What to Look for in a Boat for Long-Term Cruising
By Dave and Jaja

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A SetSailor asks Dave and Jaja what features they would look for in a safe and comfortable boat to sail around the world.

Hello Jeff, Please accept my apologies for taking so long to reply to your excellent questions.

THE BOAT:

The issues you've raised are vital for getting a boat that is what you want, not to mention getting a boat that is safe. As I'm sure you have figured out, there is no perfect boat. Production boats are built for a mass market and must appeal to the majority. Unfortunately, the majority of people have no desire (or time) to do extreme sailing. Even if money is no object and you build the boat yourself, a boat becomes a series of compromises. The trick, of course, is to tip the scales in your favor and try as best you can to tolerate the things that are not--or cannot--be as you want them.

You've hit the nail on the head by saying that what one intends to do with the boat dictates what that boat should be. This is key. If I was going to cruise the Bahamas, for example, I would take a catamaran; i.e.: something with shoal draft and lots of outdoor living spaces. If I was planning long ocean passages I would want something more robust with vast amounts of storage capacity. Draft would not be my main concern.

You mentioned the quote by Slocum that he would want a heavy-beamed vessel and nothing else. The problem is back then there WAS nothing else. Ha. Seriously, building a solid oak boat is a respectable ambition but you will have to be satisfied with poor performance in anything but gale-force winds. Your windward performance with suffer greatly aboard a wide, heavy boat--no matter what the condition. Speaking from experience, it is easy to sit on dry land and say that performance doesn't matter. Don't sell yourself short on this issue of performance. Granted, swinging the other way and going ultra-light is also not the answer. Safety at sea encompasses many things. One important element is having a boat that performs reasonably well under all points of sails. There is also no greater feeling of despondency than facing a 1000 mile beat to windward on a heavy displacement boat that only points 60 degrees to the wind, hobby horses, and makes 2.5 knots course-made-good. From a safety perspective, the longer you are at sea the greater your chances are for encountering gales, collisions, sickness, or injury. With regard to ultra-light boats, the other element to being safe at sea is ARRIVING in one piece. When you go to extremes to reduce weight, you gain performance at the expense of durability.

My Cal-25 DIRECTION, although small, was a great performer. She handled all points of sail well. Even to windward she pointed and made good speed. Our current 33 footer DRIVER weighs 18,000 pounds and has a wide beam (11.5). Her windward performance suffers. Granted, she is a bullet proof boat, but her windward attributes can get frustrating. I am philosophical; we wanted the smallest steel boat we could comfortably squeeze into. We wanted to go cruising; working an extra few years to get the "perfect boat" was less important to us that going as-soon-as-possible. Compromises: we have an ocean going home that cost 60,000 thousand dollars and is paid for. Our adventures speak for themselves. What have I learned? Well, I might have been more choosey and picked a boat with a better performance rating. However, something else I have learned is that a boat picks the owner--not the other way around!

RAIN:

Trying to escape from the elements is rife with compromise. Personally, I don't mind sitting in the rain. For me it's all part of the reason why I like the outdoor lifestyle that living on a boat represents. A pilot house will afford you the luxury of staying warm and dry, but on those days when the sun is shining and the air is warm you are stuck inside. Kinda like driving a car. The alternative is a full canvas dodger. But I don't like these because they obstruct my view; it annoys me to peer through crumpled plastic windows. On DRIVER we have a one-person-sized canvas spray hood that closes the companionway and allows us to hold watch and stay dry and warm (if we so chose). However, when I want to be outside the narrow aspect of the dodger does not obstruct my view forward. It is also less vulnerable to breaking waves. Please don't take offense at my opinions on dodgers and pilot houses: it is just one of my many quirky prejudices!

Ventilation is vital not only in warm climes, but also in cold places. Smell set aside (just kidding), a cabin needs fresh air to reduce that clammy sensation of being cooped up. On DRIVER we have two, relatively large dorade vents mounted on wooden boxes. The boxes create a water trap. It takes a sizable wave to corrupt the cabin with sea water. In storm conditions I trim the dorades away from spray and breaking waves. If things get really bad I remove the dorades and plug the hole that the dorade threads into--as well as the 4 inch hole that pierces the cabin top. Avoid those low aspect vents that rest right on the deck. They will leak. Our spray dodger allows us to keep the companionway open, thus assisting with ventilation.

Here is my list of priorities for a safe and comfortable boat...

A wife (companion).
A 12 cup coffee pot.
Stout mast and rigging.
Good sails.
A strong rudder.
A metal hull.
Serious ground tackle.
A reliable engine.
A good heater.
Copious water and fuel storage.
A workable galley.
A comfortable double bed (berth).
Ventilation.
A light and airy interior.
Aft cockpit.
Small companion.
Hard dinghy.

Anyway, good luck, Jeff. If you have more questions please contact me through setsail.com.
Regards, Dave Martin.