A plethora of Columbia 26 Mk 2...

Perusing the Hawaii Craigslist I noticed there seemed to be an abundance (four!) of one of my favorite boats the Bill Tripp designed Columbia 26 Mk 2. Which, as it happens, is the little sister of the Columbia 50. 

Very little sister

Now, a lot of people think a 26-foot boat is far too small to live or cruise on. Then again, when I was living on a CAL 20 there were a couple of 26-footers that I both lusted for and considered palatial. One of them being the Columbia 26 and the other was the Lyle Hess designed Balboa 26 either of which I considered both seaworthy enough to head out for Hawaii or down to Baja to go on an extended surfin' safari. For the record, I also considered the CAL 20 just as seaworthy albeit it did constrain the surfboard quiver quite a bit.

Later, when I decided to build a Bolger Jessie Cooper while living in Paris I had no qualms about a couple cruising or living aboard a 25.5 foot boat sailboat but we lived and cruised it quite successfully for four years. Better yet it allowed us to live at a prestige address next to a film studio for just about $60 a month (including electricity and water). 

Fact is, the only reason we decided to build a bigger version of the Jessie Cooper was not about comfort but the need to carry enough boat-building tools, film equipment, and space for a dedicated office to run a business. If we only wanted to live aboard and cruise the 25.5-foot boat would have been just fine.

The situation with the plethora of Columbia 26 Mk 2s for sale, which all seem to be close to turn key is pretty awesome. So awesome in fact that you could pretty safely just fly to Hawaii with cash in hand knowing that you could find one at a reasonable price that would be a lot cheaper than a condo or hotel. Hell, a long vacation cruising a Columbia 26 around the Hawaiian Islands would just about pay for itself compared to doing the hotel/condo ting.

Something you might want to think about...

Putting together a VolksCruiser on a budget...

I'm sure if you're considering getting a boat and going cruising on a budget you'll be getting a shit load of push-back from just about everybody that it just can't be done. Kind of a bummer that.

The truth is, there's a plethora of good inexpensive sailboats just waiting for someone to find them and get them back in cruising trim. Of course, they'll tell you that a cheap boat is just a hole in the water that you throw money in while you get too old to go cruising.

Sound familiar?

I'll point out that there is, sadly, plenty of fodder for those opinions. I've seen boat projects take twenty years to get to a point where they're abandoned. Way too many projects that lost control of their spending and become an economic ball and chain that insures the project will never come to fruition and let's not forget the boat projects that led to the breakup of relationships. So, yeah, there's a lot of evidence that building or refitting a boat can become a clusterfuck of epic proportions.

But, does it really have to be that way?

The thing is, while I've seen lots of failed projects swirl down the ceramic bowl of disaster, I've seen lots that didn't. Have you ever wondered why so many people fixate on things negative rather than the positive where boats and boat projects are concerned?

Most folk I've known with projects that went south made fairly obvious mistakes that, with a bit of forethought, could have been easily avoided. As they say, hindsight is 20/20.

For the next few posts we'll be delving into various positive and negative situations and how not to fall into the various traps and pitfalls that lie in wait for an intrepid soul embarking on a boat project.

 

a time installment plan...

The whole idea of doing the VolksCruiser thing has everything To do with affordability and sustainable living. Apparently, not everyone seems to understand that.

It's long been my opinion that the best place to find a good deal on a boat is being on the water and seeing a boat for sale that looks interesting. The problem, it would seem is that you need to have a boat.

Back when I built the first Loose Moose the plan was to use it to explore France and UK anchorages to come come across that mythical "perfect" boat waiting for us to come across its faded For Sale sign. As it happens, we found that that the plan got short circuited when we discovered that Loose Moose was just about the perfect boat but a kiss too small for the long run.

Still, moving on to Loose Moose forced us to do a big need/want process and downsize in a big way. So if we had found that perfect boat we'd already be up to speed on what we needed.

