Where is the reality in 32' as a liveaboard.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

I thought it was cos' everyone over their is now "supersize" .........have the doors also got bigger?

Hmmm. Good point. I wonder what the reality is on the trend in the average "bulk" of the average American family? Family size, in numbers, may have fallen, but, if we've grown disproportionately in girth, maybe the net result is we're bigger!


In an NPR piece last July, called, "Behind the Ever-Expanding American Dream House," John Stilgoe, a professor of landscape history at Harvard University is quoted. "The big house represents the atomizing of the American family," he says. "Each person not only has his or her own television -- each person has his or her own bathroom. Some of these houses are literally designed with three playrooms for two children. This way, the family members rarely have to interact. And the notion of compromise is simply out one of the very many windows these houses sport."

In the same piece, Michael Frisby, the owner of an 11,000 square foot home in Maryland is also quoted. "I always wanted a house big enough that my kids could be in their room screaming, and my wife could be in a room screaming, and I could be somewhere else and not hear any of them," he says. "And I think I have accomplished this with this house, because this house is so big that everyone has their own space."

[capt lar]

I think it is a question of where you want the space. I moved up from 31.1 to 35.5 specifically to gain a little more room in the berths. I'm only 5'7" and constantly bumping either my head or feet was a real annoyance. Aside from that, I would have stayed with the 31.1. In looking at boats, I don't see any real gain in utility until you get up to about 45', when the separate shower and true queen berths work. Now you have a boat that is a pain to dock, more work to sail and more expensive to maintain.

[TaoJones]

Quite true, DOJ, must factor in the modern American lardass!

TaoJones

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by taojones

Quite true, DOJ, must factor in the modern American lardass!

TaoJones

Maybe one of the first questions that new folk to this site looking for boats that will suit their cruising plans should be asked is "how fat are you and the Missus?"

[zippy]

Originally Posted by capt lar

I moved up from 31.1 to 35.5 specifically to gain a little more room in the berths. I'm only 5'7" and constantly bumping either my head or feet was a real annoyance. Aside from that, I would have stayed with the 31.1.

Sleeping space is the same issue I have on my 30 footer. If it had a properly sized double berth that wasn't chopped off at the end, I would be content. My search for a 30 to 36 ft boat with a proper berth has been futile . Why can't they build a boat that you can sleep in below 40 ft? No V berth fits the bill, even a few so called "centerline queen Vs" are a joke when you look at how much they narrow at the end. There are a few aft cabin options with adequate sized berths, but you have to do a lot of crawling to get in and out of them .

Any suggestions would be welcome.

[RichT]

A lot of good points here. Statistics say that 57% of the American public is seriously overweight, which casual observation confirms to my satisfaction. Don't know if that percentage follows through to sailing types. When I hang out at Ventura Harbor, I don't notice obesity as a problem as much as I do at the Walmart in Oxnard. No scientific fact here, just MHO.

That said I also have a problem looking for a suitable vessel that will satisfy my needs. Not because I am giving up the luxury of a 2400 sq. ft. house, yeah, I know, way too much house for a single guy, but at the time seemed like a good investment (read major mistake). I realize I will have to adapt to much more limited living quarters. That doesn't bother me. The things that I have found do concern me are some of the same issues brought up here by others. Mainly, headroom and sleeping space.

I am 6' 1", 220 pounds, not obese, but a big guy by most people's standards. I have looked at several boats in the 30' to 38' range, and most have limited head room, particularly in the head and sleeping areas. I don't like having to duck to go through passageways. I hate bumping my head in the head, and with most V berths, I either hit my head, or my feet are rubbing against the bulkhead.

I recognize all the benefits of smaller craft, easier single handed sailing, less initial expense, lower upkeep, less cost for slip rental, etc. however, I would like to find a reasonable compromise. Several on here have made some good suggestions, such as the Westsail, etc., however, many of these brands are not readily known in this area. I guess I could go to the east coast, or even out of country, but that adds additional cost, and also limits my ability to control the buying, ie. inspect the boat thoroughly prior to purchase.

So, any and all suggestions would be greatfully appreciated. For those of you who do cruise on vessels less than, say 40', what do you like, not like about your boat? Do you think your boat would meet my criteria? Additional info, such as how long you have had the boat, cost of acquisition, money spent or equipment added to adapt to your needs, etc. would also be helpful.

