bluewater pocket cruiser sailboat

Best Bluewater Pocket Sailboats

Last Updated by

Jacob Collier

December 28, 2023

Looking for a pocket sailboat that can also give you the experience of liveaboard sailing? The best bluewater pocket sailboat is what you need.

Bluewater Pocket sailboats are affordable small yachts that are trailerable to your choice of destination but have the amenities of a full-size sailboat, all without breaking your bank. Unlike other small boats, they are capable of offshore voyages.

The best bluewater pocket sailboats include the Andrews 28, Ranger 26, Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, Pacific Seacraft Allegra 24, Pearson 35, and the Catalina 275 Sport. There are several others you can find on the market. But these are the top bluewater pocket sailboats.

Many sailing enthusiasts prefer pocket sailboats instead of larger ones. One of the reasons for this is that you can enjoy the experience of sailing offshore while not breaking the bank and spending less on maintenance as well. Pocket sailboats are generally heavy to maintain stability in rough waters but roomy enough that you can spend a few days along with your friends and family.

We are a bunch of sailing enthusiasts spending most of our weekends trailing our pocket sailboats traveling to various offshore destinations. With this knowledge and experience, we have drafted a list of the best bluewater pocket sailboats and discussed them in detail, so you can make an informed decision before buying your pocket sailboat.

Table of contents

‍ Our Top Picks

{{boat-info="/boats/andrews-28"}}

If you want a complete package of a sailboat, you should look no further than the Andrews 28. It is the one-stop solution for a comfortable, fast, roomy, easy to sail, and easy to trail pocket sailboat.

This sailboat is designed by renowned designer Alan Andrews, famous for designing speedy sailboats without compromising comfort and reliability.

Despite being only 28 feet long, the below-deck space is open and airy and has six berths. A galley, head, and navigation area with super spacious built will make you feel like on a full-sized sailboat.

The hull and deck construction is a robust yet luxurious one with fiberglass, closed-cell PVC core, and high-density foam. These materials ensure there is no chance of water absorption, and your ride remains reliable. The keel is made from stainless steel and fiberglass shell to keep it from rusting for a long period.

Moreover, the keel is retractable, so it is quite easy to haul the sailboat for trailering. Thanks to the carbon pole, Andrews 28 gives a breezy and light air performance that makes the boat's handling easy.

Maneuvering Andrews 28 is enjoyable and requires less work when faced with eight knots of winds.

The best thing about Andrews 28 is that it is one of the newer generations of sailboats, so the accommodations are more comfortable than most older ones.

A 5' 10" headroom in the cabin, leather-padded seats, stove, a counter and sink in the galley, and more features ensure a comfortable sailing experience.

You can get the Andrews 28 from  Sylvana Yachts .

Specifications

• Hull Type: Lifting keel
• LOA: 28 ft.
• LWL: 25.75 ft.
• Beam: 9.82 ft.
• Displacement: 3,750 lbs.
• Ballast: 1,290 lbs.
• Sail Area: 412.31 sq. ft.
• Fuel: 18 gallons
• Fresh Water 20 gallons
• Engine: Yanmar
• First built: 2007
• Last built: 2010
• Developer: Sylvana Yachts (CAN)
• Designer: Alan Andrews

{{boat-info="/boats/ranger-26"}}

Regarded well for safety and comfortable sailing experience, Ranger 26 is the perfect design satisfying the expectations from the short-lived yet highly prosperous designer, Gary Mull. Ranger 26 is a sporty boat that won the  1970 IOR North American Half-Ton Cup .

Overall, Ranger 26 has a fine profile with all the aspects you can expect from a pocket sailboat and then some.

Ranger 26's comfort level is unmatched. Although designed in 1969, it depicts the modern design of sailboats. A hand-laid hull and a balsa-cored deck add a touch of luxury to the boat. However, good looks and speed are not the only attributes this sailboat offers.

A seven-foot long deck offers ample space for a couple of companions. A sufficient cabin height and freeboard give a good under-deck experience.

Storage space is another benefit of the 26-footer sailboat. The lack of quarter births provides extra storage space under the cabin seats. However, the well-balanced construction between the above and under the deck has left little standing headroom of about five feet.

Going forward, the side decks narrow to only 12-inch wide, so it's important to keep wary of your footing. If you go for this fast and comfortable boat, ensure to check the iron keel and its bolts, which are prone to rust.

You can buy the Ranger 26 from  Ranger26.com .

• Hull Type: Fin w/spade rudder
• LOA: 26.25 ft.
• LWL: 21.75 ft.
• Beam: 8.67 ft.
• Displacement: 5.860 lbs.
• Ballast: 2,050 lbs.
• Sail Area: 321.75 sq. ft.
• First built: 1969
• Last built: 1975
• Developer: Ranger Yachts
• Designer: Gary Mull

Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20

{{boat-info="/boats/pacific-seacraft-flicka-20"}}

Pacific Seacraft Flicka is the most convenient and trailerable sailboat on our list, with an overall length of 20 feet. If you like a minimalist lifestyle and want the same in your bluewater pocket sailboat, this one's for you.

A functional galley with a sink and a counter and a small sink, toilet, and shower provides you with the basic amenities you and a couple of your friends and family need for a few days offshore.

There's more to the accommodation you can expect from this 20-footer sailboat. This boat has four berths, including a v-berth so sleeping comfortably or stretching your legs occasionally is not an issue. A pop-up dining table and a chart table within the cabin make eating and other activities doable.

Nevertheless, most people underestimate the Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20's ability to handle offshore rigidity, and they are often surprised at what this boat has to offer. A full-ballast keel, hull shape, manageable rig, and a self-draining cockpit ensure a fine offshore performance by the littlest contender.

Moreover, we find its outstanding standing headspace as one of the boat's best features. Unlike other pocket sailboats, the Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 has a six ft. headspace. You don't have to duck every time to save your head banging against the roof.

The Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20's size and its minimalistic yet fulfilling features are why this boat's demand remains high. With only 400 of them ever made, you will have to dig deeper and longer to find one worth buying. Due to this, the price of this boat is also slightly higher.

You can buy the Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 from  Yacht world  for $29,900.

• Hull Type: Long keel
• LOA: 24 ft.
• LWL: 18.75 ft.
• Beam: 8 ft.
• Displacement: 6,000 lbs.
• Ballast: 1,750 lbs.
• Sail Area: 261.89 sq. ft.
• Fuel: 12 gallons
• Fresh Water: 20 gallons
• First built: 1974
• Last built: 1994
• Developer: Pacific Seacraft
• Designer: Bruce Bingham

Pacific Seacraft Dana 24

{{boat-info="/boats/pacific-seacraft-dana-24"}}

Despite the minimalistic functionality, you might want a sailboat a notch larger than the Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. If so, check out the Pacific Seacraft Dana 24. You can expect a similar design and capabilities from the same developers, with an additional four feet of space.

While such a small amount of extra space might feel very little, even an extra foot is a lot for a sailboat.

The extra four feet space allows more room on the cockpit, including an additional settee on the deck. It also adds to the galley space, making it more comfortable and easy to utilize. While the 24-footer adds space to the boat to make it roomy, it still boasts the qualities of one of the smaller sailboats we have on this list.

It is ideal for a pair, especially couples who do not look for much except spending quality days offshore with the basic amenities on hand.

Technically, the Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 leaves behind its close nemesis Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. Despite being the larger one, Dana 24 is faster, catches up its hull speed quickly, and gives a fine performance in light winds.

A high bow flare and freeboard ensure the deck remains dry unless high tides take charge. Like all best bluewater pocket sailboats, this one also has a sufficient standing headroom of six feet one inch.

However, no one knows how many boats remain in existence because many of the Dana 24 were sold as kits and bare hulls. Due to this, you might also find slight differences in the build from boat to boat.

You can get the Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 from  Yacht World  for $49,000.

• LOA: 27.25 ft.
• LWL: 21.42 ft.
• Beam: 8.85 ft.
• Displacement: 8,000 lbs.
• Ballast: 3,200 lbs.
• Sail Area: 361.22 sq. ft.
• Fresh Water 40 gallons
• First built: 1948
• Last built: 2007
• Designer: W.I.B Crealock

O'Day 28

{{boat-info="/boats/oday-28"}}

The O'Day 28 is a popular sailboat, and you can find one easily as there are over 500 vessels of this super comfortable sailboat. Although produced for a short time between 1978 and 1986, O'Day 28 made its mark quite well as one of the best bluewater pocket sailboats.

Fortunately, O'Day is one of the larger sailboats on this list. So you are in luck if you want to buy a sailboat with ample room and amenities for less money.

Performance-wise, the O'Day 28 is as smooth as they come. It gives a smooth offshore sailing experience among the pocket sailboats thanks to its huge displacement of 7,300 lbs.

However, the larger displacement means you will need to slow down slightly to maneuver the ship comfortably. It could also use a heavier ballast since the factory-installed capacity is limited to 2,550. Although it is enough for a boat this size, there is little room for improvement.

On the bright side, smaller ballast means more room for the cabin and water and fuel capacities. Compared to boats of similar sizes, O'Day can hold 25 gallons of water and 18 gallons of fuel, aiding longer offshore voyages.

You can also install more tanks for extra water capacity in the storage spaces.

O'Day 28's cabin is as roomy as they come. Once you are in the cabin of this sailboat, it won't appear to you that you are inside of a pocket sailboat. This is mainly due to the wide beam of O'Day 28.

