counters who paid out the workers comp bills knew less weight of equipment would equal less injuries, so they bought tools with fiberglass handles...which couldn't hold up to the heat and would inevitably crack when you needed it most. As a result, guys would always spend money to buy certain tools that were forged from a single piece of metal. Way more expensive (they were paying out of pocket) and heavy, but it was time tested and worked every time.



Apply that mentality to boat ownership, specifically being offshore and solo, being able to maintain any system easily becomes critical (in my opinion). Sure, you might not regularly plan on swapping out a tank - but if a tank springs a leak mid-passage, I want to know I can get at it and resolve the issue without cutting my boat apart in the middle of the ocean.

I recently was looking at the Niagara 35 - very interesting layout that I liked, right in my length range, has some bluewater pedigree, etc. But it has keel bolts, and to inspect the keel bolts you have to remove the holding tank. I'm pretty conservative about maintaining my equipment, and disassembling and hauling out the holding tank each season to conduct the inspection doesn't sound like my idea of a good time.

On the other hand, take the Westsail 28. I really love this little boat, but I know that frankly it is just too small for my comfort. That being said, the engine room on it is practically a room - tons of room to get around and access all side. Whoever mentioned "sailboat yoga" above was spot on.



I asked for recommendations because, like many of you have said - "simple" tends to be cheaper and "simple" means less to break, but it also means easier to repair. As someone else mentioned, for instance, being able to remove tanks through the companionway is exactly the kind of quality I would look for. Rapidly locating those kinds of details on a wide variety of models though is hard to do.

Hope this sheds a little insight and thanks again for all your replies. Any other readers, please don't hesitate to add.

[Fore and Aft]

TheOldPilot I don't think I have ever surveyed a simple yacht. Just by the nature of their shape some areas will be a real SOB to access. Regardless of what boat you buy there is bound to be a nut or fitting that is going to require you to act like a pretzel to reach.
I would say 99% of boats I survey if they sprang a tank leak then it's going to require some major surgery to repair. Personally I would rather have the tank well installed so it doesn't move during a storm. Tank leaks are rather rare so I would not stress about that. The way boats are built something has to be buried or hard to access or else the rest of the equipment and interior could not be installed.
Being able to change an oil filter and fuel filter easily would be my priority.
The Westsail 28 is a nice yacht, plenty of people live and have circumnavigated on smaller.

Cheers

[Junglebike]

Originally Posted by Ballsnall

Sure it does. You have an engine, transmission, electrical system with the added plumbing and rigging on a boat.

As technology progressed all of these systems became more complex and in some cases you now require industry specialists for diagnostics and repair.
Who fixes there own car any more?

So I would suggest any older vessel would suit your criteria. None are easy maintenance and access is always difficult but they can be maintained by the owner with simple tools and a little general knowledge.

Even new boats are simple compared to modern cars though, assuming they're not laden down with tons of extra systems (HVAC, inverters, etc.) Something like a base spec Pogo 30 has very simple and easy to maintain systems even though it's the latest in nautical tech. Keep the sail plan simple, Al mast, fixed keel, small mechanical diesel, plastic maintenance free tanks, no exterior wood.

Regardless of the choice I'd go with a composting head. Foot pump for water. 12V + solar. LED lights. Tiller for sure. Learn sheet-to-tiller in lieu of autopilot. Maybe a stick AP as well? Handheld GPS.

How 'bout a Wharram cat for the Willis equivalent? Maybe that's where the OP was going. Not sure if i'd pick an outboard for a circumnavigation but I get the ethos - basically you're engineless but you can get in and out of port a hell of a lot faster.

[NorthCoastJoe]

My Downeaster 38 sounds like a boat you may like.

We are putting it up for sale soon.

[Nico Domino]

My recommendation, by your description is a Nicholson 32. Practically bullet proof, many, many have circumnavigated single hand. Not too expensive to purchase. Very solid boat and sailing quite well

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by TheOldPilot

On the other hand, take the Westsail 28. I really love this little boat, but I know that frankly it is just too small for my comfort. That being said, the engine room on it is practically a room - tons of room to get around and access all side. Whoever mentioned "sailboat yoga" above was spot on.