So, maybe instead of looking for that perfect boat today you'd be better off looking for a smaller, less expensive, and turnkey interim boat.

I've long had a SHTF hurricane plan where during "H" season I keep an eye out for likely small boats in the 25 to 30-foot that are a direct flight away from the Caribbean that we could go to in the event of losing "So It Goes" during a storm. Sadly, living in the Caribbean, we have far too much experience with storms, boats being lost, and the aftermath of disasters to want to hang around after a total loss scenario.

The idea of buying a turnkey CAL 25 or reasonable facsimile, then using it as a temporary abode while looking for a more long term situation. Having a small boat would also make doing any work on a new bigger boat easier as trying to live on boat you're working on can be problematic.

Something to think about...

Madness...

Pricing on boats is just nuts these days and fining what's a good price or reasonable price can be all kinds of problematic.

You can buy a used Optimist dinghy for $200 or $3500 and I'm sure there's a difference between the two but that kind of differential is just nuts. Especially when there's a really choice well equipped CAL 25 selling for $2K.

The other day there was a a ten-foot Trinka selling for $400 which I briefly considered and the next day I saw another for $2K without oars or mast.

Two Catalina 30s for sale in the same marina were selling for $1900 and $30K and from their looks they seemed to be in moderate condition.

The best thing I can say about the overall state of the boat market is that it is simply insane.

That said, an insane market in boats can be advantageous for some but more about that soon.

and don't forget the bolt cutters...

I find it kind of funny that people who I don't even know, write to the blog and are hesitant to state a budget when asking advice on various boats.

"Do you think a fixer upper Cascade 36 would be a good boat to get?"

I then ask what it costs, how much the boat is selling for, and what sort of budget they have to work with. In this case, I get a response that tells me the boat is selling for $5K and the engine does not work. As far as their budget is concerned, I get...

"Money's not an issue."

At this point I lose interest because money is always an issue and, if you're reading a blog dedicated to helping penurious folk go cruising, I expect you know very well that money is a rather important issue.

Refitting a classic plastic and cruising it is a deadly serious exercise in creative frugality. You really have to be honest with yourself (and me if you're asking for advice) about what sort of tools you have in your tool box. And yes, dear reader, money or lack thereof is most certainly an important tool in the grand scheme of things.

For instance, in the buying and selling of boats one does themselves a huge disservice if you feel you have to pretend you have more money than you do. Just think about that for a moment. Now, what sort of deal am I going to give you on a beat up CAL 34 if you spend half your time telling me how much money you're going to spend on it? A guy tells me he'll replace all the instruments and take it to the yard to get an Imron paint job done. This tells me two things: 1) the guy has a lot of money to spend or he's just dumb as a bag of hammers; or 2) the best of all worlds for a seller of boats, which is the potential buyer is both well heeled and stupid.

Face it, the last person you want to impress with your excellent stock portfolio or Rolex is the guy selling you a boat.

The same goes for cruising. Everyone cruising has a pain threshold where spending is concerned.

EVERYONE.

Working in the marine trades in the Caribbean, you quickly learn that a lot of folks with all the best stuff and the appearance of a comfortable monetary situation are much more likely to have their credit cards declined or do a runner before paying their bills.  Like I said, everyone tends to spend more than they can afford and that's something you really need to know.

Going out to dinner with a bunch of cruisers can burn up an entire months' volkscruiserish budget if you all wind up in some touristy eatery where the burgers are twenty bucks and a beer is going for $5 a bottle. Even worse is when the guy and his wife who had the lobster and the umbrella drinks decides that the group should just split the check instead of each paying their own part of it. Been there done that but could not afford the t-shirt after subsidizing some lobster and Mai Tais.

Which is all a long winded way of pointing out that the most important thing is knowing what you can and can't afford and having the fortitude to tell folks that this is what you can afford when needful.

