The Boat

Syke! We actually don’t have a boat yet. 😅

But we have chosen a name, which you can read about here.

So for now, this page will serve as an exposition of what we’re looking for as we look for our boat. We’ll group things by importance, starting with aspects or features that we fundamentally need.

“Go small, go simple, go now.” – Lin and Larry Pardey

Hard Requirements

Highly Preferable Features

Categories

Cabin

U-shaped galley

A U-shaped galley can feel cramped, but helps make the cabin safer by decreasing volume athwartships. More handholds = good. I also feel it creates more opportunity for stowage, which is in short supply on ANY boat.

Aft quarter berth

An aft quarter berth should make for more comfortable sleeping while underway than berths amidships.

Cockpit

Relatively small cockpit

This is purely a safety requirement. A small cockpit helps is good when a wave breaks over your stern. The smaller the cockpit, the less water it can hold.

Bridge deck

When/if your cockpit does get pooped (overcome with water), a bridge deck prevents all of that water from going straight into the cabin via the companionway.

Tiller steering

Tiller steering is simple. And if it fails (i.e. your tiller somehow breaks), it’s easier to rig emergency steering. Wheel steering is much more complex. And emergency steering with a steering wheel is much more difficult to use.

But, tiller steering on larger vessels is not super common, unfortunately.

Hull

Fin keel w/spade rudder on skeg OR MAYBE full keel

This is a fairly standard requirement. It’s funny, though. Several years ago when I (Scott) first started the journey of thinking about cruising and making ocean passages, I was convinced that I needed a full keel. It wasn’t until I started reading the work of John Kretschmer that I learned that this wasn’t necessarily the case, and in fact there were some valid reasons to NOT choose a full-keeled boat.

Keelboats of various designs have crossed oceans. Some people cruise vessels with bulb keels and fully exposed rudders. Hell, Robert Crawford successfully completed the SSS’ Singlehanded Transpac in a Cal 20! But we’re not racing. And since weather is inevitable, it’s important that we face it in a vessel well capable of handling things safely and comfortably. A skeg will help protect the rudder and prop from fishing lines and other below-waterline hazards.

Length of 35-40'

Kicking things off we’ve got what should be a fairly standard requirement. It’s funny, though. Several years ago when I (Scott) first started the journey of thinking about cruising and making ocean passages, I was convinced that I needed a full keel. It wasn’t until I started reading the work of John Kretschmer that I learned that this wasn’t necessarily the case, and in fact there were some valid reasons to NOT choose a full-keeled boat.

Keelboats of various designs have crossed oceans. Some people cruise vessels with bulb keels and fully exposed rudders. Hell, Robert Crawford successfully completed the SSS’ Singlehanded Transpac in a Cal 20! But we’re not racing. And since weather is inevitable, it’s important that we face it in a vessel well capable of handling things safely and comfortably. A skeg will help protect the rudder and prop from fishing lines and other below-waterline hazards.

Rig

Cutter, MAYBE ketch-rigged

While a single foresail sloop rig would be perfectly OK, a cutter would be preferable. I think the flexibility it offers–particularly in heavy weather–offsets the increased rig complexity. I’ve always been fond of ketches, but have concerns about ketch rigs paired with the smaller cockpit a “blue water” sailboat typically offers.