sea worthy yacht

Yachting Monthly

• Digital edition

What makes a boat seaworthy?

• Duncan Kent
• April 17, 2020

What characteristics make a yacht fit for purpose? Duncan Kent explores the meaning of 'seaworthy' and how hull design and technology have changed the way we think

Hallberg-Rassy yachts have long been the epitome of a rock solid modern cruiser. These too have now changed to twin rudders. Credit: Rick Tomlinson Credit: Rick Tomlinson

A hundred years ago a yacht was considered seaworthy 
if it could stand up to a full gale whilst continuing to make headway under sail while still keeping its crew safe.

Today, yachts are designed and built using entirely different construction parameters, with far more emphasis on speed, ease of handling, openness and comfortable living.

Do any of the old maxims still apply or are new cruising yachts better than the classics?

A cutter rig gives you more options for reducing sail and balancing your canvas. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

There are many improvements to the contemporary offshore yacht that have indeed increased its seaworthiness.

Take sail plans and sail handling, for instance.

Fifty years ago it was common to battle your way to the bucking foredeck to change headsails as the wind reached screaming pitch.

Rarely would you be wearing a lifejacket either, as these consisted of big lumps of foam tied awkwardly together, which always got in the way of what you were doing.

Today, the fractional sloop rig with furling headsails is pretty much standard, so the foresails are smaller and the risk of leaving the cockpit to reef is removed.

Powered winches have revolutionised sail handling

Cutters or ‘slutters’ (twin headstays close to each other) seem to be the sail plan for long distance sailing and even downwind sails come with furlers and the yachts with bowsprits for their tacks.

The same goes for the mainsail which, even if it isn’t the furling type, is often fully battened and can usually be dropped safely into a zipped sail bag using cockpit-led sail controls.

There’s no doubt that this has brought about a massive improvement to the safety of the crew, and in turn the 
yacht’s general seaworthiness.

The introduction of modern ropes has also improved the life of the sailor no end.

Massively strong man-made fibres such as Spectra and Dyneema have allowed much lighter and smaller diameter lines to be used and many are changing their old steel shackles for the more user-friendly ‘soft’ shackles, eliminating the dangers of flying bits of heavy metal and making a corroded shackle pin a thing of the past.

Despite modern yachts being able to sail so much better than the classics in light airs, at some point you’ll need an engine – even if it’s just to charge your batteries.

Despite being relied upon so heavily these days, the good old marine diesel can be the cause 
of many headaches.

A properly designed engine installation will offer easy access 
to all the regular service points, particularly the water pump, fuel filters and water traps, alternator, coolant, oil filler, dipstick and 
filter and starter battery.

Hull design

One of today’s most prevalent and popular yacht designers is Stephen Jones, creator of the Rustler 33, 42 and 44, Starlight 35 and 39, the Hunter Mystery 35, Sadler 260, Southerly 32, 38 and 470 and many more performance cruisers as well as traditional racing designs such as the Spirit.

One of the primary reasons for his popularity is that he undoubtedly has the knack of blending tradition and technology – the result being 
a stunning combination of beauty and performance, rather than an indifferent compromise between new and old.

A Rustler 37, with an encapsulated keel, emerges from its mould. Credit: Graham Snook

Of his many classic designs Jones 
says: ‘Without doubt the modern CAD-derived hull outperforms all of those built in the days when the main criteria for 
a cruising yacht was just that it had to 
be virtually indestructible. I try to blend 
the aesthetically attractive elements with 
the best technology can offer in order to produce a yacht that doesn’t just look beautiful but is also exciting to sail.’

A great deal has changed in hull design since the advent of the famous Folkboat, some 50 years ago.

The advent of bolt-on keels has allowed bilges to be shallower, improving the yacht’s speed – especially off the wind.

Traditional long keels, with external and internal ballast, soften the motion at sea

Whereas a 50% ballast ratio used to be considered the norm for an offshore yacht, today fin keels often have the ballast placed deep down in a bulb at their tip, where it provides the greatest righting moment possible for the least amount of ballast, so it’s not uncommon to find the 
ratio is now more like 30-35%.

In addition, the keel’s short length reduces the wetted area and associated drag. Some insist that bolt-on keels are unseaworthy and indeed, accidents have happened where they have become detached. But these incidents are actually very rare and almost always the result of a hard grounding or poor maintenance.

Making the bilges too shallow made for 
a good deal of slamming when sailing to windward in many 1980-90s boats, but in later years this habit was eliminated with the introduction of finer bows with deeper entry.

Wider hulls

One downside of a wide, flat boat is that it can be almost as stable inverted as upright, so increasing the angle of heel at which the yacht’s stability vanishes (AVS) to the highest degree is very important.

Hull chines, which were originally introduced for plywood and steel boats to allow simple flat materials to be used in their construction, have made a widespread comeback over the past decade.

With sterns becoming wider and wider to improve accommodation below and cockpit space for twin wheels, any means of increasing a hull’s inherent form stability 
(the hull natural resistance to heeling and inversion) is welcome and hard chines appear to do just that – giving the hull defined ‘rails’ on which to run.

Modern: The Beneteau 46.1’s full-length chine and twin rudders. Credit: Guido Cantini / Beneteau

They also improve directional stability and help prevent the yacht rounding up when over-pressed.

More cruising yachts are disabled through loss of, or damage to their rudder by flotsam than almost anything else.

Traditionally, they were well protected either by a long keel or, more likely, a stout skeg at least half the depth of the rudder.

Classic: A long keel and a slender stern

The modern trend, however, appears to be for deep spade rudders with no such protection, and twin rudders are now becoming popular. Primarily they’re designed to keep steerage when the quarter of a very wide stern lifts clear of the water when heeled.

Some believe they provide redundancy in the event one is knocked off, but any amount of heel beyond 10° with a wide-sterned cruiser can cause 
the windward rudder to come out of the water. If you’ve lost a rudder, you are 
forced to remain on one tack or to sail dead downwind.

More importantly, unless you’re smart (like renowned circumnavigator Jimmy Cornell with his new Aventura ) and you ensure each rudder can be independently steered, damage to one rudder will very likely disable the entire steering system 
due to the linkage between them.

Although there’s a tendency these days 
for yacht designers to prioritise style over substance, the wide-open cockpits of the modern production cruiser can fulfil both 
the need for lounging space at anchor and safety at sea by making a few simple, relatively inexpensive modifications.

Before embarking on regular offshore passages, the owner needs to carry out a careful analysis of the likely risk areas and to retro-fit extra safety features such as grabrails and harness points where necessary.

The centre cockpit, made famous by 
Bill Dixon in his many Moody yachts, is still popular in many Swedish yachts, but like many aspects of yacht design it has its advantages and disadvantages.

The Amel 55 is designed to take her owners anywhere in the world in comfort. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

Being higher up and forward in the boat means that water rarely gets near it and it often imparts a feeling of security in the crew being so far above the water.

However, it does restrict the helmsman’s view forward when the genoa’s flying and it can make those prone to seasickness feel worse 
due to the more pronounced side-to-side movement in a beam sea.

One real bonus, however, is the raised height allows for huge aft cabins – something for which Moody and Halberg-Rassy yachts are renowned.

An aft cockpit, though more vulnerable 
to a steep following sea, does make you 
feel more in touch with the boat somehow.

A high bridge deck or similar can greatly reduce the risk of down-flooding from the stern in stormy conditions.

Below decks

The seaworthiness of a yacht is not only affected by its hull design and rig, but also how sea kindly it is below.

For a start, those wanting to cruise overnight will need a decent bunk for the off-watch crew.

By that 
I mean one that’s preferably close to the middle of the boat and that can be converted to a comfy, secure single berth.

In most production cruisers this will mean the saloon berths, so if you’re looking to buy it’s worth just checking the length, width and suitability of these.

The raised coachroof of the Garcia 45 Exploration gives comfort below, while granny bars at the mast keep crew on deck secure. Credit: Morris Adant

If not, then double berths can often be converted using lee cloths or boards, which can be removed or folded away when at anchor or in port. The worst place for a sea berth is in the forepeak, as this is where the motion will be greatest.

You’ll often need to add a few handrails around the boat too, especially as you descend the companionway. A little clever repositioning or subtle padding of furniture can make a difference.

One of the most important aspects of boat safety is the through hull fittings. It’s a good idea to draw a sketch of where they all are and what they do so that crew unfamiliar with the boat could find them quickly in an emergency.

Also ensure all your seacocks are good quality marine devices (Bronze or DZR), not domestic plumbing ones (worryingly common on many new boats) and that you tie a suitable softwood bung to it.

Choosing a yacht

The very first question you should ask yourself when considering buying a yacht 
is ‘what do I intend to do on this boat?’

The answer should then steer you towards the type of yacht suitable for your endeavours, whether they be pootling along the coast 
on fair weather days and tying up in a marina berth at night or taking your family on long passages in open and unprotected offshore waters.

The former is catered for by myriad production boatbuilders and should be reasonably affordable. The latter not so.

A properly designed and constructed offshore yacht will cost much more – probably three to four times as much as a production cruiser – and rightly so.

All that extra investment will be reflected in the integrity of the design, the quality of the materials used and the standard of craftsmanship put into building her.

Saying that, it’s a myth that many pocket cruisers are inherently dangerous if sailed offshore.

Roger Taylor converted his Achilles 24 to sail to some of the most remote high latitudes imaginable

I’ve often felt happier sailing a 
well-found 26-footer across the English Channel in a near gale than I would have 
felt in a modern 50ft production cruiser set up for day sailing in fine conditions.

I know this rather makes a mockery of the RCD categorisation scheme (A-ocean; B-offshore etc), but often smaller boats are only Cat B 
or C because the builders can’t afford the more stringent testing for higher categories.

Any sailor worth their salt will know that 
a large portion of a vessel’s ability to sail safely offshore is in how you prepare your boat and crew beforehand and many adventurous sailors have ventured far afield without incident in small yachts.

Roger Taylor single-handedly overcome the vagaries of the northern latitude weather systems, covering thousands of miles safely in the same type boat in which Ellen MacArthur first circumnavigated Britain.

Shane Acton’s 18ft long Caprice, Shrimpy , would never get an RCD A (Ocean) rating whatever you did to it, but she proved seaworthy enough to get Acton around the world in one piece.

Without doubt, there have been numerous innovations over the past few decades that have made offshore sailing easier.

Effective self-steering made Jean-Luc Van Den Heede’s life easier in the 2018 Golden Globe Race. The Rustler 36 was the boat of choice in the race, sailed by the first three finishers. Credit: Alain Zimeray/Golden Globe Race/PPL

A crew 
of two can now easily handle the latest 60ft yacht, thanks in particular to cockpit sail controls, electrically assisted deck gear and up-to-the-minute navigation technology.

Duncan Kent has tested hundreds of yachts and is the author of Choosing and Buying A Yacht

The greatest advantage a modern yacht has over an older, heavier boat is speed. A modern yacht’s ability to make headway fast is in fact one of its most seaworthy points as it allows the crew to navigate around a slow-moving storm or to sail off 
a dangerous lee shore in the event the engine dies or the anchor drags.

Problems encountered by many of the 2018 Golden Globe Race (GGR) entrants were certainly aggravated by their inability to sail faster than a few knots away from threatening weather.

Instead, they had to sit it out, hoping their sluggish old classics would be tough enough to take the hammering of the Southern Ocean waves.

Most recently launched hulls are a huge improvement over the over-engineered 20th-Century designs, but changes in style mean compromises will have to be made to ensure your yacht is as seaworthy as it can be.

Wide, open cockpits require more clipping on points and extra handrails, and for those planning to go world cruising in 
a standard production boat, much of the 
kit supplied will need to be upgraded before you set off.

Top tips to improve seaworthiness before blue- water cruising

• Install watertight crash bulkheads forward and aft (forward of the rudder stock).
• Move heavy items such as batteries, tanks, spare anchors and tinned provisions as low and as close to the centre of the boat as possible and ensure they are strapped down.
• Make sure all locker lids, soleboards and washboards can be securely locked in place.
• Pre-build a workable emergency steering system and test it out in heavy seas before you depart.
• Create easy-launch stowage for the liferaft.
• Carry several heavy lines, a series drogue and a sea anchor.

Ensure the right size bungs are attached to your seacocks

• Make tough wooden shutters and easy attachments for vulnerable hatches and portlights.
• Any windows in the topsides should be non-opening and made from seriously reinforced glass.

Have a means of locking stowage shut. Credit: Graham Snook/Yachting Monthly

• Tie suitable bungs to every skin fitting for emergency use.
• Fit fire extinguishers of varying sorts near to where they might be needed and keep them regularly serviced.
• Fit a bilge alarm and dual electric bilge pumps plus a manual.

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Most Seaworthy Boats Under 30 Feet (What Are The Best Options?)

August 30, 2022

If asked about the most seaworthy boats, you would think of giant cruise and cargo ships. But what are the most seaworthy boats under 30 feet?

The most seaworthy boats tend to be quite large as longer and wider boats offer more stability at sea. But not everyone needs something as big as a super yacht to have fun and feel safe out on the open ocean, and smaller boats are definitely a lot more accessible to the average person. So what are the most seaworthy boats under 30 feet?

Some of the best and most seaworthy boats under 30 feet are:

• The Boston whaler 280 outrage
• Blackfin 272CC, the Hunter 27
• And the cape dory 28

All of these boats offer everything you’ll need to have a great time on the water. There are lots of things to consider when measuring how seaworthy a boat is. So what exactly makes a boat seaworthy, and what are some of the most common types of boats under 30 feet that are considered to be seaworthy? If you’re thinking about buying a boat, these are all things that you can really benefit from knowing, and if not, it's always good to learn something new.

Growing up in a small coastal town in Massachusetts, I spent a lot of time navigating the coastal waters of the surrounding area. Though I prefer sailing, there is no shortage of quality, seaworthy boats, both sail, and motor, that are perfect for spending time on the sea.

Table of contents

‍ what makes a boat seaworthy.

There are lots of different factors to consider when thinking about how seaworthy a boat is; however, the two most important factors are stability and durability.

Boat stability can be defined as the boat's ability to right itself or come back to an even keel after something like the wind or a wave has caused it to roll to one side. This ability of the boat to stop itself from keeling over in rough conditions is incredibly important to any seaworthy vessel.

There are lots of different elements that affect how stable a boat will be, including the center of gravity, the center of buoyancy, and the general shape of the hull.

When calculating the stability of a boat, the center of gravity and the center of buoyancy is incredibly important. The center of gravity of an object is essentially the center of its mass. If you were to support the object from just this, it would balance perfectly, remaining in equilibrium. The center of buoyancy, on the other hand, is the center of mass of the water displaced by the vessel.