As it happens, I saw something the other day on Werner Hertzog who has been a great influence on me in a surprising number of ways. His 24 bits of advice really resonates where the whole VolksCruiser thing is concerned.

Especially the bit about bolt cutters.

the best of times, the worst of times...

So it's 2023 and a new year. For some of us, it comes with some musing over the state of things.

As far as sailing and cruising goes, my musings seemed to be along the lines of that Dickens quote and I spent a couple of hours thinking about the good/bad reality after the ball dropped at midnight.

On the positive side...

• The cost of a good condition, under 36-foot, blue water capable boats have come down and are now very affordable.
• The cost of needful gear has become more affordable.
• Systems that were once considered too complicated or unaffordable for many are now within most cruiser's means.
• Needful information is readily available and no one has to reinvent the wheel. That said, finding good information should include a buyer beware warning.
  
• The current state of computer-based communication systems means you can almost always be connected to the world.

On the negative side...

• One of the main reasons boat prices have fallen is that we have a "Too many boats and not enough places to put them" situation so moorage and marinas have become unaffordable. A related issue is that this is causing a lot of anti-cruiser attitude on municipal and state levels.
  
• While needful gear may be cheaper, the marine industry exerts incredible pressure to get the newest, most expensive thing/flavor of the month.
• Sadly, the "You get what you pay for" mindset is counter productive to affordable cruising and really does not make any sense but considered gospel by far too many.
  
• YouTube influencers, while helpful from time to time, are mostly pimping on one level or another. Any information from most of these sources should be considered suspect and taken with a grain of salt.
• The current state of computer-based communication systems means you can almost always be connected to the world.

Actually, those lists could be a lot longer but I suspect you get the general drift. So, how do we deal with the best/worst conundrum?

For starters, VolksCruising only works if you're actually cruising. Your mantra should be "Keep on Trucking" as any nomadic society knows that being welcomed always comes with a time stamp and it's best to leave Dodge before the welcome expires. Which is a roundabout way of saying if you're going to cruise you best be on your way.

Since there are so many inexpensive sailboats in good shape, the desire to buy a fixer-upper should be suppressed. Why spend a year or three fixing a boat when you can just buy one and get gone? Sure, I know you want to tweak the boat to your needs but a major refit is seldom a good financial investment and, if you think it's required, you should be looking for another boat.

Same goes for the need some have of wanting to turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. For a special few it might work but in 99% of the cases I've seen, you just wind up with a very, very expensive sow's ear.

As far as stuff goes for cruising, less is more as the old adage says. I could go into deep detail but do I really have to? 

Overall the best/worst scenario comes out as pretty positive for someone wanting to cruise on a VolksCruiserish budget. Of course, you'll need to do some critical thinking, jump through a bunch of hoops, and make some of those negatives work for you rather than against but the overall math says it's going to be a good year to get going.

Here's hoping we all have a happy new year.

a boat someone might want to take a look at...

 One of my favorite CAL Lapworth designs is the CAL T2-27 one of the CAL 27 variations.

I've written about the design before.

Anyway, I mention this because there's a T2 for sale that I've been keeping my eye on and the price just went from 1.5K  to $1000.

Well worth a look if you happen to be in the neighborhood.

More on the hurricane plan...

As someone who's managed to survive three category 5 storms at anchor with minimal damage, I'll be the first person to say that the only safe/sane way to deal with a major storm is to be somewhere else when it's happening. Which has a lot to do with always having at least a sketchy plan to make tracks and, if the odds catch up and I wind up losing the boat, to buy a cheap boat elsewhere..

So what sort of boat and where would I look?

During "H" season I keep my eye on a variety of areas. The PNW, Hawaii, Maryland, and France are the places where I know the boat markets and am reasonably certain that I can sort out a boat with minimal bother. They are also places I happen to like and face it, after losing your boat and most of one's earthly possessions, why would I want to go to some red state armpit?

OK, maybe Louisiana because the food and a lot of good people can really make a big difference.