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

Rich

[stuartcnz]

Originally Posted by zippy

Sleeping space is the same issue I have on my 30 footer. If it had a properly sized double berth that wasn't chopped off at the end, I would be content. My search for a 30 to 36 ft boat with a proper berth has been futile . Why can't they build a boat that you can sleep in below 40 ft? No V berth fits the bill, even a few so called "centerline queen Vs" are a joke when you look at how much they narrow at the end. There are a few aft cabin options with adequate sized berths, but you have to do a lot of crawling to get in and out of them .

Any suggestions would be welcome.

Extend the length of the existing V berth. You will lose a little space else where, but the gain in practicality is cheaper than having to buy a new much bigger and therefore more expensive boat, that wil still need work to make it suitable for you any way.

[zippy]

Originally Posted by stuartcnz

Extend the length of the existing V berth. You will lose a little space else where, but the gain in practicality is cheaper than having to buy a new much bigger and therefore more expensive boat, that wil still need work to make it suitable for you any way.

I have thought of extending the V berth, but it would still be a V berth. Still impossible to roll out of or slide into without major contorsions and unwelcomed partner disturbance.

The one configuration that seems to work well is the pullman berth. I have used one on a Beneteau 40 and found it very comfortable. I can't understand why they aren't more popular. It seemed much better than the aft cabin crawl space.

Any modern 36 footers with a pullman berth?

[oldsalt_1942]

I owned and lived on a Kaiser 26 for seven years and loved every minute of it. The Kaiser had a pretty narrow beam, too. I went on a 9 month cruise on her and had a couple of hitchhikers for a few days down on the Rio Dulce and I have to admit it was a bit cramped. But when it was just me and my dog I couldn't have been happier.

[dcstrng]

I’ve often read that displacement is/was a bit clearer measure than simple LOD/LOA… WS-32s have been homes for dozens (probably hundreds) of couples/families, but they displace more than a race-boat of similar overall… And I don't think the Pardys have ever been lived on a boat over 30-feet... I think I read somewhere that 3-ton is about minimal for one person (live-aboard – dockside) and then about another 1-1.5 tons for each additional person… that’s minimum.

Even though I’m of upsized/portly proportions I could see comfortable extended living on our little 24’, 5900# disp., if the need required it -- but not with an additional person (which makes for cozy weekends, but would require serious acquiescence on the part of my wife for long-term liveaboard), I think the displacement rule of thumb may have merit as a minimal starting point – although compared to some of the sumptuous vessels I see described on this forum such proportions would be laughably claustrophobic…

A guy at our marina lives aboard a lightish displacement O'Day of the mid 20-foot range, but at the other end of our experience, in a different domestic relationship I lived aboard a 30000# displacement boat for several years and much of the below-decks space went unused unless there were guests aboard…

[witzgall]

Yep, look at the layout of the two boats the Pardeys have lived on. Their current boat is 29' long, beamy, and has no enclosed head. Just removing that head gave them tons of space. If I removed the head from our boat (32') I could have a giganorous v-berth.

Chris

Originally Posted by stuartcnz

Extend the length of the existing V berth. You will lose a little space else where, but the gain in practicality is cheaper than having to buy a new much bigger and therefore more expensive boat, that wil still need work to make it suitable for you any way.

[rtbates]

Spread the word... The bigger the better...

It helps keep the prices of the small boats I like depressed!!

[slomotion]

Zippy -

The best I've ever seen in a non-center cockpit at 40' is the old mid '80s Hunter Legend 40s. They made a kind of scaled down version in the late '80s at 37'. The cockpit reduces headroom directly over the bed, but you can sit up without hitting your head and there is standing headroom access at the foot and part way up both sides of the aft centerline queen. Not sure about people who are well over 6':

Sailboat Knowledge Base

There may be some, but I have never seen this design in other aft cockpit boats this size. The 40' is really nice:

Sailboat Knowledge Base

[viking69]

I live on my 30 footer and it has heaps of room for me and a couple of crew when i find them. i probably have more stuff on board then most as i have a hookah set up as well as 4 dive tanks 2 sets of dive gear, 1kva generator, etc etc. A lot of it comes down to finding the exact spot to store everything so it is out of the way but still accessable. I think it is all about how wide it is not how long it is :-)

[rebel heart]

I lived on my 32 fairly comfortably. Now I live on a 36 (43 loa) and it's on the big size. If I could design every inch of my boat, it would probably be 28' or so. In premade boats you pay for space that isn't utilized perfectly, because they make the boats somewhat useful for everyone.

But as a guy who lived on a 32, it's certainly doable. 36 is plenty.