These forces of gravity and buoyancy push in opposite directions from these points, gravity pushing the boat down and buoyancy pushing it back up. When the boat is completely level, the center of gravity will be directly under the center of buoyancy. These two forces pulling in opposite directions ensure that the boat stays level.

However, if another force is applied to the boat, the centers of gravity and buoyancy can shift. Imagine a wave hits the side of the boat, causing it to lean in one direction. The farther the boat leans to one side, the closer the center of gravity and center of buoyancy come to one another.

As long as the center of buoyancy remains above the center of gravity, the forces of gravity and buoyancy will push the boat back up to a stable position. However, if the boat leans far enough to the side the center of buoyancy is below the center of gravity, causing the boat to be unstable and capsize. This is why it's so important for a boat to have a low center of gravity.

The shape of the hull also has also affected the stability of a boat, especially when the boat is heeled at a low angle. In general, boats with wider hulls are more stable. However, if you go overboard with this, a very wide boat without a center of gravity far below the water level is a recipe for disaster, as it will be much easier to capsize than it would be for a boat with a thinner hull and lower center of gravity.

Another very important factor to consider when determining the seaworthiness of a boat is its durability. Essentially, how unsinkable is the boat? Can it take a lot of damage before it will sink or will only minor damage cause catastrophic failure?

Unfortunately, for boats around 25 to 30 feet, durability can be quite a bit issue. As you know, in order for a boat to stay afloat, it has to displace its own weight in water, a boat's ability to do this can be easily compromised with even the smallest amount of damage.

Normally smaller boats under 20 feet contain a lot of foam in the hull to help keep the boat afloat if damaged. Larger boats do this as well, but they also employ the strategy of compartmentation in their designs. Basically, if the hull is divided into enough separate compartments, damage to one part of the hull isn’t much of a big deal. If one compartment is filled with water there are still plenty of others that aren't, allowing the boat to stay afloat and get back to shore.

Unfortunately, boats between 25 and 30 feet are likely to lack the necessary foam and compartmentation needed to keep them afloat if the hull is damaged. Even the smallest of holes form in the hull could cause the boat sink quickly. Because of this, it is often boats that are smaller than 20 feet and much longer than 30 feet that are the hardest to sink, leaving boats in the middle to have a higher risk of being catastrophically damaged than the others.

Most boats also have bilge pumps that allow water that collects in the bilge, the bottom of the inside of the hull, to be pumped out. This can help keep the boat afloat by removing much of the water that's been taken on over time. This allows the boat to better maintain its ability to displace its own weight.

In all, it is incredibly important that the boat is able to take the harsh beating that the sea will inevitably give it. The structural integrity of the boat must not be easily compromised by the abuse it takes, and the hatches and windows need to be just as strong and watertight to be truly seaworthy.

Other Factors That Can Affect Seaworthiness

Water shedding, reserve buoyancy, speed, and the design of the helm are a few more things to consider when talking about the seaworthiness of a boat.

For boats with self-bailing hulls that use gravity as opposed to a water pump to remove water, the ability for the boat to shed water is critical. If you get hit with a wave and water comes on board, you’ll want to be sure that the boat is able to rid itself of the extra water as quickly as possible.

Reserve buoyancy is also an essential thing to consider. Your boat may sit high on the water without any gear, fuel, or passengers on board; as the boat is loaded up, it will sit lower and lower in the water. This is incredibly important to be aware of as reserve buoyancy is integral to the stability of the boat.

The speed capabilities of the boat can also be crucial if you end up in a bad situation. An incoming storm may be able to be outrun by a faster boat, but in a boat with a speed of only 10 to 15 knots, it will be nearly impossible to get out ahead of the storm. Speed can also help you dodge waves and gives you increased control of your location and water conditions.

In addition to those aforementioned, the design and setup of the helm is another significant factor in the seaworthiness of a boat. The most important thing here is all-around visibility. Simply being able to see straight ahead doesn’t help you achieve the necessary overall situational awareness needed when piloting a boat in rough conditions.

The helm should also be equipped with the necessary electronic systems required to safely and efficiently pilot the boat. Water depth and GPS information should be easily accessible and the radio should be easily operable from one singular position around the wheel. An intelligently designed helm can really improve the overall seaworthiness of a boat.

What Types Of Boats Under 30 Are The Most Seaworthy?

If you were asked about what you think the most seaworthy boats are, there is no doubt that you would immediately think of some sort of giant, an ocean-crossing ship like a cruise ship or cargo ship. At the very least, you’ll think of some type of large yacht, most likely over 50 feet in length. In either case, the common link is that the boats you normally think of as being particularly seaworthy are also much larger than 30 feet in length.

So then, what types of boats are most commonly considered seaworthy while remaining under that 30 feet mark? Fishing boats and sailboats are two that immediately come to mind. While it would be inadvisable to cross the Atlantic in one of these boats, at least not without a lot of experience and preparation, fishing boats and sailboats alike are built durably enough to withstand the immense battering that the ocean can shell out while still oftentimes being under 30 feet.

Because sailboats and fishing tend to be the most seaworthy at this length while also being so vastly different from one another, I will be talking about the fishing boats that I deem to be the most seaworthy first, and will then list the most seaworthy sailboats after that.

The Most Seaworthy Fishing Boats Under 30 Feet

As mentioned before, fishing boats are among the most common seaworthy vessels under 30 feet, so I will be sharing the fishing boats that I deem to be the most seaworthy first.

1. Boston Whaler 280 Outrage

Coming in at 28 feet in length, the Boston Whaler 280 Outrage is an incredible boat for anyone looking to buy one of the most seaworthy offshore fishing boats. The boat is incredibly powerful, coming standard with two 250-horsepower Mercury Verado outboard engines. If you’re willing to shell out a bit of extra cash, these engines can be upgraded to two 400-horsepower engines that allow the boat to reach about 65 mph at full throttle.

Boston Whaler is known for making their boats unsinkable, and the 280 Outrage is no different, only adding to the seaworthiness of the vessel. The 280 Outrage is constructed using materials that float, so even if you take on water or damage the hull of the boat; it will stay level above the water. However, even if water does come on board, there's no need to worry as this boat’s self-bailing deck will shed the water in an instant.

As you would hope with any fishing boat, the 280 Outrage is packed to the brim with all the amenities you’ll need to have a successful fishing trip. The boat is equipped with 14-rod holders located all around the boat and also includes two 54-gallon fish boxes to store what you reel in. The inclusion of a convenient bait-prep area and tackle storage drawers adds to the utility of this incredibly seaworthy fishing boat.

2. Blackfin 272CC

At 27 feet and 2 inches, the Blackfin 272CC is almost a whole foot shorter than the Boston Whaler, but this doesn’t mean it's any less seaworthy. Easily the best-looking boat on this list, the 272CC’s design philosophy of utility and comfort really shine when you’re on this boat.

Boasting up to 600 horsepower, this boat has more than enough power to get up above 60 mph, and its hull remains stable in even the toughest of waters. The boat won’t leave you feeling uncomfortable either as many other fishing boats might. The seats at the helm and forward bow are beautifully designed and largely outmatch all of its competitors in the comfort department, so you know that your family won’t get restless the next time you take them out on the water.

Of course, as a fishing boat, you can still expect the boat to have all of the things necessary to aid you on your next fishing trip. The 272CC has 8-rod holders, two 54-gallon fish boxes, a 30-gallon bait well and a 5-gallon bait bucket. Though not quite as many rod holders as the aforementioned 280 Outrage, you can also upgrade and get six additional hardtop rod holders that can bring the total to 14.

The Most Seaworthy Sailboats Under 30 Feet

Though the aforementioned fishing boats are worth consideration for anyone looking for the most seaworthy boats under 30 feet, I’ve always been much more of a sailor myself, so here are the sailboats I think are the most seaworthy.

1. Cape Dory 28

Coming in at 28 feet and 9 inches, the Cape Dory 28 is a classic sailboat with unmatched seaworthiness. In fact, to prove how seaworthy this boat is, in 2009, a sailor named Fred Bickum successfully circumnavigated the earth, a voyage that took him three years in his 1978 Cape Dory.

Produced from 1975 to 1988, the Cape Dory 28 is still one of the most rugged and sought-after sailboats today. Designed by Carl Alberg, the Cape Dory combines classic design elements with comfort, durability, and spaciousness. When onboard, this bout truly feels much bigger than it actually is, even when compared with many modern 28-foot sailboats.

The build quality of this boat is unrivaled, with solid fiberglass in polyester resin hull and decks made from balsa and plywood-cored fiberglass. However, though its construction is solid, if not properly maintained over the years, osmotic blistering in the hull and water absorption through stress cracks in the deck can cause the structure of the boat to be weakened. Bronze is used for most of the fittings around the boat and the 8 opening ports, which adds to the classic look of this sailboat.

Under sail, the Cape Dory 28 is incredibly capable in harsh waters and in conditions with choppy water or low wind; the boat still maintains the ability to move a lot more quickly than many other similarly sized sailboats.

The spaciousness of the Cape Dory’s interior is also one of the big selling points, especially for a boat this old that can still compete with newer models. It features a V-berth bed and a cockpit with wheel steering that can comfortably fit six adults, as well as a galley and bathroom equipped with a toilet and shower. The interior cockpit is especially useful if you run into stormy weather as you can easily escape the harsh outside conditions and still maintain control of the boat.

2. Hunter 27

Also coming in at 27 feet and 2 inches, the Hunter 27 is a great seaworthy sailboat for anyone from beginner sailors to seasoned veterans. First introduced in 1974, the Hunter 27 has stood the test of time and is still one of the most popular sailboats to this day.

The Hunter 27’s lack of customization and standardized construction means that the price of this boat is much lower than many others, but don’t even begin to think that this boat is built poorly as the hull is strong enough to handle whatever the ocean throws at it. The boat is shipped with a mainsail and 110% genoa, offering an average amount of square sail footage for a boat its size and features wheel steering, something much more commonplace on a larger boat.

The Hunter 27 handles great under sail, but even if winds are particularly weak or you’re simply feeling a bit lazy, you won’t have to worry about being stranded. Since 1979 this boat has come standard with a reliable 14-horsepower Yanmar diesel engine. Though this won’t get you moving at groundbreaking speeds, it's enough to keep you moving if you need it to.

The boat also provides all the space you’ll need when spending multiple days on the water. The Hunter 27 includes a comfortable cabin, a saloon with enough seating for six centered around a table, a solid galley, and a toilet and shower, all wrapped up in this compact package.

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This article may contain affiliate links where we earn a commission from qualifying purchases. The images and content on this page may be created by, or with the assistance of, artificial intelligence, and should be used for entertainment and informational purposes only.

About THE AUTHOR

Brian Samson

I have a deep love of houseboating and the life-changing experiences houseboating has brought into my life. I’ve been going to Lake Powell on our family’s houseboat for over 30 years and have made many great memories, first as a child and now as a parent. My family has a passion for helping others have similar fun, safe experiences on their houseboat.

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Best Ocean Boats: Types and Brands to Buy

15th nov 2023 by samantha wilson.

What makes a good ocean boat ? It’s a valid question, commonly asked, but as with many boating questions, there is no one answer. In fact, there is no best ocean boat either. Only the best ocean-going boat for you and what you want it to do. Whether it’s offshore fishing, sailing around the world, coastal cruising, or extended voyages, there will be good boats for the task—and others, not so good. 

Of course there are many characteristics that ocean-going boats will need to have that are different from those designed to ply gentler inland waters where breaking seas, long distances, and inclement weather rarely if ever are a factor. Here we’ll take a look at the types of boats that are designed for the ocean and also look at some of the best ocean boat brands on the market today. 

What Characteristics Do the Best Ocean Boats Have?

Seaworthy in open water and stormy weather: A boat tackling ocean waters needs to be sturdy enough, large enough, and/or nimble enough to navigate the bigger seas and stronger winds that can arise. If you’re tackling oceans, you’ll typically want a boat that is 20 feet long or larger and built with strength. It’s important to know your boat’s limitations, to check the weather carefully before venturing out, and prepare accordingly. Knowing your boat’s range—is it a long-distance, bluewater voyager or a day-sailing coastal boat?—is also key to staying safe. 

Deep-V hulls and deep draft: Most ocean-going boats have deep-V hulls and adequate draft to provide extra stability in turbulent waters, high waves, and bad weather. An exception to that are multihulls, which can offer excellent stability thanks to their multiple hulls and wide shape. In addition to a deep V hull, ocean-going boats are often designed with strakes—molded lines running down the hull of motorboats that help them reach planing speed and reduce the slap from large waves. If you don’t plan to venture offshore or undertake long voyages, a shallow or modified V hull is often ideal for more coastal ocean cruising in shallower waters. 

Corrosion resistance : In contrast to fresh water, salt water is highly corrosive and damaging to boats, and they need to be designed for and maintained to cope with those damaging effects (see our guide to the differences between saltwater and freshwater boats for more advice). Boats designed for salt water will have marine-grade metals such as stainless steel, and must be built with corrosion-resistant hardware.  

Power and fuel capacity : If you’re going to cruise farther, it makes sense that your boat will need a fuel-efficient engine as well as a larger fuel tank to allow you to carry on longer without refueling. Fast boats such as those used for offshore fishing commonly have large powerful engines, allowing you to get to the offshore fishing grounds in less time. For those crossing oceans, sailboats have long been the boat of choice since wind-power is free, if occasionally finicky. 

Sleeping and storage capacity: If you’re cruising long distances, you’ll need to ensure that you have enough cabin space, living space, and storage space for supplies to accommodate all those on board. Bunks will typically be fitted with lee cloths to securely hold sleeping crew members in their berths. Ventilation is also critical, allowing fresh air below decks without bringing sea water along at the same time.

The Best Types and Brands of Ocean Boats

Ocean sailboats.

Sailboats bring the romance to cruising the oceans, and are able to sail motor-less for thousands of miles, making them the top choice when it comes to long range ocean cruising. The choice of sailboat is endless, but it depends how far you want to travel as to how big a sailboat you’ll need. Coastal sailing can be done in most sizes and styles of sailboat, while you’ll ideally be looking for a strong and sturdy sailboat over 35 feet to travel long distances (see our guide to bluewater sailboats under 40 feet for some exciting small sailboat options and what to look for in an ocean sailboat). 

The best ocean sailboat brands

• Hallberg-Rassy has been producing quality ocean-going cruising boats in Sweden for more than half a century. The company’s current lineup of comfortable, seaworthy, premium-priced yachts from 34 to 69 feet LOA.  Hallberg-Rassy boats for sale
• Beneteau ’s impressive range of Oceanis cruisers ranges from 31 to 60 feet and offers spacious, versatile layouts and sound performance at a moderate price.  Beneteau boats for sale
• Jeanneau has produced ocean-capable sailboats for more than 60 years and has a good reputation for building innovative boats that perform well. The company’s current range includes large yachts, small ocean racers, and 35- to 49-foot cruising models.  Jeanneau boats for sale

Hallberg Rassy 400. Hallberg Rassy photo.

