Cruising Design Criteria

The real list of yacht design criteria for the boat o’ my dreams stretches longer than my crystal decanter-ed whiskey collection.

‘Start simple, refine options later,’ said the Can Opener as he re-stoppered my Lagavulin 16 Year Old and moved it to the top shelf.

Here is our working draft that survived the Can Opener’s brutal revisions.

Key Criteria*

The yacht should be:

1. 30 feet LOA or less for
1. lower acquisition costs
2. lower running costs
3. good for solo handling
2. as wide as possible – good beam for storage
3. specifically designed for blue water travel with a track record of durability and storm safety
4. a design that remains popular over time with a large active fleet
5. a design that holds its value – to maximize costs recouped upon resale

* Note: the stark and unnecessary absence of ‘5 appliance galley with deep freezer’, ‘ship that can sail backwards in time’ and ‘costuming area’ from the list above. The Can Opener can become downright feisty when he’s in one of his efficiency frenzies. No matter. I will wear him down. The deep freezer one day soon will be mine…

Any other must-have yacht design criteria to add?

What yacht design would you choose for blue water cruising?

 

–Captain Cat

(transcribed by the Can Opener)