Is a 32' Sailboat Over-sized for a Beginner?

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by walkingwarship

im looking at a Catalina 22 pop top. Im wondering if she will be able to cruise to the Bahamas from Florida single handedly well. is she too small for that ?

The Catalina 22 is a very light should the weather get up a bit:

You can compare here:

Catalina 22:

CATALINA 22 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Cape Dory 25:

CAPE DORY 25D sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Contessa 26: (has completed at least two circumnavigations)

CONTESSA 26 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

Bristol 27:

BRISTOL 27 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com

The last three also heave to very well should you get really tired and your autopilot fails or you run into some squalls that you would rather not sail through etc

[Novelistus]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

It sort of depends on if you want to learn to sail, or want to learn to live on a boat. Those are two different things.

If you want to learn to sail, I'd go smaller, not spend all your money on it, and not fill it with all of your worldly goods.

If you're going to live on it, you'll find that you'll want to put all your stuff on it, and this will affect your desire and ability to really sail it.

Which leads us to your first lesson of boating: All boats are compromises.

Why would putting my "stuff" on it be in the way to "really" sail it ?


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[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Novelistus

Why would putting my "stuff" on it be in the way to "really" sail it ?

Monohull sailboats tend to lean over/tilt/heel significantly when they sail with a bit of wind. They also bounce around quite a bit if there are some waves. If you have a coffee maker on the galley counter...plop, crash. If you have random stuff laying about in the cabin, it will all be in a heap on the floor very quickly. Your wine glasses will tip over. Maybe it starts to rain, or the bilge overflows because the head intake has developed a syphon (this happened to me), and now your "floor heap" is soaking wet. Maybe the boat is always "plugged in" to shorepower, and no one noticed the batteries are actually dead, and the engine won't start. And that awesome home made cockpit rain/sun tent is in the way of the main boom.

Of course you can have "stuff" on your boat, but to be ready to sail, everything must be put away in a locker, or stowed securely. Live aboards tend to have more stuff, and it gets in the way of the sailing stuff.

"Live aboard" generally refers to someone living on a boat.
"Cruiser" generally refers to someone who lives on AND sails their boat.

If you need to rent a truck to bring your "stuff" down to the boat, you already have a problem. If you have a backpack, and a few duffle bags, you are in the right place.

[hamburking]

I have always found that the bigger the boat, the easier it is to sail.

The Hunter 31 would be an excellent choice for a starter boat you intend to live aboard. It has a ton of space below, and a long list of standard features you will appreciate once you start sailing...like that yanmar diesel, origo stove, bow roller, etc.

I would get the Hunter31. Go for it.

[a64pilot]

I hope a 32 isn't too big to learn on, I bought a 38 to learn on. Although I assume I'll never stop learning and a small much more responsive boat would teach me more faster, so far it's been OK


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[alctel]

I bought and moved onto a 36' and then learned to sail on that.

I'd say one thing though, you really have to make sure you can leave the dock in 20 minutes or less from deciding to go out, otherwise it gets hard to go. I keep most of my stuff in 'passage' mode so I can move all the breakables into the sink, unplug the power and cast off the lines and I'm all good to go

[Cheechako]

32 is fine to learn on.

[rognvald]

Answer: Yes, if these items are the most important to you--

1.) ability to sail on an easily handled boat and learn the "points of sail"
whether singlehanded or with a partner
2.) want to spend more time on the water sailing than fixing your boat
3.) desire to spend less money when you have to fix your boat
4.) lower initial cost- $10K or under
5.) less expensive mooring fees
6.) less cost for insurance
7.) less cost for Winter storage
8.) less time/cost spent on diesel maintenance with an outboard
10.) less, less, less

Some good candidates are boats 27' and under: Catalina, Beneteau, Hunter, Pearson, Cal, etc., etc., etc., with a fin keel and a spade rudder for optimum performance. For what you have planned and the area in which you sail, I don't believe you need a bigger boat. You're not crossing oceans, you're not setting up a water condo, and you want to learn HOW TO SAIL. KISS and you'll never have buyer's remorse. Good luck and good sailing. P.S. Just walk the docks of any marina in your area and see the hordes of "cruisers" that never leave the dock because they can't sail their boat alone or are huffing up and down the dock like a parts mule working on repairs to their engine, AC, electronics, etc. so they CAN sail. It's your choice.

[Don C L]

I know there are many people who have bought 30' to 40 or 50 as their first sailboat. I don't recommend it. Obviously it can be done, but for myself, I feel that if I am a decent sailor at all it is because I learned on, played on, and made lots of mistakes on little boats. It is a sailboat, I think its best not to shop for an RV yet. I think you are better off when you feel you can step on a boat and you have the whole thing in the palm of your hand and you can make it do whatever you want with just a little wind. I like the Laser suggestion. Of the choices you mentioned, go with the Catalina 27, it handles well, you can learn on it and it is big enough.