Trawler Yachts

Known for their long-range capabilities and excellent fuel efficiency, trawlers are becoming increasingly popular as ocean-going liveaboards. Unlike the fishing vessels from which they draw their name, this new breed of power-cruising yacht typically offers extensive living space, home comforts, and even luxury living, which is highly regarded among many cruising great distances or spending extended periods of time living aboard.  

The best trawler yacht brands

• Nordhavn is a long-standing, all-American brand producing some of the best trawler yachts on the market today. Ranging from 41 feet all the way into superyacht classification sizes, Nordhavn trawlers balance robustness with comfort.  Nordhavn yachts for sale
• Selene is a Dutch brand, building up to 100 world class boats every year. Their impressive inventory includes boats from 40 feet to 128 feet, with their mid-sized models in particular offering excellent use of space and a classic styling.  Selene boats for sale
• American Tugs is one of the best smaller shipyards, with 20 years’ experience producing high quality coastal cruisers under 45 feet.  American Tugs boats for sale

Nordhavn 475. Nordhavn photo.

Center Console Boats

  Center consoles boats are high-powered vessels, commonly used for offshore fishing due to their open deck layout allowing for 360 fishability. Fast, stable, roomy, and well-equipped, they are wonderfully versatile and are available from trailerable 17-foot models up to 45 feet and longer, with cabins and heads. They are typically able to handle big seas and weather, but don’t have the sleeping, living, and storage space of longer-range types of ocean boats. 

The best center console boat brands

• Boston Whaler have been around since 1958 and have one of the best reputations in the center console industry for both their fishing and recreational boats.  Boston Whaler boats for sale
• Everglades is a brand offering 23- to 45-foot center consoles with a clear focus on fishing offshore. It is known equally for premium quality finishings and strong hull construction using high-density foam core to offer a smooth ride in waves. https://www.rightboat.com/boats-for-sale/everglades Everglades boats for sale
• For more check out our article on the best center console boat brands and the best center consoles over 40 feet . 

Boston Whaler 250 Dauntless. Boston Whaler photo. 

Sport Fishing Yachts

Powerful, robust, and equipped to take anglers on deep sea fishing adventures, sport fishing boats are more than capable when it comes to big ocean conditions. They’re capable of cruising up to 100 miles offshore where the big pelagic creatures such as bluefin tuna and marlin live, allowing anglers to fish for several days at a time in comfort. With all the equipment needed for fishing, storing, and living, sport fishing yachts aren’t inexpensive, but you can buy a seriously high-performance yacht for the money. 

The best sport fishing yacht brands

• Viking Yachts has a huge range of world-class sport fishing yachts ranging from towable 38 footers all the way up to 90 feet, although the majority fall within the 45 to 70 feet range. Impeccable finish and extremely high performance is the norm throughout the fleet.  Viking Yachts for sale
• Hatteras Yachts bring elegance and innovation to sportfishing with their four convertible sport fishing yachts from 45 to 70 feet. For more than 60 years, the firm has been creating high-performance sport fishing boats that ooze luxury.  Hatteras Yachts for sale
• Bertram has a long history of building fishing yachts focused on seaworthiness, stability, and safety. The company offers serious blue water fishing machines, as well as smaller, capable boats ranging from 28 to 61 feet.  Bertram boats for sale

For more top fishing boat brands, see Best Offshore Fishing Boat Brands .

Viking 68C. Viking Yachts photo.

Cabin Cruisers

Cabin cruisers make up one of the most versatile and popular of ocean boats as they are multifunctional, seaworthy, and well-designed for coastal cruising. While not normally suited to prolonged periods at sea or long-range cruising, this style of boat features home comforts, modest galley areas, and cabins that can be used for extended trips.

The best ocean cabin cruisers

• Sea Ray are masters in producing small, luxurious cabin cruisers that offer weekends at sea, plenty of home comforts, and reassuring seaworthiness. Their Sundancer range is from 26 feet to 37 feet, and the SLX series goes up to 40 feet.  Sea Ray boats for sale
• Chris-Craft has been producing elegant, traditionally styled cabin cruisers (as well as center consoles) for decades, and their range of boats certainly turn heads. Offering pocket-sized luxury and packed with amenities, they remain one of the best brands in the industry.  Chris-Craft boats for sale
• Grand Banks Yachts is a brand that has shifted over the years from producing what was the iconic ocean-going trawler yacht to a higher-performance luxury motoryacht that fits better in the cabin cruiser category. Design and construction attend to hull shapes, weights, and materials to produce a capable, quiet boat in rough conditions.  Grand Banks Yachts

Grand Banks 54. Grand Banks photo.

Cruising Catamarans

Cruising catamarans are fast gaining popularity for their long-range capabilities as well as their stability and huge amounts of extra living and storage space compared to monohulls of the same size. With salons and cockpits that stand well above the water line you get wrap around sea views, as well as huge cabin and galley space. They’re extremely capable blue water cruisers, but also perfect for coastal adventures with larger groups than you could comfortably get on a monohull. They don’t keel over in the same way as sailboats, offering impressive stability and speed, and are fast becoming a popular choice for around the world cruisers and charter companies. 

The best cruising catamarans

• Fountaine Pajot is one of the biggest names in the cruising catamaran world and are instrumental in shaping this new industry of long range, high performance blue water multihulls.  Fountaine Pajot Catamarans for sale
• Lagoon Catamarans have a huge inventory of cruising catamaran models throughout the size ranges, and are one of the top choices for charter companies.  Lagoon Catamarans for sale
• Leopard Catamarans offer a huge range of top-of-the-range sailing and motor cruising catamarans through boat builders Robertson and Caine. In their 50 years of business they’ve delivered an impressive 2,500 vessels, making them one of the most popular cruising catamaran brands out there.  Leopard Catamarans for sale

Leopard 40 Powercat. Leopard Catamarans photo.

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

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Home » Blog » Buy a boat » 5 best small sailboats for sailing around the world

5 best small sailboats for sailing around the world

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: April 19, 2023

A small sailboat can take you big places

Small sailboats are the ticket to going cruising NOW — not when you retire, save up enough money, or find the “perfect” bluewater cruising boat. In fact, it’s the first principle in Lin and Larry Pardey’s cruising philosophy: “Go small, go simple, go now.”

Small yachts can be affordable, simple, and seaworthy . However, you won’t see many of them in today’s cruising grounds. In three years and 13,000 nautical miles of bluewater cruising, I could count the number of under 30-foot sailboats I’ve seen on one hand (all of them were skippered by people in their 20s and 30s).

Today’s anchorages are full of 40, 50, and 60-foot-plus ocean sailboats, but that’s not to say you can’t sail the world in a small sailboat. Just look at Alessandro di Benedetto who in 2010 broke the record for the smallest boat to sail around the world non-stop in his 21-foot Mini 6.5 .

So long as you don’t mind forgoing a few comforts, you can sail around the world on a small budget .

What makes a good blue water sailboat

While you might not think a small sailboat is up to the task of going long distances, some of the best bluewater sailboats are under 40 feet.

However, if you’re thinking about buying a boat for offshore cruising, there are a few things to know about what makes a small boat offshore capable .

Smaller equals slower

Don’t expect to be sailing at high speeds in a pocket cruiser. Smaller displacement monohulls are always going to be slower than larger displacement monohulls (see the video below to learn why smaller boats are slower). Therefore a smaller cruiser is going to take longer on a given passage, making them more vulnerable to changes in weather.

A few feet can make a big difference over a week-long passage. On the last leg of our Pacific Ocean crossing, our 35-foot sailboat narrowly avoid a storm that our buddy boat, a 28-foot sailboat, couldn’t. Our friend was only a knot slower but it meant he had to heave to for a miserable three days.

Small but sturdy

If a pocket cruiser encounters bad weather, they will be less able to outrun or avoid it. For this reason, many of the blue water sailboats in this list are heavily built and designed to take a beating.

Yacht design has changed dramatically over the last 50 years. Today, new boats are designed to be light and fast. The small sailboats in our list are 30-plus year-old designs and were built in a time when weather forecasts were less accurate and harder to come by.

Back in the day, boat were constructed with thicker fiberglass hulls than you see in modern builds. Rigs, keels, rudders, hulls and decks – everything about these small cruising sailboats was designed to stand up to strong winds and big waves. Some of the boats in this post have skeg-hung rudders and most of them are full keel boats.

The pros and cons of pocket cruiser sailboats

Pocket cruiser sailboats present certain advantages and disadvantages.

More affordable

Their smaller size makes them affordable bluewater sailboats. You can often find great deals on pocket cruisers and sometimes you can even get them for free.

You’ll also save money on retrofits and repairs because small cruising sailboats need smaller boat parts (which cost a lot less) . For example, you can get away with smaller sails, ground tackle, winches, and lighter lines than on a bigger boat.

Moorage, haul-outs, and marine services are often billed by foot of boat length . A small sailboat makes traveling the world , far more affordable!

When something major breaks (like an engine) it will be less costly to repair or replace than it would be on a bigger boat.

Less time consuming

Smaller boats tend to have simpler systems which means you’ll spend less time fixing and paying to maintain those systems. For example, most small yachts don’t have showers, watermakers , hot water, and electric anchor windlasses.

On the flip side, you’ll spend more time collecting water (the low-tech way) . On a small sailboat, this means bucket baths, catching fresh water in your sails, and hand-bombing your anchor. Though less convenient, this simplicity can save you years of preparation and saving to go sailing.

Oh, and did I mention that you’ll become a complete water meiser? Conserving water aboard becomes pretty important when you have to blue-jug every drop of it from town back to your boat.

Easier to sail

Lastly, smaller boats can be physically easier to sail , just think of the difference between raising a sail on a 25-foot boat versus a 50-foot boat! You can more easily single-hand or short-hand a small sailboat. For that reason, some of the best solo blue water sailboats are quite petite.

As mentioned above small boats are slow boats and will arrive in port, sometimes days (and even weeks) behind their faster counterparts on long offshore crossings.

Consider this scenario: two boats crossed the Atlantic on a 4,000 nautical mile route. The small boat averaged four miles an hour, while the big boat averaged seven miles an hour. If both started at the same time, the small boat will have completed the crossing two weeks after the larger sailboat!

Less spacious

Living on a boat can be challenging — living on a small sailboat, even more so! Small cruising boats don’t provide much in the way of living space and creature comforts.

Not only will you have to downsize when you move onto a boat  you’ll also have to get pretty creative when it comes to boat storage.

It also makes it more difficult to accommodate crew for long periods which means there are fewer people to share work and night shifts.

If you plan on sailing with your dog , it might put a small boat right out of the question (depending on the size of your four-legged crew member).

Less comfortable

It’s not just the living situation that is less comfortable, the sailing can be pretty uncomfortable too! Pocket cruisers tend to be a far less comfortable ride than larger boats as they are more easily tossed about in big ocean swell.

Here are our 5 favorite small blue water sailboats for sailing around the world

When we sailed across the Pacific these were some of the best small sailboats that we saw. Their owners loved them and we hope you will too!

The boats in this list are under 30 feet. If you’re looking for something slightly larger, you might want to check out our post on the best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet .

Note: Price ranges are based on SailboatListings.com and YachtWorld.com listings for Aug. 2018

Albin Vega 27($7-22K USD)

The Albin Vega has earned a reputation as a bluewater cruiser through adventurous sailors like Matt Rutherford, who in 2012 completed a 309-day solo nonstop circumnavigation of the Americas via Cape Horn and the Northwest Passage (see his story in the documentary Red Dot on the Ocean ). 

• Hull Type: Long fin keel
• Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)
• Length Overall:27′ 1″ / 8.25m
• Waterline Length:23′ 0″ / 7.01m
• Beam:8′ 1″ / 2.46m
• Draft:3′ 8″ / 1.12m
• Rig Type: Masthead sloop rig
• Displacement:5,070lb / 2,300kg
• Designer:Per Brohall
• Builder:Albin Marine AB (Swed.)
• Year First Built:1965
• Year Last Built:1979
• Number Built:3,450

Cape Dory 28 ($10-32K USD) 

This small cruising sailboat is cute and classic as she is rugged and roomy. With at least one known circumnavigation and plenty of shorter bluewater voyages, the Cape Dory 28 has proven herself offshore capable.

• Hull Type: Full Keel
• Length Overall:28′ 09″ / 8.56m
• Waterline Length:22′ 50″ / 6.86m
• Beam:8’ 11” / 2.72m
• Draft:4’ 3” / 1.32m
• Rig Type:Masthead Sloop
• Displacement:9,300lb / 4,218kg
• Sail Area/Displacement Ratio:52
• Displacement/Length Ratio:49
• Designer: Carl Alberg
• Builder: Cape Dory Yachts (USA)
• Year First Built:1974
• Year Last Built:1988
• Number Built: 388

Dufour 29 ($7-23K)

As small bluewater sailboats go, the Dufour 29 is a lot of boat for your buck. We know of at least one that sailed across the Pacific last year. Designed as a cruiser racer she’s both fun to sail and adventure-ready. Like many Dufour sailboats from this era, she comes equipped with fiberglass molded wine bottle holders. Leave it to the French to think of everything!

• Hull Type: Fin with skeg-hung rudder
• Length Overall:29′ 4″ / 8.94m
• Waterline Length:25′ 1″ / 7.64m
• Beam:9′ 8″ / 2.95m
• Draft:5′ 3″ / 1.60m
• Displacement:7,250lb / 3,289kg
• Designer:Michael Dufour
• Builder:Dufour (France)
• Year First Built:1975
• Year Last Built:1984

Vancouver 28 ($15-34K)

A sensible small boat with a “go-anywhere” attitude, this pocket cruiser was designed with ocean sailors in mind. One of the best cruising sailboats under 40 feet, the Vancouver 28 is great sailing in a small package.

• Hull Type:Full keel with transom hung rudder
• Length Overall: 28′ 0″ / 8.53m
• Waterline Length:22’ 11” / 6.99m
• Beam:8’ 8” / 2.64m
• Draft:4’ 4” / 1.32m
• Rig Type: Cutter rig
• Displacement:8,960lb / 4,064 kg
• Designer: Robert B Harris
• Builder: Pheon Yachts Ltd. /Northshore Yachts Ltd.
• Year First Built:1986
• Last Year Built: 2007
• Number Built: 67

Westsail 28 ($30-35K)

Described in the 1975 marketing as “a hearty little cruiser”, the Westsail 28 was designed for those who were ready to embrace the cruising life. Perfect for a solo sailor or a cozy cruising couple!