Besides that, the cabin is loaded with the basic needs to spend a few refreshing days off the shore. It has multiple berths, a large center table, padded settees, and an icebox — O'Day 28 has all.

Moving upwards, you will find a handful of similarities in the features of this boat and one of a larger boat. A few of them are a raked stern, helm, and a hidden rudder that keeps up the stands. However, O'Day 28 is a lot more than comfort and features.

A large modern-type fin keel keeps the boat stable around the anchor, and the firm beam keeps the boat cruising like the wind against 15 knots.

It will give you decent performance for up to 18-20 knots. Overall, the O'Day 28 is one of the finest pieces of craftsmanship you can find for a bluewater pocket sailboat.

You can get the O'Day 28 from  Yacht world  for $12,500.

• LOA: 28.25 ft.
• LWL: 22.92 ft.
• Beam: 10.25 ft.
• Displacement: 7,300 lbs.
• Ballast: 2,550 lbs.
• Sail Area: 370 sq. ft.
• Fresh Water: 25 gallons
• Engine: Universal
• First built: 1978
• Last built: 1986
• Developer: Bangor Punta Marine (USA)
• Designer: C. Raymond Hunt Associates

Easy handling, low cost of maintenance, minimalistic designs, basic amenities, all while going offshore — these are the main selling points of the pocket sailboats. All the boats mentioned above will serve you well if you are looking for the best bluewater pocket sailboats. Choose wisely!

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Born into a family of sailing enthusiasts, words like “ballast” and “jibing” were often a part of dinner conversations. These days Jacob sails a Hallberg-Rassy 44, having covered almost 6000 NM. While he’s made several voyages, his favorite one is the trip from California to Hawaii as it was his first fully independent voyage.

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Sail Far Live Free

Go small and go now 5 pocket cruisers to take you anywhere.

What, no Georgian 23? ;)

Gotta love those little Canadian sloops!

Or Bayfield?:)

I am a Bayfield fan (and even more so a Ted Gozzard fan), but I wasn't aware of the Bayfield 25 making any major bluewater passages. Do you know of any?

A bayfield 25 is built well enough BUT it’s shallow keel and light weight classify it more of a coastal cruiser. But that also makes it a great gunk holer. It’s a nice little boat for the Chesapeake and coastal areas. It lacks the deep keel and ballast to be comfortable offshore. The bayfield 29 is a bit more blue water but also it’s shoal keel at only 3ft 6 inches also gives it a comfort ratio a bit on the edge for a true blue water boat. BUT that said a bayfield 29 outfitted right will get the job done and with a good turn of speed over most listed here. It will reach its hull speed of 6.5-7 knots no problem and will point windward well enough. (It’s not got to compete with a fin keel 30 footer but it will be more comfortable. And it’s faster then a westsail32 (nick named the wet snail 32) I find most of the better pocket cruisers on this list are great for what that are but NOT the most boat you can get for your money today. Some great 30-32 foot blue water boats can be purchased for LESS then some of these. I just bought a great bayfield 29 for UNDER 3K that’s right 3 not 30. I looked at a foulmouth cutter that was available in my area it was rough really rough and they still were asking over 10K. It’s only benefit was it came with a trailer but what good doesn’t that do when Your offshore. I wouldn’t mind taking one on single handed adventure as the romance of the boat would add to the fun of the adventure but. Is it the best boat for your buck? No their popularity and reputation and (good ones are getting scarce) bring high prices.

It's amazing: after looking at all your boat reviews and choices, I realize we have exactly the same tastes and dream boats! And I enjoy your writing and musings! I'm very glad I happened upon your blog site! Bill Hinkel

Thanks Bill! I love writing about sailboats almost as much as I love actually sailing them.

I've owned a Flicka, Allegra, and FC all excellent boats.

Wow...that's an impressive resume! I bet you've got some great stories to tell.

What about the Halcyon 23? Any thoughts on that one? Great article by the way!

Sorry, I'm not personally familiar with the little Halcyon 23, but you can read a review reprinted from "Yachts and Yachting" originally written in 1970 here .

How about the Pacific Seacraft 25? If your talking about small salty sailboat (SSS) that can take you to the paradise. She prolly don't a standing headroom but sure does the perfect little sailboat. Just like HC33t.

Yup, I too like the PSC 25. She's not as roomy as either the Flicka or the Dana, but a typically a fair amount more affordable. And as you point out, no standing headroom. Still, a pretty boat with bluewater experience.

A very informative article, thank you very much. I find myself daydreaming to be on a boat, sailing around the world quite often and i'm trying to collect a budget, to buy a boat and take sailing classes. I love the design on the ships you posted. Are there any good pocket-cruisers with a steering wheel ?(i can't say i really like tillers :P). Again, thank you for compiling this list, you gave hope to a "wannabe" skipper.

My humble little Bristol 24 wants to know if she can join the group.

Yup, good choice. Humble and capable...just the right ingredients!

what about the Catalina 22 ?

A fine little coastal sailboat, trailer sailboat and "first" sailboat, but for all the things that the C22 is, she is definitely not a pocket cruiser that can GO ANYWHERE. Don't get me wrong, I love the C22 and our first boat (Helms 25) was very similar, but neither is suited for offshore work.

My little hurley 22, can she make the mark?

A Hurley can do anything! Ihave had a 24 since 1972 they are forgotten but they are great! Joe

Morris Frances 26.

Good recommendation! I love all of the small classic Morris boats like the Frances 26, Linda 28 and Annie 29. Chuck Paine has a way of making these small boats look larger than life!

Was expecting to see an Albin Vega 27 mentioned...

I included the Albin Vega in my "Bluewater on a Budget" post about affordable offshore cruisers. You can read it here: http://www.sailfarlivefree.com/2012/06/blue-water-on-budget-5-budget-cruisers.html

Any thoughts on our west coast Brent Swain 26 welded steel boats? Truly budget cruisers!

I have built one, but yet to launch it I am getting a trailer for it, an advantage that I never thought of when I started building it. Not very many built, mine is a single keel version and I added a wheelhouse.

What about Cape Dory's?

Howard - Good suggestion. Both the CD22 and CD25 are worthy little pocket cruisers with classic Alberg looks. I haven't been aboard either and don't know of any that have crossed oceans, but I suspect someone's been offshore in these two little Cape Dory's and I have little doubt they could be good sea boats in the right hands, given their stout construction, full keels, etc.

The boats listed are priced such that one could buy a much larger, albeit not-so-primo boat for the same or lesser amount. I've seen decent cal 34s go for $8k. So why buy a pocket cruiser that goes for 30K? Smaller sails and reduced slip rent can only account for a modicum of savings

True enough, this is NOT necessarily a list cheap/affordable small boats, but rather well-built and capable small boats that can go offshore in the right hands. Some sailors simply prefer a small, simple sailboat to a larger more spacious (and sometimes more complicated) sailboat, even if the purchase price is similar.

West Wight Potter 14 #223. Mexico to Hawaii.

I'm contemplating buying a 26' Micmac for rougher waters. http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=6202

A Vancouver 27 !!!!

hey you forgot a little boat from south africa called the flamenca 25 great little boat built for the cape of storms

A Flamenca would also sail circles around this list of boats. These traditional long keel boats are slow and without decent fouls, suck going upwind.

Would the Cascade 27 be a good pocket cruiser or is this just a coastal cruiser

I think it would be a excellent choice

Mmm. Some consistencies in your selections (apart from the obvious US of A bias), they all have square bows. Me thinks this is as much a beauty contest as a seaworthy small boat list. I'm afraid trailer and seagoing don't fit in the same sentence

Guilty as charged! Although I do disagree about trailer and seagoing...with both the Flicka and the Nor'Sea being plenty capable on both fronts.

Okay. On seaworthy, I sailed in 12 knots past a site where 2 friends were drowned, their yacht lost in a gale. So is my Folkboat, my sailing skill or patience to credit or was their boat any less seaworthy? An ocean crossing does not make a boat seaworthy, the sailing skill and weather and sea mix have as much to credit. I assert that a long heavy keel, stout rig and water tightness are compulsory if you want to lengthen the odds in your favour.

Nice article, I would however strongly suggest that you give a second thought about linking to myboatplans.com. It's a scam (most, if not all, of the plans are available for free elsewhere on the net and at least some pics are stolen from other boatbuilders). You don't have to take my word for it, just google around.

Thanks, and thanks for the suggestion...the link has been removed!

I am agree with you. Tks. An article about siling solo those smalls boats (in spanish): http://www.navegar-es-preciso.com/news/la-navegacion-oceanica-en-solitario-en-peque%C3%B1os-veleros-/

How about a Privateer26 by Kenner ? Check the specs, and I think you'll find she's equal in important areas and prettier by far than most!

Having a love affair with traditional boats with genuine shear lines, I just stepped out of my Marshall 22, and into a totally unknown double ender called a Skipper 20. Why these trailer sailors dream have gone unnoticed is hard to fathom. With room for 4, 2' draft, 800#s ballast, and a cockpit larger than my Bristol 27' which includes a outboard locker has me spending the last 4 months making the 40 year old look like modern and updated, quality pocket cruiser. With the new genoa, 5.5kts up hill and down, and as dry as they get,, Where they been???

