Good Old Boats List

Choosing a small voyaging sailboat

Listed below are 72 proven blue water voyaging monohull fiberglass sailboats up to 32 feet in length. The list, though incomplete, is aimed at helping those who have asked me for recommendations on buying a boat for cruising and potential offshore voyaging. Aside from a few exceptions, all boats here meet the following criteria of proven seaworthiness, moderate draft under 5-foot, tiller steering, keels that are not merely bolted on that are either traditional full keel or, more commonly, relatively long three-quarter keels (full keel with cutaway forefoot) with keel atached rudder, room for one, or at the larger end of the size range, two people to live-aboard in reasonable comfort, fiberglass construction for ease of maintenance and availability, and this sailor’s idea of functional and attractive design. Some of the boats listed here I have sailed and know well, others I know from working on them, or by research and reputation.

The boats on this list range from inexpensive moderate displacement classic coastal cruiser/racer designs like the Pearson Ariel 26 to the heavy, more traditional, more expensive boats like the Westsail 32 designed for comfortable and safe offshore voyaging even in heavy weather. Obviously, the Ariel is not as suitable to a voyage around Cape Horn as the Westsail. That does not disqualify these coastal cruiser designs from voyaging. It does mean it makes sense to take extra efforts to prepare these boats for offshore and make more conservative route planning to sail in safer latitudes and milder seasons. Like any tool, you need to use the right boat for the job.

All boats are compromises of desirable and undesirable features for any given task and the smaller the boat the more obvious the compromises become. For example, though my ideal boat is not a double-ender or canoe transom, because they leave less room for cockpit stowage, outboard motor, solar panels and windvane attachment, I’ve included some here because of their exceptional qualities in other areas – and their undeniable beauty. If you want a diesel or electric inboard engine or plan to sail engineless, then these designs may suit your needs. Another compromise area is standing headroom. Ideally you want to be able to stand up at least in the main salon. If you are above average height, then a small boat is not likely to have the headroom you require. You can either move up in boat size to gain more headroom, choose a small boat with an ungainly tall coach roof, or resign yourself to stoop. On some boats it may be possible to drop the cabin sole a few inches, if needed. At the very least, if your pocket cruiser is not already set up this way, you may want to retrofit your galley next to the companionway hatch so that you can stand up when preparing food with the hatch slid open.

A big plus for boats like the Pearson Ariel, Triton, Alberg 30, some of the Bristol and Cape Dory line and similar boats on this list is that they are relatively inexpensive and are proven offshore capable. This means you have the option of not buying insurance and could even replace them with a small emergency savings fund, which I call being self-insured. Also their long production runs mean there are always some available on the market. And they have lazarette lockers that often can be modified for an outboard motor well when the inboard engine has reached the end of its life or, like me, you simply can't tolerate the wasted space, complexity, and fouling your bilge with oil and fuel leaks that comes with an inboard engine. Although some boats on this list were offered with an outboard well, they are generally poorly designed non-tilting wells, which is why I specialize in converting suitable boats to tilt-up outboard wells. You can find them featured in my atomvoyager youtube channel and in this article. Despite my own preference, most sailors prefer to have the ample power and ability to motor in more adverse conditions that comes with an inboard diesel over the limitations of an outboard motor. It depends on the sailor more than anything else.

For those that can afford them, the more expensive boats on this list such as Pacific Seacraft and Morris Yachts have some advantages such as higher quality materials and construction and better resale value.

As for the rig, I've sailed sloops, yawls, ketches, schooners and junks, and they all have their attributes. A sloop rig is simple and efficient and the most common, though a cutter or sloop modified to carry a staysail or inner stay to hoist a storm jib, possibly with a short bowsprit, is what I recommend because it adds strength, more versatility in sail options and redundancy to the rig.

This list mostly contains older boats with rudders hung on moderately full keels, which compared to more modern designs, are generally slower boats because of more wetted surface and drag. A true full keel is traditionaly considered one that extends most of the length of the waterline. Anything else, such as a full keel with cutaway forefoot and with the aft end of the keel moved a few feet forward might technically be defined as a fin keel. But in common usage today a fin keel refers to a keel that is shorter fore and aft, often bolted on instread of molded into the fiberglass hull, and having a spearate rudder. Technically, my Pearson Triton and similar style keels are often defined as "fin" keels, although to differentiate between these and shorter more modern fin keels I refer to them as three-quarter keel (AKA modified full keel, semi-full keel, or full with cutaway forefoot). Short but deep deep fin keels and unprotected spade rudders and other hull forms that may compromise handling and strength and restrict shallow water navigation are not on this list. Although a deep fin keel and separate spade rudder will give you a speed edge to windward and improved maneuvering in a marina, the spade rudder and exposed propeller will snag on lines and fish nets and if you hit anything underway and damage the rudder, the boat's steering is too easily disabled.

