enclosed cockpit sailboat

7 Large Cockpit Sailboats: When Size Matters

Are you in the market for a large cockpit sailboat.

Whether you’re a liveaboard couple or a large family, having a sailboat with a large cockpit is extremely desirable.

When shopping for sailboats we had no idea what we wanted or needed. We were just looking for something that would sail and that was within our very tight budget!

Having lived aboard for four years now there are several things we would find hard to leave off the list when shopping for a new boat, and a big cockpit would be number one! Especially if you plan on sailing with a baby or children.

Having the space to entertain large numbers of guests, sleep on the cockpit lockers, move around with ease underway, and all the added storage has made living aboard pretty dreamy, and we’re always the envy of friends when they see just how big our cockpit is.

In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of the highest-quality boats with big cockpits available and provide you with all the information you need to make an informed purchase.

Table of Contents

• Kadey Krogen 38
• Catalina 387
• Advantages of large cockpit sailboats
• Disadvantages of having a big cockpit

Sailboats With Huge Cockpits

Here are our top picks for sailboats with spacious cockpits.

#1 Kadey Krogen 38

The Kadey Krogen 38 makes the number one spot, and not just because it’s the boat we own!

Kadey Krogen 38s are quite an unusual boat. There aren’t that many of them around, and most are in America. There are a tonne of awesome features and so many things we love about this boat, but probably our favourite thing is the enormous cockpit.

Our sailboat Hot Chocolate has a really wide cockpit, with deep seats that are so comfortable. We often sleep outside on them they are that comfortable!

The cockpit feels really enclosed even though it’s spacious, so we never feel unsafe. There are high sides, and there’s a locker at the stern so it has the feel of a centre cockpit. There are plenty of places to brace yourself against when heeling, and lots of clip in points too.

We really love the design of the Kadey Krogens as liveaboard boats too, as they’re roomy inside and have plenty of space for entertaining inside in the winter months.

If you’re looking for a boat that sails well, is safe in big seas, and has spacious outside and living areas then this is the boat for you!

#2 Sense 50

The Beneteau Sense 50 has been dubbed a monomaran, because it has a cockpit so wide you feel as though you’re on a catamaran. If you love the space of a catamaran and the feel of a monohull then this might be the perfect boat for you!

The boat has a wide swim platform that makes it easy to climb on and off the boat. Visability from the helms is excellent and the seats behind each helm lift and open out to clear the entire transom.

One of the best features of this cockpit is the table that can be lowered to make an outdoor berth for two! There is also plenty of storage outside.

This is an impressive boat but it also comes at an impressive price. If you’re looking for something with a real wow factor then the Sense 50 is definitely worth checking out.

#3 Hunter 38

The Hunter 38 has a great sized cockpit that will seat 8 comfortably. The cockpit feels nice and roomy when entertaining, and the seats are comfortable too.

One of the interesting things about this cockpit design is the folding wheel, which gives you more space to move around when you need it.

The main disadvantage to the cockpit of the Hunter 38 is the lack of storage space. The lockers are somewhat limited in what they can store. This isn’t a deal breaker but it’s something to bear in mind.

#4 Catalina 387

The seats on the Catalina 387 are 9 feet long and able to seat about 14 friends (if you have that many!) This is a really big cockpit for a sailboat of this size and is definitely one of the best options on this list.

Catalinas are known for their spacious cockpits, so if you are’t sold on this size of sailboats then it is worth checking out a Catalina in your preferred length.

This sailboat has a decent amount of space inside as well, making it a good choice for a liveaboard sailboat. There are two cabins and the boat sleeps a total of seven (or more if you like to sleep outside like us!)

In the cockpit you’ll find two spacious lockers where you can store a huge amount of gear should you wish!

#5 Pearson 35

You’ll appreciate the Pearson 35’s huge 9’5″ cockpit if you spend the majority of your time outside when sailing. One of the biggest selling points of this boat is it’shuge cockpit, and it was well ahead of its time when made.