• Hull Type: Full keel with transom hung rudder
• Hull Material:GRP (fibreglass)
• Length Overall:28′ 3” / 8.61m
• Waterline Length:23’ 6” / 7.16m
• Beam:9’ 7” / 2.92m
• Displacement:13,500lb / 6,124kg
• Designer: Herb David
• Builder: Westsail Corp. (USA)
• Number Built:78

Feeling inspired? Check out the “go small” philosophy of this 21-year-old who set sail in a CS 27.

Fiona McGlynn is an award-winning boating writer who created Waterborne as a place to learn about living aboard and traveling the world by sailboat. She has written for boating magazines including BoatUS, SAIL, Cruising World, and Good Old Boat. She’s also a contributing editor at Good Old Boat and BoatUS Magazine. In 2017, Fiona and her husband completed a 3-year, 13,000-mile voyage from Vancouver to Mexico to Australia on their 35-foot sailboat.

Saturday 1st of September 2018

Very useful list, but incomplete - as it would necessarily be, considering the number of seaworthy smaller boats that are around.

In particular, you missed/omitted the Westerly "Centaur" and its follow-on model, the "Griffon". 26 feet LOA, bilge-keelers, weighing something over 6000 pounds, usually fitted with a diesel inboard.

OK, these are British designs, and not that common in the US, but still they do exist, they're built like tanks, and it's rumored that at least one Centaur has circumnavigated.

Friday 31st of August 2018

This is a helpful list, thank you. I don't think most people would consider a 28' boat a pocket cruiser, though!

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43 of the best bluewater sailboat designs of all time

• January 5, 2022

How do you choose the right yacht for you? We highlight the very best bluewater sailboat designs for every type of cruising

Which yacht is the best for bluewater boating? This question generates even more debate among sailors than questions about what’s the coolest yacht , or the best for racing. Whereas racing designs are measured against each other, cruising sailors get very limited opportunities to experience different yachts in real oceangoing conditions, so what is the best bluewater sailboat?

Here, we bring you our top choices from decades of designs and launches. Over the years, the Yachting World team has sailed these boats, tested them or judged them for European Yacht of the Year awards, and we have sifted through the many to curate a selection that we believe should be on your wishlist.

Making the right choice may come down to how you foresee your yacht being used after it has crossed an ocean or completed a passage: will you be living at anchor or cruising along the coast? If so, your guiding requirements will be space, cabin size, ease of launching a tender and anchoring closer to shore, and whether it can comfortably accommodate non-expert-sailor guests.

Article continues below…

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European Yacht of the Year 2019: Best luxury cruisers

Before the sea trials began, I would have put money on a Hallberg-Rassy or the Wauquiez winning an award. The…

All of these considerations have generated the inexorable rise of the bluewater catamaran – monohulls can’t easily compete on these points. We have a full separate feature on the best bluewater multihulls of all time and here we mostly focus on monohulls. The only exceptions to that rule are two multihulls which made it into our best bluewater sailboats of 2022 list.

As so much of making the right choice is selecting the right boat for the venture in mind, we have separated out our edit into categories: best for comfort; for families; for performance; and for expedition or high latitudes sailing .

Best bluewater sailboats of 2022

The new flagship Allures 51.9, for example, is a no-nonsense adventure cruising design built and finished to a high standard. It retains Allures’ niche of using aluminium hulls with glassfibre decks and superstructures, which, the yard maintains, gives the optimum combination of least maintenance and less weight higher up. Priorities for this design were a full beam aft cabin and a spacious, long cockpit. Both are excellent, with the latter, at 6m long, offering formidable social, sailing and aft deck zones.

It likes some breeze to come to life on the wheel, but I appreciate that it’s designed to take up to five tonnes payload. And I like the ease with which you can change gears using the furling headsails and the positioning of the powerful Andersen winches inboard. The arch is standard and comes with a textile sprayhood or hard bimini.

Below decks you’ll find abundant headroom and natural light, a deep U-shape galley and cavernous stowage. For those who like the layout of the Amel 50 but would prefer aluminium or shoal draught, look no further.

Allures 51.9 price: €766,000

The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a Category A ocean going yacht at this size with a lifting keel, hence the hull had to be very stable.

Enjoyable to helm, it has a practical, deep cockpit behind a large sprayhood, which can link to the bimini on the arch. Many of its most appealing features lie in the bright, light, contemporary, clever, voluminous interior, which has good stowage and tankage allocation. There’s also a practical navstation, a large workroom and a vast separate shower. I particularly like the convertible saloom, which can double as a large secure daybed or pilot berth.

Potentially the least expensive Category A lift keel boat available, the Ovni will get you dreaming of remote places again.

Ovni 370 price: €282,080

There’s no shortage of spirit in the Windelo 50. We gave this a sustainability award after it’s founders spent two years researching environmentally-friendly composite materials, developing an eco-composite of basalt fibre and recycled PET foam so it could build boats that halve the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts.

The Windelo 50 is an intriguing package – from the styling, modular interior and novel layout to the solar field on the roof and the standard electric propulsion, it is completely fresh.

Windelo 50 price: €795,000

Best bluewater sailboat of 2022 – Outremer 55

I would argue that this is the most successful new production yacht on the market. Well over 50 have already sold (an equipped model typically costs €1.6m) – and I can understand why. After all, were money no object, I had this design earmarked as the new yacht I would most likely choose for a world trip.

Indeed 55 number one Sanya, was fully equipped for a family’s world cruise, and left during our stay for the Grand Large Odyssey tour. Whereas we sailed Magic Kili, which was tricked up with performance options, including foam-cored deckheads and supports, carbon crossbeam and bulkheads, and synthetic rigging.

At rest, these are enticing space ships. Taking one out to sea is another matter though. These are speed machines with the size, scale and loads to be rightly weary of. Last month Nikki Henderson wrote a feature for us about how to manage a new breed of performance cruising cats just like this and how she coaches new owners. I could not think of wiser money spent for those who do not have ample multihull sailing experience.

Under sail, the most fun was obviously reserved for the reaching leg under asymmetric, where we clocked between 11-16 knots in 15-16 knots wind. But it was the stability and of those sustained low teen speeds which really hit home  – passagemaking where you really cover miles.

Key features include the swing helms, which give you views from outboard, over the coachroof or from a protected position in the cockpit through the coachroof windows, and the vast island in the galley, which is key to an open plan main living area. It helps provide cavernous stowage and acts as the heart of the entertaining space as it would in a modern home. As Danish judge Morten Brandt-Rasmussen comments: “Apart from being the TGV of ocean passages the boat offers the most spacious, open and best integration of the cockpit and salon areas in the market.”

Outremer has done a top job in packing in the creature comforts, stowage space and payload capacity, while keeping it light enough to eat miles. Although a lot to absorb and handle, the 55 offers a formidable blend of speed and luxury cruising.

Outremer 55 price: €1.35m

Best bluewater sailboats for comfort

This is the successor to the legendary Super Maramu, a ketch design that for several decades defined easy downwind handling and fostered a cult following for the French yard. Nearly a decade old, the Amel 55 is the bridge between those world-girdling stalwarts and Amel’s more recent and totally re-imagined sloop designs, the Amel 50 and 60.

The 55 boasts all the serious features Amel aficionados loved and valued: a skeg-hung rudder, solidly built hull, watertight bulkheads, solid guardrails and rampart bulwarks. And, most noticeable, the solid doghouse in which the helmsman sits in perfect shelter at the wheel.

This is a design to live on comfortably for long periods and the list of standard features just goes on and on: passarelle; proper sea berths with lee cloths; electric furling main and genoa; and a multitude of practical items that go right down to a dishwasher and crockery.

There’s no getting around the fact these designs do look rather dated now, and through the development of easier sail handling systems the ketch rig has fallen out of fashion, but the Amel is nothing short of a phenomenon, and if you’ve never even peeked on board one, you really have missed a treat.

Photo: Sander van der Borch

Contest 50CS

A centre cockpit cruiser with true longevity, the Contest 50CS was launched by Conyplex back in 2003 and is still being built by the family-owned Dutch company, now in updated and restyled form.

With a fully balanced rudder, large wheel and modern underwater sections, the Contest 50CS is a surprisingly good performer for a boat that has a dry weight of 17.5 tonnes. Many were fitted with in-mast furling, which clearly curtails that performance, but even without, this boat is set up for a small crew.

Electric winches and mainsheet traveller are all easy to reach from the helm. On our test of the Contest 50CS, we saw for ourselves how two people can gybe downwind under spinnaker without undue drama. Upwind, a 105% genoa is so easy to tack it flatters even the weediest crewmember.

Down below, the finish level of the joinery work is up there among the best and the interior is full of clever touches, again updated and modernised since the early models. Never the cheapest bluewater sailing yacht around, the Contest 50CS has remained in demand as a brokerage buy. She is a reassuringly sure-footed, easily handled, very well built yacht that for all those reasons has stood the test of time.

This is a yacht that would be well capable of helping you extend your cruising grounds, almost without realising it.

Read more about the Contest 50CS and the new Contest 49CS

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Hallberg-Rassy 48 Mk II

For many, the Swedish Hallberg-Rassy yard makes the quintessential bluewater cruiser for couples. With their distinctive blue cove line, these designs are famous for their seakindly behaviour, solid-as-a-rock build and beautifully finished, traditional interiors.

To some eyes, Hallberg-Rassys aren’t quite cool enough, but it’s been company owner Magnus Rassy’s confidence in the formula and belief in incremental ‘step-by-step’ evolution that has been such an exceptional guarantor of reliable quality, reputation and resale value.

The centre cockpit Hallberg-Rassy 48 epitomises the concept of comfort at sea and, like all the Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassys since the 1990s, is surprisingly fleet upwind as well as steady downwind. The 48 is perfectly able to be handled by a couple (as we found a few years back in the Pacific), and could with no great effort crack out 200-mile days.

The Hallberg-Rassy 48 was launched nearly a decade ago, but the Mk II from 2014 is our pick, updated with a more modern profile, larger windows and hull portlights that flood the saloon and aft cabin with light. With a large chart table, secure linear galley, heaps of stowage and space for bluewater extras such as machinery and gear, this yacht pretty much ticks all the boxes.

Discovery 55

First launched in 2000, the Discovery 55 has stood the test of time. Designed by Ron Holland, it hit a sweet spot in size that appealed to couples and families with world girdling plans.

Elegantly styled and well balanced, the 55 is also a practical design, with a deep and secure cockpit, comfortable seating, a self-tacking jib, dedicated stowage for the liferaft , a decent sugar scoop transom that’s useful for swimming or dinghy access, and very comfortable accommodation below. In short, it is a design that has been well thought out by those who’ve been there, got the bruises, stubbed their toes and vowed to change things in the future if they ever got the chance.

Throughout the accommodation there are plenty of examples of good detailing, from the proliferation of handholds and grabrails, to deep sinks in the galley offering immediate stowage when under way and the stand up/sit down showers. Stowage is good, too, with plenty of sensibly sized lockers in easily accessible positions.

The Discovery 55 has practical ideas and nifty details aplenty. She’s not, and never was, a breakthrough in modern luxury cruising but she is pretty, comfortable to sail and live on, and well mannered.

Photo: Latitudes Picture Library

You can’t get much more Cornish than a Rustler. The hulls of this Stephen Jones design are hand-moulded and fitted out in Falmouth – and few are more ruggedly built than this traditional, up-for-anything offshore cruiser.

She boasts an encapsulated lead keel, eliminating keel bolts and creating a sump for generous fuel and water tankage, while a chunky skeg protects the rudder. She is designed for good directional stability and load carrying ability. These are all features that lend this yacht confidence as it shoulders aside the rough stuff.

Most of those built have had a cutter rig, a flexible arrangement that makes sense for long passages in all sea and weather conditions. Down below, the galley and saloon berths are comfortable and sensible for living in port and at sea, with joinery that Rustler’s builders are rightly proud of.

As modern yachts have got wider, higher and fatter, the Rustler 42 is an exception. This is an exceptionally well-mannered seagoing yacht in the traditional vein, with elegant lines and pleasing overhangs, yet also surprisingly powerful. And although now over 20 years old, timeless looks and qualities mean this design makes her look ever more like a perennial, a modern classic.

The definitive crossover size, the point at which a yacht can be handled by a couple but is just large enough to have a professional skipper and be chartered, sits at around the 60ft mark. At 58ft 8in, the Oyster 575 fitted perfectly into this growing market when launched in 2010. It went on to be one of the most popular models from the yard, and is only now being superseded by the newer Rob Humphreys-designed Oyster 565 (just launched this spring).

Built in various configurations with either a deep keel, shoal draught keel or centreboard with twin rudders, owners could trade off better performance against easy access to shallower coves and anchorages. The deep-bodied hull, also by Rob Humphreys, is known for its easy motion at sea.

Some of the Oyster 575’s best features include its hallmark coachroof windows style and centre cockpit – almost everyone will know at first glance this is an Oyster – and superb interior finish. If she has a flaw, it is arguably the high cockpit, but the flip side is the galley headroom and passageway berth to the large aft stateroom.

This design also has a host of practical features for long-distance cruising, such as high guardrails, dedicated liferaft stowage, a vast lazarette for swallowing sails, tender, fenders etc, and a penthouse engine room.

Privilege Serie 5

A true luxury catamaran which, fully fitted out, will top €1m, this deserves to be seen alongside the likes of the Oyster 575, Gunfleet 58 and Hallberg-Rassy 55. It boasts a large cockpit and living area, and a light and spacious saloon with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, masses of refrigeration and a big galley.

Standout features are finish quality and solid build in a yacht designed to take a high payload, a secure walkaround deck and all-round views from the helm station. The new Privilege 510 that will replace this launches in February 2020.

Gunfleet 43

It was with this Tony Castro design that Richard Matthews, founder of Oyster Yachts, launched a brand new rival brand in 2012, the smallest of a range stretching to the flagship Gunfleet 74. The combination of short overhangs and centre cockpit at this size do make the Gunfleet 43 look modern if a little boxy, but time and subsequent design trends have been kind to her lines, and the build quality is excellent. The saloon, galley and aft cabin space is exceptional on a yacht of this size.

Photo: David Harding

Conceived as a belt-and-braces cruiser, the Kraken 50 launched last year. Its unique points lie underwater in the guise of a full skeg-hung rudder and so-called ‘Zero Keel’, an encapsulated long keel with lead ballast.

Kraken Yachts is the brainchild of British businessman and highly experienced cruiser Dick Beaumont, who is adamant that safety should be foremost in cruising yacht design and build. “There is no such thing as ‘one yacht for all purposes’… You cannot have the best of all worlds, whatever the salesman tells you,” he says.

Read our full review of the Kraken 50 .

Wauquiez Centurion 57

Few yachts can claim to be both an exciting Med-style design and a serious and practical northern European offshore cruiser, but the Wauquiez Centurion 57 tries to blend both. She slightly misses if you judge solely by either criterion, but is pretty and practical enough to suit her purpose.