Anyway, about those boats...

I know for a fact that I can live quite comfortably on a 27-foot boat and there are always a lot of them for sale and it's no longer a popular size (too small for most and too big to trailer easily). It's the sweet spot in the affordable cruising boat size range.

These days, everyone considers a 27-foot boat too small but back in the 70/80/90's there were a lot more people doing serious cruising in them than there were in fifty-footers which people keep telling me is the bare minimum for voyaging.

The other day when I was looking at possible boats in France, I counted 39 Sangrias and 19 Fantasias for sale. They were mostly in the less than $5K price bracket which I could board after a flight to Paris and a train ride to get me there.

In Hawaii, there were a couple of Catalina 27s, and a CAL 27 under $5k that would do the trick. Admittedly, while Hawaii is even more expensive than the USVI, it's still a very good place to start out from. I might add that it's been years since I've had a proper spam musubi.

The PNW has a lot of boats for sale in the under $5K zone. As someone who no longer drives, the physical hassle of getting around to sort stuff out except by bike, becomes somewhat problematic.

I'm pretty sure that you could fly just about anywhere and find an affordably priced, 27-foot boat in good condition. They seem to be everywhere and most folk don't want them as they're too expensive to keep in a marina berth. Since marinas continue to gouge and be restrictive, there will be more and more on the market at low prices.

Cruising a 27-foot boat, on the other hand, makes a lot of sense as you can anchor just about anywhere you'd care to go. In the rare exception when you might have to spend a night in a marina, you can afford to since it's a helluva lot cheaper than the fifty footer that the cruising press keeps saying you need.

Lastly, for me at least, the 27 footer would be a temporary solution as I'd either build or buy something a kiss bigger once I'd got back on my feet after losing my boat and most all of my stuff. More than likely the boat I'd build would be a 30ish foot scow or a sharpie. But that's another story entirely...

regarding hurricane plans...

Whenever a hurricane looks like it might ruin my day/week/month/year I do a quick CraigList search of possible boats to buy because, you know, shit happens. 

Call it my plan B but in the event of losing the boat in a serious storm my plan is to get out of Dodge on the first available flight in a hurry. I'll be honest as the very last thing I want to do is be boatless /homeless in the aftermath of a storm.

For the last storm my short list of possible boats consisted of cheap boats that looked OK and floated right side up that were cheap enough to pay cash (under $5K) for and small enough to make any needful repairs quick and affordable. The bottom line is that the boats had to be able to cruise and flippable to sell at a profit when I'd had a chance to sort out the next So It Goes or Loose Moose.

In other words, all the boats on my list were VolksCruisers in the 24-30 foot range.

Lucky for me that there are lots of cheap boats in that size range which are not in bad condition and are inexpensive because the market is saturated and the cost of keeping a boat one is not using is a financial black hole the owners just want to escape.

More on a few of the boats I had on my list next time...

on the subject of wasted time...

As someone who follows the used boat market fairly closely I'll point out a few things I've learned about buying and selling boats...

"No time wasters!"

Nothing makes me want to avoid looking at a boat for sale than an ad that has the "No Time Wasters" text somewhere within the ad. In my experience people only use that phrase when folks come, look at the boat, and then leave without buying. A process that, when habitual, tells me there is something wrong with the boat on some level. Could be the condition, a too high price, or just the fact that the seller gets up the potential buyers nose.

As someone who's traveled far to look at a boat that is in not as advertised condition more times than I can count and confronted with sulky sellers who act insulted when you ask to turn on the engine or let you look in the bilge and never even bothered to do something about a weeks worth of dirty dishes moldering in the sink it's my time that's being wasted.

Sellers with poor math skills.