This boat is well designed for liveaboards and for a boat of this size it actually has a lot of room. Although it’s not a large boat you will find adequate living space inside, especially if you sail solo or as a couple.

There are no aft cabins, so you gain some generously sized lockers for storage. The deck plan is well thought out with wide walkways, and the boat sails well.

If you’re looking for a smaller liveaboard sailboat with a large cockpit then this is a great option.

#6 Tartan 10

This 33ft sailboat designed by Sparkman and Stephens isn’t the best choice of boat for a liveaboard, but is a great boat for heading out on the water with friends.

It was built for racing, and therefore has very little going for it below decks, but above decks it’s a fantastic little boat. It sails well and has ample room in the cockpit for a boat of this size, meaning you can fit a big crew onboard and still have room to move around.

If you’re after a spacious day sailor then this sailboat might be the perfect choice.

#7 Opt For A Catamaran

If you are keen for more space in general and you have the budget, then why not consider a catamaran. Most catamarans have larger cockpits than monohulls of the same size, because they stretch the entire width of the boat.

Wondering how much sailboats cost?

There are definite compromises and things to consider before you make a purchase. You might not have as good visibility from the helm in the cockpit of a catamaran, for example.

That being said, there are also a number of advantages to a catamaran such as more stability when underway and in rolly anchorages.

If you’re after a really big cockpit then a catamaran (even a small catamaran ) that’s big enough to seat a number of people, is one of the best choices for you.

The Advantages Of Large Cockpit Sailboats

There are so many advantages to owning a sailboat with a big cockpit, but here are the things we have found the most useful when living aboard.

• Space to properly relax outside at anchor or on calm sailing days.
• Entertaining space. We can seat groups of people for drinks and dinner without feeling cramped or like we’re stepping over each other.
• Room to sail! When we have guests onboard we don’t trip over each other when getting to lines etc.
• Space to sleep outside. We do this regularly during the summer months when it’s too hot indoors. We also sleep outside on passages so that the person on watch is never really alone.
• Huge locker storage. We can fit two full-size bikes in one locker with room to spare!
• On longer passages, like crossing the Atlantic , having the extra space to chill out in is especially nice.

The Disadvantages Of Having A Big Cockpit

One of the biggest drawbacks (in fact, probably the only drawback) to having a big cockpit is stability underway.

We were really worried that Hot Chocolate wouldn’t feel safe while we were out in big seas, as we wouldn’t be as enclosed.

Although this could potentially be an issue on some sailboats, as long as the designer has thought this through it shouldn’t be a problem. Hot Chocolate had plenty of places you could brace yourself against or lean your feet when heeling, and lots of clip in points.

As we talked about earlier, the sides are high giving it the feel of a centre cockpit even though it’s at the stern.

Overall, most people agree that a spacious cockpit is an invaluable feature for any sailboat and if you find you’re lacking a feeling of security then it’s easy to add features to make it feel more enclosed.

Conclusion: The Best Large Cockpit Sailboats

Whether you’re looking forward to long weekends on the water with family and friends or planning to spend your life cruising the world’s oceans, having ample space and comfortable amenities is key, and these sailboats with huge cockpits will give all of that and more!

If you’re looking for more sailing content then make sure you follow us on social media, where we share all our latest articles and news.

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

43 of the best bluewater sailboat designs of all time

• January 5, 2022

How do you choose the right yacht for you? We highlight the very best bluewater sailboat designs for every type of cruising

Which yacht is the best for bluewater boating? This question generates even more debate among sailors than questions about what’s the coolest yacht , or the best for racing. Whereas racing designs are measured against each other, cruising sailors get very limited opportunities to experience different yachts in real oceangoing conditions, so what is the best bluewater sailboat?

Here, we bring you our top choices from decades of designs and launches. Over the years, the Yachting World team has sailed these boats, tested them or judged them for European Yacht of the Year awards, and we have sifted through the many to curate a selection that we believe should be on your wishlist.

