What makes the best offshore cruising yacht

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by LEADGlobal, Sep 27, 2017.

  1. Nick.K
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    Nick.K Senior Member

    An off shore boat is a space in which you have to live for lengthy periods of time in lots of different conditions of climate and motion. Square edges, sharp corners, large floor spaces and shiny table surfaces with no fiddles are fine in a house.

    For me, the best boat interiors are wood faced. I've done some trips on grey/white laminate interior boats, it looked sharp and stylish but felt cold. Colour laminate is an unforgiving material, any scratch or stain shows up and often can't be fixed where as dings in wood are often invisible but even large dents are easy enough to fix. I worked on a boat where the owner had a habit of clearing the cockpit by chucking things below...winch handles, snatch blocks, rope coils with shackles... luckily the interior was built with matched double faced ply so I spent the harbour periods cutting out little diamonds of veneer from the backs of panels and setting them in over the dents. It didn't look bad considering.
    I have sailed on a few seventies and eighties vintage Swans including three Atlantic crossings. I know they are often characterised as 'cave like' but I like the contrast between interior and exterior space. I also like the privacy. Yachts are often the focus of attention in a harbour, deck houses can be very public spaces. On those Swans I especially like the calm uniformity of colour and design with similar methodology used throughout the boat. I think a 'quality' interior must have this systemic approach to construction rather than a modular approach where different elements are put together different ways. I've noticed that visually the interiors I like best are those with uniform colour whereas figured wood, even overt crown veneers make the space feel smaller.
    One boat I spent a few months on which particularly stands out in my memory was a J47. Performance wise it was a rocket on any point of sail, yet it was docile, beautifully balanced and could easily be sailed single handed. The owner liked to be on deck alone so we did a few trips doing six hour watches just the two of us. One time we averaged ten kn on a 650 nm trip from Puerto Banus to Lanzarote spinnaker surfing down the swells at 18kn. The curious thing was that it had an all-wood interior which was both classic and very comfortable.
     
  2. PAR
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    PAR Yacht Designer/Builder

    Thanks, but I'll keep the Mac, besides it's faster, bigger and has a working engine.

    My last puddle crossing was on a Swan 44 ('92 Frers) and they've always put together a nice boat. Comfortable crossing, even with heavy air for a few days. I enjoyed the skipper's cabin and galley.
     
  3. LEADGlobal
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    LEADGlobal Junior Member

    Yeah have much respect for Swan quality. I remember having a poster of a Swan on my bedroom wall growing up :)
    My only complaint with them is the master stateroom was usually stuffed under the cockpit and split into quarter births. I think thats where they got the reputation as caves haha.
    My wife has sailed with me for a few thousand miles and i get the opinions from the womans point of view also. She would have a big problem if we cannot sleep together and would be nice to be able to sit up on a birth without hitting my head on the cockpit sole or the birth above it. :)
    Of course i understand the Concept of single births to keep from roling around in the birth. But i can design a split queen with the leecloth up the middle if needed.
     
  4. CT249
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    CT249 Senior Member

    Yes, I get a bit annoyed at the people who instantly call any dark interior "cave like". Some of us have very light-sensitive eyes and after a day in the sun, a timber interior is just the ticket. While I respect those who like a light interior, one cannot respect the large number who assume it's the best style for everyone; it can get down to simple issues such as eye colour.

    We love the J/boat uniformity down below, but we're biased and used to older Australian boats, where interior styling often seemed to consist of throwing various bits down below and sticking them wherever they landed.
     
  5. M&M Ovenden
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    M&M Ovenden Senior Member

    Hi Phil,
    I'm planning on adding a shaft generator on our boat, I was wondering if you had any photos of your installation that you wouldn't mind posting. If so,I think we should do this in a new thread on the forum.

    Cheers,
    Mark
     
  6. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    - - - Re post #32 (about a Swan 44 Frers MK I) - & - post #33 - - -

    Sparkman & Stephens and Ron Holland did put a lot more ballast in their versions of the Swan 44 than Frers did.

    The Swan 44 Frers MK II has an AVS of only 116°, her great initial stability gives the comfort in motion I think, the MK I could be slightly better on AVS as she has a bit less ballast combined with over 1' more draft, although in my opinion her draft of 2.51 m (8¼') gives severe limitations anywhere else than in the middle of an ocean.

    -- Swan 44 Frers MK II Righting Moment Graph -- Data supplied by Nautor's SWAN Finland --
    [​IMG]

    The Swan 44 Frers MK I had at least 3 interior layouts available...

    [​IMG]
    Swan 44 Frers MK I interior layout A


    [​IMG]
    Swan 44 Frers MK I interior layout B = standard version


    [​IMG]
    Swan 44 Frers MK I interior layout C
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2017
  7. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Last edited: Sep 29, 2017
  8. LEADGlobal
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    LEADGlobal Junior Member

    Swans are iconic sailing machines, but not sure if i would want to live in one for any length of time. Their layout match more of a racing team to me that wanted to race in some style. The woodwork was top notch and beautiful. But all the yacht interiors i have seen, which are plenty, the Swans need an extra 5 ft of lenth for the same amout of space below compared to a lot of their compitition.

    The Oyster on the otherhand i believe truely maximizes the space and makes a great layout for a cruising livaboard. Of course we are looking at a center cockpit compared to a aft cockpit, which i prefer anyway, but not quit so sexy on the exterior as a Swan :)

    OYSTER 53 (HOLMAN & PYE) sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=8189
     
  9. Phil Christieso
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    Phil Christieso Junior Member

    E011.jpg P1200995.jpg
    This work for you ? - for more imfo maybe a new thread
     
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  10. LEADGlobal
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    LEADGlobal Junior Member

    Thanks for sharing the pics Phil, I was also interested that setup for my boat. Thats quite the prop you have. So the belt sprocket with the fan blades also circulates the air in the space? Well though out.
     
  11. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Here's an example of PAR's work, the RYD 39 Wetlander 48' - the design № 39 gives the LWL

    [​IMG]

    She sure is worth some thoughts for the intended purpose of this thread, I think . . . :)

    P.S. - For cruising it would be nice though if it's possible to give her a pilothouse which fits her style.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2017
  12. Phil Christieso
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    Phil Christieso Junior Member

    20  Only 45 Knots.jpg
    It's a nice day in the pilothouse at Tory Is Ireland its only blowing 45 knots as the spray and seaweed fly across the boat tomorrow's looking better.


    21 Tory Is.jpg
     
  13. Phil Christieso
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    Phil Christieso Junior Member

  14. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    Air compressors often have such a pulley with integrated fan blades on the pump side, for V-belts and sometimes others.​

    [​IMG]

    They're very cheap available on Ali Baba, but that's wholesale with an 8 pieces minimum per order.​

    [​IMG]

    A bit less cheap below . . .​

    [​IMG]

    But perhaps you can find them on a junkyard as well . . ?

    P.S. - For air compressors the pulley is often also the flywheel, in those cases they're heavy.
     
    Last edited: Sep 29, 2017

  15. Angélique
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    Angélique aka Angel (only by name)

    I gave some thoughts in the post above it, the post you quoted was intended to give additional data about it.
     
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