I just bought a Skipper 20 and am fixing it up, can you tell me how it handles in a heavy blow? I am planning to use it as a micro coastal sailer and would like to know as much about it's capabilitys as I can. Much appreciated, Richard.

What are your thoughts on a San Juan 7.7 with the keel shoe? Offshore sailong to Hawaii or the inside passage to Alaska.

What are your thoughs on a San Juan 7.7 with the keel shoe offshore? IE; Hawaii or the Inside Passage to Alaska.

We recently purchased a JJ Taylor Contessa 26, hull #262, Ophelia, and have trailered her to Malletts Bay in Lake Champlain, VT. We were extremely flattered to have a visit from Tania Aebi, who lives 35 min. from us and wanted to show her sister and daughter-in-law an example of the boat that she sailed round the world in the late '80's.

What about steel Tom Thumb 24 ???

For whatever reason, I'm a fan of the Bristol 24 (Paul Coble design). The baby Bristols are full-keeled and don't go upwind very energetically, but once the sheets are started they come into their own. Hulls are usually nearly bulletproof, and even if damaged, they are small and easy to fix... some have been gilded into mini-yachts, but I prefer sparse brightwork and light/white paint. They are very (very) sea-kindly for their size and although they heel to about 15-20 degrees, their nearly 50% ballast usually stops it right there... Mast-head rigged, they have a large main and can develop noticeable weather-helm, so one reef keeps the tiller loads modest. Thankfully they aren't very popular or well-known, so you can find bargains and even top-drawer examples probably will cost less than a modest commuter car... I'm now on my second one (after having a larger fin-keel... am returning to the B24); if possible, look for one with split lower shrouds... Oh, they have comfortable 5'11" headroom, or just a fraction more,,,

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James Baldwin's Pocket Bluewater Cruising Boat List