Making the right choice may come down to how you foresee your yacht being used after it has crossed an ocean or completed a passage: will you be living at anchor or cruising along the coast? If so, your guiding requirements will be space, cabin size, ease of launching a tender and anchoring closer to shore, and whether it can comfortably accommodate non-expert-sailor guests.

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All of these considerations have generated the inexorable rise of the bluewater catamaran – monohulls can’t easily compete on these points. We have a full separate feature on the best bluewater multihulls of all time and here we mostly focus on monohulls. The only exceptions to that rule are two multihulls which made it into our best bluewater sailboats of 2022 list.

As so much of making the right choice is selecting the right boat for the venture in mind, we have separated out our edit into categories: best for comfort; for families; for performance; and for expedition or high latitudes sailing .

Best bluewater sailboats of 2022

The new flagship Allures 51.9, for example, is a no-nonsense adventure cruising design built and finished to a high standard. It retains Allures’ niche of using aluminium hulls with glassfibre decks and superstructures, which, the yard maintains, gives the optimum combination of least maintenance and less weight higher up. Priorities for this design were a full beam aft cabin and a spacious, long cockpit. Both are excellent, with the latter, at 6m long, offering formidable social, sailing and aft deck zones.

It likes some breeze to come to life on the wheel, but I appreciate that it’s designed to take up to five tonnes payload. And I like the ease with which you can change gears using the furling headsails and the positioning of the powerful Andersen winches inboard. The arch is standard and comes with a textile sprayhood or hard bimini.

Below decks you’ll find abundant headroom and natural light, a deep U-shape galley and cavernous stowage. For those who like the layout of the Amel 50 but would prefer aluminium or shoal draught, look no further.

Allures 51.9 price: €766,000

The Ovni 370 is another cunning new aluminum centreboard offering, a true deck saloon cruiser for two. The designers say the biggest challenge was to create a Category A ocean going yacht at this size with a lifting keel, hence the hull had to be very stable.

Enjoyable to helm, it has a practical, deep cockpit behind a large sprayhood, which can link to the bimini on the arch. Many of its most appealing features lie in the bright, light, contemporary, clever, voluminous interior, which has good stowage and tankage allocation. There’s also a practical navstation, a large workroom and a vast separate shower. I particularly like the convertible saloom, which can double as a large secure daybed or pilot berth.

Potentially the least expensive Category A lift keel boat available, the Ovni will get you dreaming of remote places again.

Ovni 370 price: €282,080

There’s no shortage of spirit in the Windelo 50. We gave this a sustainability award after it’s founders spent two years researching environmentally-friendly composite materials, developing an eco-composite of basalt fibre and recycled PET foam so it could build boats that halve the environmental impact of standard glassfibre yachts.

The Windelo 50 is an intriguing package – from the styling, modular interior and novel layout to the solar field on the roof and the standard electric propulsion, it is completely fresh.

Windelo 50 price: €795,000

Best bluewater sailboat of 2022 – Outremer 55

I would argue that this is the most successful new production yacht on the market. Well over 50 have already sold (an equipped model typically costs €1.6m) – and I can understand why. After all, were money no object, I had this design earmarked as the new yacht I would most likely choose for a world trip.

Indeed 55 number one Sanya, was fully equipped for a family’s world cruise, and left during our stay for the Grand Large Odyssey tour. Whereas we sailed Magic Kili, which was tricked up with performance options, including foam-cored deckheads and supports, carbon crossbeam and bulkheads, and synthetic rigging.

At rest, these are enticing space ships. Taking one out to sea is another matter though. These are speed machines with the size, scale and loads to be rightly weary of. Last month Nikki Henderson wrote a feature for us about how to manage a new breed of performance cruising cats just like this and how she coaches new owners. I could not think of wiser money spent for those who do not have ample multihull sailing experience.

