sailboats with 6 4 headroom

6 Great Sailboats For Tall People (With Pictures)

Being tall comes with advantages and corresponding disadvantages.

On a sailboat, the disadvantages become apparent quickly with the amount of headroom down below and the height of the boom above the deck, for starters.

Are there any sailboats out there that are comfortable for tall people to go sailing in?

Table of Contents

3 Dighies That Tall People Can Sail In:

Dinghies are smaller than keelboats, but a few can accommodate a tall person without a problem.

The MC Scow is a dinghy that has been in production in North America since 1956, redesigned by Harry Melges from the earlier J Scow.

It is 16 feet long with a wide 5’7″ beam, allowing plenty of room side to side.

It is a catboat rig, meaning it has a single sail with the mast far forward toward the bow.

The combination of the beam width and the mast location allows plenty of space for a tall person to operate in. Hiking straps allow you to lean out far over the water, actually giving taller people more of an advantage in racing.

There is an active racing class from the east coast to the mid-west of the United States, and the boat is still being produced by Melges Performance Sailboats.

2. International Canoe

One of the most unique classes of sailboats ever designed, there are several variants on the International Canoe or International Ten Square Meter as it is also known.

Its origins go back to the mid-19th century.

There is a One Design class, a “box rule” class where any design is legal as long as it complies with certain measurements. The Asymmetric Canoe uses the one-design boat but carries an asymmetric spinnaker.

The long, thin boats feature a main and a jib and are generally sailed single-handed.

The main interesting feature for the tall sailor is the sliding seat. This is a long construction that slides from side to side and extends out over the water.

This means the boat is actually controlled from the “outside” of the hull, giving a tall person complete freedom of movement.

The boats are difficult to control in a tack, as users must slide the seat, and the boats are narrow and tipsy. But it is a classic design, and the tall, experienced sailor will have a great experience.

3. Megabyte

The Megabyte is a newer design and class of dinghy, made currently by Zim Sailing.

It is similar to the old Finn design in the hull and rig, but it is a much lighter boat and has a more ergonomic layout.

For the tall sailor, the attraction will be the large, deep cockpit and the high boom. The mast for the single sail is forward, so it will not interfere with you.

The hull is light (130 lbs.), so combined with the relatively large sail, the boat has a lot of speed potential.

Given that, a taller sailor hiking in higher winds will find themselves in a competitive advantage, as they can use their leverage to keep the boat flatter in a race.

Though a more recent design, the Megabyte is growing in popularity, given its speed and ability to be car-topped to regattas or casual day sails.

3 Affordable Keelboats Tall People Can Enjoy:

Keelboats are generally easier for taller people to navigate in, as the boats are larger and roomier.

Here we will focus on smaller keelboats that can be sailed short-handed or even single-handed and are affordable:

Westerly Marine Construction was one of the largest marine manufacturers in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s, coming out with many innovative and focused designs.

The Centaur is a 26-foot boat designed to be a family cruiser. While many comfort-focused boats at that time were simply scaled-down models of larger boats, the Centaur was a unique design built around the roomy interior.

The large, high windows are distinctive to the boat, and it has a high boom for good clearance. It is 8 1/2 feet wide, and the headroom below is a minimum of 6 feet.

The disadvantage is that the deck space is cramped due to the large cabin and the shallow bilges.

It is not the best sailing boat performance-wise, but it is comfortable to sail.

There were 2500 Centaurs built between 1969 and 1980, and they are all over Europe and the US.

2. Leisure 23

Frank Prior designed this boat, and the first models were launched in 1973.

There was an SL model with a redesigned deck and cabin introduced in 1975.

The boat was designed for serious cruising, with a beam of almost 8 feet and 5’10” headroom, which is remarkable in a boat that size.

The main feature for tall people will be that the boom does not extend past the cabin. This means you have the entire cockpit area to operate in without fear of smacking your head.

The cockpit is wide and uncluttered, and the interior is roomy, meaning the boat will be a comfortable sail for a tall person.

About 900 boats of both models were built up until 1990, with most in Europe but many imported to the USA. The boat has decent sailing characteristics beyond its comfort and has a cult following in the industry.

3. Catalina 30

With 6,430 boats sold between 1972 and 2008, this is one of the most successful sailboats ever built.

There were several different models and redesigns over the decades, but the basic layout was unchanged.

Even for its length, the boat is a roomy design with a 10’10” beam. The headroom is 6’4″, so most tall people will be able to stand fully upright. Many people live aboard Catalina 30s, so they have ample space for all your needs below.

One remarkable aspect of the Catalina 30 is that it has outstanding sailing characteristics despite the space and comfortable design. Many are raced competitively worldwide, as it performs and handles very well in light air or heavy air.

With so many of these boats made, models are always available, some for under $10,000. You might have to do some work to get one of the more affordable ones in shape, but these were some of the nicest and roomiest racer-cruisers ever made at that length.

While the boat can be handled single-handed, as we stated in the criteria above, it will require an experienced sailor to do so, given the size of the boat and the rig.

The model was replaced in 2010 by the Catalina 309, so if you want a similar boat but of more recent vintage, that is a place to start.

Final Thoughts

Not every sailboat is going to be comfortable for every tall sailor. Finding the right boat is the key.

The boats we have examined in this article might be the ideal boat for you or the starting point for finding the perfect fit.

MC Scow – Wikipedia

Megabyte – USSailing

Review: Centaur – Spin Sheet

Leisure 23 – Leisure Owners Association

Click to share...

7 Trailerable Sailboats That Have Standing Headroom

Trailering your boat is a great way to sail in a lot of different places while keeping your boat budget in control. You can take a smaller boat a long way to launch it somewhere new, and you don't get saddled with a lot of mooring and dockage fees while your boat sits around unused.

That sounds great, but one key word in about trailerable sailboats is small . To move a boat on a street legal trailer without special permits and problems, it has to stay within certain size limits.

You may struggle to find a trailer sailer with head room when you're down below. But there are some out there that an average person doesn't have to sit to work in the galley, and we've put together a list of seven great pocket cruisers you can stand up in (if you're not too tall!).

The terms "trailerable" and "standing headroom" are both a little vague. Many boats can be moved by trailer, but you wouldn't want to move them that way every weekend. Bigger boats require heavier trucks and trailers, and once they get past eight feet of beam, you may need permits, special routing, and commercial equipment. Just because you can get it on a trailer doesn't mean it's "trailerable" in this context.

And standing headroom means something very different to different people. It's not just tall and short people who need different space, but what space in the boat you can stand in. Most people can stand up inside a small boat with the companionway open, but can you cook standing up with your head out in the cockpit? Or stand and stretch on a rainy day?

For our purposes, we're going to use the following definitions:

A trailerable boat is one you can launched, rig, and recover with the crew which sails it, an move on normal roads with no special permits or commercial tow vehicles. Many boats will fit on a trailer, but to be "trailerable" it needs to be reasonable to use for a trip on a long weekend, starting from and ending on a trailer. Most roads in North America have a vehicle width limit of a little over eight feet without special permits. This eliminates any boat with a beam much over eight and a half feet.

Standing headroom for this discussion means a person of average height (5'10" or 178 cm for men) can stand inside the main saloon, out of the elements. It doesn't mean you can stand everywhere down below, but you should be able to stand and move around a bit, get dressed and undressed without doing calisthenics, and hopefully work in the galley if there is one. "Headroom" on a boat is a very fuzzy measurement, and is distorted by marketing hype and wishful thinking. There isn't a standardized measurement for it, so we'll work with our own.

Within these parameters, there are many boats. If you can deal with some inconvenience in your trailering, or you only plan to move your boat by trailer once or twice a season, you can get more boat and still get the headroom you want. But that's not what's on our list.

Built by Westerly Marine in the 1970s, the Pageant is a 23' bilge keeled cruiser with full standing headroom in the saloon. At 4,300 pounds, it's heavy for its size and is known more for comfort than speed. The bilge keels may make getting onto a trailer interesting and require modifications to accommodate its under water layout.

There is a fin keeled version marketed as the Kendal 23/24, with a four-foot draft and two hundred pounds less displacement. They built only a few, so they're difficult to find.

The Catalina 25 is one of the most popular pocket cruisers built, with almost 6,000 hulls built between 1978 and 1994. A variety of keel styles and rigs were built, including a fin keel, swing keel, winged keel, and a tall rig. But the most distinctive feature of these boats is the "pop top" over the companionway, which enabled the entire area in the saloon under the companionway to lift for standing headroom. Some owners built covers and sides, enclosing this area into a true part of the belowdecks space.

The pop top was an option prior to 1987, but became standard after that through the end of the production run. It's important to know the build year for any Catalina 25 you consider, since the features varied considerably. Always check pictures for the pop top!

This trimaran is fast, but still has six feet of headroom. With the amas folded, the boat is narrow enough to trailer and with a 3,000 displacement is light and easy to move. While you won't have the interior beam of an eight-foot wide monohull in the living space, you will have quite a comfortable space with room to stand. But unlike most of the shallow draft, trailerable monohulls on this list, this one can hit fifteen knots under sail.

The Canadian-built Grampian 26 was built from the late sixties through the late seventies, and many of the almost 1,000 boats that were built are still around. It has six feet of headroom inside, an enclosed head, and a galley. It's an ideal weekender for a couple, or even a couple with a small child. Some boats had inboard engines, others had outboards. Additional options were for a keel or a centerboard model; with 4'3" of draft, the keel model is still easy to trailer.

One of the few new and in production boats in this list, the Beneteau First 27 is a fraction of an inch under our 5'10" qualifier (technically 5′9 5/16"), but it's such a roomy and quick boat that it seems appropriate to waive a few millimeters. This lightweight boat has sleeping space for up to six, and has a galley, fridge, and a proper marine head.

Don't confuse this boat with the earlier First 27 from 1978 or the First 27 SE (for "Seascape"), sold as the First 27 from 2018 to 2020 after Beneteau acquired Seascape. Those were quite different boats, though they had their own merits and strengths. They didn't have quite the headroom or interior volume as the newest model, and the earlier boat had too much beam for easy trailering.

