Posted by Ray Frechette on 11/3/2007, 10:27:45, in reply to "Small Boats Safe?"
There are many things about longer waterline length that make bigger boats safer for longer passages.
No tthe least of which is longer waterline length allows faster passage times.
Following the exposure theory of accident avoidance, less days at sea during a passage means less exposure to big storms.
Faster speeds also gives you a much greater ability to route around weather systmes at times further reducing exposure.
get a big enough breaking wavce and any boat will capsize in it, but the longer shorter the boat, the smaller the breaking wave need be.
Bigger boats bridge larger waves and tend to be heavier. This typically means less motin on board meaning lees liklihood of either sea sickness or being violently tossed about and injuring yourself. the smaller lighter boat can be a very inhospitable place to be aboard in an extended and violent storm.
Usually longer bigger boats are typically built more robust with the sassumption they will be used for ocean passages, while smaller boats are typically built for market forces sensitive to price.
Now, clearly a small boat can be built up to the rigors required of a blue water passage, however it is not likely many small production boats are up to that given market pressures.
Also a large boat can store and pack more back up and repair supplies. Howevcer it is equally true thatthe big boats typically have more systems on board prone to frequent breakdown.
I have sworn off big boats that stay in the water all season myself. And truth be told I don't forsee any ocean crossings in my life. I might cross from the Coast of Maine to Nova Scotia some day, and also across the gulf of Maine down to Cape Cod. When I do it will not be in my West Wight Potter 19, but rather in a Princess 26 designed by B&B Yacht designs with increased ballast and draft for the voyage and scantlings, hatches and systmes up to the task.
I like my Potter 19, but I would not embark on a large open water passage with it for oh so many reasons; irrespective of the many people who have crossed oceans with them.
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