Under sail, the most fun was obviously reserved for the reaching leg under asymmetric, where we clocked between 11-16 knots in 15-16 knots wind. But it was the stability and of those sustained low teen speeds which really hit home  – passagemaking where you really cover miles.

Key features include the swing helms, which give you views from outboard, over the coachroof or from a protected position in the cockpit through the coachroof windows, and the vast island in the galley, which is key to an open plan main living area. It helps provide cavernous stowage and acts as the heart of the entertaining space as it would in a modern home. As Danish judge Morten Brandt-Rasmussen comments: “Apart from being the TGV of ocean passages the boat offers the most spacious, open and best integration of the cockpit and salon areas in the market.”

Outremer has done a top job in packing in the creature comforts, stowage space and payload capacity, while keeping it light enough to eat miles. Although a lot to absorb and handle, the 55 offers a formidable blend of speed and luxury cruising.

Outremer 55 price: €1.35m

Best bluewater sailboats for comfort

This is the successor to the legendary Super Maramu, a ketch design that for several decades defined easy downwind handling and fostered a cult following for the French yard. Nearly a decade old, the Amel 55 is the bridge between those world-girdling stalwarts and Amel’s more recent and totally re-imagined sloop designs, the Amel 50 and 60.

The 55 boasts all the serious features Amel aficionados loved and valued: a skeg-hung rudder, solidly built hull, watertight bulkheads, solid guardrails and rampart bulwarks. And, most noticeable, the solid doghouse in which the helmsman sits in perfect shelter at the wheel.

This is a design to live on comfortably for long periods and the list of standard features just goes on and on: passarelle; proper sea berths with lee cloths; electric furling main and genoa; and a multitude of practical items that go right down to a dishwasher and crockery.

There’s no getting around the fact these designs do look rather dated now, and through the development of easier sail handling systems the ketch rig has fallen out of fashion, but the Amel is nothing short of a phenomenon, and if you’ve never even peeked on board one, you really have missed a treat.

Photo: Sander van der Borch

Contest 50CS

A centre cockpit cruiser with true longevity, the Contest 50CS was launched by Conyplex back in 2003 and is still being built by the family-owned Dutch company, now in updated and restyled form.

With a fully balanced rudder, large wheel and modern underwater sections, the Contest 50CS is a surprisingly good performer for a boat that has a dry weight of 17.5 tonnes. Many were fitted with in-mast furling, which clearly curtails that performance, but even without, this boat is set up for a small crew.

Electric winches and mainsheet traveller are all easy to reach from the helm. On our test of the Contest 50CS, we saw for ourselves how two people can gybe downwind under spinnaker without undue drama. Upwind, a 105% genoa is so easy to tack it flatters even the weediest crewmember.

Down below, the finish level of the joinery work is up there among the best and the interior is full of clever touches, again updated and modernised since the early models. Never the cheapest bluewater sailing yacht around, the Contest 50CS has remained in demand as a brokerage buy. She is a reassuringly sure-footed, easily handled, very well built yacht that for all those reasons has stood the test of time.

This is a yacht that would be well capable of helping you extend your cruising grounds, almost without realising it.

Read more about the Contest 50CS and the new Contest 49CS

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

Hallberg-Rassy 48 Mk II

For many, the Swedish Hallberg-Rassy yard makes the quintessential bluewater cruiser for couples. With their distinctive blue cove line, these designs are famous for their seakindly behaviour, solid-as-a-rock build and beautifully finished, traditional interiors.

To some eyes, Hallberg-Rassys aren’t quite cool enough, but it’s been company owner Magnus Rassy’s confidence in the formula and belief in incremental ‘step-by-step’ evolution that has been such an exceptional guarantor of reliable quality, reputation and resale value.

The centre cockpit Hallberg-Rassy 48 epitomises the concept of comfort at sea and, like all the Frers-designed Hallberg-Rassys since the 1990s, is surprisingly fleet upwind as well as steady downwind. The 48 is perfectly able to be handled by a couple (as we found a few years back in the Pacific), and could with no great effort crack out 200-mile days.

