Magnificent effort. I love your videos. I am a delivery skipper who has lived aboard boats for more than 30 years. My answer to the simple question of "what boat" is A STRONG BOAT. Size and style and extras are all a matter of personal preference. But make sure, if you plan on going off shore, it is a really well built strong boat, equipped for the worst that the sea might throw at you.
I’m halfway through this video and had to jump onto my phone to thank you folks and leave a comment. This video is incredibly thorough, insightful and fairly concise. I’ve sailed small boats (a 25’ sloop delivery from Florida to Jamaica), mid size (8 months cruising on a steel-hull, gaff rigged schooner), and even half a year on a topsl schooner, the Pride of Baltimore II, always as a deckhand. I’ve sailed nearly 18,000 nautical miles on those few vessels. I’ve never owned my own vessel, nor have I skippered a boat. Nonetheless, from my experience aboard, this video here is loaded with information and it all seems right on point. I’ll definitely be logging this in and returning to it! Fair Isle is a gorgeous vessel, and seems to possess all of the key components I’ve come to appreciate on a good cruiser, and many I have not had the chance to experience. Bang up job, thank you!
There are many, many videos on this topic, but you have covered many points that nobody else has mentioned. I found this to be very informative and quite sensible. Excellent information!
They have an incredible boat, but, a very expensive boat. There are lots of smaller boats that can take you out for the day or around the world for a real bargain. You say you are too old? well, you are still dreaming, there is only a short step from dreaming to doing. You can get a basic, strong boat, that could take you around the world for 5 grand. You are never too old. And if you died trying that would still be a life worth living.
I think that saying to your self that "I'm too old" will held you back from doing things you actually could do. Most of the time knowledge are equally valuable as money. Knowledge is gold. I would like to give something to think about: You don't have to own a boat. There are folks out there that needs a crew member for their journey, so get something like a "Certificate of competency for yachtsmen" (duelighedsbevis in Danish), or even better : Become a Yatch Skipper (3rd or 1st degree) - would make you a very valuable crew member. You could focus to be very knowledgable on navigation and meteorology skills, which will make you a even more valuable crew member. I'm 49, BTW.
Philip Smith. Never to old. I was 60 and sailed across the Bay of Biscay with my son. He had never sailed. At a harbour, Viveraro in northern Spain I saw an old old boy tottering up the quayside with a stick. He was leaving the following morning but invitees me for a beer that evening. I asked John where he was heading and he was off to Folkestone and heading straight across Biscay. He figured it would take four or five days. I asked him where he had come from and he had sailed single handed from Malta. He was 78 years old and still planning a trip to the Greek Islands the next year. Sailing out of Folkestone. Never too old.
Thanks for taking the time to produce this content. It's almost like it was done by professional camera crew and presenter :-) The most useful and informative view in a long time. Thanks again.
When I was a boy I read a book by a man who built "your boat" to sail the world - longkeel, cuttter. I got more and more convinced this was old stuff - until I came here. Thanks.
What a fabulously informative and entertaining video on cruising boats. It has caused me to reflect on, and reconsider, some of my beliefs on what constitutes a good boat to live aboard. Congratulations and thank you.
Interesting and valid views. We had a Trintella 51 which we sailed in the Med for three years until last year and agree with your views on a dog house. Whilst it didn't improve the looks any it was a godsend in heavy weather and hot sun. I know you didn't touch on hull material but I would add caution to owning an aluminium hull which proved difficult to maintain when painted. Ours was a boat set up for serious blue water cruising when we bought it and had many features which we thought attractive but which we did not use to the full. They simply added to time and expense in maintaining them. Keep it simple will be our future mantra . Safe sailing.
If your traveling with a mate it is good to share the adventure from the beginning. Your lives are made better with a sound boat, and I was impressed with your thought process in making and teaching your decisions. Wind to your Back!
I have watched a lot of sailing films on you tube, your choosing a boat for cruising was quite simply the best. Down to earth, stating some really good hard facts, and telling us what you like and don't like, not being to Wishy Washy!!! Top Job Gary
Yaaaa mine did too Johnny. Maybe a wooden block bolted to the side or back. Another option might be wooden separators in a drawer. But definitely use the magnetic holder only in port or anchored and not moving. (The points of the knives were right at eye level too) 😵
Totally agree with you on the sail plan, sailed a lot in 40 to 50 knots across the Atlantic last year and the staysail was brilliant in balancing the boat. I prefer catamarans and would love one with a cutter rig for better high wind control. Love your always well made and commented videos.
Really liked the previous videos, but Loved this one a lot! It was so helpful because of the different planning considerations for a wannabe boat owner. This one earned my subscription. Thank you!
The best most sensible advice I've ever seen from people who know what they are talking about. Well done to you excellent in every way. Fair weather and good sailing to you.
That Hard Doghouse is amazing. I live and sail alone on a Tartan 30, in doing so I've learned to want the things I have without having everything I want.
I agree 100%. Extremely well though out video subject matter. I truly appreciate you both offering suggestions on choosing the best boat for one in search of a sailboat based of all aspects so very important to consider.
Very good and well informed video. As an owner of a larger than the normal sailing yacht I agree with most of your observations, but would just like to add that a larger boat also gives you more working space, both on deck and below. I agree that German sheeting is not a good idea and just adds another mechanical intervention that can be avoided. I previously owned a yacht with in mast main and would not go back there as this just adds too much weight up high and leads to an uncomfortable roll when reefed. Now have returned to slab reef with single line. Looking forward to your next video. Happy and safe sailing.
Very informative. I enjoyed how you backed up your opinions with diagrams and explained why you felt something such as buying a cutter rig was important for you. Nicely done.
I found your video just stellar! Packed with usable information, props, visual aids and discrimination based on personal experience. 👍👍👍! Three thumbs up and bravo!! I learned more here than I have in a slew of other videos.
I like your points here. In our search, we found that a Kelly Peterson 44 or 46 will fit our needs nicely. My likes were center cockpit, cutter rigged, skeg hung rudder and long fin encapsulated keel with a cutaway forefoot, and... a shop! Karen went belowdeck and said, “This boat feels like home.” When Mama’s happy, everyone else is happy. We hope to get S/V Whiskey Rebellion come September. As boats are always compromises, there are things I don’t like. A 6.5’ draft keeps us away from the Exumas. The heads are both wet-heads, not ideal, but we can live with it. All in all, it works for us. We really enjoy your channel, thanks for what you two do. Fair winds!