Finds specs here

The MacGregor 26 series of boats is the most popular trailer sailor ever built. The first "Mac 26" was built in 1986, and went through several design upgrades and enhancements, including the 25D (dagger board), 26S (centerboard), 26X (dual rudder, motor sailing) culminating in the 26M (motorsailor with a rotating spar) built from 2002 though 2013. Earlier models have less headroom, but all are water ballasted, lightweight trailerable boats. The later 26X and 26M models can be equipped with rather large outboards (for sailboats) which could hit almost 20 knots under power.

Though the rigs on these boats are undersized and they're lightly built, they're spacious near shore and inland cruisers you can easily rig and de-rig for a weekend of sailing.

The founder of MacGregor Boats, Roger MacGregor, retired in 2013, and his daughter Laura founded Tattoo Yachts and bought the tooling for the 26M. Tattoo continues to build the Tattoo 26, which is a Macgregor 26M with a few modernizations and enhancements.

Corsair Trimarans offers several trailerable tris which meet the headroom test. The Corsair 760 is the smallest current production model, and like the Catalina 25, this 24' trimaran uses a clever pop-top over the companionway to get more headroom. It's sleeps two in the default configuration, though a foldable table can convert to sleep four.

Corsair designs their trimarans for easy setup and breakdown of the amas, and can be setup and launched in under an hour. The very shallow draft allows for anchoring in areas many boats can not, and even beaching.

The larger Corsair 970 is also trailerable with standing headroom, as is the older F-31.

You may also like, what's the largest sailboat you can trailer.

Trailer sailing has a lot of advantages for some people. Whether you live away from the ocean near a lot of different lakes, you want to move up and down a long …

13 Popular Trailerable Sailboats with Lifting Keels

Sailboat in coastal waters with desert hill in the background

The Difference Between Freshwater and Saltwater Boats

Own your first boat within a year on any budget.

A sailboat doesn't have to be expensive if you know what you're doing. If you want to learn how to make your sailing dream reality within a year, leave your email and I'll send you free updates . I don't like spam - I will only send helpful content.

Ready to Own Your First Boat?

Just tell us the best email address to send your tips to:

The Rhodes 22 Reviewed

by Thome Burns

There are interesting characters in the boat building business. The Spitzer brothers, Stan (photo left) and Eldon, are two of them to be sure. They are engaged in building, refining and marketing the Rhodes 22. Nothing seems to excite Stan more than to show off the score or so of gadgets they have perfected over the years to enhance the ease of use and the functionality of the boat. They have had plenty of time to perfect the Rhodes 22. Philip Rhodes designed the boat in 1960.

The boat is a trailerable cruiser for a couple that wants the amenities of a larger boat without the cost or maintenance hassles of a larger boat. It makes no claim to fame that it "sleeps five or six." Its pretty much a couple boat with room for an occasional second couple or children. Don't get me wrong its not small down below. The space is just not devoted to maximum sleeping quarters. When a boat is designed with a purpose and then improved over the years it can be surprising how well the boat actually performs its cruising purpose in a trailerable package.

I sailed the Rhodes 22 with Eldon and a customer from Mexico at the Miami Boat Show. A front was moving in and the wind was moderate at first, between 8-12 knots but gusts were soon up in the 20 kt range. Waves were 1'-3'. Before leaving the dock, Stan showed me his outboard system. It rests on a track slide and moves up and down with a six to one purchase tackle system. It is the easiest outboard to raise or lower I've seen. This boat has alot of cockpit which makes operating outboards, etc. easy. Once away from the dock the main unfurls from the 26' mast and the 170% genoa is also furling. The boat sails on its feet in 8 knots. It initially heels quickly in 12 knots plus gusts but it stiffens up considerably at about 20 degrees of heel. A little rail weight helps alot.

The boat feels responsive and is both easy to sail and fun. To put this into perspective, the PHRF of the Catalina 22 is 270, the O'Day 22 is 279 and the Rhodes is 258. Not a race boat like the J-22 (177), but very respectable for a 22' trailerable cruising boat.

The Rhodes has a fairly long waterline at 20'. It has minimal overhangs which is essential to interior volume. The hull has a pronounced flare at the gunwales. It looks a little odd but it provides a comfortable hiking seat and deflects spray while adding some buoyancy when heeled.

Unlike most trailerable sailboats built today, the Rhodes 22 uses a shoal keel with a centerboard built in. Most boats use either water ballast or a swing keel. With the board up, the boat draws 20" of water; 48" with the board down.

The keel/centerboard combination costs a little in initial stiffness compared to a swing keel but for the same weight it is stiffer than water ballast because the weight is lower. It also eliminates the winch and anoying hum of swing keel boats.

The mast is hinged and has a very effective raising and lowering system. The 26 foot mast stores the furling mainsail. The mast is supported by nine stays and shrouds: forestay, two backstays, two upper shrouds, two forward lowers and two aft lowers. There is plenty of rigging to grab when walking around the deck. One disadvantage of all this standing rigging is the extra time and effort required in preparation for trailering and launching.

The Rhodes 22 is built in sophisticated but conventional ways with attention to detail. The hull is laid up with a layer of chop on the skin, followed by a layer of roving, followed by Coremat. The nearly one inch thick deck and cabin top use a glass syntactic foam core.

For safety, the Rhodes 22 has two molded foam sections glassed into the hull; one forward under the v-berth and one under the cockpit sole. The Spitzers said that these make the boat unsinkable, a feature not found in most small cruisers.

The keel is molded into the hull. As an integral part of the hull, problems associated with attachment are avoided while reinforcing the bottom of the boat. Inside, there's a separately molded centerboard trunk, and 630 lbs. of encapsulated ballast. The centerboard weighs 70 lbs. but requires only a braided pennant to raise it and secure it on a cleat.

The hardware is good with Lewmar winches, Schaefer blocks and stainless cleats. You may want to size up the winches.

The Rhodes 22 has a large, wide cockpit. It's 7'4" long and almost 8' wide. It's also self-bailing with bench seats on both sides and across the aft end of the cockpit. The benches are unusual in that they are open in front which allows you to put your feet under them. Since the Rhodes 22 has no quarter berths, it has alot of storage area aft.

The cockpit can also be converted into a boom room (photo left) with the addition of a boom tent. This is quite an accessory in that it adds a third or more to the enclosed boat.

As in modern boats, all controls lead aft and are easily at hand for single or double-handed sailing. The most noticeable control which is not there is a boom vang. It cannot be added due to the hinged mast and pop-top arrangement. The most unusual arrangement is the traveler which is on a stainless tube between the backstays. It worked well when we used it and it has the advantage of keeping the center of the cockpit open and the cabin top open for the pop-top.

This is where the Spitzers have thought of most everything. The pop-top provides 6'4" headroom. There is about 4' of sitting headroom. The boat can be sailed with the pop-top up.

The cabin layout of the Rhodes 22 is roomy, open, airy and liveable. This is a cruiser and it hasn't been compromised. It is also specifically designed for a cruising couple. The dinette area converts into a 6' 6" double with 6' V-berths. There are no quarter berths, but you can add room with the optional "Boom Room".

The galley and head are unusual for their completeness and size in a boat this size. The galley has a real 4' 6" counter with sink, a stove and a large front-opening icebox with adjustable shelves and an ice-water tap. There's a large open storage shelf just below the ports, a deep storage cabinet underneath and more storage berneath the counter. Built into the shelf are both 12 DC volt and 110 volt AC outlets.

The Swell Head as described by Spitzer is fully enclosed, with a clever multi-paneled door that opens up to provide a large, non-claustrophobic space or closes to occupy a minimum of floor space when it's not in use. There's a marine toilet, with sea cock-controlled water intake, holding tank and fittings for dockside pump-out or macerated discharge.

Inside, there is a mirror, shelf, toilet paper holder, medicine cabinet, towel rack, magazine rack, lighting and a 110 volt outlet. The hatch is large and allows you to let your upper body emerge while you stand and use the facilities.

The Rhodes 22 does exactly what its designed to do. It packs more cruising capability into a small trailerable boat than most. As a cruiser for two people or a couple with children, it is hard to beat in a trailerable boat. While it is an old design built in a conventional way, this is not necessarily bad. Many in fact would argue that its good. The Spitzers have had a long time to perfect the boat. I would say in many respects its overbuilt in that over twenty-five molds are used. This means you get smoothe under surfaces inside lazarette covers and built in shelves. The boat is virtually "tricked-out" with handy gagdets. For the right buyers, the Rhodes 22 is unequaled in many ways.

The Spitzers have also not forgotton their used boat customers. They have a buy-back policy. I like and admire a company which does this. Reconditioned used boats are sometimes available from the factory.

Return to Sailing Breezes Magazine About Sailing Breezes Magazine Please send us your comments!!

All contents are copyright (c) 1998 by Northern Breezes, Inc. All information contained within is deemed reliable but carries no guarantees. Reproduction of any part or whole of this publication in any form by mechanical or electronic means, including information retrieval is prohibited except by consent of the publisher.

New Sailboats
Sailboats 21-30ft
Sailboats 31-35ft
Sailboats 36-40ft
Sailboats Over 40ft
Sailboats Under 21feet
used_sailboats
Apps and Computer Programs
Communications
Fishfinders
Handheld Electronics
Plotters MFDS Rradar
Wind, Speed & Depth Instruments
Anchoring Mooring
Running Rigging
Sails Canvas
Standing Rigging
Diesel Engines
Off Grid Energy
Cleaning Waxing
DIY Projects
Repair, Tools & Materials
Spare Parts
Tools & Gadgets
Cabin Comfort
Ventilation
Footwear Apparel
Foul Weather Gear
Mailport & PS Advisor
Inside Practical Sailor Blog
Activate My Web Access
Reset Password
Pay My Bill
Customer Service

Free Newsletter
Give a Gift

How to Sell Your Boat

Cal 2-46: A Venerable Lapworth Design Brought Up to Date

Rhumb Lines: Show Highlights from Annapolis

Open Transom Pros and Cons

Leaping Into Lithium

The Importance of Sea State in Weather Planning

Do-it-yourself Electrical System Survey and Inspection

Install a Standalone Sounder Without Drilling

When Should We Retire Dyneema Stays and Running Rigging?