A very pleasant, well-considered yacht, she is impressively built and finished with a warm and comfortable interior. More versatile than radical, she could be used for sailing across the Atlantic in comfort and raced with equal enjoyment at Antigua Sailing Week .

A modern classic if ever there was one. A medium to heavy displacement yacht, stiff and easily capable of standing up to her canvas. Pretty, traditional lines and layout below.

Photo: Voyage of Swell

Well-proven US legacy design dating back to the mid-1960s that once conquered the Transpac Race . Still admired as pretty, with slight spoon bow and overhanging transom.

Capable medium displacement cruiser, ideal size and good accommodation for couples or family cruising, and much less costly than similar luxury brands.

Photo: Peter Szamer

Swedish-built aft cockpit cruiser, smaller than many here, but a well-built and finished, super-durable pocket ocean cruiser.

Tartan 3700

Designed as a performance cruiser there are nimbler alternatives now, but this is still an extremely pretty yacht.

Broker ’ s choice

Discovery 55 Brizo

This yacht has already circumnavigated the globe and is ‘prepared for her next adventure,’ says broker Berthon. Price: £535,000 + VAT

Oyster 575 Ayesha

‘Stunning, and perfectly equipped for bluewater cruising,’ says broker Ancasta International. Price: £845,000 (tax not paid)

Oyster 575 Pearls of Nautilus

Nearly new and with a high spec, this Oyster Brokerage yacht features American white oak joinery and white leather upholstery and has a shoal draught keel. Price: $1.49m

Best bluewater yachts for performance

The Frers-designed Swan 54 may not be the newest hull shape but heralded Swan’s latest generation of displacement bluewater cruisers when launched four years ago. With raked stem, deep V hull form, lower freeboard and slight curve to the topsides she has a more timeless aesthetic than many modern slab-sided high volume yachts, and with that a seakindly motion in waves. If you plan to cover many miles to weather, this is probably the yacht you want to be on.

Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

Besides Swan’s superlative build quality, the 54 brings many true bluewater features, including a dedicated sail locker. There’s also a cockpit locker that functions as a utility cabin, with potential to hold your generator and washing machine, or be a workshop space.

The sloping transom opens out to reveal a 2.5m bathing platform, and although the cabins are not huge there is copious stowage space. Down below the top-notch oak joinery is well thought through with deep fiddles, and there is a substantial nav station. But the Swan 54 wins for handling above all, with well laid-out sail controls that can be easily managed between a couple, while offering real sailing enjoyment to the helmsman.

Photo: Graham Snook

The Performance Cruiser winner at the 2019 European Yacht of the Year awards, the Arcona 435 is all about the sailing experience. She has genuine potential as a cruiser-racer, but her strengths are as an enjoyable cruiser rather than a full-blown liveaboard bluewater boat.

Build quality is excellent, there is the option of a carbon hull and deck, and elegant lines and a plumb bow give the Arcona 435 good looks as well as excellent performance in light airs. Besides slick sail handling systems, there are well thought-out features for cruising, such as ample built-in rope bins and an optional semi-closed stern with stowage and swim platform.

Outremer 51

If you want the space and stability of a cat but still prioritise sailing performance, Outremer has built a reputation on building catamarans with true bluewater characteristics that have cruised the planet for the past 30 years.

Lighter and slimmer-hulled than most cruising cats, the Outremer 51 is all about sailing at faster speeds, more easily. The lower volume hulls and higher bridgedeck make for a better motion in waves, while owners report that being able to maintain a decent pace even under reduced canvas makes for stress-free passages. Deep daggerboards also give good upwind performance.

With bucket seats and tiller steering options, the Outremer 51 rewards sailors who want to spend time steering, while they’re famously well set up for handling with one person on deck. The compromise comes with the interior space – even with a relatively minimalist style, there is less cabin space and stowage volume than on the bulkier cats, but the Outremer 51 still packs in plenty of practical features.

The Xc45 was the first cruising yacht X-Yachts ever built, and designed to give the same X-Yachts sailing experience for sailors who’d spent years racing 30/40-footer X- and IMX designs, but in a cruising package.

Launched over 10 years ago, the Xc45 has been revisited a few times to increase the stowage and modernise some of the styling, but the key features remain the same, including substantial tanks set low for a low centre of gravity, and X-Yachts’ trademark steel keel grid structure. She has fairly traditional styling and layout, matched with solid build quality.

A soft bilge and V-shaped hull gives a kindly motion in waves, and the cockpit is secure, if narrow by modern standards.

A three or four cabin catamaran that’s fleet of foot with high bridgedeck clearance for comfortable motion at sea. With tall daggerboards and carbon construction in some high load areas, Catana cats are light and quick to accelerate.

Sweden Yachts 45

An established bluewater design that also features in plenty of offshore races. Some examples are specced with carbon rig and retractable bowsprits. All have a self-tacking jib for ease. Expect sweeping areas of teak above decks and a traditionally wooded interior with hanging wet locker.

A vintage performer, first launched in 1981, the 51 was the first Frers-designed Swan and marked a new era of iconic cruiser-racers. Some 36 of the Swan 51 were built, many still actively racing and cruising nearly 40 years on. Classic lines and a split cockpit make this a boat for helming, not sunbathing.

Photo: Julien Girardot / EYOTY

The JPK 45 comes from a French racing stable, combining race-winning design heritage with cruising amenities. What you see is what you get – there are no superfluous headliners or floorboards, but there are plenty of ocean sailing details, like inboard winches for safe trimming. The JPK 45 also has a brilliantly designed cockpit with an optional doghouse creating all-weather shelter, twin wheels and superb clutch and rope bin arrangement.

Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

For sailors who don’t mind exchanging a few creature comforts for downwind planing performance, the Pogo 50 offers double-digit surfing speeds for exhilarating tradewind sailing. There’s an open transom, tiller steering and no backstay or runners. The Pogo 50 also has a swing keel, to nose into shallow anchorages.

Seawind 1600

Seawinds are relatively unknown in Europe, but these bluewater cats are very popular in Australia. As would be expected from a Reichel-Pugh design, this 52-footer combines striking good looks and high performance, with fine entry bows and comparatively low freeboard. Rudders are foam cored lifting designs in cassettes, which offer straightforward access in case of repairs, while daggerboards are housed under the deck.

Best bluewater sailboats for families

It’s unsurprising that, for many families, it’s a catamaran that meets their requirements best of increased space – both living space and separate cabins for privacy-seeking teenagers, additional crew or visiting family – as well as stable and predictable handling.

Photo: Nicholas Claris

Undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories has been the Lagoon 450, which, together with boats like the Fountaine Pajot 44, helped drive up the popularity of catamaran cruising by making it affordable and accessible. They have sold in huge numbers – over 1,000 Lagoon 450s have been built since its launch in 2010.

The VPLP-designed 450 was originally launched with a flybridge with a near central helming position and upper level lounging areas (450F). The later ‘sport top’ option (450S) offered a starboard helm station and lower boom (and hence lower centre of gravity for reduced pitching). The 450S also gained a hull chine to create additional volume above the waterline. The Lagoon features forward lounging and aft cockpit areas for additional outdoor living space.

Besides being a big hit among charter operators, Lagoons have proven themselves over thousands of bluewater miles – there were seven Lagoon 450s in last year’s ARC alone. In what remains a competitive sector of the market, Lagoon has recently launched a new 46, with a larger self-tacking jib and mast moved aft, and more lounging areas.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Fountaine Pajot Helia 44

The FP Helia 44 is lighter, lower volume, and has a lower freeboard than the Lagoon, weighing in at 10.8 tonnes unloaded (compared to 15 for the 450). The helm station is on a mezzanine level two steps up from the bridgedeck, with a bench seat behind. A later ‘Evolution’ version was designed for liveaboard cruisers, featuring beefed up dinghy davits and an improved saloon space.

Available in three or four cabin layouts, the Helia 44 was also popular with charter owners as well as families. The new 45 promises additional volume, and an optional hydraulically lowered ‘beach club’ swim platform.

Photo: Arnaud De Buyzer / graphikup.com

The French RM 1370 might be less well known than the big brand names, but offers something a little bit different for anyone who wants a relatively voluminous cruising yacht. Designed by Marc Lombard, and beautifully built from plywood/epoxy, the RM is stiff and responsive, and sails superbly.

The RM yachts have a more individual look – in part down to the painted finish, which encourages many owners to personalise their yachts, but also thanks to their distinctive lines with reverse sheer and dreadnought bow. The cockpit is well laid out with the primary winches inboard for a secure trimming position. The interior is light, airy and modern, although the open transom won’t appeal to everyone.

For those wanting a monohull, the Hanse 575 hits a similar sweet spot to the popular multis, maximising accommodation for a realistic price, yet with responsive performance.

The Hanse offers a vast amount of living space thanks to the ‘loft design’ concept of having all the living areas on a single level, which gives a real feeling of spaciousness with no raised saloon or steps to accommodation. The trade-off for such lofty head height is a substantial freeboard – it towers above the pontoon, while, below, a stepladder is provided to reach some hatches.

Galley options include drawer fridge-freezers, microwave and coffee machine, and the full size nav station can double up as an office or study space.

But while the Hanse 575 is a seriously large boat, its popularity is also down to the fact that it is genuinely able to be handled by a couple. It was innovative in its deck layout: with a self-tacking jib and mainsheet winches immediately to hand next to the helm, one person could both steer and trim.

Direct steering gives a feeling of control and some tangible sailing fun, while the waterline length makes for rapid passage times. In 2016 the German yard launched the newer Hanse 588 model, having already sold 175 of the 575s in just four years.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Jeanneau 54

Jeanneau leads the way among production builders for versatile all-rounder yachts that balance sail performance and handling, ergonomics, liveaboard functionality and good looks. The Jeanneau 54 , part of the range designed by Philippe Briand with interior by Andrew Winch, melds the best of the larger and smaller models and is available in a vast array of layout options from two cabins/two heads right up to five cabins and three heads.

We’ve tested the Jeanneau 54 in a gale and very light winds, and it acquitted itself handsomely in both extremes. The primary and mainsheet winches are to hand next to the wheel, and the cockpit is spacious, protected and child-friendly. An electric folding swim and sun deck makes for quick fun in the water.

Nautitech Open 46

This was the first Nautitech catamaran to be built under the ownership of Bavaria, designed with an open-plan bridgedeck and cockpit for free-flowing living space. But with good pace for eating up bluewater miles, and aft twin helms rather than a flybridge, the Nautitech Open 46 also appeals to monohull sailors who prefer a more direct sailing experience.

Made by Robertson and Caine, who produce catamarans under a dual identity as both Leopard and the Sunsail/Moorings charter cats, the Leopard 45 is set to be another big seller. Reflecting its charter DNA, the Leopard 45 is voluminous, with stepped hulls for reduced waterline, and a separate forward cockpit.

Built in South Africa, they are robustly tested off the Cape and constructed ruggedly enough to handle heavy weather sailing as well as the demands of chartering.

Photo: Olivier Blanchet

If space is king then three hulls might be even better than two. The Neel 51 is rare as a cruising trimaran with enough space for proper liveaboard sailing. The galley and saloon are in the large central hull, together with an owner’s cabin on one level for a unique sensation of living above the water. Guest or family cabins lie in the outer hulls for privacy and there is a cavernous full height engine room under the cabin sole.

Performance is notably higher than an equivalent cruising cat, particularly in light winds, with a single rudder giving a truly direct feel in the helm, although manoeuvring a 50ft trimaran may daunt many sailors.

Beneteau Oceanis 46.1

A brilliant new model from Beneteau, this Finot Conq design has a modern stepped hull, which offers exhilarating and confidence-inspiring handling in big breezes, and slippery performance in lighter winds.

The Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 was the standout performer at this year’s European Yacht of the Year awards, and, in replacing the popular Oceanis 45, looks set to be another bestseller. Interior space is well used with a double island berth in the forepeak. An additional inboard unit creates a secure galley area, but tank capacity is moderate for long periods aboard.

Beneteau Oceanis 473

A popular model that offers beam and height in a functional layout, although, as with many boats of this age (she was launched in 2002), the mainsheet is not within reach of the helmsman.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49

The Philippe Briand-designed Sun Odyssey range has a solid reputation as family production cruisers. Like the 473, the Sun Odyssey 49 was popular for charter so there are plenty of four-cabin models on the market.

Nautitech 441

The hull design dates back to 1995, but was relaunched in 2012. Though the saloon interior has dated, the 441 has solid practical features, such as a rainwater run-off collection gutter around the coachroof.

Atlantic 42

Chris White-designed cats feature a pilothouse and forward waist-high working cockpit with helm position, as well as an inside wheel at the nav station. The Atlantic 42 offers limited accommodation by modern cat standards but a very different sailing experience.

Best bluewater sailing yachts for expeditions

Bestevaer 56.

All of the yachts in our ‘expedition’ category are aluminium-hulled designs suitable for high latitude sailing, and all are exceptional yachts. But the Bestevaer 56 is a spectacular amount of boat to take on a true adventure. Each Bestevaer is a near-custom build with plenty of bespoke options for owners to customise the layout and where they fall on the scale of rugged off-grid adventurer to 4×4-style luxury fit out.

The Bestevaer range began when renowned naval architect Gerard Dijkstra chose to design his own personal yacht for liveaboard adventure cruising, a 53-footer. The concept drew plenty of interest from bluewater sailors wanting to make longer expeditions and Bestevaers are now available in a range of sizes, with the 56-footer proving a popular mid-range length.

The well-known Bestevaer 56 Tranquilo  (pictured above) has a deep, secure cockpit, voluminous tanks (700lt water and over 1,100lt fuel) and a lifting keel plus water ballast, with classically styled teak clad decks and pilot house. Other owners have opted for functional bare aluminium hull and deck, some choose a doghouse and others a pilothouse.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The Boreal 52 also offers Land Rover-esque practicality, with utilitarian bare aluminium hulls and a distinctive double-level doghouse/coachroof arrangement for added protection in all weathers. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered, thanks to the mainsheet position on top of the doghouse, although for visibility in close manoeuvring the helmsman will want to step up onto the aft deck.

Twin daggerboards, a lifting centreboard and long skeg on which she can settle make this a true go-anywhere expedition yacht. The metres of chain required for adventurous anchoring is stowed in a special locker by the mast to keep the weight central. Down below has been thought through with equally practical touches, including plenty of bracing points and lighting that switches on to red light first to protect your night vision.

Photo: Morris Adant / Garcia Yachts

Garcia Exploration 45

The Garcia Exploration 45 comes with real experience behind her – she was created in association with Jimmy Cornell, based on his many hundreds of thousands of miles of bluewater cruising, to go anywhere from high latitudes to the tropics.