Another great and informative video is in the books!! I can see the next one showing the matchboxes floating in the galley sink showing hull types & sail configurations!!! All the best, Richard
Not everyone will agree, it's all to do with what you want from a boat really. I'm just slightly concerned by boats that seem to be designed by people who don't sail, at least off shore!
Have watched this video many times now and it's just brilliant if you want to really think about what you want in a boat , would recommend it to anyone about to buy ,especially for the first time and remember everyone you talk to thinks their boat is best !
First timers generally need something else as they would not be live aboard or blue water, also where you sail is just as important as what you sail, my patch is the Solway firth, fin Keeler's need not apply, with up to ten metre (that's right metres!!), tides bilge and lifting keels rule, I bought my boat from a predominantly racing area all fin keels and flat stern shapes so mine had been for sale for quite a while, wrong boat for that area, down on the Solway she sits on the mud fourteen hours of the day very happy and with full sections at the stern she rides well (needs too as with shallow water and wind over tide short Sharpe chops are the norm, but its still glorious on a good day!), I would still agree on things like hand holds and power usage as even though mine is a lot less so is the generation of it, I liked the video, put out by people who do what they discuss.
Thank you for this video. Extremely informative and educational. You mention issues and questions to be answered that I have never heard mentioned before.
Thank you for your excellent review of monohull cruising. You have helped us confirm that a family cruising catamaran is our much better choice. We chose safety, comfort, storage and liveability over speed by far. The new generations of heavily solar boats fulfill our economic electricity requirements. In our case, even air conditioning is a need. Exciting boats such as the silent-yacht, though very expensive, meet our overall needs. Electronics are at the core of our priorities. We prefer to stay away from sails, multiple diesel engines and expensive monthly and annual maintenance. Still, different boats for different folks and needs.
Excellent review. Thank you! Two suggestions for easy cruising...a Wind Vane to augment the auto-pilot. Mine is a Hydrovane with a separate rudder as back-up for the venerable spade rudder on my Cal 39. To assist hauling halyards and sheets, I use a Milwaukee "Hawg", a right-angle, 18 volt drill with a "Winch Bit". Don't need the bigger Super Hawg, just a couple of heavy duty batteries (at least 6.0 Ah) with charger. Can use on all winches and around the boat as a powerful drill. Other name-brands offer a similar tool.
Thank you for the great insights: I would like to add the importance of the dinghy. You must be able to get in and out of your dinghy safely: preferrably behind your boat as waves roll along the side of the boat. Despite all the disadvantages of the wide-stern boats, they do provide easy access to the dinghy. (and swim platform). I found this one of the top 3 criteria for the boat.
Yes good point. The big swim platforms are great for that. On a boat without it like ours you must have a good ladder that extends far enough under water as well. I've been on far too many yachts that I struggle to climb up from when fit and well. If you were in any sort of trouble or not fully fit there are yachts that would be impossible to board.
Excellent video. There are far too many UA-camrs whose videos emphasize spacious saloons, swim platforms, and dinghy garages, with absolutely no discussion of cockpit safety or the importance of what's below the waterline.
Isn't it amazing how living aboard focuses the mind... On power use and generation, on water consumption and storage. Storage for clothes and just the day to day 'things'. And that's before you even get to the sailing bit! Enjoyable video, and I agree with much of what you said, though I am definitely at opposite ends of the budget spectrum. It's taken me 3 boats to find the one that really suits my sailing and living needs, and even then it has to be a compromise in certain areas, e.g. I don't have a fridge on this one, but do have a deep, cool bilge that can be used for a couple of days, but also cuts down on what was previously my biggest consumer of electricity. As always, your production is superb.
Fantastic lesson. Figure out what you want to do with the boat before investing in one. Pretty solid advice. On the issue of freezers, I'm old enough to remember real insulated iceboxes. We'd take delivery of ice blocks from the milkman once a week. The frequency of course depended on the season but what I distinctly remember was the block ice would last a surprisingly long time. And having shaved flavored ice on a hot summer day was an added bonus. Realizing it's not a practical system for a boat but it does speak to the importance of how a filled freezer is more efficient than an empty one. Leaving some space for air circulation. Thank you. Brilliant episode.
I only have a 22 foot boat and will probably never have a boat of this size. This has still been an educational video though, you have been a fountain of good information. I have an 11 foot sailboat I use on the lake I live on and you are correct on your assessment of size differential.
Great presentation and informative episode, l am absolutely amazed that you lovely people don’t have more subscribers. Thanks for sharing your passion.
I started with the ardor of young people (at the beginning of the 70s) racing with various catamarans, then I built alone a racing boat (1/4 ton IOR) and sailed intensely with rental boats all over the Mediterranean and the Caribbean racing at the Antigua weeks and finally as a young pensioner I bought a 37-foot cat with which I traveled the all the Mediterranean Sea with my wife. We found it uncomfortable in navigation but excellent at anchor or in port (except for the costs in the marinas) and therefore we returned to a small monohull (HR312) with all the features described by Steve. Fantastic boat for a life on board for 4-5 months a year ... I congratulate you for all your truly professional videos in describing your adventure which, I am sure, is not financially available to everyone but allows everyone to learn a lot and dream of doing the same while respecting one's own possibilities. The boat is always a compromise ...
We are happy with our fairly large mono hull, gives us a bit of the best of both worlds, not right for everyone but we love it. Regarding being financially available, of course everyone has their own budget, but I would say if you are our sort of age and a home owner ( and are prepared to sell that home as we did! ) Then this life is definitely available!
@@svfairisle I completely agree. My wife and I are a little more mature than you and we have chosen to sail "only" the Mediterranean Sea while maintaining our home. It was a great choice for us and we are happy about it. Fair winds 😁
@@svfairisle Yes, since 2010 we have spent an average of 5-6 months a year on a cruise and it was enough to get to know only Corsica, the north of Sardinia and the Tuscan archipelago. It's all so beautiful that we often return to the same enchanting places ... Best wishes from Switzerland
You have a gift for explanation: that was a really clear video packed with experience and mature reasoning. I'm enjoying a virtual sailing experience from the comfort of my sofa. If I ever get off it I will follow your advice.