There's a certain situation you'll find in a lot of ads where the current owner brags about all the money he's poured into the boat but the math just doesn't make sense. A recent ad for a boat that caught my eye was that the owner had paid $15K for the boat, put in another $25K, and was selling the boat for $12.5K now, anyone with basic math skills can do that math in about a second and it just does not make sense. Either the owner is trying scam you or he/she is an idiot. Either way it's best to be very very careful as there is almost always something extremely nasty laying in wait on such a boat.

Clutter and dirt.

If I want to sell a boat the easiest way to do it is to have a clean, clutter free boat for potential buyers to look at. Even better is to take decent photos that are date stamped showing a clean uncluttered vessel with visible horizontal surfaces to attract potential buyers to the boat.

Knowing what a boat is worth.

It's just as important for the buyer and seller to know what the general value of a boat is. For instance, since I have a CAL 34 I'm pretty in tune with what the boat is actually worth and know that you can find a good condition CAL 34 for around $15K and for other boats I always do a bit of research to come up with a sort of average boat price. So, when confronted with someone selling a CAL 34 for $37K and told by a seller that old CALS sell for up to $50K I know that's some serious bullshit and best avoided. A little homework is a big help whether you're selling or a buying a boat.

Dominance games

Sadly, there are a lot of real assholes selling boats. Most assholes I come across have serious self-image issues and feel the need to play mind games. I've also noticed that a lot of the assholes who sell boats know very little about the boat they're selling and fill their knowledge void with a heavy helping of BS. A good way of keeping the BS in check is to do your homework about the boat (Sailboatdata.com is easy) So when the seller tells you the CAL 34 was designed by Bill Tripp you know you'll need hip boots.

Anyway, obviously none of us like to waste time and energy in the pursuit of selling or buying boats

depends on where you put the decimal point...

So, since I've pointed out that the Newport 28 s a pretty good potential VolksCruiser, I've had no shortage of emails asking me why they should consider one vs some more expensive reasonable facsimile.

Over in Washington state there's a Newport 28 for $3.5K with an engine (though whether it works or not is not stated), what appears to be a reasonable sail wardrobe, and a decent dinghy. Oh yeah, it even has a wood stove!

The thing is, a 28-foot boat, whether it costs $3.5K or $35K, is going to allow you to do the same things, go about the same speed, and allow for a similar level of comfort.

And yes, Dear Reader, the $3.5K Newport 28 is going to require some money and sweat equity as it's a boat. That said a $35K boat will have it's share of issues and required work as well which is something you really need to consider.

As it happens, my morning perusal of craigslist via Search Tempest today seemed to have a plethora of very interesting boats at that $3.5k price point.

How low can you go?

Sure, I know that there's a helluva lot of peer pressure to adhere to consumerist dogma but, just for a moment think about what you can afford rather than what you think others will opine on what you need to spend to be accepted.

I see a lot of folks selling the idea that "price is no object" but buying boats that are a fraction of the cost and pretending they're following the party line.

Know something?

They get away with it because most everyone is doing the same thing and no one's going to bust them because most everyone is part of the con.

The sordid truth is that most boat folk, by their very nature, have their asses firmly planted in the cheap seats. The problem only arises when they're not honest about it.

Worse is when they use the cost of stuff as a means of letting you know how much every-damn-fucking-thing-on-their-boat cost in a misguided ruse to impress you. As someone who has sold a lot of marine gear to these wankers I'll let you know that, more often than not, they lie about what they paid for those winches or top-of-the-line electronics.

Maybe it's just me but there's something pretty off when it reaches that point.

Know what impresses me? When someone comes up with a way of doing things that involves common sense and thought to make the whole sailing off into the sunset more comfortable, affordable and sustainable. On the other hand some guy bragging that he spent lots of money to impress me or as a put down just hits the pity note.

The other day when I mentioned that I was building yet another Tortoise someone pointed out that He'd spent $12K on his dinghy but if I can only afford a two sheet dinghy maybe I shouldn't bother until I could afford something better.