Rethinking MOB Prevention

Top-notch Wind Indicators

The Everlasting Multihull Trampoline

Check Your Shorepower System for Hidden Dangers

How Dangerous is Your Shore Power?

DIY survey of boat solar and wind turbine systems

A lithium conversion requires a willing owner and a capable craft. Enter the Prestige 345 catamaran Confianza.

What’s Involved in Setting Up a Lithium Battery System?

The Scraper-only Approach to Bottom Paint Removal

Can You Recoat Dyneema?

Gonytia Hot Knife Proves its Mettle

How to Handle the Head

The Day Sailor’s First-Aid Kit

Choosing and Securing Seat Cushions

Cockpit Drains on Race Boats

Re-sealing the Seams on Waterproof Fabrics

Safer Sailing: Add Leg Loops to Your Harness

Waxing and Polishing Your Boat

Reducing Engine Room Noise

Tricks and Tips to Forming Do-it-yourself Rigging Terminals

Marine Toilet Maintenance Tips

Learning to Live with Plastic Boat Bits

Sailboat Reviews

San Juan 28

This old-timer, a refugee from the boatbuilding maelstrom of the '70s, is a speedy, moderate sloop that can race phrf and also serve as a fairly comfortable weekender..

During the 1950s, Robert Clark, an amateur woodworker with a degree in education and a teaching certificate, labored in Toledo, Ohio as a pattern maker in the auto industry. He had a creative mind, and made prototypes that eventually became standard equipment on automobiles – dashboards, for instance. He passed spare hours building Lightnings and Thistles in a garage, and was among the first to construct boats using fiberglass.

Tiring of the corporate grind, Clark moved his family to Renton, Washington, to pursue his dream of operating a sailboat manufacturing company. In 1960, he established the Clark Boat Company. As the company endured the financial struggles associated with the fledgling business, Clark’s wife, Cora, made the money to put bread on the table, and sons Don, Dennis, and David chipped in free labor in the plant after school hours and on weekends.

Dennis describes the factory as a “ramshackle old building” opened in concert with Axel Olsen for the purpose of building OK dinghies and Optimists. Olsen was a bricklayer and sailor from Denmark who had apprenticed with Paul Elvström.

The company eventually established itself as a place for do-it-yourselfers to complete construction of home-built daysailers. “We could have 15 boats in varying stages of construction at any one time,” said Dennis.

Despite being a nondescript builder whose budgets did not allow it to advertise in national magazines, the company prospered. When the OK Dinghy business burgeoned, the shop was moved to larger quarters, and Clark, with a new partner, Bud Easter, began building other boats like the I-14, Thistle, 505, and Lightning. They also built Stars for Olympic gold medal winner Bill Buchan, who became Dennis’ mentor.

After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in engineering, Don became the company designer. Among his first designs was a modified I-14 that became the Sea Lark. By the late 1960s, the Clarks decided to enter the trailerable sailboat market, and introduced the San Juan 21, of which more than 3,000 were built.

After the company outgrew its 32,000-square-foot facility in Washington and was enjoying tremendous success in the East, Robert and Cora moved to North Carolina in 1969 to set up a second production facility. “We’ve since decided they were ready for a new adventure,” Dennis said.

During its heyday, Clark Boats employed 150 workers in Washington, and a similar-sized staff in North Carolina. Don doubled as designer and manager of production. He eventually designed the San Juan 21, 23, 7.7, 28, and a 26-footer that had a short lifespan. The SJ24 was a Bruce Kirby design with 4′ draft – a pocket rocket for racing under the IOR rule. On the technical side, the company was among the first to use vacuum bagging techniques.

Dennis oversaw the sailmaking and tooling operations. At one point, the company had the largest sail loft in the northwest, and was selling a third of its production to owners of non-Clark-built boats.

David was in charge of marketing.

During its ownership by the Clarks, the company produced approximately 6,000 San Juan models, and 2,000 dinghies. However, in response to the precipitous decline in the industry in the early ’80s, the North Carolina plant was closed. In 1986 the company was sold to an engineer who had no experience in the boatbuilding industry. The Clarks lent assistance for a year, during which the construction of San Juan boats was continued while the new owner attempted to convert the plant to a facility for the production of Valiants. However, Clark Boats eventually went the way of many endangered species.

Molds for various models are now owned by Gene Adams, who operates Port Gardner Sailboats, a company specializing in servicing and finding parts for SJ owners. He also is a member of a very active SJ21 one-design fleet.

Design More than 300 San Juan 28s were built after its introduction in 1978. It became one of the most popular boats in the Clark line.

The SJ28 has a sporty look, with a downward sloping sheerline leading aft from a fine entry to a narrow, slightly reversed pinched stern (a la ’70s IOR shapes). The cabintop is also nicely raked and beveled, and is raised quite high aft, allowing good light and headroom down below. The high-aspect rig with small main and big foretriangle is also typical of the day.

Don Clark says the 28-footer was designed specifically to compete with the likes of boats manufactured by Ranger, Pearson, and Cal. Looking for the right combination of speed and comfort, he blended a quasi-conventional shape with a performance underbody, and produced a space below that provides 6′ 4″ of headroom.

“Her design was a takeoff from half-tonners, with a spade rudder, fin keel, and IOR-influenced underbody, but with the stern chopped off,” he said.

“She has a tall, powerful rig, 50% ballast ratio, and a beam that is offset by a deep fin keel and powerful, balanced spade rudder.

“She has a conservative rig, but is on the fast side of cruising. She was designed to sail extremely well in light air.

“She has good windward performance, and is well-behaved. She carries no weather helm. But she can be just short of a handful downwind for the inexperienced sailor.”

A year after her introduction, the SJ28 finished second at Yachting’s One-of-a-Kind-Regatta in Annapolis, finishing only behind a San Juan 24.

Following the sale of the company, Don spent three years cruising before landing in San Diego, where he operated a chain of bike shops. He’s now a custom cabinetmaker.

Deck Layout Step aboard the SJ28 and the first impression is that the cockpit is small and well-organized. A tiller occupies the center of the space, and this motivated many owners to change to wheels. The traveler is located at the companionway and the mainsheet tackle is fastened directly to the end of the boom. Since the boom is only 5’8″ above the sole, crew will learn quickly to protect their noggins on a tack or jibe.

The arrangement allows the helmsman to trim the main – a sensible arrangement on just about any boat. However, the traveler location, also common, can be highly inconvenient with people traveling through the companionway. Many a finger has been pinched in travelers here, and many a lock of hair lost in the mainsheet tackle.

From the outset, halyards, reefing lines, and vang controls were led from the base of the mast to winches atop the cabin. While that’s now a standard arrangement on production boats, it was a layout employed primarily by singlehanders in the 1970s.

The cockpit will seat four adults comfortably. From a cruiser’s standpoint, a smaller cockpit reduces the risk of swamping, though the boat is not considered a candidate for bluewater cruising.

Cockpit seats are 16″ wide, 14″ high, and 6 feet long, and the footwell allows good legroom. Cockpit storage is compromised by a starboard quarterberth that reduces the size of the starboard lazarette to a long shallow tray that is susceptible to the accumulation of water in drippy weather. A port locker provides a larger storage area and room for two batteries.

The owner of our test boat replaced the original alcohol stove with a propane unit, and built a properly vented tank locker aft of the port locker. This was a good installation; however, newer alcohol stoves are much safer and more efficient than the old pressurized models, so double-check before applying a saw to the fiberglass.

Jib sheets are led to winches aft of the helmsman where trimmers and grinders will have reasonable elbow room. Close sheeting for headsails is on tracks located alongside the cabin. Snatch blocks for downwind sails can be attached to holes in the aluminum toerail.

The single-spreader rig with in-line spreaders is typical of boats of this era. Swept-back spreaders might have allowed slightly better sheeting angles, but Clark decided on simplicity and stability. Owners report no wire failures, though some have replaced the standing rigging after 20+ years.

Belowdecks Spaces belowdecks reflect the types of interiors that were produced during the early stages of an industry transitioning from all-wood, handcut joinery to combinations of wood and fiberglass. The interior is defined by a white liner accented by a teak-andholly sole, wood bulkhead and cabinets, and white laminates on countertops. Cupboard doors were constructed of woven cane enclosed in teak frames.

The 10-foot beam and 6′ 4″ headroom gives generous space in the saloon for a boat with a 22′ 4″ waterline, especially when the bulkhead- mounted table is stored out of the way.

In its standard configuration, the L-shaped galley is located to port at the foot of the companionway, aft of a short settee. There’s a full-length settee (7′ 4″) to starboard, forward of the quarterberth. The settee slides out to make an undersized double berth that two adults will find a tad narrow.

The head is located between the saloon and V-berth.

Both settees have 10″ shelves outboard of the cushions. This kind of stowage was once common, but is now usually eliminated in newer boats in favor of wider accommodations. Think of it – there’s no space dedicated to an entertainment center…

The galley has countertops 52″ and 25″ long, including space over a dry locker. The two-burner stove swings athwartships to ease cooking chores when on the wind. A modicum of storage is located under the single stainless steel sink and outboard of the stove.

The head compartment is small, with toilet, fiberglass sink, and 10″ vanity sandwiched into the space.

The length of the V-berth on the centerline is 66″, and it’s 66″ wide, so will sleep two adults. Storage is below the cushions, on two shelves lining the hull, and in a hanging locker. A six-gallon holding tank is located under the berth.

Standard gear included a diesel heater, since this is a northwest boat designed for year-round use. Original equipment also included a panel with five switches, so new owners adding navigational instruments should plan on adding new circuits.