I bought an old wooden boat in the seventies ( Hillyard 3ton - pitch pine planks on oak frames, beautiful and sea kindly boat, name of Teal ) and spent a few years doing it up. I worked really hard putting in all the effort and enthusiasm that a young man has his disposal at that age. I made a lot of mistakes. I mean a LOT of mistakes. I am pretty sure that had I been doing the work at the present time I would have made no mistakes and done a far better job. Why? Because of the Internet, and people such as yourselves, and the ability to research and order almost anything from anywhere. The Internet has been a real game changer for the sailing world I think. The younger set who have grown up with the internet can have no idea what it was like to be working, on your own, in a yard near Sandwich with one small chandler an hours drive away! I have subscribed and thank you.
Ha! yes that's certainly very true. It's a totally different experience now working on projects like this and knowing you can research and order what you need.Sadly what is does mean is when I make mistakes I have no excuse!
Fab video yet again. As soon as I saw the first matchbox my mind straight away flashed up a picture of a gas stove on a gimbal!!! I learnt to sail offshore years ago in my off duty periods in the UK armed forces, the greatest "ride" 86 I think in the great hurricane, on passage from Gib to Lisbon. Whilst we had weather check before departing it seems the thing sped up. We were in a Nic 55, and given its race history (Fastnet) there were no great concerns. You mention Tech on the boat well, I've always been a fan of the old plotter and chart in that respect, tech is great til it stops working and in the environment you're asking it to live in its bound to get wet. Electric winches are a wonderful thing, a huge drain on your power bank and more to go wrong, plus, a manual winch well, it keeps you fit. :) I'm with you on the cutter rig, sail area is much more flexible in weather, in the right conditions full sail looks stunning. For me it's bog standard slab reefing on the main, less gadgetry and if planned for, no hassle. Thanks again for your time and effort in making these videos, always a pleasure to watch, listen and sometimes learn from, keep it up.
Also YachtWorld and DeValks have some good boats. We bought Fair Isle from De Valks in the Netherlands which has the advantage you get to go to wonderful Monnickendam. We liked it so much we stayed for 6 months!
Excellent helpful video. Great presentation, love your boat it’s beautiful! Have taken notes so I’m ready when I become wealthy enough to go shopping!😀 All the best from WA👍😎🇦🇺
I have been watching you guys a while now.Its a breath of fresh air.Thank you for the lovely camera work you put into your vids and the technical advise you come up with.Personally i could never afford a boat like that ( im a Macwester guy )... but hey,,as long as you get the wind in your hair and the wet stuff stays beneath you,doing something right. Keep em coming :)
Love your boat! Definitely my dream boat, with the SV Delos Amal 50 in close second! Some years back I owned a miniature copy in keel design, of FairIsle, a Canadian Ontario built Bayfield 26. A bowsprit cutter rigged, it sailed marvellously well, especially in the narrow Saint Lawrence channels and constant tacking upwind between Quebec City and Tadoussac. Never in a hurry, I preferred ease to speed, and most often sailed with the self tacking staysail, actually larger than a regular stay; and used the large genoa only for long quiet downwind sails along with the ebbing tide. Be covid safe Cheers
That's an incredibly thorough look around the choices to make for a boat! I'm a "sailor" only as a binge viewer of youtube channels, but I own a vehicle powered by gel batteries, and I second the thought of "Upgrade to Lithium". Lead batteries like AGM (27:54) have more than one disadvantage: They are bigger and heavier than Li-Ion, you can only discharge them by 50% (less is better!), their charge curve (low load current to the top) is a misfit for generator use, and, most of all, the capacity drops over usage (lifetime cycles), so they need to be replaced quite often. Their major advantage over Li-Ion is their purchase price, and you may discuss sustainability. Almost unrelated, a higher system voltage (24 VDC, 48 VDC) may have advantages, too, if used as a design concept from the start. Fair winds to you!
Yes I agree with all that, although AGM's dont have to be a misfit for generator use. If you've got solar for the charge from 80% upwards and only use the generator if you discharge below that as we do it works well. Also AGM need a regular good charge with lots of amps (30% of the house bank size if you can manage it, we can't quite!
@@svfairisle Certainly, you can get around with lead batteries - millions of sailors and campers etc. would approve that. Alas, they are divas, needing a lot of attention, e.g. with charging. And, the capacity shortcomings suck!
horses for courses. we usually live on our 34 jeanneau (which we sailed to greece) in the summer and love the outdoor and indoor space. too small for overwintering in but then we come home. loving your sleeping area and lovely to see fraggle rock on your video.
Very good video I have had 3 sail boats, and without currently thinking Trawler or sail for the next boat, a tough decision. A little note on battery bank and charging if you have a solar setup it is best to charge with generator or motor first in the morning, And that way the solar can top off during the day. Then you can get something like 95% charge by sunset.
Fantastic content! I've been watching you're older episodes and catching up and you're quickly becoming one of my favorite sailing channels! Very informative content presented in a very likable and interesting way. You also have great taste in yachts! I own a Hans Christian 33, so perhaps I'm just biased. Fair winds! ⛵️
I enjoyed this film and also appreciated your descriptions of the boat options available. I have a Hanse 385, a make you did not appear to like very much, so I am coming out in their defence :-). We have owned her for 8 years and cruised approximately 10,000 miles, in all conditions, with up to 8 on board, half of those years sailing off North West of Scotland. The design is a plumb bow and it has a wide transom. However it is a very dry boat; the volume of water splashing over the bow and hitting your lovely dog house in the Bay of Biscay, was far more water on board in rough weather than I have ever seen on our yacht, in fact I cannot recall much more than a splash every now and again and only then in rough conditions, even 4 days crossing North sea sailing in F8 towards northern Denmark, with an impressive if somewhat worrying following sea, our bow never buried as you described, in fact the boat sailed really well. I am not sure you have given these modern designs a fair shout as a cruising boat. There is also a lot of storage and the keel bolts are almost twice the size of those I have seen on other similar boats by other builders, but that may be a Hanse thing, over engineered German boat after all. If you are talking more of a boat to live on all year around and therefore sail continuously, which I think you are, then I think your film is spot on, and of course your boat is beautiful, but cruising is many steps before full on live aboard. We have a fractional rig with a jib not a Genoa and a code 3 for light winds which is a surprisingly balanced set up and is very easy to reef even single handed; I accept we have to start to reef at about 18 knots and she can slam when close hauled in a short chop, if less than 40 degrees to wind, something your hull will definitely handle better if you can get that close to windward ;-). I am not having a go just sticking up for my boat, I do really enjoy your films and I promise to contribute when COVID-19 is over and the economy bounces back. Thanks once again for such a well made series of films.
