Long Term design Project.... +20 years

I am looking to build or have built a sail boat capable of going around the world. But I don't know what size, or kind of rigging needed.

I have the idea of taking my 3 closest friends and there wives around the world... but not for about another 25 years or so. (waiting for close to retirement and kids to grow up).

So the requirments are:

• Sleeps 8... (4 rooms, with queen sized beds and private bath... all roughly the same size... mine can be a bit bigger... cause I own the boat)
• Sailable by me and my "crew" (my friends)
• Comfotable living Spaces
• Headroom... (I am 6'3, and one friend 6'4... the other men are around 6')
• Affordable to the average working guy... I build the boat they pay port fees.
• High latitude... I am not sure if Vancouver, Canada or the south of Chile are considered high latature... but that is where it need to go.

So basically something that is easy to sail and stable. I was thinking some around a 60' but I am new so I might be wrong.

 

When I first read that I thought you said "and three wives" ... in that case no boat would be big enough.

 

I think you can have anything you want as long as you can afford it. A sixty footer is really getting into mega yacht territory and your three friends on land (who I presume live in seperate houses) may not stay three friends aboard the relatively cramped confines of a sixty foot yacht. My house trailer, for example, is sixty feet long and I wouldn't dream of having six people live in it even on land (where people can get away from one another for awhile), let alone at sea, where people would stuck together for weeks or even months at a time.

Maybe it would be better to dream of building four thirty footers, one for each couple. The three smaller yachts would be much cheaper than the one sixty footer and, if you all built to a standard design, could go together surpisingly fast, because the three building teams could specialize and there would be a learning curve that could be crested with the first boat, making the other three successivly easier to build. Each of the three boats would displace three to six tons. The one sixty footer would displace at least twenty four tons. The one big boat would still be a much bigger project even though the displacements of the four (heavy) smaller boats add up to that of the single (light) large boat.

As for design, I would pick something relatively simple that doesn't require a lot of special gear. I would go for a longish (though not neccessarily full keel) so I could scrape and paint the bottom on low tides, with the boat standing on its own keel. For the rig, I would go with simple and reliable over complex and efficient. If one boat lost its mast, for example, I would want to be able replace it within a matter of days, once land was reached, with help of the three other crews. Being able to make things yourself (amongst your four crews) would save lots of money (and heart ache as well).

Bob

 

do search on circumnavigate... there are a few guys into these stuff, check out member ARI...

 

I like a man with dreams. I only hope a twenty year time scale works out. I am more a 'now is the moment' type personality.

However as to your plans: Eight 'friends' cruising in harmony need space and privacy if it is going to be sustainable. Space is one thing that costs a lot of money on a boat and is more difficult to achieve and stay 'affordable to the average working guy'. But it is possible with a suitable approach.

I would recommend you read as much as possible about James Wharram and his thoughts on cruising. Start with his website (www.wharram.com) and follow any links. You may not like his catamaran designs, but many of the bigger ones (Trader 55, Pahi 63, etc) incorporate all the requirements for successful large group cruising. Every couple gets an identical seperate cabin + heads in a seperate part of the boat, with their own entrance from the deck space. Even on deck, there are plenty of sheltered areas to 'escape to' without being confined to the cockpit of a conventional boat. I would even equip each cabin with a small cool box and kettle, so snacks and drinks can be taken without going 'communal'.

Dinghies are another big issue. They are the 'car and runabouts' for everyone when you are at anchor (most of the time). It is not unreasonable that you will need four small inflatables and outboards to give each couple a degree of independence. Deck space for all these is no problem on a Wharram.

To realise the same sort of ideas on a monohull is much harder with a restricted budget. Four double bunks and four heads/showers take up a large amount of space. However, costs can be controlled if you are prepared to have a boat with more of a 'working style' heritage rather than a flash yacht. Yachts built cheaply look rubbish, but the right style boat built 'economically' can look charming and rugged.

Many of the 'advances' in cruising boats have been based on people's desire to do less work, or sail with less crew. But you have man power a plenty, so don't overlook options such as gaff rig, etc, which could well work well for you. Again, read some stuff by Tom Colvin as he drew many larger vessels of this style. Just remember things have changed in bit since his books were written, but his ethos can be incorporated in your design.

When money is restricted, it's alway best to build a simple boat well, than cut corners on an overly elaborate design. Good Luck.