Arguably less of a looker than the Bestevaer, the Garcia Exploration 45 features a rounded aluminium hull, centreboard with deep skeg and twin daggerboards. The considerable anchor chain weight has again been brought aft, this time via a special conduit to a watertight locker in front of the centreboard.

This is a yacht designed to be lived on for extended periods with ample storage, and panoramic portlights to give a near 360° view of whichever extraordinary landscape you are exploring. Safety features include a watertight companionway door to keep extreme weather out and through-hull fittings placed above the waterline. When former Vendée Globe skipper Pete Goss went cruising , this was the boat he chose to do it in.

Photo: svnaima.com

A truly well-proven expedition design, some 1,500 Ovnis have been built and many sailed to some of the most far-flung corners of the world. (Jimmy Cornell sailed his Aventura some 30,000 miles, including two Drake Passage crossings, one in 50 knots of wind).

Futuna Exploration 54

Another aluminium design with a swinging centreboard and a solid enclosed pilothouse with protected cockpit area. There’s a chunky bowsprit and substantial transom arch to house all manner of electronics and power generation.

Previous boats have been spec’d for North West Passage crossings with additional heating and engine power, although there’s a carbon rig option for those that want a touch of the black stuff. The tanks are capacious, with 1,000lt capability for both fresh water and fuel.

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Best Boats for Ocean Boating

9 Best Ocean Boats

• Cabin Cruisers
• Center Consoles
• High-Performance Boats
• Motor Yachts/Power Cruisers
• Multi-Hull Powerboats (Catamarans)
• Sportfishing Yachts
• Walkarounds

Obviously, this is a wide range of boat types and which will be your personal best choice depends on how you plan to use your boat. If you enjoy saltwater fishing and you dream about hunting down huge pelagic trophy fish, this list of choices shrinks to include center consoles, sportfishing yachts, and walkarounds. But if you just want to go on dolphin- or whale-watching cruises or head down the coast to a new destination, one of the other types of boats will probably be a better pick.

In all of these cases, however, one thing’s for sure: you want to feel safe and confident in your boat’s abilities. To that end, there are some specific attributes any vessel needs if you plan to use it for ocean boating.

Explore Saltwater Fishing Boats

Must-Haves for Boating on the Ocean

First and foremost, any boat that goes through an inlet and into the ocean must be large enough and seaworthy enough to safely handle the conditions .

Just exactly what this means is a judgement call, because boating in the ocean can vary dramatically depending on the location and the weather. Wind speed, sea state, and the potential for storms (see Boat Handling: Riders on the Storm , to make sure you know what to do if you get caught in a sudden squall) all play a role in determining whether or not any boat can safely venture out into the ocean on any given day. That’s why checking the latest weather forecasts and paying close attention to changing conditions is absolutely critical. So, how can one say which are the best boats for ocean boating, in this regard? You simply can’t—the correct answers change from day to day and place to place.

Being properly equipped with safety, communications, and navigational gear is another necessity.

You can check out Boat Safety Checklist & Safety Equipment to see the must-haves as well as recommended safety gear, but in addition, most experienced captains would agree that a VHF radio should be on each and every boat entering the ocean. Naturally you also need to have a full understanding of how to use it; see How to Use a VHF Radio , to get the scoop. And remember that when you’re in the ocean, losing sight of land is almost always a possibility be it due to distance, haze, or fog. In any case you’ll need to be able to find your way back to that inlet, so GPS should also be considered a must-have. In fact, it’s critical for anyone captaining a boat in the ocean to have a firm grasp on how to navigate a boat with and without the assistance of electronics.

Another critical factor for boats used in the ocean is that they’re designed and built with corrosion-resistant hardware.

Most of the boat types we’ve listed above will have stainless-steel fittings and fasteners, but if you take a boat that was intended for freshwater use and put it in the ocean, you’ll likely have corrosion streaks and deteriorating hardware starting on day one. In just a season or two, serious damage can occur.

Fuel economy and fuel capacity also become important issues to consider when ocean boating.

Remember, the ocean is essentially limitless when you’re on a boat, and while a boat may be perfectly competent to take offshore, some will burn a lot more fuel than others doing so. There are many high-performance boats, for example, that are designed for offshore racing, can handle heavy seas, and are equipped to navigate beyond sight of land. But those big engines need to be fed lots of fuel, and this can mean range restrictions. If the captain miscalculates his or her range, running out of fuel is a much bigger problem than it would be ashore. On the flip side of the equation, some sailboats can travel for literally thousands of miles while requiring little to no fuel. When calculating range for your own boat, most experts advise accounting for a bare minimum of 10-percent of fuel capacity in reserve, and some suggest it’s safest to plan in as much as one-third in reserve.

What are the Best Boats for Ocean Boating?

As is usually the case when it comes to boating in general, the answer to the above question will be different from one person to the next. But we can say one thing for sure: if you have a boat that’s appropriately sized, designed, built, and equipped for ocean boating, you should consider giving it a try. Because the experience of fishing, cruising, or just observing nature outside of the inlet is an amazing adventure that many people in this world never get to enjoy—and that’s one more reason why the boating life is indeed a better life.

Read Next: Best Family Boats

You Might Also Like:

• Best Boats for Beginners
• Best Small Sailboats for Beginners
• When is the Best Time to Buy a Boat?
• The Ultimate Boat Buyer's Guide
• Small Boats: What Are My Options?

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10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 20, 2023

‍ There's no denying that sailors are certainly a passionate bunch. We’re so passionate about our boats that we always try going for the best sailboats. To make it a lot easier for you, here are the best sailboat brands.

Owning a sailboat is an indulgence that many of us only dream about but very few ever have the privilege of sailing the seas in what they can actually call their own.

While there's nothing wrong with renting a sailboat, the honor of owning one is certain what many sailors dream of.

With a perfectly crafted sailboat as company, gliding through the water, waves, and wind brings some sort of unmatched comfort and peace.

Add this to the fact that sailing takes you far away from the daily hustles and bustles that we've become accustomed to in our daily lives and you'll see why the life of sailing is very appealing to the masses.

But without a proper sailboat, all this fun and the good life of sailing are thrown out of the window.

Contrary to the widespread opinion, owning a sailboat isn't beyond anyone's reach. It's something that we can all achieve. But before getting into that, it's important to know some of the best sailboat brands.

The best sailboat brands will make your life as a sailor a lot easier and more fun. The best sailboat brands have, for decades if not centuries, mastered the art of woodworking. They've dedicated their skills and immense amount of their time to designing and manufacturing nothing but the best quality of sailboats in the industry.

So if you've been looking for the best sailboat brands from all over the world, you've come to the right place. We'll discuss the best of the best, something that will give you a perfect getaway from your normal life.

Table of contents

‍ Must-Have Features for Your Sailboat

Before highlighting the best sailboat brands, it would be appropriate to jog your mind a little with some of the features that must be available in your sailboat.

Choosing a sailboat can sometimes be a matter of compromises. In other words, it's sometimes sensible to accept that a sailboat cannot have all the features that you desire.

As such, it's all about going with a sailboat that has the features that matter to you most.

For this reason, let's look at the most basic features that can make the difference in both safety and comfort while improving your sailing experience.

A Safe and Comfortable Sailing Cockpit

You'll most definitely be spending a huge amount of time in the cockpit. Whether you're keeping watch, trimming sails , helming, or just enjoying the scenery, there's no better place to do all these than from the cockpit. That being said, a good cockpit should have the following.

• Have a good depth for safety reasons and adequate drainage
• Should give you a quick and easy access to jammers, cleats, and other important parts of the winch system
• Should have a seat or seats that are about 35 cm high, 50 to 55 cm wide to provide ideal support
• The seats should be adjustable to offer maximum comfort and allow you to change your position

GPS Chartplotter

Use a GPS Chartplotter once and your sailing will never be the same without it. It not only allows you to map a course but is also a great way of ensuring that your sailboat exactly follows that course. It also gives you constant updates on ocean conditions, weather conditions , and potential hazards such as deadly currents and sandbars.

A GPS Chartplotter is also an important safety device that can help you in some very critical situations while out there on the water.

For instance, it has a man-overboard button that is essentially meant to allow you to receive coordinates of the exact location should someone fall off your boat.

Electric Winch System

This is an amazing addition to any sailboat. It allows you to sheet a jib even in high and strong winds with a simple press of a button. It also gives you the chance of trimming a mainsail easily while still carry out other essential tasks in the sailboat.

An electric winch system can be of great importance, especially if you're short on crew. This is because it can free up some crew members to carry other important tasks. In other words, it can make duties that would otherwise require more crew members a lot easier.

More importantly, an electric winch system can maintain safety even in the roughest of conditions, thereby preventing you and your crew from getting injured. In essence, an electric winch system will make your sailing a lot safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable.

Reverse Osmosis Watermaker

This is a very valuable accessory, especially if you're going on long sea voyages. You can spend days on end without drinking clean and safe water.

As the name suggests, you can use this accessory to turn seawater into purified drinking water. It uses the reverse osmosis method that's essential not only in removing bacteria and parasites from the water but also in turning the water into purified and safe drinking water.

Even though this device is pricey, it's a great way to mitigate the over-reliance on huge water tanks. All you have to do is to ensure that it's properly maintained and you'll have an endless streak of safe drinking water no matter where you are.

Wide and Clutter-free Deck

While the deck is often an overlooked feature of a sailboat, it can be the difference between a great sailing experience and a stressful one. In essence, the deck of a sailboat should be wide enough and clutter-free.

This is significant as it can enable you to quickly access different parts of your sailboat with hindrance or getting tangled. As you can see, this is particularly important in improving safety and reducing stress.

With that in mind, make sure that the deck is organized in such a way that you can have easy access to sails, masts, and winches.

You should, therefore, avoid sailboats with decks that are designed in such a way that you have to climb on top of the cabin just to access these features. Needless to say, this can be quite unstable and very dangerous especially when conditions are rough.

The Best Sailboat Brands and Why

1. hallberg-rassy.

Hallberg-Rassy is a Swedish yacht maker that's very well-known in the blue water cruising circles for making some of the highest quality and sturdiest sailboats. For many sailors, this is the number one sailboat brand as it offers absolute comfort, utmost safety, and good and easy handling.

This brand is not only synonymous with sturdy construction but you won't worry getting soaking wet while out there on the water. This is because it has a well-protected deck and cockpit, finished with nice woodwork, and has a powerful engine with a big tankage just to ensure that you can go on long voyages.

When designing its sailboats, this brand has made it a norm to add some features that stand out from the rest. For instance, the bowsprit is an integral feature that makes sailing a Hallberg-Rassy quite easy and much enjoyable. This is because it grants easy access to and from the deck. Its electric anchor winches facilitate smooth maneuvering. Even more, its large steering wheels makes it much easier to control the boat even in the roughest of conditions. In essence, this brand has features that provide good control and an extra sense of safety.

Although this brand has evolved over the years, you'll easily recognize it even from a distance. And why is this? A Hallberg-Rassy never goes out of style. This is a unique sailboat brand that has always stayed true to its principles and concept. No matter which part of the world you go, Hallberg-Rassy will remain the undisputed king of blue water cruising.

2. Nautor's Swan

For over 50 years, Nautor's Swan has endlessly raised the sailing levels by designing and manufacturing new sailboat models that not only push the boundaries but also meet that many requirements and demands of sailors across the world. Thanks to its wide range of seaworthy, timeless, elegant, and highly-performing sailboats, the Nautor's Swan remains one of the best if not the best sailboat makers in the world.

Based in Jakobstad, Finland, this brand has severally set the industry standard with its speedy and sleek models such as the Swan 48, Swan 65, Swan 98, Swan 78, and Swan 120. These models have one thing in common: they never compromise on safety. As a brand that puts safety first, it ensures that its models are made of foam-cored glass fiber and reinforced both with carbon-fiber and epoxy. In essence, Nautor's Swan is widely revered for its unmatched seafaring and safety records.

Additionally, Nautor's Swan models are incredibly responsive. You can easily tell this just by the feel of the wheel. This brand has models that will gracefully slice through the biggest of waves with ease. That's not all; the interior of these models that are very comfortable even when the going gets tough. This is, without a doubt, a brand that strives to create self-contained worlds with each model.

3. Beneteau

This is perhaps the most selling sailboat brand in the world. For over a century now, this brand has based its models in a combination of simplicity and performance. This is a brand that will serve you just right across all latitudes and in all circumstances. Whether you prefer the Oceanis Yacht 62 or the Figaro Beneteau 3, this brand will never let you down on all fronts.

This brand revolves around a simple concept of creating a link around the world. From the deck space to its design and light, this brand does everything possible not just to uniformly transform life at sea but also to open doors to new horizons in a very luxurious yet practical way. Its models are designed with clear deck plans, stable hulls, simplified maneuvering and interior materials and equipment that can be easily personalized.

Whether you're looking for a racing sailboat or something that's designed to explore and enjoy the world in the company of friends and family, Beneteau is a true combination of sensations and simplicity. This is a brand that brings to the seas fun, simplicity, smartness, toughness, safety, intuitiveness, as well as dazzling reinvention.

4. Amel Yachts

Based on the ethos of designing and manufacturing comfortable, robust, and easy-to-handle boats, this French brand has, for over five decades, offered sailors and other sailing enthusiasts the perfect opportunity to explore the seas with the utmost quality, comfort, and more importantly, safety.

Using 100% French know-how, this brand has brought to the sailing world some of the best boats such as the Santorini, the Mango, the Super Maramu, and the Maramu. We would be doing this brand total injustice if we said that they're distinctive. Truth be told, there's nothing comparable to an Amel model. Well Amel was and still is, the ultimate standard by which other sailboat models are measured.

From items such as electric winches and furling, to generators, Watermaker , and washing machine down to the simplest of items such as towels. Spare filters, bathrobes, deck brush, and a boat safe, the Amel is in reality with what the real life of a sailor is and should be.

Although some may say that Amel still has room for improvement in terms of specifications and personalization, it cannot be denied that the Amel is a serious brand that designs and manufactures complete boats. With this brand, you'll be guaranteed of a higher degree of reliability, safety, and an edge of fun while out there on the water.

5. Hinckley Yachts

Based in Maine, United States, Hinckley Yachts is a brand that has been building robust, luxury, and safe sailboats for more than 90 years now. In its sailboat class, you'll find several sailboats that have classic shapes, inner strength, dramatic lines, and features that are absolutely essential in dealing with the challenges of the North Atlantic.

This brand has been successful in integrating impeccable craftsmanship with new technologies to ensure that their models always stand out while articulating advanced sailing practices, timeless aesthetic, robust construction, and the utmost safety. Whether you choose the Bermuda 50, the Sou'wester 53 or any model for that matter, you'll never be short of advanced performance based on the best design and technology.

In terms of features, this brand provides sailboat models with modern performance hulls. These hulls are constructed with inner layers of carbon, outer layers of Kevlar, and are aligned with computer-designed load paths. Every feature is designed without compromising comfort.