The Hallberg-Rassy 48 was launched nearly a decade ago, but the Mk II from 2014 is our pick, updated with a more modern profile, larger windows and hull portlights that flood the saloon and aft cabin with light. With a large chart table, secure linear galley, heaps of stowage and space for bluewater extras such as machinery and gear, this yacht pretty much ticks all the boxes.

Discovery 55

First launched in 2000, the Discovery 55 has stood the test of time. Designed by Ron Holland, it hit a sweet spot in size that appealed to couples and families with world girdling plans.

Elegantly styled and well balanced, the 55 is also a practical design, with a deep and secure cockpit, comfortable seating, a self-tacking jib, dedicated stowage for the liferaft , a decent sugar scoop transom that’s useful for swimming or dinghy access, and very comfortable accommodation below. In short, it is a design that has been well thought out by those who’ve been there, got the bruises, stubbed their toes and vowed to change things in the future if they ever got the chance.

Throughout the accommodation there are plenty of examples of good detailing, from the proliferation of handholds and grabrails, to deep sinks in the galley offering immediate stowage when under way and the stand up/sit down showers. Stowage is good, too, with plenty of sensibly sized lockers in easily accessible positions.

The Discovery 55 has practical ideas and nifty details aplenty. She’s not, and never was, a breakthrough in modern luxury cruising but she is pretty, comfortable to sail and live on, and well mannered.

Photo: Latitudes Picture Library

You can’t get much more Cornish than a Rustler. The hulls of this Stephen Jones design are hand-moulded and fitted out in Falmouth – and few are more ruggedly built than this traditional, up-for-anything offshore cruiser.

She boasts an encapsulated lead keel, eliminating keel bolts and creating a sump for generous fuel and water tankage, while a chunky skeg protects the rudder. She is designed for good directional stability and load carrying ability. These are all features that lend this yacht confidence as it shoulders aside the rough stuff.

Most of those built have had a cutter rig, a flexible arrangement that makes sense for long passages in all sea and weather conditions. Down below, the galley and saloon berths are comfortable and sensible for living in port and at sea, with joinery that Rustler’s builders are rightly proud of.

As modern yachts have got wider, higher and fatter, the Rustler 42 is an exception. This is an exceptionally well-mannered seagoing yacht in the traditional vein, with elegant lines and pleasing overhangs, yet also surprisingly powerful. And although now over 20 years old, timeless looks and qualities mean this design makes her look ever more like a perennial, a modern classic.

The definitive crossover size, the point at which a yacht can be handled by a couple but is just large enough to have a professional skipper and be chartered, sits at around the 60ft mark. At 58ft 8in, the Oyster 575 fitted perfectly into this growing market when launched in 2010. It went on to be one of the most popular models from the yard, and is only now being superseded by the newer Rob Humphreys-designed Oyster 565 (just launched this spring).

Built in various configurations with either a deep keel, shoal draught keel or centreboard with twin rudders, owners could trade off better performance against easy access to shallower coves and anchorages. The deep-bodied hull, also by Rob Humphreys, is known for its easy motion at sea.

Some of the Oyster 575’s best features include its hallmark coachroof windows style and centre cockpit – almost everyone will know at first glance this is an Oyster – and superb interior finish. If she has a flaw, it is arguably the high cockpit, but the flip side is the galley headroom and passageway berth to the large aft stateroom.

This design also has a host of practical features for long-distance cruising, such as high guardrails, dedicated liferaft stowage, a vast lazarette for swallowing sails, tender, fenders etc, and a penthouse engine room.

Privilege Serie 5

A true luxury catamaran which, fully fitted out, will top €1m, this deserves to be seen alongside the likes of the Oyster 575, Gunfleet 58 and Hallberg-Rassy 55. It boasts a large cockpit and living area, and a light and spacious saloon with an emphasis on indoor-outdoor living, masses of refrigeration and a big galley.