Yeah, it sorta/kinda pissed me off. Still, the Tortoise makes more sense for me than a 12-foot RIB with a 25HP outboard and it would be real dumb in a world where gas costs $5.50 to have such a beast.

Over on Boat Bits today I mentioned a Newport 28MK2 that's selling for $2.5K and appears to be in pretty good shape. Researching the design a bit more the Newport appears to be one of those designs that seems to have a pretty good price and is firmly in the "good bang for the buck" price niche. Plus it would make a very good cruising boat. What's not to like?

The important thing to keep in mind is that hardly anyone cares what sort of boat you cruise in. No one who isn't an asshole is going to ask you what it costs and, as long as the boat is shipshape, you'll still be invited to potlucks and suchlike (if that's your thing).

So, how low can you go?

an uplifting story of sorts...

As far as the R2AK was concerned there were only four boats I was rooting for. One of which, Loustic SuperSonic, was my favorite. Seriously, how you could not be engaged to the story of a couple buying an old Santana 20 sight unseen, arriving days before the races start, and having to get the boat race ready seems like an impossible accomplishment. Throw in the whole cobbling together a human powered pedal propulsion system as well and, all of a sudden, we're in heroic territory.

More on Loustic SuperSonic at the R2AK website.

a deal or not?

So, there's a 32' Piver trimaran for sale in California with a listed price of $19.5K. From the looks of the pictures it's in fairly good shape. Though no interior pictures or mention whether or not the inboard engine works.

The boat was built in 1973.

The basic equation of a cruising multihull for $19.5K certainly seems like a great deal in a market that is just silly expensive.

Then again, $19.5K is a lot of money for a plywood boat built before epoxy was in common use in boat building.

As it happens, I have a lot of respect for Piver, his designs, and plywood as a boat building material. That said, I'll point out that it's best to leave your rose colored glasses at home whenever looking at a 49-year old plywood boat whatever the price.

A link you need...

PBO (AKA Practical Boat Owner) has been a great resource for me since I first started reading the magazine in 1980. While, these days, I feel their subscription rates are now akin to piracy but their website still has excellent content.

For example, this simple how to rehab a sailboat article is just what most folks considering an inexpensive boat that needs work should read.

You're still here?

a PNW Haida 26...

I've mentioned before that one of my favorite small boats for cruising is the Haida 26. For those in the PNW there's another one currently for sale that you might want to take a look at...

a blast from the past...

Here's something from Boat Bits in 2011...

I've been looking at the boats for sale on Craig's list recently... It helps if you use Search Tempest  which allows you to search all of Craig's list rather than just one at a time... Anyway, there are a lot of good boats for cheap and cheap is no bad thing!

Of course, the boat market seldom has any real rhyme or reason and I have always believed that boat pricing is more often pulled out of a hat on a whim rather than something arrived at through much thought on a boat's real value, but when you think about it, this is an advantage as at least half the time folks are selling boats for far below their value.

For instance, there are currently a couple of Irwin 28's on Craig's List (one in NC and the other in California) going for $2500 and $4800... The Irwin 28 is an excellent and highly underrated shoal draft pocket cruiser and more than capable of crossing oceans in the pursuit of taking you wherever you want to go. Sure, it is a little boat but little boats don't cost a lot to keep going and a small boat has petite problems... There are lots of boats like this on Craig's List including a bakers dozen of CAL 34's  (sister ships to "So It Goes") ranging from $2600 to $20,000...

So many boats, so little time...

In this economy, what people are asking for a boat and what you have to pay (providing you have cash) are not quite the same thing, so it stands to reason you can get these boats for even less, maybe even a LOT less.

Then again, you could always wait till your ship comes in, win the lottery, take advantage of the email in your inbox from Nigeria, or have a rich aunt pass away and leave you her fortune so you can buy that new/hip/expensive boat the editors of Cruising World are all drooling about. Then again maybe your luck with such things is better than mine.

Go now, or maybe never... The choice is up to you.