To this end, this brand offers you a perfect combination of both fun and sail. This brand offers more than just sailing. Instead, it offers a unique sailing experience that's combined with the pure joys of sailing in the blue waters with an ease of ownership and maneuverability.

6. Oyster Yachts

If you've been looking for luxury more than anything else, Oyster Yachts provides you with numerous solutions. This British brand is widely known for manufacturing a wide range of luxury cruising sailing yachts. Its sailboats are among the finest in the world and are immensely capable of taking you to some of the far-flung places in the world without having to worry about high winds and hellish waves.

Whether you choose the iconic Oyster 565 or the immense Oyster 595 you never fall short of experiencing the new world like never before. These are models that will enable you to own your adventure, choose your destination, set your courses, pick your anchorage, and stay safe at all times. If you want to hold the wheel and pull the sail while feeling the tang of salt spray on your face, Oyster Yachts is the way to go.

This is, unquestionably, a brand that's meant for you if you want to explore the seas in comfort, luxury and utmost safety. From craftsmanship, sailboat design, to hull, deck, and keel configurations, everything is designed to allow you to circumnavigate the world in comfort, elegance, and style.

7. Tartan Yachts

Based in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, there's arguably no better to begin your sailing adventures than with a sailboat designed and manufactured by Tartan Yachts. With several award-winning designs and construction, this brand is widely known for providing easy handling, great performance, and an ultimately stable platform.

This brand always strives to deliver a unique and the best possible experience to every sailor. As a brand, Tartan fully understands that every sailor has his/her unique sailing needs. As such every component of their models is designed with engineering levels that guarantee optimum performance, excellent on-deck visibility, and luxurious interior.

From the Tartan 5300, the Tartan 4300, the Tartan 345 to the New 365 and the Fantail, this brand makes it a priority to ensure that its models are among the strongest, lightest, and more importantly, the safest in the sailing industry. In essence, this brand can be ideal if you appreciate performance. It has rewarding sailing features both in narrow water lines and wider passages. Add this to its easy handling and you'll have a top-notch performer in virtually every condition.

8. Catalina Yachts

As one of the most popular boat manufacturers in the world, this American brand is widely revered for building the sturdiest boats that can hold up perfectly well in real-world conditions. These are generally family-oriented boats that are intelligently designed to ensure that your entire family can have fun out there on the water.

Some of the models include the cruiser series such as the Catalina 315, the Catalina 385, the Catalina 425 while the sport series include the Catalina 12.5 Expo, the Catalina 16.5, and the Catalina 14.2 Expo. As the current winner of the "Boat of the Year" Cruising World, you'll rarely go wrong with a Catalina model.

It offers a wide range of sailboat sizes that suits your lifestyle. This brand makes it a priority to ensure that all their models are not only safe but offer the best ownership and sailing experience. If anything, this brand is widely known to have one of the most excellent resale values in the sailing industry.

9. Island Packet Yachts

From the IP 525, the IP 439 to the IP 379, the Island Packet Yachts is a brand that encourages its customers not to keep the world waiting. This brand is meant for sailors who want to explore the world in utmost comfort and safety.

The first thing you'll notice in an IP sailboat is its large aft deck. This is not only perfect for sunbathing but can also serve you well if you want an impromptu dinner with friends and family while out there on the water. The living space is also large enough to carry most of your belongings, which is an added advantage especially if you've been planning to spend longer periods in the seas.

With modern evolution and refinement, as well as proven features, this brand is known to offer sailors maximum comfort, luxury, and safety. You'll have better access to the cockpit, have enough space, and are excellently designed to provide superior seafaring and the best features to enable you to spend extended periods when cruising.

10. Sparkman & Stephens

For more than 90 years, Sparkman & Stephens has been at the forefront of the belief that sailboat excellence goes beyond hull lines and deck plans. Instead, this brand believes in excellent naval architecture, innovation, sophistication, and beauty. This is a brand that has laid the foundation of sailboat as a sport not just in America but all over the world.

These models have graced the world for decades and bring immense pleasure to their owners in terms of innovation, performance, and excellence. Though rooted in tradition, the brand has pushed sophistication, technology, and sailing experience to a whole new level. You'll be a proud owner of the Sparkman & Stephens model.

There you have it; these are the best sailboat brands in the world. Although there are several other sailboat brands to choose from, the-above described brands stand shoulder above others in terms of quality, safety, performances and luxury.

Hopefully, you're at a much better place when it comes to choosing a sailboat that suits your lifestyle, needs, and budget .

Happy sailing!

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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What makes a Sailing Yacht seaworthy? Skipper´s Basics.

• April 15th, 2016
• Sailing Skills

There´s virtually no review of a sailing yacht nor a blog entry, sailing-related book or documentary which won´t refer in one way or another to this topic: Seaworthiness. Of course, that´s the one main thing of concern when looking at a boat, at the latest from the infamous sinking of the Swedish galleon VASA in 1628. Due to the blatant absence of seaworthiness. I try to dig deeper into that subject by reading a bunch of books and asking pro-skipper Tim Kröger : In this edition it´s the shape of the hull and especially the keel which is of most interest to me. I take the chance to photograph the different types of keels and hulls of sailing yachts in the winter storage  where my own yacht did overwinter to inspect the characteristics of each face to face.

The traditional Full-Keel Boat

Do you have sailors like this one in your circle of friends: A close buddy of mine, owner of a 1970ies built Danish Biance once said speaking of his boat that he would never go for anything else than a full keel boat. Her behavior in rough seas, her rigidity and stalwart character would be unrivalled, he argues: “There´s nothing better than a full keel sailing yacht”, he insists. Really? What is that fuzz all about? Sure, a full keel yacht – also referred to as the classic yacht design – produces a full bodied hull, fine lines and bears resemblance to the old school square rigged vessels of the past. Some of the greatest adventures in yachting – such as the Golden Globe Race Around the World  with such glamorous characters like Robin Knox-Johnston or Bernard Moitessier  – have been accomplished with full keel sailing yachts.

A full keel sailing yacht does feature a high displacement, most of it being beneath the waterline thus creating a big lateral plan. With a full keel yacht one can therefore imagine the whole keel from bow to stern as one huge rudder stabilizing the whole ship, making it virtually immune against forces like tidal currents or other drift-provoking mechanisms of the seas: A full keeled boat will hold course steadily, and this especially well when it gets rough. Tim Kröger agrees: “For sure, a full keel yacht easy to handle. The wetted surface is huge so her behavior in the sea is very inertial, rendering this type of vessel very forgiving. Conducting maneuvers is easy because the hull takes time to react: Skippers, especially leisure-oriented sailors favor long keels because ships like these have a safe feeling built in.”

But there are downsides to: “You see, there is no such thing as the most seaworthy or the perfect boat.”, Tim Kröger resumes: “Each type of hull is made for a special use, special circumstances and special abilities of her crew. Comparing a full keel boat of 1970 so a thoroughbred carbon racer with a canting keel of our present times is like looking at a 1914 built triplane and the Eurofighter.” Concerning the full keel boat, it´s her clumsiness – creating a feeling of safety in heavy weather – that incorporates her disadvantages as well. “To be honest: She won´t sail that fast. That´s because her huge wetted surface creates a lot of drag. She won´t go as high up to the wind as modern designs can.”, Tim says and finally: “She is not a boat to win a regatta with.” But ships are a thing for the man´s heart and that´s a question of beauty as well. We all know, beauty lies within the eye of the beholder and I must admit I can see a lot of elegancy in her fine lines. I can very much appreciate my friend´s love to his Bianca as well and his dedication to the easy handling and safe sailing with this kind of ship.

Modern Cruisers: Shoal Keels for Convenience

Right next to the full keel classic sailing yacht the distinct three white stripes at the waterline do unmistakably mark the sleek hull as an X-Yacht. She is a true beauty, 42 to 44 feet at least. I admire X-Yachts (like almost everybody of us I assume) and here I have the present day concept of a hull/keel-configuration which is incorporated in every yacht since the late eighties or so: The shoal keel or L-keel made for cruising. This type of keel-construction mostly features a cast iron-construction bolted to the hull – or to a strengthening grid made of metal or carbon laminated into the hull – with lead concentrated at the lowermost end. These keels do bare – seen from the front – a relatively thick width which is a constructive necessity: Shoal or L-keels have to fulfill two jobs at one time.

“A keel´s primary function is to form the center of gravity by concentrating a lot of mass as deep down below the hull as possible”, Tim Kröger explains: “On the other hand a cruising sailor wants to enter shallow lonely bays and inlets to drop anchor. Besides, a lot of marinas won´t offer depths with more than 3 meters. So a shallow keel is needed – which makes the construction shorter.” But to have a shorter keel and applying the same weight-ballast ratio at the same time means to put more weight into the keel: That increases the overall weight. An L-keel is, like everything about a boat, a compromise. L-keels are perfect for cruising: Entering shallow waters is possible, the keel´s construction is sturdy and massive so hitting an underwater object or running aground won´t do much harm (hopefully) and stuff like seagrass and weed won´t entangle with the keel due to the L-form.

“These boats do have less wetted surface as the full keel boat, so stability and holding a course steadily will be ensured by the keel and a relatively large-area rudder”, Tim Kröger explains. “These boats do behave very vivid, can go higher up to the wind as are fun to sail upwind.” At the same time a shoal keel-boat is also easy to control but demands skills as well: “Modern constructions draw their stability from speed”, Tim says: “When the flat hull won´t have too much influence on stability anymore this has to be substituted by something. This is: Speed. You may take this comparison as example”, says Tim: “A large wing with a lot of surface area of an old double-decker plane creates lift and stability at relatively low speeds. The tiny triangle wings of a modern day jetfighter will create lift and stability only when streamed in fast by the air. So speed creates safety on modern boats.” On the other hand, Tim admits, controlling these boats at low speeds when berthing for example requires skills – such a hull may be blown off course easily.

IOR-Yacht: Fin Keel and Full Skeg Rudder

Judging between the old school concept of the full keel boat and the shoal keel modern day cruiser is of no question for me because I do already own a yacht: It´s a 1975 built Fiskars King´s Cruiser 33 , a boat constructed by the then common IOR-Rule: Wide and beamy hull with a fin keel and a full skeg rudder. One can see this as the connecting piece in boat construction. The fin keel does incorporate all the advantages of modern day yachts by keeping some of the full keeled-boat´s good-naturedness because the hull does bring a substantial share of displacement below waterline as well. At the same time, wetted surface is reduced substantially making these cruisers – still today – popular among cruiser-sailors and nostalgic regatta-oriented skippers.

The full skeg does function as guard for the rudder itself: The second line of defense if you will. The massive keel is the first, the skeg the second barrier to crush before something can do harm or damage the rudder. I don´t have too much sailing skills and experience by myself but what I´ve experienced so far does support Tim´s claims: When operating the very flat bottomed motor vessel when doing my yachtmaster exam  I noticed the boats extradition to wind blowing it off course: No wetted surface under water. When maneuvering my own SY OLIVIA through our marina for craning it was a lot better to hold her on course despite the relatively strong winds during that particular day.

IOR-yachts and the so called “GRP-classics” with fin keel and skeg rudders are of course way outdated today, no question about that, but they can – alongside their fellow full-keel-sisters – sustain a certain share in the world´s cruising fleet. But there have been numerous improvements in terms of hull design and keel construction in particular, leaving my Kingscruiser 33 and her IOR-fellows only the part of riding out the tail waves of the much faster modern day boats.

Fast & stable: The deep T-Keel and Spade Rudder

Which brings us to the performance end of the row: The T-keel. Having had the chance to visit X-Yachts in Haderslev/Denmark last week (you can definitely look forward to this upcoming article!) I took some pics of these keels. Flemming Ancher of X-Yachts, who was investing some 4 hours to show me around and answer all of my questions, also had some interesting facts on these. To have the full performance of a state-of-the-art yacht like the XP44 for example unfold, it is advised to opt for the deep T-Keel. This puts the center of gravity very much down below the hull thus creating a very strong lever arm – by saving weight in the same instance. Because the leverage is bigger the weight of the lead bomb can be further reduced without sacrificing stability.

Tim Kröger says: “Of course, these modern performance-oriented boats with a lot of potential do only live up to the expectations when driven accordingly. That means: Speed. But here´s the skipper coming into the game. Most of these do seem to have a kind of fear against bigger sail-area up in the wind. But modern boats need speed.” He argues that in his mind some owners of modern performance-cruisers tend to reduce sail too early because sailing fast requires a lot of skills and attention. “It´s nerve-racking, and it needs dedication and skills. But that´s what these boats are made for.” The T-keel features a long but very thin iron foil with a streamlined bomb at the bottom. When crafted properly this kind of keel delivers the best leverage power for a maximum righting momentum plus least weight with most performance.

Again: Having such a keel means that this keel – together with the rudder – will only stabilize the boat when a certain and in this case very strong stream of water is created. That means it needs speed. “It´s hard to grasp that a ship is safer the faster it sails,” says Tim Kröger, “but it´s definitely the truth here. Besides, speed is another safety factor, because it gives you more options when plotting courses to avoid foul weather  or reach safe harbors in time.” He resumes: “To give an impression: When berthing our TP52 racing yacht we regularly ran her astern with 3 knots into the box. People standing by thought we were mentally ill – but speed adds to safety here. Slower would have meant to fall victim to crosswinds, losing pressure on the rudders.”

In Brief: What´s a seaworthy Yacht?

When it comes to seaworthiness, a modern T-keel boat is as safe as the sturdy full keel-yacht: “If the skipper can handle the boat properly and has the skills, from my point of view it is really not a matter of which keel a boat features.”, says Tim Kröger. Of course, when looking at the diagrams showing stability curves for different boats it´s crystal clear: A classic full keel yacht should, in terms of capsize and “good manor” in heavy weather, get the label as most seaworthy. But why then aren´t all the yachts built like Colin Archer´s double enders?

I understand that hull-forms and keel-variations is just one factor of deciding which boat would be the safest. I think, it is comparable with sports cars: If you can handle 450 horsepower the Porsche GT without any airbags can be driven as safely as a Volvo Diesel family car. So, is it the skipper who makes the difference?

Thanks again Tim Kröger for answering all my questions on Skipper´s Basics

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The Best-Riding Center Console Boats for Rough Water

• By Heather Steinberger
• Updated: April 7, 2020

We’ve all been there. A headwind pipes up, and choppy, rough seas dance between you and your destination. You throttle up; you throttle back. You try to help your boat find its comfort zone, and you do your best to quarter the waves.

Inevitably, though, there are those stomach-dropping lurches and the slamming that clenches your muscles and rattles your dental work. Despite your best efforts, you can’t ignore the bangs down below, the ones that make the hull shudder. The ones that make you fervently hope that everyone involved with building this boat did a good job.

