The Ideal Cruiser - a long range passagemaker

[D'ARTOIS]

Ok Masrapido, no politics here:

Who will second the idea to create here on this site a long range cruiser with live-aboard capacities, long enough to live aboard and not too big to be unaffordable.

My sugestion:

L 50'
B 15'
D 8'

Rig: Cutter or Schooner

Building material: Steel

Who follows?

[Wynand N]

Affordable LRC.....

Steel hull
Twin keeler
Full skeg rudder
Aft cockpit with pilothouse
Double headsail masthead sloop
LOA; 40ft
Beam; 13ft
Draft; 5ft

[D'ARTOIS]

Thank you for your response, Wynand, we need more in order to get as much as a platform as possible.
I think that it was a good idea of Masrapido to come up with something that could be a great help to people who wants to join the "waterworld."
Hopefully we get much more replies on this.

again, thanks,
Brien

[jehardiman]

Twin headsail Ketch
Full keel with fore and aft Centerboards
Center cockpit-aft cabin with passageways port and stbd around engine room under cockpit, removable hatches in cockpit floor

Canal sized dimensions

LOA 13-15m
Bmax 4-4.5m
T(draft) not greater than 2m boards up
D(moulded depth) ~3m (I'm tall)
Air draft, masts struck 2m

[D'ARTOIS]

Thanks Jehardiman, I sincerely we'll get more input of ideas so we may come to a mutual agreeable platform.

Brien

[Skippy]

The keel depends on how often you make landfall. A shorter, deeper keel will be more stable for high-latitude passages, whereas a long shoal keel will be safer if you prefer coast-hopping.

[jehardiman]

Originally Posted by Skippy

The keel depends on how often you make landfall. A shorter, deeper keel will be more stable for high-latitude passages, whereas a long shoal keel will be safer if you prefer coast-hopping.

How very true! Then the question becomes wether you cruise to leave the squalid shore-bound masses behind, living the solo manly life of the rolling sea only calling at large cities to provision when the rum and salt meat is out. Or do you cruise to get to the next sheltered out-of-the-way harbour to swim and make love on the unblemeshed sand in the early morning light for months before finaly returning to the rat-race for more ice and mixer?

Very different mindsets, very different boats.

[D'ARTOIS]

Therefore, the centreboard option is not a bad idea. A deep draft can be a nuisance. Anything over 9' becomes painful. On the other hand, there are sufficient deep anchorages.
Let's collect first as many opinions as possible - and not leaving the multi's out, that is no sound approach of the matter.

Wynand, don't you think that you will have live-aboard facilities for a long time on a 40'? Just for this reason, I sold my 40" because she became to crampy.
What about something between 45'and 50'?

[FAST FRED]

Herrishoff believed a sail boat with a draft 1/7 of LWL would be fine for offshore work. No complexity or interior for a board required.

Look at the old Marco Polo boats , designed for 10K cruising and work it out in modern materials , engine & fully battened sails.

Looks like a winner , not too deep draft , and still Euro canal useable.


FAST FRED

[D'ARTOIS]

Received and understood. Can we agree now on a certain LOA?
What about 45 feet ?

Here is just one proposal

[Gilbert]

Well now we ARE really dreaming if we think that we can come up with a design in this category that would suit everyone. But, I guess, why not dream?
My first question is "Affordable for WHO?"

Gilbert

[Wynand N]

Originally Posted by D'ARTOIS

Wynand, don't you think that you will have live-aboard facilities for a long time on a 40'? Just for this reason, I sold my 40" because she became to crampy.
What about something between 45'and 50'?

Brien, the way I look at at - for Hester and myself I would say that 40ft LOA is sufficient for extended and live-aboard cruising. Provided it has only one stateroom and a pair of safe sea berths, and one head/wc. This will open up the interior and provide more "elbow" room.
To many 40 footers (more or less) are over equiped with twin staterooms aft, another forward, two heads etc and this makes a boat of this size poky and cramped - the French boats are notorious for the malady.

Again, many marinas etc charge mooring and docking fees per foot and for live-aboards this may add up on the long run. Same for maintenance, a smaller one is cheaper to run, period. Most cruisers and live-aboards are not of the Getty type and money must go a long way.

OTOH, if your group/family is larger than two, well, that is a different story all together..........

[jehardiman]

D'Artios; The plan posted, "Zorba", has too much overhang which wastes too much space and LWL on a cruiser. A less extreme bow would be better.

[jehardiman]

Originally Posted by Wynand N

To many 40 footers (more or less) are over equiped with twin staterooms aft, another forward, two heads etc and this makes a boat of this size poky and cramped - the French boats are notorious for the malady.

I concur, may I suggest an owner stateroom aft, a guest stateroom fwd, and two sea berths in the saloon. Guess I need to drag out and CAD/digitize a design I did a loooong time ago, for just this sort of thing for myself.

[D'ARTOIS]

Listen guys, I posted Zorba just to get the thing going. Launch as much criticism as you like, in this way we will purify the idea and throw all excess ballast overboard so to speak...

Wynand, your remark about berthing fees etc. is well funded. Yes, that's a major problem in the crowded areas of Europe like Uk and Med area. So in this particular case I am with you. You must see this discussion as part of the purification process: WHAT DO WE REALLY NEED?

Jehardiman, Zorba is an oldie from the late 60's, nevertheless a boat to be liked, as I believe. Your input much appreciated.