Standout features are finish quality and solid build in a yacht designed to take a high payload, a secure walkaround deck and all-round views from the helm station. The new Privilege 510 that will replace this launches in February 2020.

Gunfleet 43

It was with this Tony Castro design that Richard Matthews, founder of Oyster Yachts, launched a brand new rival brand in 2012, the smallest of a range stretching to the flagship Gunfleet 74. The combination of short overhangs and centre cockpit at this size do make the Gunfleet 43 look modern if a little boxy, but time and subsequent design trends have been kind to her lines, and the build quality is excellent. The saloon, galley and aft cabin space is exceptional on a yacht of this size.

Photo: David Harding

Conceived as a belt-and-braces cruiser, the Kraken 50 launched last year. Its unique points lie underwater in the guise of a full skeg-hung rudder and so-called ‘Zero Keel’, an encapsulated long keel with lead ballast.

Kraken Yachts is the brainchild of British businessman and highly experienced cruiser Dick Beaumont, who is adamant that safety should be foremost in cruising yacht design and build. “There is no such thing as ‘one yacht for all purposes’… You cannot have the best of all worlds, whatever the salesman tells you,” he says.

Read our full review of the Kraken 50 .

Wauquiez Centurion 57

Few yachts can claim to be both an exciting Med-style design and a serious and practical northern European offshore cruiser, but the Wauquiez Centurion 57 tries to blend both. She slightly misses if you judge solely by either criterion, but is pretty and practical enough to suit her purpose.

A very pleasant, well-considered yacht, she is impressively built and finished with a warm and comfortable interior. More versatile than radical, she could be used for sailing across the Atlantic in comfort and raced with equal enjoyment at Antigua Sailing Week .

A modern classic if ever there was one. A medium to heavy displacement yacht, stiff and easily capable of standing up to her canvas. Pretty, traditional lines and layout below.

Photo: Voyage of Swell

Well-proven US legacy design dating back to the mid-1960s that once conquered the Transpac Race . Still admired as pretty, with slight spoon bow and overhanging transom.

Capable medium displacement cruiser, ideal size and good accommodation for couples or family cruising, and much less costly than similar luxury brands.

Photo: Peter Szamer

Swedish-built aft cockpit cruiser, smaller than many here, but a well-built and finished, super-durable pocket ocean cruiser.

Tartan 3700

Designed as a performance cruiser there are nimbler alternatives now, but this is still an extremely pretty yacht.

Broker ’ s choice

Discovery 55 Brizo

This yacht has already circumnavigated the globe and is ‘prepared for her next adventure,’ says broker Berthon. Price: £535,000 + VAT

Oyster 575 Ayesha

‘Stunning, and perfectly equipped for bluewater cruising,’ says broker Ancasta International. Price: £845,000 (tax not paid)

Oyster 575 Pearls of Nautilus

Nearly new and with a high spec, this Oyster Brokerage yacht features American white oak joinery and white leather upholstery and has a shoal draught keel. Price: $1.49m

Best bluewater yachts for performance

The Frers-designed Swan 54 may not be the newest hull shape but heralded Swan’s latest generation of displacement bluewater cruisers when launched four years ago. With raked stem, deep V hull form, lower freeboard and slight curve to the topsides she has a more timeless aesthetic than many modern slab-sided high volume yachts, and with that a seakindly motion in waves. If you plan to cover many miles to weather, this is probably the yacht you want to be on.

Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

Besides Swan’s superlative build quality, the 54 brings many true bluewater features, including a dedicated sail locker. There’s also a cockpit locker that functions as a utility cabin, with potential to hold your generator and washing machine, or be a workshop space.

The sloping transom opens out to reveal a 2.5m bathing platform, and although the cabins are not huge there is copious stowage space. Down below the top-notch oak joinery is well thought through with deep fiddles, and there is a substantial nav station. But the Swan 54 wins for handling above all, with well laid-out sail controls that can be easily managed between a couple, while offering real sailing enjoyment to the helmsman.