Hi Jonathon, thanks for that considered response. I'm 100% not trying to have a go at production boats. You are going to have much more fun in your Hanse coastal sailing with friends on board than you ever would on a boat like Fair Isle. This was about a boat for living on and long term blue water cruising. There isn't a boat thats good for everything, if I could jump from a Hanse in the Med.to a Cat in the Caribbean to a Boreal in the Bahamas and have Fair Isle for everything in between that would be perfect! Re. the water over the decks, that wasn't in Biscay. It was before we started the sailing channel and we were rounding Cap de la Hauge betweenFrance and Alderney. Believe it or not we were doing 17.6 knots over the ground with 4 meter seas coming from 2 directions. It would have been a truly scary situation in any other boat I have ever sailed in, but in Fair Isle it was fine. And thats the only time we've ever had a spot of water in the doghouse! P.S. how's your gel coat on that plumb bow!? sorry couldn't resist that!
@@svfairisle Ok.... I admit, there is the odd bruise in the gel coat, spoils of war. I have sailed between France and Alderney in a good blow with the tidal race it is a fun fast ride I think we were doing about 13.5 over ground but it was not as lumpy as your run so we stayed dry.
One thing which wasn’t considered that in wider transom in heeling conditions you climb very high in the air which is a safety and comfort issue, thus this kind of transom design is intended for open winds and cruising speeds in races.
"My boat is the best boat" is probably the second most important part of choosing your boat (second to one that is designed and built properly of course), because at the end of the day, if you don't feel like your boat is the best boat, you bought the wrong boat. It's so nice to see members of the community who aren't obsessed with criticizing everyone else's choice of boat. I love catamarans, and a cat is my first choice, but one of the most annoying things for me is seeing catamaran people constantly trying to prove that cats are better than monos. Chris White, a very well respected catamaran designer who literally wrote the book on cruising multihulls spends probably a third of his books talking about how much better cats are than monos, and I just find myself skipping those chapters. At the end of the day my philosophy is "If that boat is what it takes to get them on the water and sailing, then that is the perfect boat for them."
You guys are great. Very informative and pleasant to listen to. You have a new subscriber and fan. Fair winds and following sea's. Cheers. Captain Brett James.
Enjoyed the video from the other end of living aboard. We had a 42' Ketch that weighed 13 tons and had an encapsulated keel. It was a great boat for the med as you spend a lot of time on the motor, pushing into crap weather! I'll wait your opinion on having all that extra windage from the solar panels, once you've spent some time in the gulf of lion with the summer squalls. We had a wind generator and the only thing it was good for was waking you up in the night as the wind had come up! Speed is not important when doing long passages, the boats motion is the crutial factor. Keep up the good work.
Worth watching more than once, there is some very interesting facts and figures mentioned. I liked your match box explanation, it was very apt and good to help my understanding one box v eight, who would have thought? Stay safe.
You have to remember that just two or three feet extra on a hull is in the middle where the most room is,, not at the ends, so can make a huge difference to below deck space.
What a tough subject to address but you did it admirably - great video! It's funny listening to different folks talk about their boats, it's like reading horoscopes, you make it fit! We lived and sailed a HC43T for 7 years and loved it. We now have a Sundeer 60 so clearly some shifting in philosophies! Hope to see you out there!
Great video, you got a new Sub.... I am just gettig ready to build my own boat actually (just a 27 foot Bruce Roberts)..... you make some great points for the design.
Excellent video with really well informed advice. I'll be buying a cat when I retire, and will sell my 15 meter motor yacht which I'm almost finished restoring. So much of what you said still applies. I will be looking for performance, and simplicity - no condos on the water with lots of fancy gadgets. I want as much solar/hydro power as I can get. And from experience, I prefer an older model with a solid hull in which I will replace all the old systems that need replacing, to a brand new, expensive boat where I can't afford the extras I deem necessary (and which loses 1/2 its value in depreciation.) I'm looking at a 2003-2006, which will allow me to change out all the rigging, sails, add lots of solar panels, etc. and possibly replace the engines and electronics for far less than the price of a new boat. I've learned first hand that the hull is the boat. Everything else is replaceable. Thanks for the video and beautiful boat!
Lovely and true comments, thank you ever so much , loooove the boat ,what a pleasure that must have to sail it through the oceans
This is by far the best UA-cam video on the subject of selecting a cruiser I've seen and your boat is truly beautiful.
Magnificent effort. I love your videos. I am a delivery skipper who has lived aboard boats for more than 30 years. My answer to the simple question of "what boat" is A STRONG BOAT. Size and style and extras are all a matter of personal preference. But make sure, if you plan on going off shore, it is a really well built strong boat, equipped for the worst that the sea might throw at you.
I’m halfway through this video and had to jump onto my phone to thank you folks and leave a comment.
This video is incredibly thorough, insightful and fairly concise. I’ve sailed small boats (a 25’ sloop delivery from Florida to Jamaica), mid size (8 months cruising on a steel-hull, gaff rigged schooner), and even half a year on a topsl schooner, the Pride of Baltimore II, always as a deckhand. I’ve sailed nearly 18,000 nautical miles on those few vessels.
I’ve never owned my own vessel, nor have I skippered a boat. Nonetheless, from my experience aboard, this video here is loaded with information and it all seems right on point. I’ll definitely be logging this in and returning to it! Fair Isle is a gorgeous vessel, and seems to possess all of the key components I’ve come to appreciate on a good cruiser, and many I have not had the chance to experience. Bang up job, thank you!
There are many, many videos on this topic, but you have covered many points that nobody else has mentioned. I found this to be very informative and quite sensible. Excellent information!
I'm too old and too poor to be buying the sort of boat this video is about but I still found it fascinating. A really good all round summary.
They have an incredible boat, but, a very expensive boat. There are lots of smaller boats that can take you out for the day or around the world for a real bargain. You say you are too old? well, you are still dreaming, there is only a short step from dreaming to doing. You can get a basic, strong boat, that could take you around the world for 5 grand. You are never too old. And if you died trying that would still be a life worth living.
I think that saying to your self that "I'm too old" will held you back from doing things you actually could do.
Most of the time knowledge are equally valuable as money. Knowledge is gold.
I would like to give something to think about:
You don't have to own a boat.
There are folks out there that needs a crew member for their journey, so get something like a "Certificate of competency for yachtsmen" (duelighedsbevis in Danish), or even better : Become a Yatch Skipper (3rd or 1st degree) - would make you a very valuable crew member.