Fuel is located in an aluminum tank under the quarter berth, water in a 20-gallon plastic water tank under the galley sink. Engine access is 270 degrees from the starboard quarter and under the companionway steps. Access to the aft end will be a challenge for anyone larger than a Lilliputian, since it’s via a tiny space in the lazarette.

On balance, potential buyers will find the spaces where most time is spent belowdecks to be adequate. The dining area is large enough for 4-6 people; berths are adequate for three adults to sleep comfortably. The quarter berth is 80″ long and only 28″ wide. This actually makes for a comfortable, secure sea berth, although in harbor more elbow room would be nice. On our test boat it served as the equivalent of a hall closet. The port settee is long enough for a child.

Construction Our test boat is used by an owner who spends weekends on the racecourse or cruising with a family; it’s not a dockside entertainment center. During three hours aboard we saw little evidence of cracks in the gelcoat, or crazing where hardware had been installed. The gelcoat topsides were still in good shape.

Dennis Clark described the layup of Clark Boats as consisting of “high-quality gelcoat with a skin coat of cloth, or mat, plus roving.” Hulls were solid fiberglass, hand-laid. Hull thickness at the bottom is 7/16″; topsides are 3/16″.

“Sheets of mat were used, along with small amounts of chopped mat laid by hand between the roving,” said Clark. “Few of our boats had blister problems.” A PS survey of owners found few who experienced blister problems. The majority that occurred were small, and repaired by owners at a cost of $300 or less.

Decks were cored with balsa, and, in areas where hardware is fastened, with marine plywood.

The hull-deck joint is an inwardturning flange on which the deck sits; the two sections were bedded in polysulfide. The solid glass toerail was secured through deck and hull with screws on 6″ centers.

One shortcoming of the manufacturing process was the installation of a partial bulkhead to port, to which the chainplate is attached.

“That chainplate may leak, and that section is susceptible to rot,” Dennis says. As they became aware of the problem after the first batch of boats were produced, the Clarks provided owners with a repair kit. Close inspection of the area by owners and potential buyers should be high on a survey and maintenance checklist.

Common complaints among current owners are an ongoing need for inspection and rebedding of leaky hull-deck joints and chainplates; a few owners commented about leaky ports.

Performance We sailed the SJ28 in winds ranging from 5 to 15 knots, and once again noted the inaccuracy of the idea that moderate-displacement boats won’t sail in light air. Some do. This one does.

With owner Willie Gravley at the helm and Gene Adams trimming sails, we sailed near the Strait of Georgia with a Dacron main and 150% genoa on a roller furler.

In addition to feeling buoyant, though not nimble, she sailed as close to the breeze as Gravley’s previous boat, a 1977 Catalina 27. It was a switch that produced an increase in speed without loss of creature comforts or the need to incur a large debt.

Though Gravley is performance-oriented, the boat needs only stores and bedding to be ready to head for a cruise to Canada’s Gulf Islands.

At windspeeds of about 5 knots, boatspeed hovered between 2.9 and 3. 5 knots as we sailed into a small chop with the headsail six inches off the spreader. However, a key to maintaining steerage in light air is to sail her loose, following the adage, “When in doubt, let it out.” To demonstrate her balance, Adams set main and jib, Gravley stepped away from the tiller, and she sailed herself.

With wind at 6 knots, boatspeed increased to over 4 knots on the beat. She tacked through 90-100 degrees. Sailing on a reach with 5 knots of wind speed, she sailed at 4.5-5 knots.

Finally seeing puffs of 11 knots of breeze, boatspeed increased to 5 knots beating to weather. We footed off, hoisted the spinnaker, and headed downwind.

A shortcoming of the SJ28 is that when off the breeze, the pinched stern that is so typical of IOR designs of the time can be a handful for the inexperienced helmsman. She could be squirrelly in a big sea.

With Gravley trimming the main, Adams on the spinnaker sheets, and windspeed holding at 8 knots, speed held at 6 knots.

The bottom line: this yacht will sail circles around many similarly sized sloops designed for the weekend cruiser that were built during the same generation. She’s surprisingly responsive in light air.

Conclusion The SJ28 was designed and built by a company whose owners were performance-oriented and used to sailing boats to their limits. She displays good performance, even with an average sail inventory of conventional sails. The cockpit is large enough for four to six passengers, or a race crew, to sail with elbow room. It’s small for dockside entertaining.

More than 20 years after their construction, the living quarters in our test boat showed little sign of wear, despite the boat’s hard use as a racer and cruiser. There’s good headroom and cabin space, augmented by the ability of the saloon table to stow up against the main bulkhead.

Accommodations are best suited to a couple. Four or more can live aboard in a pinch. The galley is just large enough, the head small.

The SJ28 will respond to the needs of a veteran sailor, or small-boat sailor moving to a larger vessel. And she’s affordable: a patient buyer might be able to find a well-maintained boat for $12,000-15,000; or a fixer-upper for less.

Also With This Article Click here to view “Owner Comments.” Click here to view “Used Boat Price History – San Juan 28 – 1982 Model.”

Contact – Gene Adams, Port Gardner Sailboats, 360/445-2814, www.Sanjuan28.org .

Latest Videos

40-Footer Boat Tours – With Some Big Surprises! | Boat Tour

Electrical Do’s and Don’ts

Bahamas Travel Advisory: Cause for Concern?

Island Packet 370: What You Should Know | Boat Review

Privacy Policy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Online Account Activation
Privacy Manager

9 Best Trailerable Sailboats

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

December 28, 2023

Sailing is an excellent activity for the weekends, especially in remote mountain lakes or sheltered waterways. The United States is full of small isolated waterways, inland lakes, and rivers—which make the perfect environment for an adventure in a small sailboat .

Unfortunately, many people are put off by the idea of owning a sailboat due to the associated docking and maintenance fees. Weekend sailors often don’t want to pay for a long-term slip, and there’s no question that the added expense can be a pain.

Luckily, you don’t have to permanently dock a sailboat to enjoy this great pastime.

Instead of docking a large boat, you can purchase a small trailerable sailboat. A trailerable sailboat is a perfect option for part-time sailors and people with busy lives. Trailer sailors are some of the most popular boats in the country, and they’re not limited to light winds and calm seas. Many trailerable sailboats have made some impressive passages both offshore and coastal. In this article, we’ll go over some of the top new and used trailerable sailboats that you can purchase today.

Table of contents

Best Trailerable Sailboats

1) west wight potter 15.

The West Wight Potter 15 is perhaps one of the most capable 15-foot sailboats around. This neat little vessel is as seaworthy as it is easy to handle, and it’s a great choice for all kinds of cruising adventures.

The West Wight Potter 15 is a 15-foot sloop with an aluminum mast and tiller. This tiny boat also features a small cabin, which has ideal sleeping accommodations for a cruising couple. The cabin itself is spartan compared to its larger relatives, but it’s the perfect design for the minimalist cruiser.

This small sailboat is easily trailerable and can be stored in some garages with relative ease. The West Wight Potter 15 is ideal for inland and coastal waters and sets up (and takes down) fast with minimal fuss. Don’t let the small design fool you—this craft is surprisingly seaworthy.

The West Wight Potter 15 has an impressive cruising record, including a trip from England to Sweden in the brutal North Atlantic. The West Wight Potter 15 can be purchased new from International Marine, and thousands of craft are in circulation already.

2) West Wight Potter 19

We thought it fitting to include the Potter 15’s big brother, the West Wight Potter 19, on this list of the best trailerable sailboats . West Wight Potter boats are well known for their robust design and easy handling, and the Potter 19 is no exception.

The West Wight Potter 19 boasts the seaworthiness and ease-of-handling offered by its little brother, with the benefit of greater sailing comfort and cabin accommodations. This 19-foot sailboat is constructed of fiberglass. The hull contains a liberal amount of positive flotation, which makes the boat practically unsinkable.

The cabin features generous accommodations for a boat of its size, featuring space for a vee-berth, a small stove, a sink, and a portable head. Additionally, the West Wight Potter 19’s cabin can be wired for electricity from the factory, further increasing the level of comfort in this capable trailer sailor.

Like its smaller alternative, the West Wight Potter 19 has a history of some impressive cruises. An individual sailed this craft thousands of nautical miles from California to Hawaii —a single-handed voyage usually reserved for boats twice its size.

That’s not to say that the Potter 19 is a purpose-built long-haul sailboat. This design is ideal for larger lakes, rivers, and coastal cruising. However, the design has demonstrated toughness and seaworthiness rarely found in smaller boats.

The Potter 19, like the Potter 15, is a centerboard craft. This sailboat is available new from International Marine and offers a wide range of options packages and upgrades.

3) Newport 27

The Newport 27 is a massive step-up in size and amenities compared to the other boats on this list so far. This comfortable trailerable sailboat originated in 1971—at the height of the fiberglass boat boom. The Newport 27 measures 27-feet in length and feature a flush-deck design similar to the famous Cal 20.

This sailboat, despite its trailerable size and weight, features surprisingly good handling characteristics and generous accommodations. A full 6-feet of standing headroom is available in the cabin, making this boat exceedingly comfortable for longer journeys.

This sailboat is an excellent choice for the trailer sailing sailor who dreams of longer journeys but spends much of the time just hopping around local ports.

Despite its modest size and weight, the design of this small sailboat is proven. Many people sail them long distances and enjoy the quick handling characteristics of its design.

The Newport 27 is a true pocket cruiser, if not slightly larger than most. The Newport 27 isn’t produced anymore, but there is a healthy second-hand market for the boat.

4) Cape Dory 28

The Cape Dory 28 is a legendary Carl Alberg design known for its commodious living spaces and well-rounded performance both offshore and inland. This spacious little cruiser has the styling and capability of many larger boats, featuring traditional styling and generous amounts of varnished teak and brass. This cozy boat is a great choice for traditionalist sailors.

The Cape Dory 28 features a proven, simple, and robust rig, and it functions gracefully in a variety of conditions. While a 28’ sailboat is hardly considered trailerable by many, it can certainly be hauled-out and transported with relative ease. This is the kind of sailboat that’s just as happy in the boatyard or a permanent mooring.

