(Note, this is now obsolete as we now have a boat, see here )
These are the criteria we are using as we search for the right boat for our needs. I am sure that they will change in some areas as we come across more information, and become more experienced, but the basic ideas will be the same.
So without further ado...
The boat must be strong enough to withstand the harsh conditions that go with transatlantic crossings, and pacific coast storms. There are a lot of very nice sailboats out there that are meant for nice weather and close to port sailing, there's nothing wrong with them, except that they won't do for this job. Strength isn't just in the materials, but also the design, and it's a complicated subject. But we have friends with lots of experience in sailboats, and there are a lot of good books by good authors.
As a result of this, we have limited our choices to good solid fiberglass hulls, or metal. No wood or ferrocement. Wood has rot issues and is expensive in both time and money to repair. Good wood isn't cheap. The problem with ferrocement is that it is almost impossible to get a good idea of how well the hull is constructed. The armature that the cement is layered on might be perfect, or it might be rusted and waiting for the next storm to finaly part. GRP (glass reinforced plastic, or fiberglass) is not without it's problems, but it's a well known material and is the most common material for the type of boats we are looking at. Steel has many pluses, but the boats tend to be either expensive or of amatuer construction. Aluminium is also a great building material that has great possibilities, if we find the right boat. But in all likelyhood, it will be GRP.
There are a lot of considerations regarding the design. For those new to sailing vessels, there are a lot of differences under the water which have a great impact on strength and speed. In general, the faster the boat, the less "robust" the underside will be. We don't need a racer, on the other hand, a boat that is very slow takes longer to transit a leg (duh!) thus exposing itself to more weather. Also, the slower the boat, the more provisions you need for a trip. So we are open on the hull design, provided the build itself is strong. Personally, I have a preferance for full and 3/4 keel designs rather than the somewhat more fragile fin keel and spade rudder. The keel type also has affects on shape of the hull underwater, and therefore, how much "stuff" you can stuff into the hull.
We are also only looking at mono-hulls. Catamarans and Trimarans have gone all over the world, and many people swear by them, but there are two problems with them. They aren't as strong as a monohull (all other criteria being the same) and they are wide, wide enough that mooring and dock space can be hard to come by. I lke the looks, and they are generally faster than a monohull of the same length. Also, since they lack a heavy ballast, they can be made "unsinkable". But they have to my mind one overwhelming flaw for long range ocean cruising. They are just as stable capsized as right way up. Whereas a well designed monohull may tumble, but will right itself due to the keel and the ballast on it. Still, many people swear by multihulls.
There must be enough room aboard for us to live comfortably whilst cruising. A good layout can make up for a short hull, but there are limits. We have decided on a boat of about 32 feet to 40 feet. With some consideration to those vessels outside these ranges if they have other merits.
In general, most boats have what's called a "V" berth in the bow. These are kind of annoying. They are not a place you want to sleep whilst underway. Being at the front, they pitch up and down with the waves. This is ok at anchor or at dock. But is not fun in even moderately rough seas. We'd like to avoid a V berth and use that space for something else, but that means that there must be some other place for us to sleep together whilst stationary.
Many older boats, especially from the '60s have long cockpits and long overhangs at bow and stern. These are not unsurmountable features, but they do tend to make it more difficult to use a smaller boat for our needs. Still, at 35 feet or so, these boats are fine. Just not the little ones.
You can do just about anything if you have the money, but we are limited in financial means, and have set a ceiling of $40,000 with a little wiggle room for a good candidate. This is actually on the low side for an ocean cruiser, and in this price range, some work can be expected to be needed on the boat after purchase. But not too much we hope. Still, this amount is enough to have a fairly wide selection of boats that, while old, are of good build and design.
How the boat looks, yes, this is important, although not the most important factor. It is also highly personal and our requirements here are a little muddled. But we'll know it when we see it. :)
Since there will only be the two of us, and crossing the atlantic will take weeks, with several legs of a week or more, the boat absolutely must be capable of being sailed by one person. This does limit us in length, and in sail rig (no 60 foot gaff schooners please.) But is not the main limit on those factors.
Both Kat (my lovely wife) and I work with computers, Kat is a writer, and I am a professional geek. Since we are also planning on working while we cruise, there must be sufficient space for us to make use of for our work. This doesn't mean we need a full office with a mahogony desk and a couch. A good table and hopefully a navigation station will be quite sufficient. It's ok if we need to modify things a little for the cruising and working, and then change them back when we head across the pond. After all, we are not going to get much paying work done whilst transiting the atlantic, are we?
Diesel, nothing else is acceptable. If the boat has a gas engine, it must be a good enough deal to make repowering with a new or rebuilt diesel powerplant worthwhile. Gasoline is just plain unsafe. The fumes sink into the bilges, and the fuel is highly flammable. Diesel on the other hand is almost impossible to set afire accidentally, and lasts longer in storage. Also, diesel engines tend to be more reliable, not having an ignition system certainly helps there.
So to recap, we are looking for a GRP or metal hull, 32 to 40 feet long, with at least one double berth, and easy to single hand (sail with one person) Diesel powered (or a good enough deal that makes repowering with a diesel engine worthwhile.) There must be enough room below for us to use as desk space, and the whole shebang should run us at or less than $40,000. Hm, we'd better get cracking.
We have looked at a bunch of boats so far, and some fit the criteria, even though we haven't seen the right example yet. Here's some of the ones we are considering. In no particular order
Mon Jun 7 00:53:24 PDT 2004