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Falmouth Cutter 22 - LOA: 30'6" LOD: 22' LWL: 20'10" Beam: 8' Draft: 3'6" Displacement: 7,400 lbs. Ballast: 2,500 lbs encapsulated lead. More info: The Falmouth Cutter Web Site http://www.samlmorse.com/?a=fc_home Cape George Cutters § Falmouth Cutter 22' § Cecil Lange / William Atkin / traditional full keel sailboat Bristol 24 - LOD: 24'7" LWL: 18'1" Beam: 8' Draft: 3'5" Displacement: 5,920 lbs. Ballast: 2,400 lbs? Sail Area: 296 sq. ft. More info: Bristol Owners' Association Home Page Pacific Seacraft Dana 24 - LOA: 27'3" LOD: 24' LWL: 21'5" Beam: 8'7" Draft: 3'10" Displacement: 8,000 lbs. Ballast: 3,200 lbs. internal lead. Bayfield 25 - LOD: 25' LWL: 19'8" Beam: 8' Displacement: 4,300 lbs Draft: 2'11" Ballast: 1,500 lbs. Cape Dory 25 - LOD: 24'10" LWL: 18' Beam: 7'3" Draft: 3' Displacement: 4,000 lbs. Ballast: 1,700 lbs. Sail area: 264 sq. ft. Cape Dory 25D - LOD: 25' LWL: 19' Beam: 8' Draft: 3'6" Displacement: 5,120 lbs. Ballast: 2,050 lbs. Pacific Seacraft 25 - LOA: 26'3"? LOD: 25' LWL: 21' Beam: 8' Draft: 3'4" Displacement: 5,700 lbs. or 4,750? Ballast: 1,300 or 1,750? internal lead. Rhodes Meridian 25 - LOA: 24'9" LWL: 17'6" Beam: 7' to 7'3" Draft: 3'3" to 3'7" Displacement: 5,000 lbs. Ballast: 2,750 lbs. More info: Meridian Contessa 26 / Taylor 26 - LOD: 25'6" LWL: 21' Beam: 7'6" Draft: 4' Displacement: 5,400 lbs. Ballast: Cape Dory 26 - LOD: 25'11" LWL: 19'3" Beam: 8' Draft: 3'7" Displacement: 5,300 lbs. Ballast: 2,400 lbs. Sail area: 304 sq. ft. Cheoy Lee Offshore 26 - LOD: 25'7" LWL: 20'11" Beam: 8'10" Draft: 3'9" Displacement: 6,100 lbs. Ballast: 2,240 lbs. More info: Offshore 26 International Folkboat 26 - LOD: 25'8" LWL: 19'7" Beam: 7'5" Draft: 4' Displacement: approx. 5,000 lbs. Ballast: 2,750 lbs. Kaiser 26 - LOA: 27'6" LOD: 26' LWL: Beam: 7'10" Draft: 4' Displacement: 6,200 lbs. Ballast: 2,700 lbs. Morris Frances 26 - LOD: 26' LWL: 21'3" Beam: 8' to 8'2" Draft: 3'10" Displacement: 6,800 lbs. Ballast: 3,500 lbs. (external or encapsulated lead) More info: Sailboat - Frances 26 by Morris Yachts and Victoria Yachts designed by Chuck Paine Pearson Ariel 26 - LOD: 25'7" LWL: 18'8" Beam: 8' Draft: 3'8" Displacement: 5,120 lbs. Ballast: 2,300 lbs. lead. More info: Ariel Home Page Westerly Centaur 26 - LOD: 26' LWL: 21'4" Beam: 8'5" Draft: 3' Displacement: 5,500 lbs. Ballast: cast iron. More info: SCA - THE TRUTH ABOUT TWINS BoatUS.com: Boat Reviews by Jack Hornor, N.A. - Westerly Centaur 26 Albin Vega 27 - LOD: 27'1" LWL: 23'2" Beam: 8'1" Draft: 3'10" Displacement: 5,070 lbs. Ballast: 2,020 lbs. More info: The Albin Vega Bristol 27 - LOD: 27'2" LWL: 19'9" Beam: 8' Draft: 4' Displacement: 6,600 lbs. Ballast: 2,575 lbs. internal lead. More info: Bristol Owners' Association Home Page Sailing Magazine Cape Dory 27 - LOD: 27'1" LWL: 20' Beam: 8'6" Draft: 4' Displacement: 7,500 lbs. Ballast: 3,000 lbs. Sail area: 365 sq. ft. General Comments: Alberg design. 227 built between 1976-84. More info: CDSOA, Inc. -- CD27 Cheoy Lee Newell Cadet / Offshore 27 - LOD: 26'10" LWL: 19'6" Beam: 7'8" Draft: 4'4" Displacement: 6,900 lbs. Ballast: 2,700 lbs. (iron in cement) General Comments: At least two versions were built in the 1960's at the Honk Kong yard. Minuses: Teak decks from the 1960's are a maintenance problem. More info: Cheoy Lee Cadets Dockrell 27 - LOD: 27' LWL: 21' Beam: 8' Draft: 3' Displacement: 7,000 lbs. Ballast: 3,200 lbs. long iron wing keel. More info: Dockrell 27 cutter archive details - Yachtsnet Ltd. online UK yacht brokers - yacht brokerage and boat sales Pacific Seacraft Orion 27 - LOA: 30' LOD: 27' LWL: 22'2" Beam: 9'3" Draft: 4' Displacement: 10,000 lbs. Ballast: 3,800 lbs. Nor'Sea 27 - LOA: 31' LOD: 27' LWL: 25' Beam: 8' Draft: 3'10" Displacement: 8,100 lbs. Ballast: 3,100 lbs. More info: Nor'Sea 27 Sailing Magazine Sea Sprite 27/28 - LOD: 27'11" LWL: 20' Beam: 8'10" Draft: 4'3" Displacement: 7,600 lbs. Ballast: 3,600 lbs. More info: Sea Sprites: Home Tartan 27 - LOD: 27' LWL: 21'4" Beam: 8'8" Draft: 3'2" with board up, 6'4" board down. Displacement: 7,400 lbs. Ballast: 2,400 lbs. More info: Welcome to the Tartan Owners website Vancouver 27/28 - LOD: 27' LWL: 22'11" Beam: 8'8" Draft: 4'3" Displacement: 8,800 - 8,960 lbs. Ballast: 3,500 lbs. More info: Boats.com - Boat Review/Test: Pocket Voyager Bristol Channel Cutter 28 - LOA: 37'9" LOD: 28'1" LWL: 26'3" Beam: 10'1" Draft: 4'10" Displacement: 14,000 lbs. Ballast: 4,600 lbs. More info: Boats.com - News: Hess's Bristol Channel Cutter Cape George Cutters § Bristol Channel Cutter 28' § Cecil Lange / William Atkin / traditional full keel sailboat Cape Dory 28 - LOD: 28'1" LWL: 22'2" Beam: 8'10" Draft: 4' Displacement: 9,000 lbs. Ballast: 3,500 lbs. Sail area: 404 sq. ft. More info: CDSOA, Inc. -- CD28 Cheoy Lee Offshore 28 - LOA: 28' LWL: 22' Beam: 9'2" Draft: 3'6" with centerboard up. Displacement: 8,000 lbs. Ballast: ? Great Dane 28 - LOA: 28' LWL: ? Beam: ? Draft: ? Displacement: ? Ballast: ? L. Francis Herreshoff H-28 - LOA: 29'6" LWL: 23' Beam: 8'10" Draft: 3'11" Displacement: 7,300 lbs. Ballast: 3,950 lbs. More info: Compass Yachts Liberty Yachts Custom 28 - LOD: 28' LWL: 24' Beam: 9'6" Draft: 4' Displacement: 12,000 lbs. Ballast: 5,000 lbs. Morris Linda 28 - LOA: 28'1" LWL: 23'4" Beam: 9'2" Draft: 4'4" Displacement: 8,300 lbs. Ballast: 3,900 lbs lead. Pearson Triton 28 - LOD: 28'6" LWL: 20'6" Beam: 8'3" Draft: 4' (later models 4'3") Displacement: approx. 8,000 lbs. Ballast: 3,019 lbs. (early models before hull #383 external lead, later models internal lead.) More info: New England Triton Association Rhodes Ranger 28 - LOA: 28'6" LWL: 20' Beam: 8' Draft: 3'10" Displacement: ? Ballast: reported as 1,900 lbs. external iron or 2,750 lbs. lead. More info: Philip Rhodes Sail Boats http://astro.temple.edu/~bstavis/pr/ranger-accomodations.jpg Shannon 28 - LOD: 28'2" LWL: 22'11"' Beam: 9'6" Draft: 4'3" Displacement: 9,300 lbs. Ballast: 3,600 lbs. lead. Southern Cross 28 - LOA: 30'5" LOD: 28' LWL: 20'2" Beam: 8'6" Draft: 4'8" Displacement: 8,500 lbs. Ballast: 3,400 lbs. More info: member info Taipan 28 - LOA: 28' LWL: about 22' Beam: about 8' Draft: 4'6" Displacement: 7,850 lbs. Ballast: 3,085 lbs. More info: Atom Voyages | Islander Taipan 28 Refit Photos Westsail 28 - LOD: 28' LWL: 25' Beam: 9'7" Draft: 4'4" Displacement: 13,500 lbs. Ballast: 4,200 lbs. More info: WOA Web Site Alberg 29 - LOD: 29'3" LWL: 22'3" Beam: 9'2" Draft: 4'7" Displacement: 9,000 lbs. Ballast: 4,000 lbs. Sail area: 416 sq. ft. More info: Twentynine » An Alberg 29 Site Bayfield 29 - LOA: 29' LOD: about 27'6" LWL: 21'9" Beam: 10'2" Draft: 3'6" Displacement: 7,100 lbs. Ballast: 3,000 lbs. More info: Bayfield 29 - Used Sailboat Market in Canada Bristol 29 - LOD: 29'2" LWL: 22'8" Beam: 9'2" Draft: 4'6" Displacement: 8,400 lbs. Ballast: 3,350 lbs. internal lead. Sail area: 402 sq. ft. More info: Bristol Owners' Association Home Page Islander 29 - LOA: 29' LWL: 20'4" Beam: 8'11"' Draft: 3'8" Displacement: 8,100 lbs. Ballast: ? Westerly Konsort 29 - LOA: LOD: 28'10" LWL: 25'7" Beam: 10'9" Draft: 3'3" Displacement: 9,211 lbs. Ballast: Alberg 30 - LOA: 30'3" LOD: 30'3" LWL: Beam: 8'9" Draft: 4'3" Displacement: 9,000 lbs. Ballast: 3,300 lbs. (encapsulated cast iron) Sail area: 410 sq. ft. More info: The Alberg 30 Site Sailing Magazine Allied Seawind Ketch 30 - LOA: 30'6" LWL: 24' Beam: 9'3" Draft: 4'3" Displacement: 12,080 lbs. Ballast: Sail area: 500 sq. ft. Bristol 30 - LOA: 30' LWL: 22'8" Beam: 9'2" Draft: 4'6" std. keel. (centerboard version 3'4") Displacement: 8,400 lbs. Ballast: 3,450 lbs. (internal lead) Sail area: 402 sq. ft. More info: Bristol Owners' Association Home Page Cal 30 - LOA: 30' LWL: ? Beam: 10' Draft: 4'11" Displacement: ? Ballast: ? Cape Dory 30 - LOA: 30 2" LWL: 22'10" Beam: 9' Draft: 4'2" Displacement: 10,000 lbs. Ballast: 4,000 lbs. Sail area: 437 sq. ft. cutter. More info: CDSOA, Inc. -- CD30 Cheoy Lee Bermuda 30 - LOA: 29'7" LWL: 24' Beam: 8'9" Draft: 3'8" Displacement: 10,100 lbs. Ballast: Sail Area: 343 sq. ft. General Comments: Available as ketch or sloop. Built in Hong Kong from 1962-67 in wood and fiberglass. Minuses: Lots of wood to maintain even on the fiberglass version. More info: Cheoy Lee Bermudas Cheoy Lee Luders 30 - LOA: 29'10" LWL: 22' Beam: 9'1" Draft: 4'9" Displacement: 9,900 lbs. Ballast: 3,750 lbs. Sail area: 425 sq. ft. More info: Luders 30 - Cheoy Lee Rawson 30 - LOA: 32'6" LOD: 30'6" LWL: 22' Beam: 9' Draft: 5' Displacement: 12,500 lbs. Ballast: 5,000 lbs. Sail area: 565 sq.ft. General Comments: William Garden design. Cape George 31 - LOA: 36' LOD: 31' LWL: 27'6" Beam: 9'6" Draft: 4'6" Displacement: 15,835 lbs. Ballast: 7,200 lbs. internal lead. More info: Cape George Cutters § History § Cecil Lange / William Atkin / traditional full keel sailboat Cheoy Lee Offshore 31 - LOA: 30'9" LWL: 23'4" Beam: 8'10" Draft: 3'10" Displacement: 10,750 lbs. Ballast: 4,000 lbs. Sail area: 424 sq. ft. More info: Offshore 31 Nicholson 31 - LOA: 31'7" LWL: 24'2" Beam: 10'3" Draft: 5' Displacement: 14,750 lbs. Ballast: 5,300 lbs. Sail area: 500 sq. ft. More info: Atom Voyages | Nicholson 31 Refit Pacific Seacraft 31 - LOA: 31'10" LOD: 30'6" LWL: 24'2" Beam: 9'10" Draft: 4'/4'11" shoal option/standard full keel. Displacement: 11,000 lb. Ballast: 4,4000 lb. external lead. Sail area: 485 sq. ft. sloop, 600 cuter. More info: Boats.com - Boat Review/Test: Cruising Expert Pacific Seacraft : PS 31 Pacific Seacraft Mariah 31 - LOA: 36' LOD: 31' LWL: 25' Beam: 10'9" Draft: 4'6" Displacement: 16,000 lb. Ballast: 6,000 lb. Sail area: 596 sq. ft. More info: Mariah31 : Messages : 120-150 of 150 Southern Cross 31 - LOA: 34'6" LOD: 31' LWL: 25' Beam: 9'6" Draft: 4'6" Displacement: 13,600 lb. Ballast: 4,400 lb. internal lead. More info: SCOA Home Page Contessa 32 - LOD: 32' LWL: 24' Beam: 9'6" Draft: 5'6" Displacement: 9,500 lbs. Ballast: 4,500 lbs. internal lead. More info: Sailing Magazine Pearson Vanguard 32 - LOA: 32'6" LWL: 22'4" Beam: 9'3" Draft: 4'6" Displacement: 10,300 lbs. Ballast: 4,250 lbs. internal lead. Sail area: About 470 sq. ft. More info: The venerable Pearson Vanguard This grand* old dame will* always be someone pearson vanguard at pearsonvanguard.org Rhodes Chesapeake 32 - LOA: 31'9" LWL: 22'1" Beam: 8'9" Draft: 4'9" Displacement: ? Ballast: 3,750 lbs. external lead. Sail area: 408 sq. ft. working sail and 588 with genoa. More info: History Westsail 32 - LOA: About 40' including bowsprit and boomkin. LOD: 32' LWL: 27'6" Beam: 11' Draft: 5' Displacement: 19,500 Ballast: 7,000 lbs internal (lead/iron on early boats and all lead casting on later models). Sail area: 629 sq. ft. More info: Westsail 32 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia WOA Web Site Click to expand...

BTW, James has added the Monsun 31, Elizabethan 29 and Golden Hind to the list IIRC.  

It's pretty interesting to see that all the boats I've ever seriously considered are onn the list, along with the two I currently own. Ken.  

My boat is on the list, too! Hooray for the Bristol 27!  

I often tell my wife that, despite my ignorance, there is not much the ALbemarle Sound can throw at us that our Camper Nicholson 31 can't handle. Maybe now she'll beleive me.  

whew.. glad to see my boat made the cut. James Baldwin has my utmost respect. He has spent the winter as a live aboard in Michigan!  

WOW - my two year plan to upgrade just got supported by this great list! Thanks!  

How's your 1st month on the pearson been treating ya?  

Due to a slew of personal stuff like taking on a new job, trying desperately to sell my stuff/clear out my home - I haven't been able to spend as much time as I wanted to. BUT, what time I have spent so far has been pure BLISS! I'm heading out to spend time with the PO today and we'll go over things. Instead of getting in sailing time, I've been learning the engine/electronics, moving stuff aboard (it's on a mooring - not a slip yet), getting a mechanic to "tweak" it next week - THEN I'm taking 5 days off to have sailing friends come out with me to get some water under the keel. I slept on it one night and it was absolute heaven - beyond my expectations. I LOVE this boat, and it's a great first boat. I've been devouring books on sailing, living aboard, and even some circumnavigation accounts - and DVDs on sailing/anchoring/navigation, etc. I'm already thinking about a 5 year plan to upgrade to a more "blue water" boat and hope to visit the caribbean, etc. Thanks for asking!  