Most of the boats built in the past 40 years do not have keel-hung rudders and many of them perform well and have proven to be safe at sea, particularly those with skeg-hung rudders, where the hull adds some strength and protection to the rudder. A full skeg that protects the bottom of the rudder is often a good compromise. Though I didn’t include most of these good boats on my list, it’s mainly because the attributes of the keel-hung rudder are more important to the offshore voyager than an extra half-knot of speed or improved steering in reverse. Voyaging is about being at sea and at anchor. If you intend to sail in and out of tight marinas on a regular basis instead of crossing oceans, then more modern designs might be your better choice.

An unavoidable issue with the newer boats on this list is that many of them are built with interior fiberglass hull liners to save money on construction. Though this makes production more efficient, it makes it more difficult for the owner to modify or gain access to all areas of the hull. You can always cut away non-structural portions of the liner to gain the access needed but good luck on getting rid of a roach infestation on a linered boat.

Most of the boats on the list have fiberglass decks cored with balsa wood. This can be a problem. It's long been and still is a fairly standard construction procedure, but it would be better for longevity of the core if they had used better construction techniques to prevent water intrusion into the core or, better yet, used closed cell foam core or even the heavier plywood core or solid fiberglass layup. The main problem is the deck fittings were often not installed properly through the cored area and over time the water gets into the core around the fasteners and slowly spreads. Minor core damage around fasteners can be repaired easily, but extensive rotten core as evidenced by a dull thud with a mallet or excessive flex and spongy feel when walking on the deck or deck flexing when you pull at the top of a stanchion, is a major repair. You can still sail with moderately rotted deck core since it is seldom bad enough to be an issue of strength. The problem is that a rotted core makes it impossible to seal leaks in the deck fittings and that water will be a major nuisance as it trickles below into lockers and shelves. A surveyor can help you avoid a boat with rotted balsa core or help you negotiate a better price to offset repairs. Cored hulls are more rare – only a few boats on this list, such as the Southern Cross 28 and 31, have cored hulls. Those that do, use a closed cell urethane type core which when properly installed has proved not to be a problem and is actually a plus because it is lighter for the same strength (or stronger for the same weight) and adds insulation.

I realize there are many other capable designs and that other sailors will disagree with my preferences. Let me know if you have a correction or can fill in missing data or if I’ve overlooked a good boat that you feel should be on the list. But don’t feel slighted if your current boat is not listed here. There can never be just one Good Old Boat List and this one doesn’t claim to be any more valid than yours.

Good boats that are generally unavailable on the used boat market because they were custom built or had a very short production run are not listed. If you find a boat with the criteria set out above and it's custom built or a short-run production boat, then it's also worth consideration.

If you’re looking for a boat of the type outlined above, you can use this list as a starting point. Begin by realistically deciding on your expected use, whether crossing oceans alone or with a family, limited coastal trips with crew or some combination of those. If you're sailing alone or with one other person, then the smaller boats on this list are worth considering. If you have kids and a dog, and can't find a way to leave them ashore, you'll want a boat at the larger end of the list. Even those may not be big enough, in which case I'd recommend cutting the crew list rather than lengthening the boat.

At any rate, make a list of your own requirements in a boat, such as cost, draft, amount of headroom needed below deck, inboard or outboard engine and so on. Then start looking closer at the boats on this list that match your criteria. Go aboard as many of these boats as you can and ask questions of their owners until you find the right boat for you. Once you've narrowed it down, try to arrange a test sail if you're serious about the boat. Keep in mind that the seller or broker may be reluctant to offer a test sail due to bad experiences in the past where buyers just out for an education wasted their time on test sails without doing enough prior research to know they were interested in actually buying the boat.

Make an offer to purchase contingent on a satisfactory survey and then find a surveyor who will do a thorough inspection, not just the standard quick check required for an insurance company. Be there with the surveyor to ask questions and have them point out to you any issues with the boat.

