Dream Boat--Doesn't it Depend on What Your Dream Is?

[thinwater]

My first dream boat was a spinnaker-equipped beach cat. At the time a souped-out Tornado was the thing, but I ended up with an 18' version that cooked. The idea of a cruising boat that was litterally, 3 times slower, was corny. If I wanted to go to the islands I would fly, and I was getting plenty of adventure climbing and in the mountains.



I moved up to a Stiletto 27 (27' Kevlar cat) to which I promptly added a chute and some other stuff. It had just enough acomodation that you could cruise, if you had and mini-RV/camper mind set (some electric, 2 nice bunks, and a sink). Just as fast as the beach cat with a lot more all-day speed. I once logged 200 miles in day light. It was a long day.


Then a cruising cat caught my eye. It had all the comforts, including hot showers and installed AC. Not as fast, but I was OK with that. double digits were still common and I revised the keels and sail plan so that she was pretty weatherly. For singlehanded cruising it was shear perfection, with a family a few more feet would have been nice.



And then I got tired of cruising and got a quick little tri (F-24). In fact, I'd spotted this model when I had my Stiletto 27 and thought it looked like great fun; a little slower, but weatherly and better in a blow. For what I'm doing now--day sailing and trivial cruising--it's close to perfection.


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Each time I had something pretty close to my "dream boat," though many were not big at all. If my "dream" were long term liveaboard, something large and posh would be nice, but most of us really aren't interested in that. We like houses. And personally, the idea of having a cruising boat I only use a few times a year is completely unappealing. Ick. It should be something I really want to use.



a. Your dream changes. How do you plan for that?
b. Face it, most of us only day sail. What is your day sailing dream boat? It really should't be about how many it sleeps, but about how much fun it is to drive.

[rsn48]

My dream boat was a heavy displacement 37 - 40 foot sailboat but as I aged, my desire to fiddle with large sails diminished, my desire to get to where I was going increased, and the need for some speed with no sails a priority for the area where I live with multiple inlets and fjords. Also where I live, the wind dies in the summer for much of the time and I ended up motoring over %65 of the time. I decided if I was motoring so much I might as well make if official and moved over to power boat cruising.

[Fore and Aft]

My dream boat Is whatever the wife likes!

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by thinwater

a. Your dream changes. How do you plan for that?

Depends on how you dream... thoughtful vs. impulsive. And making sure you know yourself and what you’ll enjoy most.

I’m a full time cruiser but a time will come to move ashore I expect. I’ll want a day sailer for sure. Which one depends on my physical capabilities at that point and what kind of water I’m on.

A friend of mine bought the first Beneteau Figaro 3 in the US. A partially foiling monohull. Talk about a fun boat. Another friend has a Cape Dory Typhoon. Equally fun but in a completely different way. Decisions, decisions...I guess it’s what leads to owning more than one.

[DEAN2140]

My dream boat is my current Alerion Express 28 with all lines led to the cockpit and a self tacking jib with a Hoyt boom. I've cruised to the South Seas in a 44' cutter and raced J105s and Express 37s but now I am content to day sail in SF Bay and Encore is perfect for my needs.

[Kenomac]

We’re presently “living the dream.”

[Mike OReilly]

My dream boat is the one I have. When I had it a different boat, THAT also was my dream boat .

I guess it depends on what you are trying to achieve with the boat. For some, the boat is the end. For me, my boat is just a means to an end, so my ideal boat is the one I have.

[apirate]

I spent 10 years looking at my dreamboat from across the marina. About 6 months ago we bought her and she couldn't be more perfect for us.

Seamaster 46

[S/V Alchemy]

Were I not planning years of ocean cruising, a Shark with a sleeping bag and a cooler would do me here on Lake Ontario.

[Tayana42]

Thinwater, I too have had several dream boats along my sailing path. Nothing could have been more fun than my first boat, a 14’ Dolphin Sr. It was a lateen rigged Sunfish type that lived on the roof of my VW camper. My wife and I sailed all over the Chesapeake Bay and carried it to inland lakes, Florida beeches and parts of the ICW.

A later dream boat was a Seafarer 24 with a British Seagull outboard. In retrospect it was never a very good boat but it carried the dream and our small family all over the Eastern seaboard from the bay to south Florida and north to Long Island Sound.

Then came a succession of smaller and bigger boats each kept the dream of cruising alive and each gave us great sailing experiences as fitted our life at the time.

I always dreamed of longer term cruising so our current boat, 42’ Tayana has been our dream come true for the past 20 years. We have loved her for daysailing, local cruising and longer range costal live aboard cruising. We gave up our slip and rented out the house and took off for 3 years. That was something we wouldn’t have done with the Dolphin Sr. Oh, what an experience that was. Family and some health issues brought us back ashore but we are looking forward to taking off again when we are able.

So, what’s my dreamboat? I still dream about my Tayana 42 and the places we will see and the people we will meet.

Now in our seventies though I sometimes think back to the Cape Dory Typhoon we had in Jacksonville, Florida. She was a beautiful boat. She was yar, and she sailed like a dream. She was so easy to maintain, easy to get underway, easy to handle. Maybe a smaller boat like that is in our future. But not yet. I still need the thrill of sailing many miles off shore, cruising to islands or harbors many mile from home, feeling the heave and swell of the ocean, knowing my boat has the strength and capacity to take me there and back in safety and comfort. So for now I’m lucky to be living my dream and sailing my dreamboat.

[cc1842]

It has been said"all boats are a compromise" True!! But there is some piece of mind in knowing what youCAN do "cruise" may never do but I have the boat and the dream!!!! Sailing, slow, fast, for a hour, for a lifetime are all sailing!!! It is amazing how far you can get away from everything by simply "sailing". Enjoy!!!!

John

[thomm225]

I went the beach cat route also starting right out racing on an old rental Hobie 16 that I bought in 1992 to race on the TVA Lakes in Tennessee and Mississippi.

Three years later, I bought a like new Hobie 16 for racing again in Tennessee, Mississippi, and by then Florida

A year after that it was a new Nacra 6.0 which I used for buoy racing and multiple distance races of 20-100 miles in Mississippi and Florida. (I added a spinnaker later) My son was my crew on all these boats

By 2001 with my crew more interested in girls than sailboats I bought a new Nacra F-17 (Inter -17R back then) which was built for single handed racers. It was main only and spinnaker (for official races). I raced that one for years both buoy racing and distance up to 15 miles offshore. I added a jib for distance racing also but could only use it if the wind stayed under 12 knots or so as I would be over powered and could pitchpole quite easily about that on the downwind run

My dream boat now though is an old Bristol 27 that I paid about as much for as my first old Hobie 16. (that is for the original purchase) I've owned it longer than any other boat I've ever own (8 years) ........even the 7 power boats I owned between the ages of 16-24.

I mainly use it for short cruises of 40-150 miles. I probably cruise those distance more than I day sail. It's an easy way to get out of this busy area

I just put a new dodger and sail cover on it and that has really made a difference in how the old boat looks

Unlike all my other boats, this Bristol is capable of long distance cruising and crossing oceans and it's been a nice change from competitive sailing once I learned to anchor in protected spots