I wonder why the Pearson 30 wasn't on that list. Maybe because of the spade rudder.  

Wonder why the seawind 30 is n the list & not the 32?marc  

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Pocket Cruisers That Sail Far

It is not the size of your boat that matters, it is the size of your dreams  (published June 2018)

Today’s cruising fleet is made up of boats that are much larger than they were only just a decade ago. There is a lot to be said for the comfort and speed of larger cruising boats. And with all of the modern sailing gear and electronics available to us, big boats are much easier to handle than they used to be. But they are also much more complicated and thus more prone to need maintenance and repairs than small, simpler boats of yore.

Small boat cruising now includes boats up to about 35 feet and it is worth noting that some of the largest builders of production sailboats have very few models in the 35 and under category that could be considered a boat you could live aboard. Smaller weekending boats and daysailers are more common in their range.

POCKET CRUISERS The term “pocket cruiser” was coined a generation ago to identify the many small but capable cruisers that were launched at the beginning of the fiberglass age of boat building. Boats like the Pearson Triton, Tartan 27 and Catalina 30 were all considered perfectly suitable boats for a family to cruise for a week or an entire summer.

The early fiberglass pocket cruisers were often designs based on hull shapes that had evolved from the days of wood construction so they had long overhangs, attached rudders and narrow beams. They were cramped and tended to heel over hard in a blow. If the leeward rail went under, you knew it was time to reef.

Today’s boats are designed to sail fairly upright and use beam and even chines to provide a lot of initial stability. Sailing flat is more comfortable for everyone onboard and is faster than pushing the boat too hard and burying the rail. It means the boats can be sailed efficiently without heavy crew on the rail which means a couple can still get great performance without having to bring the whole neighborhood along. Plus, because the deigns are quite light, you end of reefing early and often, which takes the sweat out of managing your pocket cruiser when the breeze picks up. Some companies will even offer in-mast furling on their smaller boats, and that simplifies sailing even more.

Catalina’s 315, built in Florida, is an American classic among the fleet of pocket cruiser. Light and powered with an ample rig, the boat sails very well and is a real pleasure to handle. Catalina continues to build “American Style” into their boats so you will find solid joinery below decks and a lot of traditional features that set them apart from the fleet. Details like solid wood doors and louvers on cabinets turn the little 31-footer into a properly fitted out yacht.

Seaward Yachts are also built in Florida and are part of the Island Packet company with was recently bought by Darrell and Leslie Allen. The Seaward 26 and 32 are unique boats with swing keels and kick-up rudders. The boats were designed in Florida for the shallows of Florida’s west coast and the Bahamas across the Gulf Stream and in those waters they are ideal. But, the designs have also proven popular in the Chesapeake Bay, Southern New England and the Great Lakes. The 26 is a roomy little weekender while the 32 is a cruising boat that can be your home for long cruises.

Germany has become a world leader in production boat building in the last decade and three companies–Hanse, Bavaria and Dehler–have small cruisers that are modern pocket cruisers. The Dehler 29 is one of the most popular racer-cruisers in Europe with large well-established fleets that get together to both race and cruise. The Dehler brand is not that well known in North America but the boats and the builder behind them are first class.

Hanse has quietly but steadily built a market for their boats in North America that now accounts for a significant slice of new boat sales. The Hanse 315 is a perfect little cruiser that is fast, easy to sail, roomy and affordable. It even has twin wheels. Hanse is a high volume builder but they do not skimp on materials, hardware and the quality of the workmanship.

The Tartan 101 and 115 started life under the C&C brand, which is also owned by Tartan. When the company decided to split off the C&C brand, they renamed and re-engineered the two designs to meet traditional Tartan style and construction. Both boats are fast racer-cruisers that have done well in fleets all around America. But, they are also great little cruising boats that will be the right combination of qualities for couples or family who want the best of both worlds.

NOTABLE SMALL BOAT VOYAGES Since the early days of yachts there have been many great adventures and cruises in pocket cruisers so it is fair to say that it is not the size of your boat that matters, it is the size of your dreams. Here are some of my favorites.

Also in the 50s, Englishman John Guzzwell succumbed to the call of the sea. With a modest budget, he built a 21-foot Laurent Giles design that he named  Trekka  and in this little boat he set off from his home in British Columbia around the world. In 1959, after many adventures and several years, he returned to B.C. as the youngest solo circumnavigator in the smallest vessel to sail around the world.

Also in the Seventies, Yves Gelinas set off on his Alberg 30, Jean-du-Sud , from St. Malo in France with the intention of sailing non-stop around the world via the five great southern Capes. While he had to make a stop to repair his mast, he finished his circumnavigation in Canada having sailed 28,000 miles alone. Gelinas is the inventor of the elegant and simple Cape Horn self-steering windvane and his prototype steered his boat around the world in all conditions.

In the Eighties, young Tanya Aebi convinced her father that instead of attending university she would get a much better education if she sailed solo around the world. Her father agreed and took the tuition money he had saved and bought her a 26 foot fiberglass Folkboat design named  Varuna . Learning as she went, Tanya spent two years cruising around the world in the classic tradewind route via Panama and Suez. She returned to her home port in New York City to a hero’s welcome and her book,  Maiden Voyage, remains a best seller 30 years later.

More recently, in 2011 and 2012, young Matt Rutherford sailed a borrowed, 27-foot Albin Vega sloop north from his home in Maryland to the Northwest Passage. His mission was to complete a non-stop circumnavigation of the America via the NW Passage and Cape Horn. The grueling and arduous adventures took him 10 months yet he prevailed. And along the way he raised $130,000 for a local Maryland charity.

He is currently, at age 75, sailing a Moore 24 racing boat around the world and has thus far got to Australia. It is his hope, he writes, to complete his sixth solo circumnavigation before he leaves this planet.

Author: Blue Water Sailing

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2022 Boat of the Year: Best Pocket Cruiser/Daysailer

• By Cruising World Editors
• December 15, 2021

During and in the four days immediately following the US Sailboat show in Annapolis, Maryland, the  Cruising World  judges inspected and sailed on 27 boats vying for recognition. Learn more about the boats in our  2022 Boat of the Year  »

From the very beginning, nearly 50 years ago, Cruising World has kept an open mind as to exactly what constitutes cruising. For some, it might mean circling the globe under sail alone. For others, lowering the mast and motoring through America’s rivers, lakes and canals to complete a Great Loop fits the bill. Some seek long bluewater passages, others are content to gunkhole along a lakeshore in a shallow-draft vessel, sleeping under the stars on a cockpit bench or tucked under a boom tent should it rain.

And likewise, since the inception of our Boat of the Year contest a quarter century ago, we’ve asked our independent team of judges to evaluate a wide range of boats and measure them against their stated design brief. It’s not every year that our experts have the opportunity to inspect a category of nifty, smooth-sailing vessels under 30 feet, but for 2022, there was a trio of modestly sized smart, cool boats to put through their paces. The only problem? Each model was designed and built with a vastly different purpose (and sailor) in mind. 

The Tartan 245 was originally conceived as a training boat for sailing schools. J/Boat’s J/9 is an unabashed daysailer, meant to provide exciting spins around the harbor, even under mainsail alone. And, the Beneteau First 27 is fine-tuned to deliver performance, and definitely lives at the racier end of the spectrum. 

The judge’s task? Decide which nominee came closest to fulfilling its stated purpose.

Let’s begin with the J/9 . It’s simple. It’s fun. It’s a totally enjoyable, stress-free sailing experience that can be easily handled by any sailor looking to enjoy a breezy afternoon. And that’s just what the crew at J/Boats was striving for with their new 28-foot daysailer. 

In promotional materials, the company asks, “Is this the most comfortable cockpit ever?” And the answer, after sailing the boat on a blue-sky Annapolis day, would have to be yes. There is plenty of room for a couple of couples to sit comfortably. But the tiller and its extension also allow a singlehander to sit forward and easily reach the jib sheets, led to winches on the low-profile cabin top. Aft, there is even a small swim platform and ladder for when the time comes to douse sails and enjoy a dip on a hot afternoon.

Described from the get-go as a “daysailor,” a small cabin has room for an open V-berth, a couple of settees, a head, and space for a small portable cookstove and cooler. 

Underway in 10 knots or so of breeze, the boat was quite well mannered, even with the jib furled. Judge Tim Murphy notes, “The design writ started off with it being a mainsail-only boat, and then it ended up having a headsail too. But it’s really mainsail-driven. And the big drawing point is the huge cockpit. We sailed the boat under main alone, and sure enough, you could go out for an afternoon with just the main and have a time for yourself. The cockpit is perfect. It really is the strongest part of the boat.”

With the Tartan 245 , longtime Tartan naval architect Tim Jackett, who’s now practically synonymous with the brand, was originally asked to design an easily handled, simply laid-out 24-footer that would be ideal for sailing lessons. 

What he came up with is a delightful little boat that does all that and more. Longtime aficionados of the Carl Alberg-designed Ensign will recognize several features from that classic daysailer (the sailor who commissioned the 245 had a soft spot for Ensigns). The long and spacious cockpit, the tiller steering and the handy cuddy cabin are all perfect. What separates the designs is the Tartan’s lifting keel, which makes it versatile and trailerable. 

