Design characteristics and cruiser seaworthyness

I'll start by saying im very new to the sailing world. What I do know is limited to the information gleamed from various books.

I'm particularly curious about how design aspects such as LWL, beam, draft, freeboard, displacement, keel design, rig setup, etc. affect a cruiser's performace in normal and rough seas sailing conditions. I don't know enough about sailing as of yet to understand what role each variation plays. I understand the proverbial tradeoff in boat design between functionality and comfort. When I do buy a cruiser, my highest priority will be a boat that both handles well in bad weather and is in general a strong sailer. What I don't want is a boat that looks good at anchorage, but is subpar out on the open ocean. So what should I be looking at?

You're welcome to answer my question straight out, but since it's such a large subject im happy to do the work. I'd be very appreciative if you can just point me in the direction of any websites, past threads, books, etc. that deal with the question I raised. Thanks in advance.

 

Go to http://www.boatus.com and do a search for "brewer". What (hopefully) comes up is a number of articles written by Ted Brewer in which I'm sure you'll find a lot of the information you want.

 

Ted's book "Understanding Boat Design" is a very good primmer for the beginner to get his 'feet wet' on the subject.

The question you pose is one of the most hotly debated and difficult to design and engineer into a yacht. A racer is simple to define and design within a rule has it's limits, without a rule can be fun. A pure cruiser is a joy to design, but the most difficult to define and engineer. A designer dreams of designing the pure cruiser, but is restrained by manufacture limitations, client wishes, physics and a host of other things.

Enter into the equation, the fact that everyone's idea of the perfect cruiser is different and the mess get bigger and more difficult. The perfect cruiser is a decision really. A number of them made in the experience forged by time on many different yachts. Being on a good sea boat will quickly teach you what you didn't like about the one you were on the week before. The same is true about a poor sea boat.

As we learn about the things we like, desire, need and require in a craft, we start forming the decisions necessary for the formulation of the perfect cruiser for YOU. The same boat may not be what I want or like, though if your experience is extensive, we'll have many things in common. Like big galleys, full keels, cockpit shelter, good sea berths, etc. You may prefer a soft dodger, I like a pilot house, but the need for shelter while steering is still the same.

Good Luck,