The Cape Dory 28 offers attractive features for long-haul voyages, plus ease-of-handling and quickness that is necessary for tighter coastal waters. The Cape Dory 28 is ideal for salt-water cruising, though it’s a bit large for small lakes and narrow rivers.

This is certainly not a shoal-draft cruiser—with a draft of 4-feet, it's primarily at home in the water.

5) Islander 24

The Islander 24 is a common fiberglass classic that makes an ideal trailer sailing setup. This 24-foot fiberglass boat features a robust design and ease-of-maintenance rarely found on boats with similar capabilities.

The design has been around for over 40 years, and it’s served weekender and cruising sailor alike. The Islander 24 is a well-rounded cruising vessel with a spacious cabin for two (or more). The cabin features a forward vee berth, space for a head, and tables for a sink, stove, or navigation.

The boat is single-handed with ease, and the rig is simple enough to be stowed without too much hassle. The Islander 24 is a relatively common trailer sailor, though many owners leave it in the water.

A vessel of this size is ideal for cruising coastal waters, though some sailors have attempted longer voyages in this vessel. The Islander 24 is available on the used market all over the country.

6) Contessa 26

The Contessa 26 is an excellent classic trailerable sailboat. Don’t let its modest size fool you—this cruising craft has a long-standing reputation for seaworthiness. The Contessa 26 is a fiberglass boat that debuted in 1965 and has since earned a bit of a cult following.

These rather innocuous looking crafts are as fun and capable as they are easy to handle. The boat features a spacious cabin, comfortable cockpit, and plenty of available cruising upgrades. The rig is well-built and resembles the rig of a much larger boat.

The Contessa 26 is an ideal pocket cruising setup for a moderately experienced sailor. The vessel has a narrow beam, which contributes to heeling. The boat is known to heel rather violently, but it stiffens up shortly after and becomes a joy to sail.

A boat like this knows its capabilities and is sure to impress anyone. The Contessa 26 is a safe, hardy, and comfortable cruising boat for minimalists, and one of the best tailorable sailboats in the mid to large-size category.

This boat is a little harder to come by than many other vessels on this list, as around 300 were built. However, if you’re lucky enough to locate one on the used market, it’s definitely worth considering. Contessa built a fine boat, and the Contessa 26 meets the standard with confidence.

7) Hunter 27

If you’ve made it this far down the list, you’re probably surprised that the Hunter 27 hasn’t come up yet. This famous little boat has quite a reputation and happens to be one of the most popular modern trailerable cruisers available.

The Hunter 27 isn’t a traditionalist’s dream, but it offers the modern amenities and capabilities you’d expect from Hunter. This capable little sailboat has the handling characteristics of a truly seaworthy boat and manages well in all kinds of conditions.

The Hunter 27 has a reputation for amazing durability, and the design is sound from keel to masthead. Now, let’s get into some of the features that make the Hunter 27 a very attractive option. The Hunter 27 is a purpose-built small cruising vessel, but the accommodations appear to be a shrunken version of a boat 10 feet longer.

Down below, the Hunter 27 features a full galley, head, a full standing shower, berths, and generous storage space. The Hunter 27 is a truly livable trailer sailor, featuring accommodations that make it suitable for extended cruising or even living aboard. The salon features over 6 feet of standing headroom, with plenty of seating and counter space throughout.

The rig is sturdy and easy to handle. And remember, the Hunter 27 is still a trailer sailor. The boat features a shoal draft of under 4-feet and a displacement of less than 8,000 pounds. The Hunter 27 is available used, and this boat is still produced and available brand-new by Marlow-Hunter.

How could we forget the little Cal 20? We didn’t—and it’s certainly worth including the famous Trans-Pac underdog on this list. The Cal 20 is reminiscent of the glory days of fiberglass sailing in the 1960s and 1970s.

This flush-deck racer is a fantastic trailer cruiser for anyone wanting big-boat handling and speed in a compact package. The accommodations on this boat leave something to be desired, but many people find them cozy and acceptable.

The cabin features sitting headroom and a berth, along with small tables for a stove or sink. The Cal 20 has a history of impressive voyages and was a popular choice for daring sailors on long offshore journeys. However, the boat is designed to be quick, safe, and fun on inland passages and coastal cruises.

The Cal 20 is common on the used market and makes a great entry-level cabin sailboat. The Cal 20 features an enormous cockpit, making it ideal for a day on the bay with friends or family.

The boat is easy to handle, and upgrades abound. The Cal 20 is a great little sailboat with a fun history and a massive fan base. This stout little yacht makes an excellent weekender too, and the cabin makes overnighting comfortable.

9) Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20

One of the most legendary small trailerable cruisers is the full-keel Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20. A limited number of these boats were produced by Pacific Seacraft during the 20th century, and they have a reputation for incredible seaworthiness and long-range voyaging.

These sailboats have the hull shape of boats twice their size, with a long, deep, full keel running the length of the hull. The boat can handle some serious offshore cruising and features the capabilities of other full-keel sailboats.

The Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20 is an amazing find on the used market, as owners tend to cling to them due to their incredible characteristics. There aren’t many trailerable offshore cruisers available, which is because it’s not easy to design a small boat with offshore capabilities.

However, Pacific Seacraft did just that and built one incredible trailer sailor. This vessel is not really designed for shallow lakes and rivers.

The Flicka 20 is known to be a truly seaworthy ocean-going sailboat, which happens to be small enough to fit on an average-sized boat trailer.

Wherever you choose to sail, a trailerable sailboat is often a great choice. The boats listed here are by no means the only options—in fact, there are dozens of excellent trailerable sailboat models on the market. If you enjoy sailing but want to avoid the hassle of a permanent mooring, or if you travel to sail, a trailer sailor is a great choice.

Many sailors pick trailerable sailboats to sail multiple oceans. Many people would agree that it’s a lot more practical to haul your boat from the Pacific to the Atlantic, especially when the alternative option is the Panama Canal .

A trailerable sailboat can give you access to a multitude of sailing adventures—the lake one weekend, the coast the next, and perhaps an offshore voyage or island hopping in the delta.

And with this list of the best trailerable sailboats, you can find the boat that fits your needs (and your budget) and hit the water in no time.

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

by this author

Best Sailboats

Most Recent

What Does "Sailing By The Lee" Mean?

October 3, 2023

The Best Sailing Schools And Programs: Reviews & Ratings

September 26, 2023

Important Legal Info

Lifeofsailing.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies.

Affordable Sailboats You Can Build at Home

September 13, 2023

Best Small Sailboats With Standing Headroom

Best Bluewater Sailboats Under $50K

Best Liveaboard Catamaran Sailboats

Can a Novice Sail Around the World?

Elizabeth O'Malley

June 15, 2022

Best Electric Outboard Motors | Life of Sailing

4 Best Electric Outboard Motors

How Long Did It Take The Vikings To Sail To England?

10 Best Sailboat Brands | Life of Sailing

10 Best Sailboat Brands (And Why)

December 20, 2023

7 Best Places To Liveaboard A Sailboat

Get the best sailing content.

Twinkeeler with sixfoot headroom

24' 2" 24' 2" 20' 2" 2' 0"/3' 9" 31' 6"

outboard 4 to 8 hp 41%

Ted Tyler Tylercraft 1961-1980 250 sq. ft. portable 30 gal.

Min./max. draft: Bridge clearance: Power: B/D ratio:

Designer: Builder:

Years produced: Sail area: Fuel tankage: Water tankage:

Approx. trailering wgt.: 6,100 lbs.

Tylercraft Inc. of Oakdale, Long Island, New York, started in the fiberglass boat business in 1960 with the Tyler 24 (shown here), and by 1967 was building not only the Tyler 24, but a Tyler 30 and a Tyler 40 as well. All were designed and produced by proprietor Ted Tyler. By 1971 the range of boats had changed; the 40-footer and 30-footer were no longer offered, and the catalog now included a T17, T24, T26, and T29. The T24 was available in three configurations: a daysailer weighing 3,650 pounds, a weekender sleeping 2 to 4 and weighing 3,890 pounds, and a racer accommodating 4 to 5 and weighing

4,030 pounds. Cabin layout varied from year to year; see layouts for two versions, one in 1961, the other in 1964. Apparently all the Tyler 24s were twin keelers, though there is some evidence that a T24 centerboarder drawing 2' 0" (board up) and 3' 9" (board down) was also available during some periods. (Information on the company, now long gone, and its products is difficult to find.) Best and worst features: Not enough information to comment, except to note that the boat shown here has a good Space Index compared to her comps despite her narrower beam.

Continue reading here: Shad Turner lightweight cruiser

Was this article helpful?