If the J/9’s focus is on simple sailing, the Tartan’s aim is to give students the ability to tweak sails and rig to their hearts’ content in order to learn big-boat handling and racing skills. Numerous control lines are led into the cockpit from the base of the mast, and aft, there is a beefy backstay adjuster.

The boat that the judges sailed in Annapolis was a demo boat for a local sailing school, and was stripped out inside, except for a cushion for the V-berth. But the owner’s plans included towing the boat back to his home in Florida, where he’s contemplating loading aboard a port-a-potty, cooler and stove, and possibly sailing it across to the Bahamas. Outfitted as such, it would be a sporty little vessel for exploring shallow-water venues between the cays.

With two boats that so closely hit the bullseyes described in their design briefs, there was one boat left to assess, and in the end, the Beneteau First 27 turned in a performance that insured it would sail away with the pocket-cruiser hardware.

Built in Slovenia and, before undergoing a branding and systems revamping by Beneteau, this sharp, tidy “sport cruiser” was known as the Seascape 27. By any name, it delivers thrilling performance in a compact, well-reasoned package. 

While the Seascape 27 was originally conceived as a major player in the ever-expanding world of doublehanded offshore racing— CW ’s sister publication, Sailing World , tested and rewarded that boat—the cruisier version was reintroduced this year with several tweaks and the new moniker: First 27. And as a racer/cruiser, it boasts all the amenities necessary for weekend and coastal voyaging: a serviceable head, galley and berths, and a Yanmar diesel. In other words, a couple could easily liveaboard, rather than camp, for short periods of time, but they could also expect to be serious podium contenders should those outings involve a regatta.

In the end, it was the little things that swayed the judges. “The fit-and-finish for the price point is at a different level,” judge Gerry Douglas said. “The equipment level was higher.”

• More: beneteau , Boat of the Year , Boat of the Year 2022 , J/Boats , Sailboats , tartan yachts
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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…

The perfect boat: what makes an ideal offshore cruising yacht?

Choosing a boat for offshore cruising is not a decision to be taken lightly. I have researched this topic on…

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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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Home » Blog » Bluewater sailboats » The best bluewater sailboats (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)

The best bluewater sailboats (we analyzed 2,000 boats to find out)

By Author Fiona McGlynn

Posted on Last updated: May 16, 2023

We analyzed two-thousand bluewater sailboats to bring you a list of proven offshore designs

What are the best bluewater sailboats?

This was a question we asked a lot of experienced cruisers when we decided to sail across the Pacific. We needed a boat after all, and we wanted to buy the best bluewater sailboat we could afford.

We heard a lot of strong opinions.

Some sailors thought it was reckless to go offshore in any boat that didn’t have a full keel.

Others prioritized performance, and wouldn’t dream of going anywhere in a slow boat like the Westsail 32 (a.k.a. a “Wet Snail 32”).

Opinions like these left us feeling confused like we had to choose between safety and performance.  

If we learned anything from these conversations, it’s that what makes a bluewater boat is a hotly debated topic!

However, there’s a way to cut through all the opinions and get to the bottom of it. The solution is….

We analyzed just under 2,000 boats embarking on ocean crossings (over a 12 year time period) and came up with a list of the ten best bluewater sailboats.

Where did we get our data?

The data for our best bluewater sailboats list comes from 12 years of entries in the Pacific Puddle Jump (PPJ), an annual cross-Pacific rally. We took part in 2017 and had a ball!

You can read about the methodology we used to analyze this data at the bottom of the post.

What do we mean by “best”?

We know, that word is overused on the internet!

Simply, based on our data set, these were the most common makes and models entered in the PPJ cross-Pacific rally. There were at least 10 PPJ rally entries for every make of boat on our top 10 list.

So, these boats are 100% good to go?

No! A bluewater boat isn’t necessarily a seaworthy boat. Almost every cruiser we know made substantial repairs and additions to get their offshore boat ready, adding watermakers , life rafts, solar panels, and more.

Also, you should always have a boat inspected by a professional and accredited marine surveyor before buying it or taking it offshore.

But my bluewater baby boat isn’t on this list!?

There are hundreds of excellent bluewater yachts that are not on this list. For instance, we sailed across the Pacific in a Dufour 35, which didn’t even come close to making our top 10 list.

Choosing the right boat is very much an individual journey.

Where can I find these bluewater boats for sale?

We recognize that a top 10 list won’t get you very far if you’re shopping for a bluewater boat (especially if you’re looking in the used market).

So, to help you find your perfect boat, we’re going to create a big list of bluewater boats that you can use to refine your search on Yachtworld, Craigslist, or any other places to buy a used boat .

Sign up for our newsletter to get our big list of bluewater boats list as soon as it comes out.

We’re also working on a series of posts by size class. For example, if you’re looking for a smaller boat, you can narrow it down to the best bluewater sailboats under 40 feet .

Takeaways from our analysis

There were no big surprises on an individual boat level. All of these makes are considered good cruisers, some of them are even best-selling designs! However, there were a few things that caught our eye.

“Go simple, go small, go now” still holds water

We were thrilled to see the smallest boat in our roundup at the very top of the list! Westsail 32 owners can take pride in their small but mighty yachts (and ignore all those snail-sayers).

While undoubtedly there’s been a trend towards bigger bluewater cruisers in recent years, small cruising sailboats seem to be holding their own. 60% of the monohulls on this list were under 40 feet (if you count the Valiant 40 which sneaks just under at 39.92 feet).

Cat got our tongue

So, we knew catamarans were a thing, but we didn’t fully appreciate HOW popular they’d become!

50% of our top 10 bluewater boat list consists of catamarans—a good fact to toss out the next time you’re trying to garner a happy hour invite on the party boat next door (which will undoubtedly be a catamaran).

Still got it!

We’ve got good news for all you good old boat lovers! 60% of the boats on our list were first built before 2000.

While these older models are less performance-oriented than modern designs, cruisers value these boats for their ability to stand up to rough seas and heavy weather. It just goes to show that solid bones and classic looks never go out of style.

Alright, without further ado, let’s dive into our list of the 10 best bluewater boats!

The 10 best bluewater boats

1. Westsail 32

The Westsail 32 is one of the most iconic bluewater cruisers and 19 have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.

In 1973, this small cruising sailboat garnered a 4-page spread in Time magazine. The article inspired many Americans to set sail and the Westsail 32, with its double-ender design, set the standard for what a real bluewater cruiser should look like.

There were approximately 830 built between 1971 and 1980.

This small boat has taken sailors on ocean crossings and circumnavigations. Though considered “slow” by some, the heavily-built Westsail 32 has developed a loyal following for her other excellent offshore cruising characteristics.

If you’re interested in small bluewater sailboats, check out our post on the best small sailboats for sailing around the world .

2. Lagoon 380

The Lagoon 380 is a reliable, solidly built catamaran and considered roomy for its size. We counted 18 of them in our data set. With over 800 boats built , it may be one of the best-selling catamarans in the world. Like the other boats on this list, the Lagoon 380 has proven itself on long passages and ocean crossings, winning it many loyal fans.

3. Lagoon 440

18 Lagoon 440s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.

Why leave the comforts of home, when you can take them with you? The Lagoon 440 is a luxurious long-range cruiser, offering beautiful wood joinery, spacious accommodations, and a deluxe galley. Oh, and you have the option of an electric boat motor !

SAIL and Sailing Magazine have both done in-depth reviews of the Lagoon 440 if you want to learn more.

4. Amel Super Maramu (incl. SM 2000)

If you follow the adventures of SV Delos on YouTube, you probably know that the star of the show (SV Delos— in case the title didn’t give it away ) is an Amel Super Maramu. These classic bluewater sailboats can be found all over the world, proof they can go the distance.

We counted 16 Amel Super Maramus and Super Maramu 2000s in our list of PPJ entries.

Ready to join the cult of Amel? Read more about the iconic brand in Yachting World.

5. Valiant 40

When I interviewed legendary yacht designer, Bob Perry, for Good Old Boat in 2019, he told me that the Valiant 40 was one of the boats that most defined him and marked the real start of his career.

At the time, heavy displacement cruisers were considered sluggish and slow, especially in light winds.

Perry’s innovation with the Valiant 40 was to combine a classic double ender above the waterline, with an IOR racing hull shape below the waterline. The result was the first “performance cruiser”, a blockbuster hit, with over 200 boats built in the 1970s.

It’s no surprise we counted 16 Valiant 40s in our data set.

Cruising World magazine dubbed it “a fast, comfortable, and safe cruising yacht,” and there’s no doubt it’s covered some serious nautical miles.

It’s worth noting that there were blistering problems with hull numbers 120-249 (boats built between 1976 and 1981). Later models did not have this problem. Despite the blistering issues, the Valiant 40 remains one of the most highly thought of bluewater designs.

6. TAYANA 37

The Tayana 37 is another hugely popular Perry design. The first boat rolled off the production line in 1976 and since then, nearly 600 boats have been built. Beautiful classic lines and a proven track record have won the Tayana 37 a devoted following of offshore enthusiasts.

12 Tayana 37s have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009. Read more about the Tayana 37 in this Practical Sailor review .

7. Lagoon 450

If this list is starting to sound like a paid advertisement, I swear we’re not on Lagoon’s payroll! This is the third Lagoon on our list, but the data doesn’t lie. Lagoon is making some of the best cruising sailboats.