You could focus to be very knowledgable on navigation and meteorology skills, which will make you a even more valuable crew member.
I'm 49, BTW.
@@charonstyxferryman I remember being 49 that wasn't old in my day!!.☺
Philip Smith. Never to old. I was 60 and sailed across the Bay of Biscay with my son. He had never sailed. At a harbour, Viveraro in northern Spain I saw an old old boy tottering up the quayside with a stick. He was leaving the following morning but invitees me for a beer that evening. I asked John where he was heading and he was off to Folkestone and heading straight across Biscay. He figured it would take four or five days. I asked him where he had come from and he had sailed single handed from Malta. He was 78 years old and still planning a trip to the Greek Islands the next year. Sailing out of Folkestone. Never too old.
Thanks for taking the time to produce this content. It's almost like it was done by professional camera crew and presenter :-) The most useful and informative view in a long time. Thanks again.
One of the best presentations I've seen on this topic. Bravo!
When I was a boy I read a book by a man who built "your boat" to sail the world - longkeel, cuttter. I got more and more convinced this was old stuff - until I came here. Thanks.
Succinct, entertaining and clear rationale - loved the matchbox volumetrics. Fast becoming the YT sailing channel of choice!
I think this is the most informative sailing video I think I've ever watched!!!
What a fabulously informative and entertaining video on cruising boats. It has caused me to reflect on, and reconsider, some of my beliefs on what constitutes a good boat to live aboard. Congratulations and thank you.
Interesting and valid views. We had a Trintella 51 which we sailed in the Med for three years until last year and agree with your views on a dog house. Whilst it didn't improve the looks any it was a godsend in heavy weather and hot sun. I know you didn't touch on hull material but I would add caution to owning an aluminium hull which proved difficult to maintain when painted. Ours was a boat set up for serious blue water cruising when we bought it and had many features which we thought attractive but which we did not use to the full. They simply added to time and expense in maintaining them. Keep it simple will be our future mantra . Safe sailing.
If your traveling with a mate it is good to share the adventure from the beginning. Your lives are made better with a sound boat, and I was impressed with your thought process in making and teaching your decisions. Wind to your Back!
I have watched a lot of sailing films on you tube, your choosing a boat for cruising was quite simply the best.
Down to earth, stating some really good hard facts, and telling us what you like and don't like, not being to Wishy Washy!!!
Top Job
Gary
I greatly appreciate you incites and factual information!
At 6:08 when you was describing you need to hold on when things get rocky, my eyes went straight to the knives on the magnetic holder.
Yaaaa mine did too Johnny. Maybe a wooden block bolted to the side or back. Another option might be wooden separators in a drawer. But definitely use the magnetic holder only in port or anchored and not moving. (The points of the knives were right at eye level too) 😵
Totally agree with you on the sail plan, sailed a lot in 40 to 50 knots across the Atlantic last year and the staysail was brilliant in balancing the boat. I prefer catamarans and would love one with a cutter rig for better high wind control. Love your always well made and commented videos.
I am just 10 minutes in, but this is the best video ive seen on this subject.
Really liked the previous videos, but Loved this one a lot! It was so helpful because of the different planning considerations for a wannabe boat owner. This one earned my subscription. Thank you!
The best most sensible advice I've ever seen from people who know what they are talking about. Well done to you excellent in every way. Fair weather and good sailing to you.
I appreciate the advice.
As someone researching this lifestyle. This is the best video I have seen. Subscribed!
Your boat has to be about the most beautiful I've seen on any sailing channel. She's beautiful!
That Hard Doghouse is amazing. I live and sail alone on a Tartan 30, in doing so I've learned to want the things I have without having everything I want.
Absolutely the most helpful points evaluating a proper purchase.
I agree 100%. Extremely well though out video subject matter. I truly appreciate you both offering suggestions on choosing the best boat for one in search of a sailboat based of all aspects so very important to consider.
Very good and well informed video. As an owner of a larger than the normal sailing yacht I agree with most of your observations, but would just like to add that a larger boat also gives you more working space, both on deck and below. I agree that German sheeting is not a good idea and just adds another mechanical intervention that can be avoided. I previously owned a yacht with in mast main and would not go back there as this just adds too much weight up high and leads to an uncomfortable roll when reefed. Now have returned to slab reef with single line. Looking forward to your next video. Happy and safe sailing.
Nice to see such a holistic overview. Lots of very good points
Very informative. I enjoyed how you backed up your opinions with diagrams and explained why you felt something such as buying a cutter rig was important for you. Nicely done.
I found your video just stellar! Packed with usable information, props, visual aids and discrimination based on personal experience. 👍👍👍! Three thumbs up and bravo!! I learned more here than I have in a slew of other videos.
Thank you so much for this very clear explanation! Really helpful!
I like your points here. In our search, we found that a Kelly Peterson 44 or 46 will fit our needs nicely. My likes were center cockpit, cutter rigged, skeg hung rudder and long fin encapsulated keel with a cutaway forefoot, and... a shop! Karen went belowdeck and said, “This boat feels like home.” When Mama’s happy, everyone else is happy. We hope to get S/V Whiskey Rebellion come September. As boats are always compromises, there are things I don’t like. A 6.5’ draft keeps us away from the Exumas. The heads are both wet-heads, not ideal, but we can live with it. All in all, it works for us. We really enjoy your channel, thanks for what you two do. Fair winds!
Yes the Kelly Peterson 44 is a good strong (and fast) boat, a very good choice I think.
terrifically informative... I just stumbled across your channel and suspect a binge watch is in order ;)
Thanks Nick, I’m afraid most people have to stumble across us as we’re not great at the whole social media thing, so do feel free to spread the word!
Another great and informative video is in the books!! I can see the next one showing the matchboxes floating in the galley sink showing hull types & sail configurations!!! All the best, Richard
Congrats, Nice boat!
I dont agree with you with some points, but theres a lot to talk about that...
Keep enjoyng Fair isle⛵😊
Not everyone will agree, it's all to do with what you want from a boat really. I'm just slightly concerned by boats that seem to be designed by people who don't sail, at least off shore!
Great sailboat ⛵️ sailing ⛵️ video! 😘⛵️😀 Mike from Missouri
Have watched this video many times now and it's just brilliant if you want to really think about what you want in a boat , would recommend it to anyone about to buy ,especially for the first time and remember everyone you talk to thinks their boat is best !