Planing keel boat from the fifties
Floating apartment for coasting downwind
One Hundred Choices for the Best Small Cruiser
LOD and LOA - Cruising Sailboats Reference
Average PHRF Rating - Cruising Sailboats Reference
A truly unique design from Phil Bolger

Forums New posts Unanswered threads Register Top Posts Email
What's new New posts New Posts (legacy) Latest activity New media
Media New media New comments
Boat Info Downloads Weekly Quiz Topic FAQ 10000boatnames.com
Classifieds Sell Your Boat Used Gear for Sale
Parts General Marine Parts Hunter Beneteau Catalina MacGregor Oday
Help Terms of Use Monday Mail Subscribe Monday Mail Unsubscribe

Smallest Sailboats with Standing Headroom in the Cabin and/or Inboard Engine

Thread starter jepomer
Start date Sep 9, 2010
Forums for All Owners
Ask All Sailors

I'm just researching the possibilities right now. I am trying to identify the smallest sailboats which have standing headroom in the cabin (6 feet minimum) and/or which ones have an inboard engine. There are many parameters that go into choosing a sailboat. These two are difficult to identify in searches so I am hoping that people will chime in with their knowledge. My wife and I started sailing about 5 years ago (I had sailed casually before in the early '80s) when a friend lent us his small 12 footer while he and his wife sailed on a Hobie Cat 16. My wife squeezed into the cockpit much like one does in a kayak and I thought it would be the last of our sailing. On the contrary, she loved it! The next season we purchased a Hobie Cat 14 which was great for small lakes but when we got stranded for many hours with no wind on Lake Champlain one July 3rd, we decided that our "mature" bodies needed seats and a cabin with "facilities". We then purchased an O'Day 19 and sailed it for 3 seasons beginning to venture out into both Portsmouth and Boston harbors. This year we have a Capri 22 berthed in Winthrop and a Cape Dory 25 getting ready for next season. The Cape Dory 25 has more headroom and cabin space than the Capri 22 but not significantly more. Both are fine for overnighting and weekends. I can trailer either one of these back home for winter storage which had been an important criteria up until now. This is the first year that we have had a boat in a slip. We enjoyed the convenience over trailer sailing and the option just to sit in the boat on the hot summer days we had this year in New England. Our long term goal is to have a cruising "summer home" and to journey the intercoastal waterway when we retire (in the next 5 years or so). We do want reasonable cabin space for standing, preparing food, etc. and to be more than just "camping" like the our Capri 22 is (I know this is subjective). Since I do enjoy working on the boat's maintenance, fiberglass and mechanical repairs, I want to find that "special" boat that needs some TLC. So far we have not poured humongous amounts of money into our holes in the water. Size helps control the costs. Hence the question --- What are the Smallest Sailboats with Standing Headroom in the Cabin and/or Inboard Engine? John

Sandy Stone

Flicka 20? You said smallest, not cheapest.

Suggest that you post your question also on the Cherubini Hunter forum. http://forums.hunter.sailboatowners.com/forumdisplay.php?f=44 I don't know if 27 ft is "small" enough, but might be worth a quick read about the Cherubini Hunter 27 from the late 70's to early 80's. The one time that I looked at one, I was struck by what felt as an extremely spacious feeling cabin for such smaller boat. I believe it had enough head room for a 6' person to move around fully erect. You could also look at the owner reviews/comments. Here's a link to the original Hunter brochure: http://www.huntermarine.com/Models/HunterPreviousModels/27_1982.pdf

Re: Flicka 20? Probably the flicka. http://www.flicka20.com/

Scott T-Bird

Always a compromise when considering 'smallest' ... I've seen a 27' boat that had headroom for a 6' person ... in my eyes it was ugly because the profile was simply too high, had way too much windage, and performance suffered greatly. On the other hand, we considered purchasing a Cal 27-2 which was pleasing and had headroom for the most part for a 6' person (me) but the sole of the boat was essentially the hull and it sloped to a small flat spot over the bilge/keel assembly. The comments I read about the boat complained mainly that because the bilge is so shallow, water overflows the floor anytime the bilge filled by more than a couple of inches. This also was not for me. Our 27' boat is very pleasing to the eye and has very sweet performance because it is designed well, but I can only stand erect under the sliding top or if the top is slid back so I can stand in the sun. Otherwise, I stoop. My wife, at 5'7" can walk comfortably anywhere in the cabin and only has to stoop to duck under the companionway to the head. I live with this compromise because I love the way the boat looks and performs. So far, I have not found any boat at 27' that has standing headroom for me AND has decent performance and looks like a sleek sailboat. I don't like sailing a boat that looks like a slug to me. That includes all of the boats in that size or smaller that are touted for blue-water safety. But that's just me ... beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I think everyone realizes.

Hello, I think that you should be able to find a boat in the 27-28' range that meets your requirements. My first 'big' boat was a Newport 28. That was the smallest boat I liked that had inboard diesel, standing headroom (I'm 5'7" so I don't know if it has 6' headroom everywhere), real marine head with holding tank, pressure hot and cold water, and a decent galley with stove, oven, and icebox. The Catalina 27' would probably work for you too. I have been on a few and I liked the Newport 28' better, but that was just me. Check out the Sabre 28, Tartan 27, O'day 28', etc etc etc Barry

Yes, I did say "smallest" meaning the shortest LOA, not "cheapest". I do like the Flicka. "Smallest, practical" may be a better way to ask the question. The other parameters will come into play soon enough before any serious decisions need to be made. What I have seen so far is when the boats go from 25 to 27 feet LOA, headroom increases and the outboard becomes an inboard. I am 5' 8" and my wife is an even 5' so that helps. I do suspect that we will find something around the 30 foot range to be a practical solution. Our dock neighbor suggests a 32 footer. (He wants one that size.) Looking at the Cape Dory 25 verses the Cape Dory 25D, there appears to be a significant increase in headroom and other cabin space for two. When problem solving, I try to look at the extremes and then the subtle differences. We will be sailing the Cape Dory 25 next year. In the meantime we are trying to see what we like and don't like. I don't think my wife would really enjoy extended "camping" in the limited space if we were to be on an extended cruise. Thank you for the input so far. It is all useful. John

The Hunter 27 has everything you are looking for. They have crossed oceans and we know of 3 of them in the VI's that are live aboard. Check it out. They did come with various keels from shallow to not so shallow.

Look up a Bristol 28. Very competitive which means good performance under sail and has all the bell and whistles.

You don't need 6 feet of headroom unless you jump around a lot. You need bunk length more than headroom. Sometimes when they add two feet in length it is mostly in the cockpit. My Islander 30 had an 8 foot long cockpit, My friend's O'Day 26 had a 5 foot long cockpit and nearly as much room inside as my 30.

Warren Milberg

Just keep in mind what the famous designer Herreshoff had to say about headroom: The interior of a boat is only used for three things: eating, sleeping, and making love. None of which require standing headroom. or something to that effect....

Depends on which page of the boata-sutra you're on. But honestly, it is nice to stand fully upright and not bump one's head.

SailArkansas

The Precision 28 has standing headroom and an inboard diesel. The cabin has a very spacious feeling as the v-berth has no bulkhead. A curtain provides privacy. The model was discontinued several years back but you can find a couple of listings at PrecisionSaiboatOwners.com Its a great boat and I am very satisfied with my 1994 copy.

My CAL 2-25 (aka CAL 25 mk II) has more usable interior room, wider beam and longer waterline length than a CAT 27. She also has standiing head room, Yanmar YSM12 diesel, easy to single hand, fast and will take heavy weather. http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_ID=711

I have a Crown 28: inboard diesel, standing headroom, decent galley (often missing in the newer models that are focused on daysails), enclosed head with sink... Back then, a 28-ft boat was considered a good size for cruising and were built as such. Now it's hard to get a decent galley in anything under 32 ft. So - I'd look at some older boats if you want a good cruising boat under 30 ft. druid

A well fed crew is likely to be a happier crew so be certain that the galley is complete. The stove must have an oven and a broiler and two burners is minimum. Plenty of Ice Box volume with at least 4 inches of insulation.

Although some may argue that they are not true sailboats, but the Nimble Kodiak and the Nimble Wanderer have huge cabins.

I sail a lot on a friend's Tartan 28. It has good headroom ( I am 6'3" ) throughout and is a great cruiser for 2 or 3 people. There is a good head. V berth, double in the cabin, quarter berth. A good table in the cabin and a good galley with stove and oven. It sails really well also. This is the earlier design of Tartan 28, ( 1984-1990), not the 28 Piper.

Well, we've had: Flicka (wins the race on size, standing headroom and inboard diesel) Cape Dory 25D (best value in this race) I would add Dana 24 to these small, "Blue water" boats, but plan on spending a small fortune to get one. Your plans don't seem to include "Blue water," so I'd look at small boats with outboard engines, particularly those that have lazarette-mounted engines, like your CD25. The Bristol 24 comes to mind, as do some of the Pearsons. Putting your pants on standing up is great. Not hanging upside down into a diesel engine compartment is even better. Think it through and good luck.

This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register. By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies. Accept Learn more…

BOAT OF THE YEAR
Newsletters
Sailboat Reviews
Boating Safety
Sailing Totem
Charter Resources
Destinations
Galley Recipes
Living Aboard
Sails and Rigging
Maintenance
Best Marine Electronics & Technology

6 Quality Mid-size Cruisers

By Cruising World Staff
Updated: March 11, 2015

More: 31 - 40 ft , Boat Gallery , sailboat review , Sailboats , used boat guide
More Sailboats

New to the Fleet: Pegasus Yachts 50

Balance 442 “Lasai” Set to Debut

Sailboat Review: Tartan 455

Meet the Bali 5.8

Cruising the Northwest Passage

A Legendary Sail

10 Best Sailing Movies of All Time

Digital Edition
Customer Service
Privacy Policy
Email Newsletters
Cruising World
Sailing World
Salt Water Sportsman
Sport Fishing
Wakeboarding

Forum Listing
Marketplace
Advanced Search
About The Boat
Boat Review Forum
SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Headroom in a 35-40 Foot boat

Add to quote

Hi: I'm currently in the market for a used boat and my budget tells me to spend no more than $100-110K. Hopefully, I can get some help here to since I' m tired of searching the used boat sites on my own. Here is the criteria: Size: 35-40 Ft. LOA Displacement/Design: Medium...with decent sailing performance (the fun quotient)...not a slug but not something so tender that I have to spend half my time reefing and furling. I live on the Caribbean side of Mexico so light wind is not an issue and plan the occasional jaunt down to Belize/Guatemala and back up to Florida. I also prefer something that can be singlehanded when the urge strikes. I'm a competent sailor (can get from Point A to Point B but noone is recruiting me for the America's Cup) and my concern is not so much with the sailing end (proper setup and equipment can go a long way in dealing with the sails) but parking at a slip or at a dock under power can be quite an adventure when you are by yourself and the boat doesn't go where you want it to. So maneuvaribility under power is an issue. Draft: Prefer a shoal draft with a maximum of 6 Feet Build Quality: Not afraid of production boats...depending on the particular boat. And, finally, the fly in the ointment... Headroom: I'm 6'4-6'5...depending on how much I am slouching or how this old body standing up to the rigors of the day...so I would like as much interior altitude as possible. I am aware that all boats are compromises (Headroom vs. Freeboard for example) so all of the above is mix and match but any assistance/opinions would be appreciated Thanks John "I'm not going bald...I'm just scraping it off inside sailboats"

my familiarity with boats is limited to 4 years living on a Vagabond 47, and my own Catalina 30, and a few charters. At the last boat show, however, I spent some time on a variety of Catalinas, and all of them have pretty good headroom. I'm also 6'4.5. My boat has about 6'4 of headroom, which I think is phenomenal, given it's a 30'. But the caveat is, where? You aren't going to have 6'7 headroom from bow to stern, regardless. I'm happy standing straight, anywhere.