The 450 has been a hot seller for Lagoon, with over 800 built since its launch in 2014. While not a performance cat, the Lagoon 450 travels at a reasonable speed and is brimming with luxury amenities.

At least 12 owners in the PPJ rally chose the Lagoon 450 to take them across the Pacific. It’s no wonder SAIL had so many good things to say about it.

8. Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46

There were 11 Fountaine Pajot Bahia 46s in our data set.

Fountaine Pajot released the Bahia 46 in 1997, a sleek design for traveling long distances. Its generously-sized water and fuel tanks along with ample storage for cruising gear are a real plus for the self-sufficient sailor.

According to Cruising World , “Cruising-cat aficionados should put the Bahia 46 on their “must-see” list.”

9. Catalina 42 (MKI, MKII)

10 Catalina 42s (MKI and MKII) have set out to cross the Pacific in the PPJ rally since 2009.

The Catalina 42 was designed under the guidance of the legendary yacht designer and Catalina’s chief engineer, Gerry Douglas.

One of Catalina’s philosophies is to offer “as much boat for the money as possible,” and the Catalina 42 is no exception. According to Practical Sailor , Catalina aims to price its boats 15% to 20% below major production boats like Hunter and Beneteau.

Practical Sailor has a great in-depth review of the Catalina 42 .

10. Leopard 46

Since 2009, 10 Leopard 46s have embarked on Pacific crossings in the PPJ rally.

Leopards have won legions of fans for their high build quality, robust engineering, and excellent performance.

The Leopard 46 also boasts something of a racing pedigree. It was built in South Africa by Robertson and Caine and designed by Gino Morelli and Pete Melvin, who came up with the record-breaking catamaran Playstation / Cheyenne 125 .

Read more about the Leopard 46 in this Cruising World review .

Methodology

What the data is and isn’t.

The PPJ data was a real boon because it reflects a wide range of cruising boats: small, big, old, new, expensive, and affordable. We think this may be because the PPJ is a very financially accessible rally—the standard entry cost is $125 or $100 if you’re under 35 (age or boat length!).

We did look at data from other (pricier) rallies but found that the results skewed towards more expensive boats.

Needless to say, the data we used is just a sample of the bluewater boats that crossed the Pacific over the last 10+ years. Many cruisers cross oceans without participating in a rally!

Entries vs. completions

The data we used is a list of the PPJ entries, not necessarily the boats that completed the rally. In instances where we saw the same boat entered multiple years in a row, we assumed they’d postponed their crossing and deleted all but the latest entry to avoid double counting.

Boat make variations

The world of boat building and naming can get pretty complicated. Sometimes a manufacturer changes a boat’s name a year or two into production, other times the name remains the same but the boat undergoes a dramatic update.

For the most part, we’ve used SailboatData.com’s classification system (if they list the boats separately, then we have also), except where there are two separately listed models that have the same LOA, beam, and displacement.

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.

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Best Bluewater Cruising Sailboats: Top Picks & Reviews

A bluewater sailboat is designed from the keel up to cross oceans. Of the many thousands of sailboats manufactured every year worldwide, only a few meet this definition.

Before diving into the best examples, let’s take a moment to think about what really counts as a bluewater sailboat and what criteria you might use to evaluate different designs.

Table of Contents

What does bluewater sailboat mean, hull shape and design, strong construction, carries sufficient power, water, fuel, and food, comfort ratio and ride quality, flexible sailplan for all types of weather, handholds and safe decks, pacific seacraft/crealock 37/40/44, baba/tashiba/panda 40, valiant 40/42/47/50, norseman 447, passport 40, hallberg-rassy 42/44, amel super maramu, cabo rico 38/42, final thoughts.

When searching for boats online, the term “bluewater” gets batted around quite a bit. “Bluewater” refers to that mythical color that the ocean takes on when you are far offshore. The sunlight illuminates only the first hundred feet or so, and the endless abyss beneath gives that color an other-worldly quality.

The implication is that a “bluewater sailboat” is capable of seeing those blue waters. It’s capable of venturing offshore, and it’s capable of the self-sufficiency required to survive out there.

But there are still many questions to be answered. For every sort of bluewater expedition that you could dream up, you can find a type of sailboat that was built to do it.

A better and more descriptive term for the type of boat is a passage-making sailboat. This is a sailboat built to cross oceans. Most people want to do this in a sailboat between 40 and 65 feet long, all in all. Larger yachts are, more or less by definition, bluewater boats.

The distinction lies in the company that these mid-sized ocean-going vessels keep. There have been many thousands of sailboats ranging from 40 to 65 feet sold all over the world. But a vast majority of these designs were not built with ocean voyaging as their primary purpose.

Instead, many can be described as coastal cruisers—built for protected waters or maybe even carefully planned hops across sections of big water. Others were designed as charter boats that can provide luxurious accommodations for a week-long island vacation.

By and large, other priorities shine through that detract from their sea-kindliness and passage-making abilities on these boats. Manufacturers may choose to use hull shapes that provide bountiful interior and living space, making the ride rougher in rough seas.

They may choose a fin keel and spade rudder for better upwind performance and more overall speed, knowing that these designs are less sturdy and more prone to damage than a full-keel bluewater cruiser. They may include large windows, which add lovely light to the living space but also pose a danger should they be breached offshore in storm conditions.

Many boats like this have completed long passages or even circumnavigated successfully. To say that it wasn’t designed for the journey isn’t to say that it isn’t possible to make the journey. But they still should not be considered “bluewater sailboats” because they have done it and gotten lucky—or have done it carefully and been heavily modified to do it safely.

Criteria for Picking Your Bluewater Boat

Everyone has a different vision for what they want from a bluewater sailboat. The term carries a lot of baggage. There are traditional heavily-built cruisers that can weather anything. And then, there are the well-equipped and upgraded production boats that can get the job done.

For our article, we will look at the first option—boats designed and built with voyaging across oceans in mind. Unfortunately, the list isn’t long and is full of older boat designs. This is mainly because this type of boat has fallen out of style, replaced by production boats that emphasize living accommodations and crew comfort while in port.

In the end, the bluewater boat you pick shows your priorities. Of course, no boat is perfect, and every sailor makes some sacrifices. Here are a few of the things that seasoned bluewater sailors will be looking for in an offshore-bound vessel.

The hull design of a boat affects many things about its performance, but most critically, it affects its ride and comfort at sea. This is especially true going upwind. Modern production boats are almost uniformly flat bottomed, which can pound dreadfully in a heavy seaway.

On the other hand, classic full-keel designs are renowned for their easy motions at sea. They are commonly described as slow compared to modern designs. But truthfully, all sailboats are slow. Would you rather have a comfortable boat that cruises at 7 knots or lose your teeth while doing 9 knots?

Conditions offshore can deteriorate with horrifying speed. Even with the excellent weather forecast products available in the 21st century, a bluewater boat should be capable of surviving storm conditions at sea. The crew’s skill and their heavy-weather sailing strategy have an enormous impact on storm survival. A sturdy vessel built to take the beating gives the crew a solid, trustworthy platform that is less likely to have serious breakages in storm conditions.

The list of things that you could include in this category is endless. Most of these things do not exist on production boats but are considered must-haves on offshore vessels.

• All deck and sailing hardware is through-bolted with heavy backing plates
• All seacocks are mounted on proper mounting plates and flanges
• All rigging is redundant so that no one failure can cause a rig to come down
• Hull is thickly built to survive possible impacts better
• Strongly built rudder mounted to the keel or skeg for protection and strength
• Prop and prop shaft are protected from entanglement and damage

There is simply no substitute for the warm feeling a sailor has when they do not doubt that their boat can take on any challenge. Smart sailor spends more time worrying about their own abilities and skills than the quality of their vessel.

Passage-making means living aboard for an extended time at sea. That means that the vessel needs to be large enough to accommodate you and your stuff for at least one and a half times the length of your longest trip. It also means that there is space for everyone on board to live comfortably and cohabitate for that length of time. 

Yes, the 20-foot-long Pacific Seacraft Flicka has completed circumnavigations, as has the 22-foot Falmouth Cutter or the Contessa 26. All are examples of extremely well-built and sturdy blue water vessels. But for most crews that consist of two or three people, they aren’t big enough to survive long passages without living exceptionally minimally.

Thus, their utility is limited to solo long-distance voyagers who are far more into the adventure of living small than cruising comfortably.

Comfort is a vastly underrated quality in today’s ideal cruising boat. A comfortable ride at sea is simply invaluable. It means a better-rested crew and better living conditions on board all voyages, long and small, calm and rough.

Many websites talk about a yacht’s “comfort ratio”.  This is of little interest to the racer or the coastal cruiser. But it measures how nice a boat rides offshore. The best boat designs score 30 or better. Long and heavy bluewater cruisers may score better than 50. The comfort ratio considers the loaded displacement of the vessel, its length, and beam—so larger boats have the advantage.

The comfort ratio does not apply to catamarans , however. The ride comfort on multihulls is much more difficult to judge. While the motion of a heavy monohull in a seaway can be rhythmic and predictable, wave action is felt on two independent hulls and the bridge deck of a cruising catamaran . The result is a jerky and unpredictable motion.

Some crews much prefer this motion to the extra rolling that a monohull experiences. The differences are subjective and cannot easily be quantified. Some people never get seasick on monohulls and are miserable on sailing catamarans , and the opposite is true just as often.