Older boats will require more upgrades (time and money) simply because of their age unless a recent owner has already refit the boat. Many of the boats on this list were built over forty years ago, so virtually all their systems – rigging, engine, rudder, deck core, electrics – will require repair or replacement. In most cases it is wiser to buy the fully upgraded older boat, if you’re fortunate enough to find one, and pay a premium price up front than to get involved in a major reconstruction project at a bargain purchase price. The previous owner of that finely fitted out classic boat has poured far more money into upgrades and equipment than he will get out of it when he sells and you as buyer are in a good position to save substantial time and money. Remember, the most expensive boat to own is the one that had the cheapest asking price. So my advice is not to hunt for the cheapest boat on the market, but the best boat you can afford. And don't forget to keep at least 50% of your boat fund in reserve for the inevitable cost overruns on a fitting out project. Even for a boat that was recently refitted, I'd keep 25% of my budget in reserve for the inevitable changes and equipment additions you'll want.

There will always be issues to compromise on. For example, your ideal boat may have been “upgraded” with dubious improvements such as having been converted from tiller to wheel steering by a previous owner who wanted a more yacht-style boat. In most cases you can convert back to tiller. Boats that came from the factory with wheel steering as standard equipment are not on this list unless the conversion back to tiller steering is simple and the boats otherwise merit inclusion. You may ask, if wheel steering is so popular and makes the boat look yacht-like to you, why do I dismiss them? With a tiller, you have more room in the cockpit, particularly at anchor when you swing it up and out of the way which is typically over 90% of your time on the boat, self-steering is easier to rig, you always see the rudder angle with a glance at the tiller, the feel of the steering is more direct and intuitive, it’s lighter and simpler, less maintenance and far more reliable. A steering failure at sea is no joke and is much more common with wheel steering and can be difficult to jury rig a repair.

Why not list bigger boats? My feeling is you should get the smallest boat that will suit your requirements rather than the largest boat you feel you can afford. A boat any larger than around 30-foot and 5 tons means significantly bigger, heavier, more expensive gear, higher maintenance costs and more labor to maintain and operate. Maintenance and equipment costs can double between a 28 to a 38-footer. An outboard motor under 10 HP is far less costly to replace and maintain than a diesel and provides adequate thrust for boats under 30-foot. At some point you may want to put your boat on a trailer to refit in your backyard and this becomes difficult for boats over 30-foot and 12,000 lbs if you intend to pull it yourself with a heavy-duty ball hitch on a pickup truck. If the boat's beam is much over 8’6” you'll need to get a wide load road permit as well.

Also, when things go wrong on a big boat they go wrong in a big way – you can’t manhandle a jammed furling genoa on a 45-foot boat in a gale like you can on a 28-footer. Nor can you pull up the anchors by hand on a windy day. Granted, a heavy displacement boat closer to 32 feet is potentially safer and better suited for high latitude voyages and will generally have an easier motion at sea. But a smaller, less-complex boat will give you as much or more pleasure and is safer to sail in most situations. And for those on a budget it will get you sailing sooner rather than later.

If, after cosidering everything above, you feel a larger boat with different design criteria is suitable for your purposes then you can check out the sailboat reviews at Blue Water Boats.

A final word of advice to the novice sailor - resist the temptation to undertake a major refit and extensive modifications on your new old boat right at the start. It's best to make only the obvious repairs needed and go out and sail locally and on some limited coastal passages to learn exactly what is and what is not needed for you. Otherwise you may end up spending years and many thousands of dollars more than expected modifying your boat and then find out on your first ocean crossing that the boat is not right for you or those great ideas you had during the refurbishment did not work out that well at sea.

The following boats are listed here with the idea that they will be modified as needed for the type of voyages expected of them.

Once you've found your boat, now go challenge your distant sea!

Sailboats up to 32-foot for Offshore Voyaging:

(some data and images courtesy www.sailboatdata.com)

New in 2019: Sailboat Design Ratios (Download Excel spreadsheet) (link to online Google Sheet version) You may find this searchable spreadsheet of sailboat calculations useful to compare characteristics between boats. Some data may be missing or innacurate as we are still updating. The color codes run from red (areas of potential concern) to green (considered optimal). But these are rough guides and not always usable. For example, the sail area/displacement ratio may show red, which could mean under-ballasted, but is more likely to be a positive attribute of having extra sail area for light airs that can be reefed to bring the boat back into a better ratio.