I have the 28 and it is surprisingly roomy for a 28ft. boat. The nice thing about it compared to the 32 is a different designer and of a finer entry and sails to weather better than the 32, which is horrible.
These days, I am in the same budget category as you. My Pearson 365 is a real sleeper as far as a cruiser goes. 30ft. waterline which translates into possible 175 mile days. They can be had for a lower price than you would think.

[Island Time O25]

Check out Mariner 36 (NH built). Or its 38/39 pilot house versions. Not too many built, abour a 100 but many (most?) are still around. They are long in the tooth by now, the last ones built in early mid 80s but solid as a proverbial brick s-house. Easy to play around with tanks, etc. All 11 keel bolts are visible and accesibble. 5' draft but surprisingly points well for such a shallow draft. Displaces 17,000#. Not a racer but not a slouch either at 7.35kts hull speed.

I've easiiy changed water heater and water tanks. PO changed waste tank. All easily accessible with room for additional tankage if needed. Can find one in decent shape between $20k and $40k. With another $20-30k worth of personal improvements and you can have a world cruiser for well under $100k, may be even under $50-60k.

[SteveSadler]

It's not what brand of boat is easier to maintain, but what systems you have on it.
All boats share the same systems, pumps engines tanks, rigging, electronics. All the same. Buy the needed tools.

[goboatingnow]

I have a 2006 Bavaria 36 Owners version. I must say it’s one of the easiest boats to service and repair I’ve ever owned ,superb access to engine and rudder assembly , holding tanks fully accessible it’s not a complex boat and it’s modern enough so that parts are easily sourced

I just fitted a new below decks autopilot arm , great space to work around the rudder tube etc. Very easy to run wires the length of the boat as there are dedicated duct areas behind the higher level cupboards

No need to go to some antiquated obscure design ( where all the parts will be unavailable )

No boat is a Willys jeep because a jeep was designed to do a single thing , whereas boat have to both a home , a sailing machine and withstand the environment ( and its crew ! ) so it’s always a compromise

Boats are not complex unless you make them so , all of them will have steering systems , hot cold water systems and certain DC and AC systems , simple stuff really.

[Bent Bugle]

I like the westsail 32's also, nearly bought one a few years ago, if you can get a good one, pretty basic & bulletproof with an undeserved reputation for being slow ( ie the wetsnail moniker), back in the day tricked out with a folding prop etc they did ok in the o/shore racing...obviously not competitive now but they'll take you anywhere & to me looked fairly easy to maintain...

[Benz]

I would not make access to tank replacement a deal breaker--when you see the boat you want, and you should choose a boat based on the hull form/rig you like, spend a while optimizing it. Rip out the tanks and use one-gallon jugs (I do). Rip out the complicated systems and get a handheld VHF, GPS, and some paper charts. Toss the diesel and get an outboard. Sell any roller furlers and use the cash to upgrade your sails.
You can be as simple and as DIY as you want, you're only limited in that by ability and audacity.
Ways to keep things simple from the get-go:
Full keel fiberglass boat with internal ballast
Stern hung rudder so the shaft can't leak
Gaff- rigged cutter for performance and ease of handling
Other things can be changed once the boat is bought: electrical stuff can be removed, windlasses can be upgraded to manual, lines can be re-routed, engines can be removed. So just look for a good hull/rig, and the rest can be done later.

[thomm225]

Many times it's not about the exact boat you want but about the type boat then which one presents itself.

I wanted a Triton 28 or Cape Dory 30 or something similar then happened upon this Bristol 27 without a for sale sign.

I had to go asking about it. (June 2011)

As far as repairs once I removed the second failed diesel and gearbox from my boat everything else was pretty easy to get to.

And as for as tanks, mine has one and it's fiberglass; it's actually a part of the boat itself and has been fine

The reset of the water onboard is either bottled water or in a bladder in the old engine compartment.