Besides the ride motion, it’s worth noting that multihulls have no ballast at all. Instead, they are lightly built for the best speed and performance, translating into a bouncy and pounding ride over even the slightest chop.

A bluewater sailor will want to make a way in nearly every set of conditions imaginable, short of a survival-condition storm. To do this, their sail inventory should provide them with an option they desire. From light winds to gales and heavy seas, the boat should have options.

Far and wide, the Bermudian sloop rig has taken over as the sailplane of choice on the typical coastal bluewater cruiser. Traditional bluewater sailboats tend to be either cutters or cutter-rigged ketches. These setups provide more options and easier sail handling than sloops do.

Another significant consideration when working offshore is how easy it is to get around the boat when the world is moving every which way. Down below, everything should have round corners and soft edges—you never know where your next painful bruise will come from. Up on deck, tall gunwales and secure lifelines are the difference between a death-defying adventure or a routine walk to the bow.

10 Best Offshore Bluewater Sailboats

Here are just a few of the biggest names in bluewater sailboats. Some of these vessels have been out of production for decades, but they still make a name for themselves with those who appreciate this type of vessel.

As noted above, we’re sticking with the classic definition of “bluewater sailboat” here. Of course, many will argue that modern production sailboats and multihulls can and do cross oceans. They certainly can and do. But very few of them in this size range are purpose-built from the start to provide comfortable and safe rides at sea—and so they are omitted here. 

Fiberglass boats of this style began with the Westsail 32. This was one of the cruising sailboats that created a cultural movement. Today, these boats are not particularly memorable. They were first built in 1971 and were the first of an entirely new class of sailboats—the attainable, fiberglass-built, bluewater-capable cruiser.

While there are still Westsails out there, many better designs have popped up since. But it was the Westsail that got many dreamers dreaming of sailing off into the sunset, and it was the success of the Westsail that convinced many companies to try their hand at building beefy offshore boats.

One of the first successful competitors to the Westsail was the Tayana 37. Designed by Bob Perry and built-in Taiwan, the Tayana 37 was one of the most popular bluewater sailboats of the 1970s. Over 500 were built, and they are prized to this day for their seakeeping abilities and sturdy construction. Their canoe stern design makes them especially easy to handle in quartering seas. The Tayana is a full-keeled cutter, heavily constructed and sturdily built.

William “Bill” Crealock is known for putting a premium on designs that ride comfortably. Pacific Seacraft produced the most popular of his designs. In fact, nearly every one of the company’s sailboats came from his drawing board. Pacific Seacrafts are extremely well-built boats that anyone would feel comfortable in. 

These boats feature a long keel and a sturdy skeg-mounted rudder. Their performance is theoretically slightly better than full-keeled boats, but they’re still comfortable in a seaway.

Similar to the Tayana 37, this series of boats were also designed by Bob Perry and built by Taiwanese boatyards. They feature a slightly modernized cutaway full keel. They’re best known for their lovely interiors that showcase some of the best Taiwanese craftsmanship you’ll find.

These boats came in a wide variety of designs and sizes, but all are roughly similar. The Baba 30 is the smallest, while the 37 and 40-footers are better equipped for extended passage making.

Bob Perry updated his double-ender design for Texas-based Valiant Yacht. These are premium American-built yachts that are highly sought after to this day. The Valiant 40 incorporated a long fin keel and skeg-mounted rudder. The goal was to improve performance, especially when sailing upwind while keeping a structurally sound and sturdy design.

The results spoke for themselves, and the design has pretty much been adopted by every other design of offshore sailing yacht since.

Another modern design from the desk of Bob Perry, the Norseman 447, was built by Ta Shing in Taiwan, one of the premier boatyards in the world. Its underside is similar in design to the Valiants, with a long keel and skeg-mounted rudder. It’s heavily built and features just enough room and waterline for comfortable long passages.

Like the Norseman, the Passport is a ruggedly built offshore sailing yacht with a modern design. Also designed by Bob Perry and also built in Taiwan, the Passport was first launched in 1980. The line of boats eventually expanded to include yachts from 37 to 52 feet.

The Passport features a fin keel and skeg-hung rudder. It’s a sloop and was designed to be sailed under main alone for easy single-handing. The boats are incredibly well-built and sturdy. Sailor John Kretchmer wrote an excellent review for Sailing Magazine. https://sailingmagazine.net/article-537-passport-40.html The Passport offers the beautiful lines and sea kindly design of a Bob Perry boat, but with the modern finish and appeal of a newer boat.

The Hylas line of Taiwanese-built boats is a popular one. Unlike many others on the list, these yachts featured aft cabins and center cockpit designs. This provides a more central location to drive the yacht from. Down below, the arrangement allows for a large master stateroom aft with an island berth.

Hallberg-Rassy builds seaworthy and sturdy vessels in Sweden. Most of their designs, and all of their current offerings, come from the drawing boards of renowned European designer German Frers. The best-known models are center cockpit designs with excellent construction and beautiful joinery down below. The newer boats have modern undersides with fin keels and beefy, skeg-mounted rudders. Older boats have long or full keel designs.

This once little-known French manufacturer of beefy offshore ketches has experienced a renaissance thanks to the YouTube sailors on SV Delos. Amels are larger yachts, ranging from 50 to 60 feet long. They’re heavily built but feature a modernized ketch rig that makes sail handling easy. Much of the line handling is done by power winches, including furlers on all sails. Their newest designs are sleeker cutters and sloops.

Cabo Ricos are hand-built in Costa Rica by an American company, or they were until about 2010. The early 34s and 38s were designed by Bill Crealock, while Chuck Paine designed the larger yachts like the 42 and 56. They are one of the newest-built full-keeled cruisers you can find.

They’re known for their fantastic woodwork and joinery down below, but the lines of these lovely boats only hint at how comfortable they ride at sea. Their solid fiberglass hulls are extraordinarily well-built and ready for anything. They have cutter rigs and heavy displacements. In short, they were designed from the keel up for bluewater passage making.

There are very few companies that are still making pure-blood bluewater cruising boats. While the market for production and charter sailboats is enormous, the number of private owners who want to cross oceans is small. Most of the owners will prefer to find a boat on the used market anyway. That means fewer sales and a high retail price, making the endeavor’s profitability for the manufacturer difficult.

But there are plenty of used yachts out there, and many are ready to go cruising tomorrow. Some of the yachts on this list are so well built and sturdy that they will keep crossing oceans for decades to come.

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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VESSEL REVIEW | Sinichka – Electric commuter boats designed for Russia’s Moskva River

A series of three new electric monohull commuter ferries have already begun operational sailings on the Moskva River in the Russian capital Moscow.

Built by Russian shipyard Emperium, sister vessels Sinichka , Filka , and Presnya – all named after rivers in Moscow – are being operated by the Moscow Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development (Moscow Deptrans). They are the first units of a planned fleet of 20 vessels that will serve the capital city and other nearby communities. The new ferry system will be the water transport system to be operated on the Moskva River in 16 years.

Each vessel has a welded aluminium hull, an LOA of 21 metres, a beam of 6.2 metres, a draught of only 1.4 metres, a displacement of 40 tonnes, and capacity for 80 passengers plus two crewmembers. Seating is available for 42 passengers on each ferry, and the main cabins are also fitted with USB charging ports, wifi connectivity, tables, toilets, and space for bicycles and scooters. The cabin layout can be rearranged to allow the operator to adjust the distances between the seats and to install armrests of varying widths.

An open upper deck is also accessible to passengers and is the only area on each ferry where smoking is allowed.

The ferries are all of modular construction with each ferry’s wheelhouse, main cabin, and other structural elements being built as complete, separate components. This enables the ferries to be easily dismantled for transport to anywhere in Russia by rail and then quickly re-assembled within seven days.

The ferries are also ice-capable. Recently completed operational trials on the Moskva showed that the vessels can also easily navigate under mild winter conditions with broken surface ice, though year-round operations are planned for the entire fleet.

The ferries are each fitted with 500kWh lithium iron phosphate battery packs that supply power to two 134kW motors. This configuration can deliver a maximum speed of 11.8 knots, a cruising speed of just under 10 knots, and a range of 150 kilometres.

Emperium said the transfer of rotation of electric motors to the propeller is carried out by direct drive. As a propulsion installation, a pulling rotary propeller-steering column with double screws is used. The installation of double pulling screws, with similar power, allows an operator to increase the efficiency of the propulsion system to deliver a slightly higher speed or to reduce energy consumption. This arrangement also provides the ferries with enhanced manoeuvrability necessary for navigating in close quarters.

The batteries themselves have projected service lives of 10 to 12 years and are fitted with safety features such as built-in fire extinguishers and gas vents. Quick-disconnect features allow the batteries to be easily removed for replacement or maintenance.

Some of our readers have expressed disquiet at our publication of reviews and articles describing new vessels from Russia. We at Baird Maritime can understand and sympathise with those views. However, despite the behaviour of the country’s leaders, we believe that the maritime world needs to learn of the latest developments in vessel design and construction there.

Click here to read other news stories, features, opinion articles, and vessel reviews as part of this month’s Passenger Vessel Week.

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Tags: Emperium Filka Moscow Moscow Department of Transport and Road Infrastructure Development Moskva River Presnya Russia Sinichka WBW newbuild

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