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FreeRadical said..
Nothing wrong with a performance cruiser in my opinion. Why not be able to enjoy a bit of both worlds by staying in the middle? If you're coastal cruising or hopping fair weather on short passages, do you really need a "Bluewater" cruiser?

If you're not a serious racer, but enjoy a day out racing for the fun of it with family and friends, do you need a complex race boat with an open dunny?

If socialising/chilling in a marina or nearby quiet bay, swimming off the back of the boat with the kids, is your kind of thing, what's wrong with modern production cruisers built to an affordable price? Does it really matter if you motored over to your favourite bay?

Our boat is at the the cruiser end of the racer-cruiser spectrum and gets lots of use, short cruising, regular social racing, a day out with the kids swimming and fishing less than 1/2nm from the marina. It's probably the most used of all the yachts in the marina.

I totally agree, they are great for coastal cruising, socialising and the occasional (or more than occasional) race. What some people need to understand is that a modern production boat is awesome for coastal cruising -just as long you you understand its limitations.
There is a lot of negative information around about bolt on keels and production yachts in general. Firstly they should not all the grouped together, and secondly as long as they are doing what they are designed for (ie coastal cruising) then they are fantastic boats. I will also admit that it was a very hard decision for us to make to sell ours.

I will also say that my production cruiser/racer sails well. It points as high as most (considering the roller furling headsail) and with reasonable speed. Downwind she goes very well including regularly exceeding 10 knots boat speed while still being quite well mannered. In my coastal cruising with a dunky 34 and dunky 40, I probably motor the least. When we are all sailing, i am also the fastest, particularly anything not upwind. Yes the boat does slam upwind in a seaway but it has a large volume towards the bow to fit a large v berth. This slamming is no worse than the Beneteau first 40 that I race on. I am happy to cruise throughout South Australia and we have done Backstairs Passage (between KI and the Yorke peninsula) in 35 knots and 4m seas (downwind) and 25 knots 3m seas upwind and I was never worried about the keel falling off. Would I take it bluewater cruising - No. Hence why I started this thread and why were are looking for a different boat

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

Horses for course's, all good.
Only poilosophising about hard core and soft core.

Check out the Bluewater 40 for 130.000 on bostsales. I think that's the boat for you Sam.

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sirgallivant said

Specialised yachts like Shaggy's are wonderful racing machines while a Mason, Island Packet or Halberg R

Thanks SG, but she, and I, happily sit squarely in the cruiser/racer category I'm afraid. A class 40 or Farr 40 would horizon me in anything below 25 knots , but I'll be kicking back with a beer in hand and a contented smile, I'm ok with "in the middle"

The term "Bluewater" cruiser is probably the most controversial topic on sailing forums. I love reading these threads as there so much diversity. On this thread we have Dralyagmas getting out of his 2003 Jeanneau Sunfast 37 whilst Dexport and Shaggy Baxter seem to have gone the opposite way.

I have on my desk of the 1987 "Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts" by the Technical Committee of the Cruising Club of America" Its a great read and seems is partly a response to the misdirected later years of the IOR period. Dralyagmas you should have a look. Although when I read this book, I can't help thinking that sailing boat design is developing at a rapid pace and the views of what is a Bluewater Cruiser is often more about what was considered good design at a particular point in time.

30 years ago when long keels were the rage, the idea of a boat like the idea of 1250 Pogo being a suitable for cruising would be laughable. I bet in 30 years time the Pogo will look like an old traditional design that old salts will be swearing by as a the ideal solid cruiser !

Andrew