That’s a rough ride, even for a rough water boat. And it has happened to all of us, so let’s be honest. Not every boat can provide a soft, smooth ride in snotty conditions, no matter what the glossy brochures say.

We asked three prominent boat designers, and their answers provided much food for thought — regarding how to choose a vessel that’s going to provide a smooth ride, best boat for rough seas, the compromises and trade-offs inherent in your choice, and whether a smooth ride is even what you should be looking for in the first place.

Comparing Displacement and Planing Boat Hulls

Dave Gerr founded New York City-based Gerr Marine Inc. in 1983. He’s designed a broad range of recreational boats and commercial vessels, both monohull and multihull. When it comes to designing a soft-riding hull, he immediately pointed out that there are different sets of criteria for displacement hulls and planing hulls.

Displacement hulls, he noted, don’t pound the way a planing hull will, so they automatically provide a softer ride. To maximize this, designers need to ensure three things: a good roll time, good heave characteristics and deadrise forward.

“For the roll time, we have a formula,” Gerr said. “Every boat has a natural roll period, which is 1 to 1.1 seconds times the boat’s beam in meters. If it’s slower than that, you’ll get that drunken motion. If it’s faster, it’s going to feel snappy and uncomfortable.”

For example, a boat with a 6.7-foot beam ideally should have an approximately two-second roll time. And, Gerr added, a reasonable deadrise forward will make the vessel even more comfortable.

The formula for heave, however, is more complicated. It involves the weight of the boat and the water plane area. The lighter the boat is, and the greater its water plane area, the greater the heave motion will be.

“A wide boat with a large water plane will bounce up and down violently,” Gerr said, “but if you have a small water plane compared to the boat’s weight, that heave will be slow. If it heaves too slowly, you’ve got a wet boat.

“You want to have your roll time and heave in the target region, and then add that deadrise forward,” he continued, “so you won’t have pounding in chop.”

For a planing hull this is hard to achieve. By nature, these hulls are snappy and heave more while trolling or drifting; planing cancels that out, but you can still pound.

“What you really want is more deadrise,” Gerr said. “Just remember: The greater the deadrise, the slower the boat [for the same weight and engine]. That deep-V hull is going to need more power.”

A designer, he said, has to juggle power and what is good deadrise on a boat for optimum comfort.

“You put a deep, high deadrise at the forefoot to get the boat to lift its bow out of the water, or you’ll have steering problems,” he said. “You design it so it planes higher, and then you control it with trim tabs so you won’t trip over that forefoot.”

Deadrise is a difficult thing to visually assess at a boat show or in a dealer’s showroom, so how can a boater ascertain if a soft ride was a design priority? Gerr said the length-to-beam ratio is a dead giveaway.

“A long, slender hull is going to have a softer ride, as long as the designer got the roll time right,” he stated. “A wide, shallow hull isn’t going to perform as well. And if you’ve got a high superstructure, you’re going to have increased roll and handling problems.”

Of course, less displacement means it’s a smaller boat inside. You’re going to have to go longer to get the same live-aboard space as that shorter, wider, taller boat next door, but the good news is that your boat is going to be faster and more fuel-efficient than the fat, high version of the same length.

If you are talking deadrise, Gerr said he likes to see a minimum of 17 degrees for offshore boats, although he observed that’s still a bit shallow. Deep-V hulls are considered to be 21 degrees or more. Consider this if you’re looking for the best deadrise for rough water.

“I’d say look for a deadrise of more than 20 degrees,” he advised, “and a length-to-beam ratio on the waterline that is greater than 3.5 to 1. Those two characteristics give you a pretty good idea that the design is intended for a soft ride.”

How Does a Boat Hull Handle in Following Seas?

Michael Peters founded Sarasota, Florida-based Michael Peters Yacht Design (MPYD) in 1981. Originally specializing in high-speed boats and offshore racing, MPYD now brings its fusion of performance and aesthetic standards to a wide variety of boat designs. When asked about the search for the perfect soft-riding boat, Peters laughed.

“Think of these ideals: soft-riding, dry and fast,” he said. “Now, pick two.”

The softer-riding a boat is, the wetter it is, because it doesn’t confront the wave. Rather, it splits it. If you want to knock the water down and push it away, then you’ll feel the impact. Boaters clearly need to consider these trade-offs when seeking a soft-riding vessel, but Peters has a more important cautionary tale to share. It’s natural to think of head seas and a soft-riding hull together in the same scenario — but what happens when the boat turns around?

“That’s a different story,” Peters said. “Following seas can pick up the stern, and the sharp angle and deadrise can cause the boat to bow-steer and broach. That’s a much more dangerous situation. It’s uncomfortable to hit the seas on the nose, but it won’t kill you. Boats go out of control in following seas, not head seas.”

Simply put, a hull that is too pointy forward and too flat aft will have an increased risk of broaching. Boaters should look for a hull with deadrise spread evenly — no extremes, such as a professional offshore racing boat’s sharp deadrise throughout the hull. The best boat hull for rough seas must be able to handle following seas.

“If you’re going to have fine forward sections, you’ll balance the hull by putting a lot of deadrise aft,” Peters explained. “You’re looking for recovery, a bow that doesn’t plunge and that can regain its buoyancy in a following sea.

“In our forward sections, we always run a convex section that’s puffed out,” he continued. “Some curvature helps dissipate wave energy and impact. Concave sections look like they’ll provide a softer ride, but they actually focus the energy.”

Peters’ advice to boaters is twofold. First, avoid those extremes. They’re not necessary for most recreational boaters. And second, make sure you have a good grasp of where and how you’re going to use the boat. An offshore cruising boat might not be the best choice for a river or inland lake.

“Lakes can be much harder for running a boat than the ocean, where you have long swells rather than steep, breaking seas,” Peters said. “Just make sure you’ve planned for the worst conditions you’ll run in, not the best, and never, ever sign a contract without running the boat in the intended conditions.”

Some boats, he said, are not designed to be the best boat . Sometimes the goal is to provide the best accommodations for the hull’s length and beam, which can mean creating a vessel that has a lot of windage, high freeboard, a high center of gravity and a very wide beam for its length.

“We don’t get to design the best boat in all cases,” Peters said. “No perfect boat? No kidding. But every boat appeals to somebody. One guy might love this particular boat, and he wants that 6-foot-4-inch headroom, while another guy is going to hate the compromises.”

“You always have to be aware that the more you emphasize space, the less boat it’s going to be,” he warned. “And it’s counterintuitive, but what looks good might not be good at all.”

Peters also advised inquiring about a preferred design’s origins. Was it designed in-house at the boatbuilding facility? Was it designed by a naval architect? What are his or her credentials?

“Some people might not care, but it will help you better understand the design,” he said. “With a car, we accept that all the engineering is done correctly, and we can choose our favorite based on appeal alone. With a boat, you should think about engineering and stability calculations, not just styling.”

Finally, Peters noted that good hull designs stand the test of time. With most major advancements taking place in hybrids, like stepped hulls and multihulls, the average boat owner is going to be looking at hull designs that haven’t changed much in 20 or 30 years. And that’s OK.

“Most people just want a good family boat,” he said. “I’d say stay in the middle. The hull should look familiar. That hull from 30 years ago is still a good hull.”

A Boat’s Soft Ride is Subjective

Peter Granata, owner of Palmetto Bluff, South Carolina-based Granata Design , has been designing boats since the early 1970s. With a number of award-winning designs and patented ideas under his belt, he’s firm in his conviction that the soft-ride discussion really shouldn’t be about the boat. It’s about the people involved.

“First of all, the hull ride is felt rather than measured,” he said. “And, it’s based very much on your own individual perception of what the boat looks like and what you expect it to deliver, plus your experience up to that point. It’s very subjective.”

Soft can be a relative term. A boater who is downsizing from a 60-foot yacht to a 30-foot pocket cruiser might find the smaller boat has the worst ride he’s experienced to date, whereas a boater jumping up from a 16-footer will say that 30-footer provides the best ride he’s ever had.

The most important questions a boater can ask, Granata said, are: How well does this design meet its intended purpose, and what can it do for me?

He provided a wakeboard boat as an example. The expectation is for thrills, not the softness of the ride.

“Soft ride is certainly a measurement when it comes to boat design, but it’s not the only one,” he said. “A designer should manage the ride aspect to meet the customer’s expectation. Does the boat do what it’s intended to do?”

The idea is that ride is less important than function, based on customer priorities. If you’re headed offshore and a dry ride is your No. 1 priority, you’ll want to make sure the hull has enough flare to ensure that the water follows the hull and travels outboard rather than over the deck. If you’re an angler, you might look for hull cutaways in the right spots to support the design’s self-bailing characteristics. Bass anglers seek extra buoyancy forward to support their weight.

With “dockominiums,” deep deadrise is unnecessary because owners place a higher priority on stability at rest, accommodations and space for entertaining. And with water-sports boats, the wake is all-important. Without that, the hull is worthless.

“We get so wrapped up in the specifics of hull generation that we forget someone has to buy it and spend time in it,” Granata said. “A designer has to know how the boat will be used, and you do as well. The boat is for you, not for the guy who made it.”

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What makes a boat seaworthy?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

Come sail with us!

You’re out shopping for a blue water cruising boat and people keep telling you it needs to be seaworthy, but what makes a boat seaworthy and able of Blue Water Cruising? 

Everyone has their own taste, level of comfort and size of the wallet – but here are some of the key things I feel are important when looking for an ocean-going boat.

Seaworthy to me means:

⚓︎ She will self-righten herself when turned over by a wave (Catamarans are an exception here, but definitely something to consider when choosing one over a monohull! ) 

⚓︎ The Keel and Rudder construction are strong enough to withstand hitting something while sailing and also while running aground –  although I would recommend not doing this! (there are some islands and anchorages in the world that are badly charted and it’s almost unavoidable to hit something while navigating through – obviously very slowly! 

⚓︎ The mast and rigging will survive a knockdown (this is when the mast hits the water) 

⚓︎ She can be closed and shut down to be completely watertight – even while submerged and with waves pounding.

⚓︎ She will be able to fall off a 20ft wave without damage – this means a very solid construction, enough bulkheads and everything laminated or welded together to ensure for a solid construction.

There is also a whole list of to do’s while getting a boat ready to sail around the world, but these are things you could make or do on any boat, whereas the above are critical to the construction and buying of a boat. 

Think about things like:

⚓︎ Self-steering, preferably wind or a couple of electric/hydraulic backups . 

⚓︎ Back up gear and supplies to repair and maintain your boat while sailing or in remote places. 

⚓︎ Readymade window hatches that can be put in place should a window break.

⚓︎ Good charts and backups.

⚓︎ Anchor gear that’s also going to keep your boat in place during heavy storms.

But to pull off a successful venture across any ocean you don’t just need a seaworthy boat, you also need to be seaworthy yourself. 

Please always remember:

In the end a boat is only as good as its captain, a good captain could get an unseaworthy boat across an ocean without a problem whereas a bad captain is able to sink the most seaworthy boat. 

OLSTEN Timmerman Yachts

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A General Description of Motor Yacht OLSTEN

Timmerman Yachts completed the building motor yacht OLSTEN in 2004. Accordingly, she has the distinction of being built country of Russia. OLSTEN is a yacht which had design completed by Moscow Shipyard and Moscow Shipyard. This superyacht OLSTEN is able to accommodate a maximum of 12 passengers all told aboard together with around 6 professional crew. Finished and launched in 2004 the comparatively recent interior design and decor demonstrates the proficiency which are originating from Moscow Shipyard and the owner who commissioned the yacht.

Building & Designing relating to Luxury Yacht OLSTEN

Moscow Shipyard was the naval architect firm involved in the professional vessel composition for OLSTEN. Also the company Moscow Shipyard successfully worked on this undertaking. Interior designer Moscow Shipyard was commissioned for the internal interior styling. Russia is the country that Timmerman Yachts built their new build motor yacht in. After her formal launch in 2004 in Moscow the boat was then handed over to the owner after final finishing. Her hull was constructed with steel. The motor yacht main superstructure is made predominantly from aluminium. With a width of 6.8 m or 22.31 feet OLSTEN has moderate internal space. A fairly shallow draught of 1.7m (5.56ft) affects the number of harbours she can berth in, taking into account their particular depth.

Engineering And The Speed The M/Y OLSTEN Can Reach:

The 3406E engine installed in the motor yacht is produced by CATERPILLAR. Connected to her Caterpillar engine(s) are twin screw propellers. The engine of the yacht creates 600 horse power (or 442 kilowatts). She is fitted with 2 engines. The total thrust for the yacht is accordingly 1200 HP or 884 KW.

On board Superyacht OLSTEN There is Passenger Accommodation Capacity For:

Providing room for a limit of 12 visiting passengers spending the night, the OLSTEN accommodates them in luxury. She also has room for circa 6 expert crew members to operate.

A List of the Specifications of the OLSTEN:

OLSTEN Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht OLSTEN displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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What Makes a Vessel Seaworthy?

Posted by John Townsend Cooper | Boating Accidents , Education , Marine Insurance , Maritime Law , Recreational Boats , The Admiralty Docket , Vessel Warranties

An important but often overlooked component on smaller vessels is the drain hole plug. Components as small as old and worn drain plugs have the potential to render a vessel unseaworthy and have caused many vessels to sink when they are otherwise fit for their intended service.

The admiralty courts have found unseaworthiness when injury or damage is caused by a drunken sailor, lack of proper fire fighting equipment allows a fire to get out of hand, defective safety training for the crew leads to needless death, poor housekeeping on deck caused amputation of legs, broken machinery resulted in sinking, unsecured dunnage crushes a man, an unboxed compass causes a ship to run onto rocks, dim running lights cause a collision, dirty filters cause failure of ship engine on river bend, and lack of an ice cream scoop in the galley leads to gruesome injury when a cook uses a butcher knife to serve ice cream.Conversely, many vessel owners find that, after their vessel sinks or suffers some other disaster at sea, their marine insurers raise the issue of unseaworthiness of the insured vessel as a basis for denial of the vessel owner’s claim under the marine insurance policy as most policies exclude damage attributable to a vessel’s unseaworthy condition.

About The Author

John Townsend's goal as an attorney has always been to help clients get through difficult situations. His consistent objective is to help clients manage their situation, come to a resolution, and move on with their lives and businesses. In addition to a Juris Doctor, he holds a USCG Operator's License for Uninspected Passenger Vessels, a Real Estate Broker’s license, and a Residential Builder’s license and has civil litigation experience in cases involving personal injury matters, admiralty and maritime law, business disputes, including partnership and shareholder disputes, construction issues, contracts, and a wide variety of other legal issues. John Townsend has been rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®* since 2016. He was selected by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in 2015, 2016, and 2017. He is a longtime member and past President of the Mount Pleasant Sertoma Club charity.

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