First timers generally need something else as they would not be live aboard or blue water, also where you sail is just as important as what you sail, my patch is the Solway firth, fin Keeler's need not apply, with up to ten metre (that's right metres!!), tides bilge and lifting keels rule, I bought my boat from a predominantly racing area all fin keels and flat stern shapes so mine had been for sale for quite a while, wrong boat for that area, down on the Solway she sits on the mud fourteen hours of the day very happy and with full sections at the stern she rides well (needs too as with shallow water and wind over tide short Sharpe chops are the norm, but its still glorious on a good day!), I would still agree on things like hand holds and power usage as even though mine is a lot less so is the generation of it, I liked the video, put out by people who do what they discuss.
Great video. Very informative and thorough. Definitely, a must-watch for anyone in the market for their first live-aboard boat.
Thank you for this video. Extremely informative and educational. You mention issues and questions to be answered that I have never heard mentioned before.
Thank you for your excellent review of monohull cruising. You have helped us confirm that a family cruising catamaran is our much better choice. We chose safety, comfort, storage and liveability over speed by far. The new generations of heavily solar boats fulfill our economic electricity requirements. In our case, even air conditioning is a need. Exciting boats such as the silent-yacht, though very expensive, meet our overall needs. Electronics are at the core of our priorities. We prefer to stay away from sails, multiple diesel engines and expensive monthly and annual maintenance. Still, different boats for different folks and needs.
Excellent review. Thank you! Two suggestions for easy cruising...a Wind Vane to augment the auto-pilot. Mine is a Hydrovane with a separate rudder as back-up for the venerable spade rudder on my Cal 39. To assist hauling halyards and sheets, I use a Milwaukee "Hawg", a right-angle, 18 volt drill with a "Winch Bit". Don't need the bigger Super Hawg, just a couple of heavy duty batteries (at least 6.0 Ah) with charger. Can use on all winches and around the boat as a powerful drill. Other name-brands offer a similar tool.
Thank you for the great insights: I would like to add the importance of the dinghy. You must be able to get in and out of your dinghy safely: preferrably behind your boat as waves roll along the side of the boat.
Despite all the disadvantages of the wide-stern boats, they do provide easy access to the dinghy. (and swim platform). I found this one of the top 3 criteria for the boat.
Yes good point. The big swim platforms are great for that. On a boat without it like ours you must have a good ladder that extends far enough under water as well. I've been on far too many yachts that I struggle to climb up from when fit and well. If you were in any sort of trouble or not fully fit there are yachts that would be impossible to board.
Excellent video. There are far too many UA-camrs whose videos emphasize spacious saloons, swim platforms, and dinghy garages, with absolutely no discussion of cockpit safety or the importance of what's below the waterline.
Isn't it amazing how living aboard focuses the mind... On power use and generation, on water consumption and storage. Storage for clothes and just the day to day 'things'. And that's before you even get to the sailing bit! Enjoyable video, and I agree with much of what you said, though I am definitely at opposite ends of the budget spectrum. It's taken me 3 boats to find the one that really suits my sailing and living needs, and even then it has to be a compromise in certain areas, e.g. I don't have a fridge on this one, but do have a deep, cool bilge that can be used for a couple of days, but also cuts down on what was previously my biggest consumer of electricity. As always, your production is superb.
Great video guys. Things I had never considered, in particular 'stability'! Thanks very much.
Fair winds! X
A great video...again! Everything explained without being boring. Well done.
Fantastic lesson. Figure out what you want to do with the boat before investing in one. Pretty solid advice. On the issue of freezers, I'm old enough to remember real insulated iceboxes. We'd take delivery of ice blocks from the milkman once a week. The frequency of course depended on the season but what I distinctly remember was the block ice would last a surprisingly long time. And having shaved flavored ice on a hot summer day was an added bonus. Realizing it's not a practical system for a boat but it does speak to the importance of how a filled freezer is more efficient than an empty one. Leaving some space for air circulation. Thank you. Brilliant episode.
I only have a 22 foot boat and will probably never have a boat of this size. This has still been an educational video though, you have been a fountain of good information. I have an 11 foot sailboat I use on the lake I live on and you are correct on your assessment of size differential.
Great presentation and informative episode, l am absolutely amazed that you lovely people don’t have more subscribers. Thanks for sharing your passion.
We've only been going a year, it take time as it's very difficult to be found in the bottomless pit of UA-cam. Spread the word!
I started with the ardor of young people (at the beginning of the 70s) racing with various catamarans, then I built alone a racing boat (1/4 ton IOR) and sailed intensely with rental boats all over the Mediterranean and the Caribbean racing at the Antigua weeks and finally as a young pensioner I bought a 37-foot cat with which I traveled the all the Mediterranean Sea with my wife. We found it uncomfortable in navigation but excellent at anchor or in port (except for the costs in the marinas) and therefore we returned to a small monohull (HR312) with all the features described by Steve. Fantastic boat for a life on board for 4-5 months a year ... I congratulate you for all your truly professional videos in describing your adventure which, I am sure, is not financially available to everyone but allows everyone to learn a lot and dream of doing the same while respecting one's own possibilities. The boat is always a compromise ...
We are happy with our fairly large mono hull, gives us a bit of the best of both worlds, not right for everyone but we love it. Regarding being financially available, of course everyone has their own budget, but I would say if you are our sort of age and a home owner ( and are prepared to sell that home as we did! ) Then this life is definitely available!
@@svfairisle I completely agree. My wife and I are a little more mature than you and we have chosen to sail "only" the Mediterranean Sea while maintaining our home. It was a great choice for us and we are happy about it. Fair winds 😁
You could easily spend several lifetimes sailing the Med and never see it all, fair winds.
@@svfairisle Yes, since 2010 we have spent an average of 5-6 months a year on a cruise and it was enough to get to know only Corsica, the north of Sardinia and the Tuscan archipelago. It's all so beautiful that we often return to the same enchanting places ... Best wishes from Switzerland
You have a gift for explanation: that was a really clear video packed with experience and mature reasoning. I'm enjoying a virtual sailing experience from the comfort of my sofa. If I ever get off it I will follow your advice.
Brilliant video guys - interesting and important points really well explained.
Excellent presentation. Not only did I learn a lot, I enjoyed your video. Many thanks.
