| What kind of yacht should I buy for cruising? | | | | reduction in length, but a bigger boat, say a forty footer |
| If you are thinking about buying a yacht, one word will | | | | will be able to carry a lot more than a thirty foot boat. |
| govern all your thoughts - compromise. | | | | Unfortunately, boats these days have to carry a lot |
| As a general rule, if you want speed, you will have to | | | | more than they used to. |
| compromise on comfort and perhaps safety. On the | | | | For instance, if there is an engine, there will need to be |
| other hand, if you want to feel perfectly safe out | | | | lots of spares, most of them heavy. Then there is the |
| there, then be prepared for a long time to get to your | | | | fuel required to use the engine, again a heavy load, |
| destination - some cruisers think that four knots is an | | | | depending on the number of gallons required. |
| achievement in their boat. | | | | You will also need a toolbox to carry all the other |
| However, if you are into cruising, that's the lifestyle you | | | | spares, things to fix sails, winches, rigging, plumbing etc. |
| want - who wants to get to Tahiti in seven days, | | | | If you have a toolbox at home you will know just how |
| when you could take fourteen? Advocates of speed | | | | heavy it can get. |
| may say that they can outrun oncoming bad weather, | | | | There's probably a self steering vane hanging off the |
| but any heavy displacement boat should be able to | | | | back, also a couple of solar panels and a liferaft. |
| see off the most violent storms with no trouble. | | | | Add to all this the food and water for the crew. Water |
| Unfortunately, most boats at the boat shows are | | | | is heavy, and a crew of two will normally use around |
| plastic fantastics built for speed and luxury, with a price | | | | 25 litres per day. If you have a slow boat, your |
| tag to match, which means that to get the heavy boat | | | | voyages will take longer, so you will need more water. |
| you want, you will have to buy an old model. This in | | | | For a voyage of 24 days, that's 600 litres. |
| itself is no bad thing, as the boat was probably not | | | | So you see that there is a tremendous amount of |
| mass produced, but built by hand by craftsmen. Get a | | | | weight to be carried around, not to mention the room |
| boat that has been heavily overbuilt for its size, and is | | | | all this takes up, so why not buy a bigger boat. |
| virtually indestructible. If it is a steel boat, look at the | | | | Well, a bigger boat will generally be faster and more |
| thickness of the steel, if it is a ferro boat, make sure it | | | | comfortable, but will cost a lot more in marina fees, |
| was built professionally, not by some backyard | | | | outhauling fees and general maintenance costs. |
| amateur. | | | | So, buying a boat will always involve compromises, so |
| Don't worry too much about the age of the boat, if it's | | | | decide on the things you want, good speed, safety, |
| been around for fifty years, it is obviously well built, and | | | | comfort, low purchase price and maintenance costs, |
| will last another fifty. | | | | and just accept that you can't get all the things you |
| You will have to compromise on the size of the boat | | | | want in one boat. |
| too. Costs come down dramatically with each foot | | | | |