I own a 2003 Catalina 350. Actual LOA is 36.5 feet. I think the headroom in the salon and forward cabin is 6'7". The model was first introduced in 2002 and there are a number of them for sale on Yachtworld. Asking prices are a bit above the upper end of your budget, but not that much. Shoal draft on the boat is 4.5 feet. I routinely single-hand my boat and back into my slip when I dock, and I have no problems doing so. The boat has a 35 HP Universal engine and will do nearly hull speed at 2800 rpm.

Love my good ol' boat! I stand 6-5 (used to be 6-6 but age will shrink you) and sail an Endeavour 37. She lets me walk about below with no shoes on! My head scrapes in the galley, but that is good; my wife has to do the dishes! Ragtime has 2 Quarter berths 7 feet long and the table drops to form another berth 6-10 long and 108 inches wide! This is typical of the "A plan" which has no V berth, allowing a larger galley, salon and head than the "B plan." She weighs in at 20,000 lbs with 8000 lbs of lead in her modified full keel. Drawing 4'6" she can go places many fin keel boats her size cannot. As heavy as she is she does not do well in light air, but she is stable and comfortable in heavier winds, and sails well enough that I have passed a lot of boats that were forced to reef. My boom stands high enough that I have 6-7 under the Bimini, 6-6 under a custom made dodger. The Perkins 4108 diesel develops 50 hp which will push her at hull speed but runs more economically at 5.5 knots. With roller furling, autohelm, and lines run aft nearly anyone can singlehand a 37 foot boat, but I have not added autohelm yet. You can buy one for 40-60K, depending on condition and age, which allows you to add autohelm and other repairs and upgrades within your estimated budget. Another possibility is Hunter 34-5, made in 92 and 93, but the 91 version and 95 version were lower headroom, and the hull is not as sturdy as the Endeavour. I would prefer a stronger hull than Catalina, Hunter, or Bendytoy when offshore, even in the Great Lakes. I just came home from the St Pete boat show, where I saw the Island Packet 460 center cockpit, with 7'2" headroom. We both wish that was in our budget!

My lovely Dutch wife stands 6'2" We have lived aboard our 1979 Niagara 35 Mk1 (winter and summer) for four years in Toronto harbour. She has 2" headroom everywhere in the boat, galley, rear cabin, head and right up forward in the saloon to the doorway leading into our forepeak storage. The doorways from one compartment to another are a bit lower than 6'4" but the rest of the boat is great. The Niagara 35 Mk1 has two quarterberths which are in a separate compartment in the stern. The head is stb'd midships with a walkway both fwd and aft. The galley is portside opposite the head. The large saloon is quite nice too. There is a doorway fwd which accesses a forepeak workbench and seat, with massive storage for sails and other gear. The boat is well ventilated with six opening ports and four hatches. It's a medium displacement masthead sloop designed for coastal work but we plan to circumnavigate, leaving in June 2008 ;-) These boats were designed by Mark Ellis and well-built in the Niagara Falls Ontario area by Hinterhoeller. There is a newer Mk2 "Encore" model with a traditional layout and vee-berth but they command a larger price, in excess of $100k The Mark 1 we have goes in the $75 - $90K area, depending on whether it's seen salt water. Our 1979 Niagara 35 cost $85K in 2003 sailquest dot com/market/models/niag35

I'm about 6'4.5" and in a Tartan 37' I can stand up in the cabin, if I take off my shoes. I think the Catalina 350 is the only boat of that size that seemed like it had headroom to spare.

You can pick up a Catalina 380 for that price. I think it meets all your requirements. It would seem to be a med disp boat. It is based and built on the Morgan hull, not Catalina. Only the top is Catalina. THey have discontinued the 380 in lieu of the 387. I personally prefer the 380 better. I can attest taht it will do well in storms (not gales, storms) and we even rode out a hurricane on ours (though we were at a marina... but we took a beating and 3 boats sank/tried to sink in the same conditions). You can single the boat very easy. Negatives are access into the lazarette and tankage. Hope that helps. I know the boat well, so feel free to ask about it. - CD

I'm 6'3" and can wander around the cabin of my 1982 E40 ENDEAVOUR center cockpit without banging my noggin.... height was a concern for me also!

According to Latitude 38 Letters Jan 2003, the following boats have 6'6" or more headroom: Cal 40, CT-41, Irwin 42, Westsail 32, Endeavour 37, Tartan 37 yawl, Pearson 38, Union 36 and Columbia's 34 and 39

Same Problem with Height Dear Gents, Which of the above-mentioned yachts would be considered to be 'Offshore' capable, when it comes to strength, tankage/storage and behaviour in medium to heavy seas? It seems that my plans are very similar to Giannboy, and where I intend to sail is known for big blows etc. I have looked at (on Yachtworld only) at yachts such as the Whitby 42, Little Harbour 38, Cape Dory 40, Pearson 424 etc. They all seem to more or less fit the bill, however headroom is rarely mentioned. That's why I glad I stumbled on this thread! Thanks for any help or comments.

Tassie- The Westsnails are certainly off-shore capable... The Cal 40 is, but is rather uncomfortable from what I have read in a big blow. The Whitby 42 and Tartan 37 are both pretty good solid boats, but very different in nature. You'd be better off starting your own thread, and very clearly defining what you want the boat to do, as well as what limitations and requirements you have for the boat.

?
173.8K members

Top Contributors this Month

Log in or Sign up

You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser .

Smallest possible sailboat with 6' 3" of headroom

Discussion in ' Sailboats ' started by twincepto , Sep 7, 2009 .

twincepto New Member

I'm quite high... between 6'2" and 6'3" and it would be nice to be able to stand upright at least somewhere on the boat and especially at the galley. I want a quite small boat and I'm wondering if there are any small (< 30' ) production sailboats that has this kind of headroom. Also, I'm considering building a boat in the future... how small (in feet) do you think it will be possible to design a boat with this kind of headroom without it looking to crazy / ugly?

Seafarer24 Sunset Chaser

I believe the Allegra 24 has 6'3" of headroom. You could definitely design something under 30' with that much headroom that would still look attractive.

rwatson Senior Member

New design option I am six foot two, and specified 6 foot of headroom in a 28ft trailer/sailer boat I am having designed at the moment. I can provide more details if it is of interest.

Attached Files:

Boathull.jpg.

Seafarer24: The Allegra 24 is definately an option, and I also came across the Dana 24 while searching for information about the Allegra. The headroom is 6'1" though...

58ketch Junior Member

I believe some of the Grampians, Ericsons, Odays and Watkins , for production sailboats have that kind of headroom. I know my Oday 37 had around 6'4". Then again,...you are simply too tall to be sailing.....

Brent Swain Member

My 26 footer will give you 6'4" in the wheelhouse. Brent

Wynand N Retired Steelboatbuilder

Tom Thumb 24

ririzarry New Member

With both my wife and I over 6', I'm curious to see what other recommendations come out of the thread. Rob

Just got the revised concept back from the NA. We are modifying the design for easier building. I think it shows that a 6 ft headroom doesnt have to look like a box. I cant see the point of some small boat designs that crib standing room for "looks". Heck, if you cant live in the thing, what is the point ? To quote his message "Aethetically, the topside height is a major barrier. This has been tackled by raising the chine as much as possible and balancing the styling plank lines. I think we are at a good compromise. "

NewHull.jpg

RHP Senior Member

The gaffers built by Martin Heard (Heard 23', 28' and 35') all have good headroom. I'm 6'7" so its a major issue for me too!

Thanks for all the replies. So far I'm leaning towards building a modified Dana 24. By that I mean scaling the main dimensions up to lets say 25 or 26 feet, I'm havent tried doing this yet, but I'm guessing that will give me the kind of headroom I'm looking for. I'm not a boat designer but I'm assuming my scaled up version will share most of the positive seagoing characteristics the Dana 24 has. First of all I have to clarify some things. Do I need any permission/agreement with the producer/designer of the Dana 24 to use their design more or less in the building of my one-off boat? I'm sure that I will change the design somewhat, but seeing that the Dana 24 is a great boat I don't want to screw that up. Second, is there anyway for me to get a copy of the hull lines drawing for the Dana 24, as well as the sailplan and interior/deck layout?

Tanton Senior Member

Headroom. twincepto said: ↑ I'm quite high... between 6'2" and 6'3" and it would be nice to be able to stand upright at least somewhere on the boat and especially at the galley. I want a quite small boat and I'm wondering if there are any small (< 30' ) production sailboats that has this kind of headroom. Also, I'm considering building a boat in the future... how small (in feet) do you think it will be possible to design a boat with this kind of headroom without it looking to crazy / ugly? Click to expand...

Possible to convert Gaff Schooner to Ketch?

Downwind lift possible with a non-rotating freestanding mast?

Is this idea possible?

Opinions of the Seafarer 24? possible solid coastal cruiser?

No, create an account now.
Yes, my password is:
Forgot your password?

Technical specifications - Bali 4.6

Photos of the boat, technical features.