[ArtM]

Welcome to Cruiser's Hell.

Too many people on this forum are "sailors" first and forget this is a "cruiser's" forum.

Your question was "is a 32' too large for a beginning CRUISER", and the answer is "no", it's just the right size and also widely available and inexpensive.

Some of the answers I've seen (I have not read them all) have given you advice for a beginning sport sailor

As you've already seen, sport and day sailing boats(under 30') are too small to live on, bwhere as Boats larger than 32' or 34' start getting complicated to handle on your own.

If you decide to take sailing lessons, most of your lessons will happen on a tiny toy of a boat. You'll learn critical cruiser relevant topics such as how to turn up a capsized boat by standing on the keel, remembering to raise a daggerboard before you beach your boat, and making sure you remember to move to the opposite side of the boats when tacking.

No wait, I forgot ... those are all USELESS skills for cruisers...

Okay, so you'll also learn how to check your bilge, to check your prop before starting your engine, and the ever-loved "heave-to" maneuver...

No no no ... stupid stupid stupid! Oops, mistake again. It seems you won't learn any of those skills in a sailing class aboard a Laser or a 22' daysailor.

hmm, it seems that MAYBE the best way to learn the skills you'll need might be to learn them aboard a cruising boat. And 32' is pretty close to being the best possible choice for that.

[Don C L]

Cruiser's hell? You are getting a sailboat for Pete's sake, why not really learn how to get it to go as fast as it was meant to go? I am still constantly reflecting back on lessons learned in little boats no matter what size boat I am on. Ok buy a Catalina 30 and a Laser to learn on, how's that? Still no good? Get a Sabot and learn on that and use it for your dinghy!

[ArtM]

Originally Posted by Don C L

Cruiser's hell? You are getting a sailboat for Pete's sake, why not really learn how to get it to go as fast as it was meant to go? I am still constantly reflecting back on lessons learned in little boats no matter what size boat I am on. Ok buy a Catalina 30 and a Laser to learn on, how's that? Still no good? Get a Sabot and learn on that and use it for your dinghy!

That seems sensible. Every sailing club I've ever seen will provide the Laser for the classes, though. First choice would be a sloop rig, if I could find it.

[Pendragon35]

I have been sailing on small keelboats (Catalina 22, Tanzer 22) for many years and small dinghies before that. We bought an Alberg 35 a year and a half ago with the intention of eventually living aboard and I have to say I love it.
It does have an amazing port prop walk; I've learned to deal with this (I use a spring line to pivot out of a slip). It carries way a long ways; I've learned to go slow. It doesn't have self-tailing winches; it does have an auto-helm (wheel steering). I've learned to deal.
I never imagined single handing the boat but since my wife works a lot and I"m part time, I have more time and I've started to do some of that. I'd say the auto helm is critical. But what's most important is learning to think through the next set of things. I've had my share of "eek" moments (including the day the Baltimore Harbor police stopped by because the main halyard jammed with the main half way up and I drifted into the shipping channel without realizing it). But I haven't hit anything, haven't hurt anyone (bruises and scrapes don't count). And there is a tremendous, fierce joy in sailing the boat alone. I love it.
So no, 32' is not too big to single hand. Yes, you have a LOT to learn. Not just sailing; I found the biggest challenge was my diesel engine. I've learned to rebuild the head and to rewire the bilge pump. Take it one step at a time; pay attention to the advice to not go faster near a dock than you want to hit it. Ask around, there are lots of singles who would like to crew. Some can teach you. Have fun!

[rognvald]

"Too many people on this forum are "sailors" first and forget this is a "cruiser's" forum." ArtM


Art,
The above quotation will undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of sailing history as a "classic." Good luck and good "sailing?" P.S. It reminds me of some of the one-liner's of the great classic comedian Henny Youngman. What do you think?
https://youtu.be/KVGVJGX--o0

[AiniA]

Originally Posted by walkingwarship

im looking at a Catalina 22 pop top. Im wondering if she will be able to cruise to the Bahamas from Florida single handedly well. is she too small for that ?

I think the key word in your message is 'well'. With the right conditions you could sail to the Bahamas and once there you could have a grand time. Problems I see are that you would be really loaded down once you had the right amount of water, food, fuel, and ground tackle. Sailing performance would be seriously hurt I think. And you would need to be able to sail most of the time since fuel availability is limited in some of the most interesting areas. You would also have to think about how you would get ashore from where you are anchoring. Arranging a tender on a boat that size is a challenge to be sure. Other than that you are stuck swimming ashore which becomes a bit of a problem if you need to ferry water, fuel or groceries to the boat. There are lots of boats in the mid 20s range that would be better and not much more expensive.