I bought an old wooden boat in the seventies ( Hillyard 3ton - pitch pine planks on oak frames, beautiful and sea kindly boat, name of Teal ) and spent a few years doing it up. I worked really hard putting in all the effort and enthusiasm that a young man has his disposal at that age. I made a lot of mistakes. I mean a LOT of mistakes. I am pretty sure that had I been doing the work at the present time I would have made no mistakes and done a far better job. Why? Because of the Internet, and people such as yourselves, and the ability to research and order almost anything from anywhere. The Internet has been a real game changer for the sailing world I think. The younger set who have grown up with the internet can have no idea what it was like to be working, on your own, in a yard near Sandwich with one small chandler an hours drive away! I have subscribed and thank you.
Ha! yes that's certainly very true. It's a totally different experience now working on projects like this and knowing you can research and order what you need.Sadly what is does mean is when I make mistakes I have no excuse!
All I can add to the admirable comments below is 'thank you' an absolute treat as usual.
wow .... thank you so much for this very informative video. wish you all the best
Wow. That is very valuable information, thanks!
This is a great video and you have a really awesome boat. It looks beautiful
Fab video yet again. As soon as I saw the first matchbox my mind straight away flashed up a picture of a gas stove on a gimbal!!! I learnt to sail offshore years ago in my off duty periods in the UK armed forces, the greatest "ride" 86 I think in the great hurricane, on passage from Gib to Lisbon. Whilst we had weather check before departing it seems the thing sped up. We were in a Nic 55, and given its race history (Fastnet) there were no great concerns. You mention Tech on the boat well, I've always been a fan of the old plotter and chart in that respect, tech is great til it stops working and in the environment you're asking it to live in its bound to get wet. Electric winches are a wonderful thing, a huge drain on your power bank and more to go wrong, plus, a manual winch well, it keeps you fit. :) I'm with you on the cutter rig, sail area is much more flexible in weather, in the right conditions full sail looks stunning. For me it's bog standard slab reefing on the main, less gadgetry and if planned for, no hassle. Thanks again for your time and effort in making these videos, always a pleasure to watch, listen and sometimes learn from, keep it up.
Love the content, sailing has always fascinated me. It looks a very pleasant life you are both having.
Lots of good value boats out there, perhaps not quite as nice as Fair Isle. Apolloduck is a good source. Also ybw forum for fact finding.
Also YachtWorld and DeValks have some good boats. We bought Fair Isle from De Valks in the Netherlands which has the advantage you get to go to wonderful Monnickendam. We liked it so much we stayed for 6 months!
@@svfairisle nice. I really must sell the house 🤣
Wow, very informative and nice presentation. Thanks 🙏
Really great and informative video. Thank you for taking the time to make it
Excellent helpful video. Great presentation, love your boat it’s beautiful! Have taken notes so I’m ready when I become wealthy enough to go shopping!😀 All the best from WA👍😎🇦🇺
I have been watching you guys a while now.Its a breath of fresh air.Thank you for the lovely camera work you put into your vids and the technical advise you come up with.Personally i could never afford a boat like that ( im a Macwester guy )... but hey,,as long as you get the wind in your hair and the wet stuff stays beneath you,doing something right. Keep em coming :)
Wonderful video, glad to see monihull sailors doing these. Very good presentation
Love your boat!
Definitely my dream boat, with the SV Delos Amal 50 in close second!
Some years back I owned a miniature copy in keel design, of FairIsle, a Canadian Ontario built Bayfield 26.
A bowsprit cutter rigged, it sailed marvellously well, especially in the narrow Saint Lawrence channels and constant tacking upwind between Quebec City and Tadoussac. Never in a hurry, I preferred ease to speed, and most often sailed with the self tacking staysail, actually larger than a regular stay; and used the large genoa only for long quiet downwind sails along with the ebbing tide.
Be covid safe
Cheers
Brilliant, at ease video that was both educational and entertaining.
Really enjoyed that, very well put together. Fair isle is one fabulous boat.
why haven't I seen you guys before .Excellent video so much information
Excellent presentation, clear and honest information looking forward to more.
Thank you for the full explanation you gave on sail boat design. I enjoyed your experience and video. Again thank you shipmate. Bravo Zulu 👍
That's an incredibly thorough look around the choices to make for a boat!
I'm a "sailor" only as a binge viewer of youtube channels, but I own a vehicle powered by gel batteries, and I second the thought of "Upgrade to Lithium".
Lead batteries like AGM (27:54) have more than one disadvantage: They are bigger and heavier than Li-Ion, you can only discharge them by 50% (less is better!), their charge curve (low load current to the top) is a misfit for generator use, and, most of all, the capacity drops over usage (lifetime cycles), so they need to be replaced quite often. Their major advantage over Li-Ion is their purchase price, and you may discuss sustainability.
Almost unrelated, a higher system voltage (24 VDC, 48 VDC) may have advantages, too, if used as a design concept from the start.
Fair winds to you!
Yes I agree with all that, although AGM's dont have to be a misfit for generator use. If you've got solar for the charge from 80% upwards and only use the generator if you discharge below that as we do it works well. Also AGM need a regular good charge with lots of amps (30% of the house bank size if you can manage it, we can't quite!
@@svfairisle Certainly, you can get around with lead batteries - millions of sailors and campers etc. would approve that. Alas, they are divas, needing a lot of attention, e.g. with charging. And, the capacity shortcomings suck!
This is one useful video filled to the waterline and beyond with great information - thanks!
I have fallen in love with your sailboat!! Such a classic looking beauty :)
Excellent , instructive and enjoyable video...what a gorgeous boat you have. Thank you.
Great channel, gorgeous boat, sage advice.
horses for courses. we usually live on our 34 jeanneau (which we sailed to greece) in the summer and love the outdoor and indoor space. too small for overwintering in but then we come home. loving your sleeping area and lovely to see fraggle rock on your video.
everybody thinks there boat is best ,but yours is love it ,
Great video and a boat oozing class, lovely
Very good video I have had 3 sail boats, and without currently thinking Trawler or sail for the next boat, a tough decision.
A little note on battery bank and charging if you have a solar setup it is best to charge with generator or motor first in the morning,
And that way the solar can top off during the day. Then you can get something like 95% charge by sunset.
Tremendously informative. Thanks for your perspectives!
Fantastic content! I've been watching you're older episodes and catching up and you're quickly becoming one of my favorite sailing channels! Very informative content presented in a very likable and interesting way. You also have great taste in yachts! I own a Hans Christian 33, so perhaps I'm just biased. Fair winds! ⛵️
Well anyone who doesn't like Hans Christians has just got no taste obviously!
