May 2025
Reading Time: 20 minutes
Category: Sailing in General
The vast expanse of the ocean calls for a certain adventurous spirit, but does that call also necessitate a behemoth of a boat?
The average length of a boat in this years Atlantic Rally for Cruisers was 48 foot. Yachts need to be over 27 foot to even enter.
When I started sailing, a 36 foot yacht was regarded as the perfect length for a full circumnavigation. On a cubic basis, the ARC average 48 ft yacht is three times bigger than a 36 ft yacht, and 6 times bigger than a 25 foot yacht!
When Eric and Susan Hiscock decided that a 25 foot Vertue was going to be too small to sail around the world with all their gear plus the requirement for a dark room they decided to upsize. Their new Wanderer was just 30 foot 3 inches!
What is going on! – Why are boats getting bigger and bigger?
Perhaps it is increased affluence and more people can afford larger yachts. Maybe it is the demand for comfort with modern sailors prioritizing amenities and space. It could just be fancy marketing and perception, as larger boats are often associated with luxury and capability. “My boat is bigger than yours”. Surely there is more to it than that?
Perhaps it’s for Seaworthiness? Myth versus Reality
Many aspiring ocean voyagers are drawn to yachts boasting the coveted “Category A” certification, believing it to be the ultimate stamp of seaworthiness. These vessels, often substantial in size, are engineered for extended voyages and are theoretically capable of withstanding winds exceeding Force 8 and waves over 4 metres high. While it’s true that many smaller yachts might not formally meet all the stringent criteria for this category, the reality of offshore sailing can be more nuanced.
Consider the capsize rating, a crucial metric for assessing a yacht’s stability. A rating below 2 is generally considered desirable for ocean passages. Interestingly, a popular 43-foot aluminium yacht favoured for Arctic expeditions has a capsize screening formula rating of 2.1 – just outside this ideal range. On the plus side, it is a tough boat with a lifting keel well suited to Arctic regions.
In contrast, my own 26-foot Vertue boasts a remarkably low rating of just 1.29, making it highly suited for ocean crossings. While the motion of a smaller yacht in heavy seas can certainly feel more dramatic, this doesn’t automatically equate to being less safe. They might be non-compliant with a specific regulation or banned from ocean rallies, but their inherent stability can be surprisingly robust.
It’s also worth noting that sheer size isn’t always a guarantee of safety. The tragic case of the 184 foot Bayesian yacht highlighted how even large yachts can possess surprisingly low angles of vanishing stability. A GZ curve revealing an unrecoverable capsize at just 70.6° of heel is a sobering reminder that design and stability characteristics are paramount, regardless of length.
In a short, choppy sea, a larger yacht might simply bulldoze through the waves, while a smaller boat could struggle for momentum. However, when faced with longer wavelength swells, a smaller yacht might gracefully ride up and over, while a larger one could find itself momentarily stalled in the troughs.
While bashing to windward in 2-3 metre waves with limited freeboard on a smaller yacht might not be the most comfortable experience, certainly expect a wet ride, it can be an exhilarating one. If keeping your cup of tea perfectly still is your top priority, then perhaps a 26-footer isn’t for you!
Speed and Distance: The Need for Velocity?
It is indisputable that big boats go faster than small boats. That can mean avoiding bad weather or being able to travel further afield. If you want to get somewhere quickly, then you will need a big boat. But if you enjoy sailing and you have enough time on your hands then maybe a small boat will be just fine.
Furthermore, slower speeds are not necessarily a bad thing. If you fall overboard, you will probably not be dragged under by your lifeline. If you hit a container or growler at 3 or 4 knots, the boat will probably survive. At 15 knots, I dread to think what would happen.
Accommodation and Crew: Space for Comfort or a Necessity?
If you need to sail with more than four people then you are going to need a big boat. However, people often need to sail with more than four people because they have got a big boat.
My 26 foot boat has two fine sea berths and a quarter berth which requires folding up the navigation table. You can sail with three people as one person is always on watch. We coped with five people during the Scottish Islands Three Peaks Race but that was tight and luckily it didn’t rain! The 28 foot Twister will cope with four people on an ocean crossing but that is probably the limit. However, a small boat has the advantage of being small enough to sail alone or as a couple if that’s the way you prefer. The yacht Brimble being an example of a Twister completing a fine Atlantic crossing with a family of four on board and is currently returning from another Atlantic circuit with son Jack single-handing.