[nortonscove]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I have a 2006 Bavaria 36 Owners version. I must say it’s one of the easiest boats to service and repair I’ve ever owned ,superb access to engine and rudder assembly , holding tanks fully accessible it’s not a complex boat and it’s modern enough so that parts are easily sourced

I just fitted a new below decks autopilot arm , great space to work around the rudder tube etc. Very easy to run wires the length of the boat as there are dedicated duct areas behind the higher level cupboards

No need to go to some antiquated obscure design ( where all the parts will be unavailable )

No boat is a Willys jeep because a jeep was designed to do a single thing , whereas boat have to both a home , a sailing machine and withstand the environment ( and its crew ! ) so it’s always a compromise

Boats are not complex unless you make them so , all of them will have steering systems , hot cold water systems and certain DC and AC systems , simple stuff really.

I agree totally. Much of the so called boat yoga is a direct result of older designs. Anything with a pinched stern is simply a boat yoga studio. It's also the limiting factor in living space. Long keels are the reason boats would roll when hit with breaking seas on the beam. Lower aspect keels don't trip the boat and catamarans are the pinnacle of this safety feature.

[ArmySailor]

I drive a Shannon 28, and like you, seek "simple, strong, and easy to maintain".



The "simple and easy to maintain" part is directly correlated to the SYSTEMS on the boat, not the vessel itself. Below are some steps I've taken to simplify my boat over the last 4 years, vastly reducing maintenance.



-removed head, all hoses, holding tank, replaced with composting head
-removed electric water pumps in galley and head. replaced with foot pumps. (the head is salt water only)
-removed engine driven refrigeration, converted to simple ice box. (i do not need fridge on long crossings, and NOT worth the maintenance)
-removed anchor windless
-switched from single line reefing to slab
-removed furler from staysail, now it is hank on. (jib remains furler)
-removed stereo system (huge holes in cockpit were a liability for water ingress) I now use a few blue tooth speakers, solar powered, which are fantastic.

-removed all meters and gauges except depth. (no wind, no speedo)
-removed hot water heater (no pressure water, etc)


Clearly, the above modifications are just my balance of "giving up luxury vs simplicity" but it works for me. It is largely successful in eliminating maintenance of a lot of things...simply because I don't have them.



As for other items you mentioned, like access to water tanks, keel bolts, etc. Honestly, not matter how well designed a boat is, these WILL be full on projects, mostly done on the hard. So I wouldn't pass on a boat based on these items being slightly less than ideal. I did replace the aluminum water tanks on my Shannon with brand new Steel tanks...and yes, while I didn't have to take a saw to anything...it was a beast of a project. And there's simply no way that I could inspect a tank while at sea. (except for the top?)


But the chance that I'll have a leak is minimal, because of the SYSTEM. There is just 10 feet of 1/2 inch tube, a few simple hose clamps, and a foot pump. So unless the tank itself ruptures, highly unlikely, the troubleshooting is simple (when compared to a more complex pressure water system with electrical requirements, a pressure reservoir, and on and on. )


Engine maintenance: yeah, you do need DECENT access to engine to be able to wack on it at sea or in a strange port. But I wouldn't pass on a boat just because it's less than ideal. As long as it's do-able, focus on other areas of your boat tradeoffs. Engine maintenance is a job, but it's relatively small as far as time spent on your boat. (hopefully!) I have a beta 20 (with a built in oil change pump, which is sweet I will admit).



Anyway. I bought a boat with too many systems (aging and complex) and I saw many hours of maintenance in my crystal ball future. So I just tossed them and focus on sailing.

[Chris Cringle]

You are searching for a unicorn. You will not find it among production boats. The goal there is ease of building, not ease of maintenance. I did find a unicorn. She was a one-off, built by a professional boat builder for his own use. He wanted to cruise the world after retirement and knew that he would doing all of the maintenance and repair and built her with that in mind. As an example, the 38 foot boat had an engine room that was 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 4 feet high. The fuel tanks flanked the room. She had a 2X4 foot chart table. This without compromising accommodations in any way. She had berthing for six. Every system was easily accessed. In my 22 years of world cruising, I encountered a few other boats that were as well thought out. They are out there. Confine your search to custom made boats. Good luck.