Regarding budget and a couple of points that should have been on my list...

So, what is an affordable boat?

While the prevailing wisdom appears to be that a boat should cost everything you have and more I'll suggest a somewhat different formula...

If you can't pay cash for it and the required needful work, it's too frelling expensive.

Fairly simplistic is it not?

For those who don't quite get the concept of cash I'll just say that credit cards and future earning are not at all what I'm talking about. If that CAL 34 for $1,500. that needs $7K of material and work to put it right you'll need at least $8.5K in cash money in hand to even consider buying the boat. Better yet, let's round up that number to an even $10K because you always miss something and it's prudent to have a buffer.

In going back over my list I've realized a couple of things that, in hindsight, I appear to have missed. The first being that I'd really prefer a boat with a transom hung rudder. They're simple, easy to fix, and by adding a simple trim tab to the rudder you have an excellent and inexpensive self-steering gear that will make your life a happier thing.

Lastly, the most important point that should have been on the list was that whatever boat you buy or build is one that you should either like or love. Your relationship with your boat is a very tangible thing and if you don't have a positive bond it's going to end in tears or worse.

about displacement...

The big issue with a lot of possible VolksCruisers is that there a bit challenged where displacement is concerned. Here's an example...

One of my favorite small cruising boats is the Balboa 26 designed by Lyle Hess. It's small, shoal draft, seaworthy and has a considerable amount of room/livability for its size. The problem is that while you can shoehorn all the needful stuff into a boat with a displacement of 3,600 pounds it's just not designed to carry the needful stuff's weight. A fact which will adversely affect the boats performance. It's a displacement issue.

Now, here's another Hess design that might look familiar...

 

Hess's 26-foot Falmouth Cutter is a whole different story. While it's the same size in terms of length it's on a whole different playing field with a displacement of 12,000 pounds. Fact is, the amount of ballast in the Falmouth Cutter (3,708 pounds) is greater than the entire displacement of the Balboa 26 (3,600 pounds).  Suffice to say that the Falmouth Cutter will happily carry all your needful stuff.

The downside, and yes there's always a downside, is that the cost of a boat is mostly based on its weight/displacement which is why the boat cost differential is so great between the two boats.

Since I'm on a roll, here's another Hess design, the Balboa 27/8.2, that you might want to check out. As it's a foot longer than the Balboa 26, a few inches beamier with 1300 pounds more displacement which makes it a much better VolksCruiser choice than the Balboa 26 when all things are added up. 

 

When looking for and comparing boats it's important to factor in the displacement to the mix especially with boats in the 30-foot and under variety. My experience tells me that the Goldielocks zone for displacement on a cruising sailboat for a couple is going to be somewhere between 7,000 and 12,000 pounds. For a quick reference our CAL 34 has a displacement of 9,500 pounds and works just fine.

Next up we'll finish my check list and what I may have left out...

the comfort factor...

It's funny how many times I've heard the term 'comfort' when folks explain to me why they need a boat bigger than they need and more expensive than they can afford. 

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” —Will Rogers

Now, don't get me wrong, but comfort is a very important part of choosing a boat to cruise in and one would be stupid to choose a craft that did not offer a needful level of comfort. The problem arises when the definition of comfort is tied to cost, size and the ability to carry a lot of stuff rather than actual needs.

My needs for comfort on a boat are pretty simple...

• A comfortable bed,
• A workable galley.
• A dining area large enough to feed four in comfort.
• A couple of places to sit and read.
• A place where I can play guitar.
  

Luckily for me a great number of boats meet those requirements quite easily in the thirty four foot and under zone. More importantly, I know from experience that a bigger or more expensive boat would not make living on a boat any more comfortable than a suitable 28-footer.

Sure, a bigger boat might have an extra head and a couple more beds but how does that add to my comfort?

I saw this the other day and it makes all kinds of sense.

The best place to start is working out just what your real comfort requirements are. A comfort audit if you will.