Length HT : 46ft (14m)
Max. width : 25ft (7.74m)
Weight : 17 tons
Draft : 4ft (1.22m)
Max. sleeping capacity : 12
Number of cabins : 3 to 5
Bathrooms : 4 to 6
Water capacity : 800L

Standard motorisation

Engine Power : 114hp
Fuel capacity : 800L

Standard canopy

Total sail area : 495sqft (151m2)
Mainsail area : 289sqft (88m2)
Genoa/jib area : 207sqft (63m2)

Ideal destinations for renting a Bali 4.6

Six more bodies are found days after a boat of Rohingya refugees capsized off Indonesia

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Six more bodies of Rohingya refugees have been found at sea off Indonesia after a boat with more than 150 people aboard capsized last week, local authorities said Monday.

The bodies of the six women were found off the coast of Aceh province, search and rescue officials said in a statement. Five bodies were found over the weekend.

The United Nations refugee agency confirmed with survivors that the women had been on their boat, staff member Faisal Rahman said.

The agency has said the boat carrying Rohingya Muslims left a refugee camp in Bangladesh but capsized on Wednesday. Fishermen and search and rescue workers rescued 75 people on Thursday after they huddled overnight on the boat’s overturned hull.

U.N. agencies on Friday said at least 70 were feared missing or dead .

About 1 million of the predominately Muslim Rohingya live in Bangladesh as refugees from Myanmar. They include about 740,000 who fled a brutal counterinsurgency campaign in 2017 by Myanmar’s security forces, who were accused of committing mass rapes and killings.

The Rohingya minority in Myanmar faces widespread discrimination. Most are denied citizenship.

Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention and is not obligated to accept them. However, the country generally provides temporary shelter to refugees in distress.

Tarigan reported from Jakarta.

IMAGES

Inside my Catalina 25 Sailboat
Interior tour of our 44' CSY Walk Over sailboat (Photo + Video)
Best Small Sailboats With Standing Headroom
Twinkeeler with sixfoot headroom
1981 Ericson 25 sailboat for sale in Maryland
The prototype powered easily and smoothly, and handled under power like

VIDEO

Oyster Palma Regatta 2023
West wight potter 15 and Newport 16
Best & Worst Cruise Staterooms on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas
Drone captures breath taking beauty from above at the harborfront
Tomahawk Air Canoe 478
Santa Cruz Lighted Boat Parade -- Desfile de Barcos Iluminados

COMMENTS

6 Great Sailboats For Tall People (With Pictures)
Even for its length, the boat is a roomy design with a 10'10" beam. The headroom is 6'4″, so most tall people will be able to stand fully upright. Many people live aboard Catalina 30s, so they have ample space for all your needs below.
Small sailboats with abundant (6'4") headroom? : r/liveaboard
Catalina 30 and Hunter 30 have large interiors and some have a bunk under the cockpit. With Columbias look for the flush deck models, the regular shaped Columbias actually have less headroom. You might find a Rawson 30 with 6'3" of headroom but I lived in one and they are roomy otherwise. Boats that are older than the 70's will have less ...
Tall Person's Liveaboard Sailboat?
Location: Maryland, USA. Boat: 1988 Taswell 43 & 1972 Laser. Posts: 22. Tall Person's Liveaboard Sailboat? Recommendations for cruisable liveaboard sailboat for 6'4", or taller human (not just salon, but most of living area). Tired of whacking my brain on doorways, handholds, etc. Seems as if we need better than 48'.
Baba 30
The boat has 6′ 4″ headroom and a lot of stowage, even when compared to more recent 32- to 34-footers, but the price of stowage areas is a dramatic increase in displacement. The boat displaces 12,000 lb. on a 24′ 6″ waterline. Perry said that at the time he designed the Baba 30, the average 30- footer displaced about 7 ,000 lb.
First sailboat for a very tall guy with a very tall family
Here is Europe it's still more convenient for us to hop on a boat that has 5'6" headroom and 6'9" berth than the charter boats that have 6'6" headroom and 6'4" berths. It's always a compromise, a modern (flat bottom) boat with 6'7" headroom on 30' boat will look like a floating caravan - and also sail like such.
Best Small Sailboats With Standing Headroom
Some examples of small sailboats with standing headroom include the Catalina 25, Grampian 26, and the Beneteau First 27. Keep in mind that some of these might be older boats and are considered trailerable sailboats. Not all small trailerable sailboat brands will have great headroom. Based on previous experience, there are plenty of family ...
7 Trailerable Sailboats That Have Standing Headroom
Grampian 26. The Canadian-built Grampian 26 was built from the late sixties through the late seventies, and many of the almost 1,000 boats that were built are still around. It has six feet of headroom inside, an enclosed head, and a galley. It's an ideal weekender for a couple, or even a couple with a small child.
Rhodes 22
The cabin top features a pop-top with 6′ 4″ headroom; when down, there's about 50″ of sitting headroom. The boat can be sailed with the top in either position. Like so many other pieces of equipment on the Rhodes 22, the pop-top is a unique design. Unlike most pop-tops, which are supported by pivoting arms, the aft section of the Rhodes ...
Rhodes 22 Review
The pop-top provides 6'4" headroom. There is about 4' of sitting headroom. The boat can be sailed with the pop-top up. The cabin layout of the Rhodes 22 is roomy, open, airy and liveable. This is a cruiser and it hasn't been compromised. It is also specifically designed for a cruising couple. The dinette area converts into a 6' 6" double with 6 ...
San Juan 28
The 10-foot beam and 6′ 4″ headroom gives generous space in the saloon for a boat with a 22′ 4″ waterline, especially when the bulkhead- mounted table is stored out of the way. In its standard configuration, the L-shaped galley is located to port at the foot of the companionway, aft of a short settee.
9 Best Trailerable Sailboats
The Newport 27 isn't produced anymore, but there is a healthy second-hand market for the boat. 4) Cape Dory 28 ... Best Small Sailboats With Standing Headroom. Daniel Wade. December 28, 2023. Best Bluewater Sailboats Under $50K. Daniel Wade. December 28, 2023. Popular Posts. Best Liveaboard Catamaran Sailboats.
Headroom
The interior height of a 40-foot sailboat can vary depending on its specific design and manufacturer. However, on average, the interior headroom of a 40-foot sailboat is typically around 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 meters). It is important to note that the measurements may differ in different areas of the boat, such as cabin areas or the saloon.
What Boats Have the Most Headroom?
Join Date: Nov 2011. Location: Branched Oak Yacht Club, Wife is an Admiral in the Nebraska Navy. Boat: Clipper Marine 32 CC Aft Cabin Ketch. Posts: 1,211. I am 6'7" and weigh about as much as a mack truck. My lake is limited to 32 foot boats give or take a foot or two. You learn to crook your back below decks.
Twinkeeler with sixfoot headroom
Ted Tyler Tylercraft 1961-1980 250 sq. ft. portable 30 gal. Tylercraft Inc. of Oakdale, Long Island, New York, started in the fiberglass boat business in 1960 with the Tyler 24 (shown here), and by 1967 was building not only the Tyler 24, but a Tyler 30 and a Tyler 40 as well. All were designed and produced by proprietor Ted Tyler.
Cruising boat with headroom: recommendations?
Getting 6'4" headroom in a boat under 40 ft involves some serious compromises: 1) high cabin top = weight high = tender. And/or. 2) deep hull = excess wetted surface = slow. And/or. 3) thin grid at keel = flexing structure = leaks. Head room should be consideration, but only one of many.
Smallest Sailboats with Standing Headroom in the Cabin and/or Inboard
Hello, I think that you should be able to find a boat in the 27-28' range that meets your requirements. My first 'big' boat was a Newport 28. That was the smallest boat I liked that had inboard diesel, standing headroom (I'm 5'7" so I don't know if it has 6' headroom everywhere), real marine head with holding tank, pressure hot and cold water, and a decent galley with stove, oven, and icebox.
6 Quality Mid-size Cruisers
Dufour 35 At 6 tons, the Dufour 35 won't bounce like a cork in an ocean swell, yet the boat remains quick on its feet. With its extra-long fin keel, the 35 is maneuverable, tracks well, and is well balanced.The deep cockpit keeps the crew dry on all but the stiffest beats. Below, the Dufour 35 can challenge even the beamiest modern yachts in ...
Headroom in a 35-40 Foot boat
my familiarity with boats is limited to 4 years living on a Vagabond 47, and my own Catalina 30, and a few charters. At the last boat show, however, I spent some time on a variety of Catalinas, and all of them have pretty good headroom. I'm also 6'4.5. My boat has about 6'4 of headroom, which I think is phenomenal, given it's a 30'.
Smallest possible sailboat with 6' 3" of headroom
Smallest possible sailboat with 6' 3" of headroom. Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by twincepto, Sep 7, 2009. Joined ... I believe some of the Grampians, Ericsons, Odays and Watkins , for production sailboats have that kind of headroom. I know my Oday 37 had around 6'4". Then again,...you are simply too tall to be sailing..... 58ketch, Sep 8 ...
Bali 4.6
Boat type : Catamaran. The Bali 4.6 is a luxurious and spacious cruising catamaran built by the French shipyard Catana Group. With its vast interior and exterior living spaces, the Bali 4.6 is ideal for large families or groups of friends wishing to sail in complete relaxation and comfort. Here are its technical characteristics.
Head Room Over 6'5" within a 30' Sailboat
Tough situation, Cyber1. I'm 6' 2.5" and have enough of a tough time. I'd suggest that you should look at pilothouse versions, as they often have more headroom. I haven't come across any production boats that have the head-room you need, even if you add 10 feet to the length you've mentioned.
SPIRIT 21 (6.5)
"Pop Top" up offers 6.17ft headroom. "Pop Top" down: 4.33ft headroom. According to Spirit/Glastron literature, the SPIRIT 21/SPIRIT 6.5 was designed by Hank Hinckley. ... 1997), states that a boat with a BN of less than 1.3 will be slow in light winds. A boat with a BN of 1.6 or greater is a boat that will be reefed often in offshore cruising ...
Six more bodies are found days after a boat of Rohingya refugees
BANDA ACEH, Indonesia — Six more bodies of Rohingya refugees have been found at sea off Indonesia after a boat with more than 150 people aboard capsized last week, local authorities said Monday.