That large double berth in the beautifully appointed owners cabin might look tempting at the boat show, but it would be next to useless at sea. My narrow sea berths in the centre of the boat with tough lee cloths provide a secure and comfortable place to snooze.
Effort and Automation: The Role of Technology
A big boat can have electric winches to make sail handling effortless. The anchor comes up with the press of a button. The autopilot does the steering. A motor furls the sails. It makes life easy, that is until something fails. Then you discover that short tacking a Genoa on a 50 foot yacht with a manual winch is hard work. Hauling up a 30 kg anchor by hand is not for the unfit.
On little boats, everything is easy without the need of power assistance, short tacking is doddle, just whip in the sheet then adjust with a tweak on the winch. Hoisting the mainsail is just a matter of pulling on a halyard for 90 per cent of the way, not cranking all the way up with a winch.
OK, hauling up the anchor is hard work.
A large yacht can have endless screens displaying all sorts of data. A small boat ,can not realistically even have a radar because the weight of the scanner up the mast and the power consumption would be too great. That said, if you are sailing your small boat slowly through icy waters in fog, my preference would be “all eyes on the horizon” rather than someone gazing at a screen which is not even capable of spotting a lurking and potentially dangerous small growler.
Stowage and Tankage: Practical Considerations for Long Voyages
Gear stowage is where big boats really win hands down. Small boats still need the same tools and spares – impellors, spanners, filters, marlin spikes, palms etc. The big difference is having to unload a whole locker or lift up the bilge boards to find everything needed to complete a task. Even a small job can cause mayhem down below.
My fixed water tanks only hold 34 L. We carry more water in flexible bladders, but I still restrict water use to 2 L per person per day. That means washing in sea water and definitely no fresh water showers. It doesn’t worry me, but I know many others who insist on a daily shower. They will need a bigger boat.
My diesel tank is 63 L, with containers on deck I can eke out a range of about 300 nautical miles. If you are thinking of motoring across the doldrums rather than seeking or waiting for the wind, or maybe tackling the wind fickle North West Passage, a big boat will serve you best, so long as you can afford to fill up those massive tanks.
And then there are the toys. Small boats would struggle to stow inflatable SUP boards or kayaks. There is no room for folding bikes. I don’t even carry an outboard for the dinghy just a pair of oars. It would be fun to have a couple of SUP boards to explore those quiet anchorages but there is simply no space. We have to do without.
The Financial Realities
A small boat costs less to buy and to maintain. It is interesting that when I did an Atlantic Circuit many years ago, I was the only person out of the large group I met who hung on to my yacht. Because it was small, the costs were manageable. I didn’t need to fret about marina fees.
The Intangible Benefits of Smaller Vessels
They don’t tire you out. The sails are small and light, everything can be done by hand.
If something goes wrong, the stresses involved are smaller. An accidental gybe is not a big deal, you don’t have half a tonne of boom careering across the deck with the mainsheet tackle pinning you to the combings.
If you have the misfortune of needing to retrieve a MOB (are we still allowed to use that term?), then it is much easier to haul a wet body up a 600 mm freeboard than trying to haul it up a 1,200 mm freeboard.
You are less likely to get thrown around in a small yacht. My boat is just 7 foot 2 inches wide. The handrails running the length of the cabin are only about 4 foot apart. You can hold on to both sides of the cabin at the same time. It gives a great sense of security.
Respect from the locals. Anchoring a big yacht in a relatively poor country is a bit like parking a Ferrari on a council estate. Anchoring a nice looking little boat gains the respect of the local community and gives you a chance to engage.
And when you complete your ocean passage and want a quiet harbour to rest in, then the Harbour Master can always squeeze in a small one!
Conclusion
Ultimately, the ideal ocean-going yacht shouldn’t be defined by length at all, but by a careful consideration of the yachts actual seaworthiness. One’s budget, crew, ambitions, and the desire for comfort come into play, but perhaps most importantly your yacht choice will depend on your appetite for adventure.
So, if you are planning to cross an ocean, perhaps ask yourself: is bigger always better, or is there a something special to be found in casting off on a more modest vessel?
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