I've watched this so many times to write info down ,I've developed British accent and a craving for afternoon tea 🍵, great video guys !!!
I enjoyed this film and also appreciated your descriptions of the boat options available. I have a Hanse 385, a make you did not appear to like very much, so I am coming out in their defence :-). We have owned her for 8 years and cruised approximately 10,000 miles, in all conditions, with up to 8 on board, half of those years sailing off North West of Scotland. The design is a plumb bow and it has a wide transom.
However it is a very dry boat; the volume of water splashing over the bow and hitting your lovely dog house in the Bay of Biscay, was far more water on board in rough weather than I have ever seen on our yacht, in fact I cannot recall much more than a splash every now and again and only then in rough conditions, even 4 days crossing North sea sailing in F8 towards northern Denmark, with an impressive if somewhat worrying following sea, our bow never buried as you described, in fact the boat sailed really well. I am not sure you have given these modern designs a fair shout as a cruising boat. There is also a lot of storage and the keel bolts are almost twice the size of those I have seen on other similar boats by other builders, but that may be a Hanse thing, over engineered German boat after all.
If you are talking more of a boat to live on all year around and therefore sail continuously, which I think you are, then I think your film is spot on, and of course your boat is beautiful, but cruising is many steps before full on live aboard. We have a fractional rig with a jib not a Genoa and a code 3 for light winds which is a surprisingly balanced set up and is very easy to reef even single handed; I accept we have to start to reef at about 18 knots and she can slam when close hauled in a short chop, if less than 40 degrees to wind, something your hull will definitely handle better if you can get that close to windward ;-). I am not having a go just sticking up for my boat, I do really enjoy your films and I promise to contribute when COVID-19 is over and the economy bounces back. Thanks once again for such a well made series of films.
Hi Jonathon, thanks for that considered response. I'm 100% not trying to have a go at production boats. You are going to have much more fun in your Hanse coastal sailing with friends on board than you ever would on a boat like Fair Isle. This was about a boat for living on and long term blue water cruising.
There isn't a boat thats good for everything, if I could jump from a Hanse in the Med.to a Cat in the Caribbean to a Boreal in the Bahamas and have Fair Isle for everything in between that would be perfect!
Re. the water over the decks, that wasn't in Biscay. It was before we started the sailing channel and we were rounding Cap de la Hauge betweenFrance and Alderney. Believe it or not we were doing 17.6 knots over the ground with 4 meter seas coming from 2 directions. It would have been a truly scary situation in any other boat I have ever sailed in, but in Fair Isle it was fine. And thats the only time we've ever had a spot of water in the doghouse!
P.S. how's your gel coat on that plumb bow!? sorry couldn't resist that!
@@svfairisle Ok.... I admit, there is the odd bruise in the gel coat, spoils of war.
I have sailed between France and Alderney in a good blow with the tidal race it is a fun fast ride I think we were doing about 13.5 over ground but it was not as lumpy as your run so we stayed dry.
One thing which wasn’t considered that in wider transom in heeling conditions you climb very high in the air which is a safety and comfort issue, thus this kind of transom design is intended for open winds and cruising speeds in races.
Super clear explanation - thank you!
"My boat is the best boat" is probably the second most important part of choosing your boat (second to one that is designed and built properly of course), because at the end of the day, if you don't feel like your boat is the best boat, you bought the wrong boat.
It's so nice to see members of the community who aren't obsessed with criticizing everyone else's choice of boat. I love catamarans, and a cat is my first choice, but one of the most annoying things for me is seeing catamaran people constantly trying to prove that cats are better than monos. Chris White, a very well respected catamaran designer who literally wrote the book on cruising multihulls spends probably a third of his books talking about how much better cats are than monos, and I just find myself skipping those chapters.
At the end of the day my philosophy is "If that boat is what it takes to get them on the water and sailing, then that is the perfect boat for them."
Just subscribed...very good video...i enjoyed watching it. Many points you made were fair and got me (re)thinking some concepts.
For a "dreamer" really informative. Great video. Thanks!
You guys are great. Very informative and pleasant to listen to. You have a new subscriber and fan. Fair winds and following sea's. Cheers. Captain Brett James.
Useful information. Thank you.
Enjoyed the video from the other end of living aboard. We had a 42' Ketch that weighed 13 tons and had an encapsulated keel. It was a great boat for the med as you spend a lot of time on the motor, pushing into crap weather! I'll wait your opinion on having all that extra windage from the solar panels, once you've spent some time in the gulf of lion with the summer squalls.
We had a wind generator and the only thing it was good for was waking you up in the night as the wind had come up! Speed is not important when doing long passages, the boats motion is the crutial factor. Keep up the good work.
Thank you SO MUCH for all this information! I learned so much watching this video...
You two are fantastic!
Worth watching more than once, there is some very interesting facts and figures mentioned.
I liked your match box explanation, it was very apt and good to help my understanding one box v eight, who would have thought?
Stay safe.
You have to remember that just two or three feet extra on a hull is in the middle where the most room is,, not at the ends, so can make a huge difference to below deck space.
What a tough subject to address but you did it admirably - great video!
It's funny listening to different folks talk about their boats, it's like reading horoscopes, you make it fit!
We lived and sailed a HC43T for 7 years and loved it. We now have a Sundeer 60 so clearly some shifting in philosophies!
Hope to see you out there!
A Sundeer 60, I think I've seen one of them before, had a very impressive doghouse.
What an excellent film! Really knowledgable presentation and lots of common sense. Well done.
Great video, you got a new Sub.... I am just gettig ready to build my own boat actually (just a 27 foot Bruce Roberts)..... you make some great points for the design.
Really lovely and informative docies..
Keep it up
Excellent video with really well informed advice. I'll be buying a cat when I retire, and will sell my 15 meter motor yacht which I'm almost finished restoring. So much of what you said still applies. I will be looking for performance, and simplicity - no condos on the water with lots of fancy gadgets. I want as much solar/hydro power as I can get. And from experience, I prefer an older model with a solid hull in which I will replace all the old systems that need replacing, to a brand new, expensive boat where I can't afford the extras I deem necessary (and which loses 1/2 its value in depreciation.) I'm looking at a 2003-2006, which will allow me to change out all the rigging, sails, add lots of solar panels, etc. and possibly replace the engines and electronics for far less than the price of a new boat. I've learned first hand that the hull is the boat. Everything else is replaceable. Thanks for the video and beautiful boat!