| Once you know exactly how, where and when | | | | Coastal sailing, while I would want at least a cutter |
| you will use your dream boat, the next question | | | | rig for ocean passages, with the ketch and yawl |
| to answer is "what are the characteristics of a | | | | being that much better. |
| boat best suited for how I will sail the boat?" I | | | | Keels are the next consideration with two primary |
| believe this question is best answered across five | | | | questions—how deep and what kind. Deep |
| dimensions: Rig type, sail plan, keel type, interior | | | | keels allow for more stability (less heel) and |
| accommodations and overall hull design. Many | | | | greater angles to weather (into the wind), but limit |
| great books are available to discuss these | | | | the places you can safely sail without running |
| considerations in any level of detail you would like. | | | | aground. For me, the depth question is |
| Here is a quick overview. | | | | easy—racers should opt for the deepest |
| Rig type and sail plan go hand-in-hand. Typically, | | | | keel practical for their sailing area, the difference |
| there is a trade off between ease of sail handling | | | | on windward legs can be dramatic. I would |
| and safety/flexibility. For example, a cat rigged | | | | recommend deep keels to anyone else who |
| boat with one large mainsail and no headsail (think | | | | spends a lot of time beating to windward |
| Laser) is very easy to handle by one person, | | | | (whoever that may be). For everyone else, the |
| since there is only one sail. If you are day sailing in | | | | shallower the better—more cruising |
| a small lake or close to shore where you can | | | | grounds, more safe anchorages and less chance |
| take cover if things heat up, this is a great | | | | of hitting something as you go. As for type, if |
| rig—simple, easy to handle, quick to set up. | | | | you are doing offshore passages or even long |
| However, it is not a very flexible design, since the | | | | coastal passages, I recommend a full |
| sail can't be reefed in big blows. A standard | | | | keel—the boat tracks better and gets |
| Marconi sloop is one step above in flexibility since | | | | much better "holding" than a shallow keel. |
| it adds a second (head) sail that can be changed in | | | | Alternatively, if you do a lot of close quarters |
| size to accommodate wind velocity changes. In | | | | maneuvering, I would NOT get a full keel and |
| addition, these rigs today almost invariably offer | | | | instead opt for the fin keel. |
| roller-furling of at least the headsail, if not both | | | | Interior accommodations range from practically |
| sails, making on-the-fly adjustments simple and | | | | nothing in race shells, to full blown luxury |
| easy. This is certainly a rig with enough flexibility | | | | (microwave ovens, flat panel TV's, DVD players). |
| for stronger wind. | | | | The simple rule is to match the sailing type to the |
| The tradeoff is that you have now added a | | | | interior type. My guess is for all but the hard core |
| second sail to handle, change, and furl. Moreover, | | | | racer, budget will dictate here (more on this in |
| the sloop is still pretty limited in terms of the | | | | Part III). |
| changes you can make to sail plans. The cutter rig | | | | Finally, consider the overall hull type. I examine |
| is the next step up in flexibility with 2 headsails | | | | two dimensions: SA/D (sail area to displacement |
| and typically a much smaller mainsail. This | | | | ratio) for overall speed estimate and D/L |
| configuration allows for significantly greater | | | | (displacement to length ratio) for overall stability |
| variations in sail configuration and a much wider | | | | and maneuverability. Neither is a perfect measure |
| spectrum on wind ranges within which the boat | | | | and manufacturers have a tendency to fudge the |
| can comfortably be sailed. The tradeoff is a third | | | | numbers (but that is a different article), but they |
| sail to manage. Finally, the double-masted | | | | are a good general reference point. |
| designs—ketchs and yawls—provide | | | | In summary, the first step in buying a sailboat |
| the greatest level of flexibility and therefore the | | | | that will make you happy is to know exactly and |
| greatest range of wind velocities to comfortably | | | | in great detail how you will use the boat. The |
| sail through. The obvious disadvantage is | | | | second step is to identify the characteristics of a |
| complication—2 masts, 4-6 sails. For my | | | | boat that will best match your usage and start |
| money, the sloop wins for Bay, Great Lakes and | | | | looking for boats with those characteristics. |