Photo: Graham Snook

The Performance Cruiser winner at the 2019 European Yacht of the Year awards, the Arcona 435 is all about the sailing experience. She has genuine potential as a cruiser-racer, but her strengths are as an enjoyable cruiser rather than a full-blown liveaboard bluewater boat.

Build quality is excellent, there is the option of a carbon hull and deck, and elegant lines and a plumb bow give the Arcona 435 good looks as well as excellent performance in light airs. Besides slick sail handling systems, there are well thought-out features for cruising, such as ample built-in rope bins and an optional semi-closed stern with stowage and swim platform.

Outremer 51

If you want the space and stability of a cat but still prioritise sailing performance, Outremer has built a reputation on building catamarans with true bluewater characteristics that have cruised the planet for the past 30 years.

Lighter and slimmer-hulled than most cruising cats, the Outremer 51 is all about sailing at faster speeds, more easily. The lower volume hulls and higher bridgedeck make for a better motion in waves, while owners report that being able to maintain a decent pace even under reduced canvas makes for stress-free passages. Deep daggerboards also give good upwind performance.

With bucket seats and tiller steering options, the Outremer 51 rewards sailors who want to spend time steering, while they’re famously well set up for handling with one person on deck. The compromise comes with the interior space – even with a relatively minimalist style, there is less cabin space and stowage volume than on the bulkier cats, but the Outremer 51 still packs in plenty of practical features.

The Xc45 was the first cruising yacht X-Yachts ever built, and designed to give the same X-Yachts sailing experience for sailors who’d spent years racing 30/40-footer X- and IMX designs, but in a cruising package.

Launched over 10 years ago, the Xc45 has been revisited a few times to increase the stowage and modernise some of the styling, but the key features remain the same, including substantial tanks set low for a low centre of gravity, and X-Yachts’ trademark steel keel grid structure. She has fairly traditional styling and layout, matched with solid build quality.

A soft bilge and V-shaped hull gives a kindly motion in waves, and the cockpit is secure, if narrow by modern standards.

A three or four cabin catamaran that’s fleet of foot with high bridgedeck clearance for comfortable motion at sea. With tall daggerboards and carbon construction in some high load areas, Catana cats are light and quick to accelerate.

Sweden Yachts 45

An established bluewater design that also features in plenty of offshore races. Some examples are specced with carbon rig and retractable bowsprits. All have a self-tacking jib for ease. Expect sweeping areas of teak above decks and a traditionally wooded interior with hanging wet locker.

A vintage performer, first launched in 1981, the 51 was the first Frers-designed Swan and marked a new era of iconic cruiser-racers. Some 36 of the Swan 51 were built, many still actively racing and cruising nearly 40 years on. Classic lines and a split cockpit make this a boat for helming, not sunbathing.

Photo: Julien Girardot / EYOTY

The JPK 45 comes from a French racing stable, combining race-winning design heritage with cruising amenities. What you see is what you get – there are no superfluous headliners or floorboards, but there are plenty of ocean sailing details, like inboard winches for safe trimming. The JPK 45 also has a brilliantly designed cockpit with an optional doghouse creating all-weather shelter, twin wheels and superb clutch and rope bin arrangement.

Photo: Andreas Lindlahr

For sailors who don’t mind exchanging a few creature comforts for downwind planing performance, the Pogo 50 offers double-digit surfing speeds for exhilarating tradewind sailing. There’s an open transom, tiller steering and no backstay or runners. The Pogo 50 also has a swing keel, to nose into shallow anchorages.

Seawind 1600

Seawinds are relatively unknown in Europe, but these bluewater cats are very popular in Australia. As would be expected from a Reichel-Pugh design, this 52-footer combines striking good looks and high performance, with fine entry bows and comparatively low freeboard. Rudders are foam cored lifting designs in cassettes, which offer straightforward access in case of repairs, while daggerboards are housed under the deck.

Best bluewater sailboats for families

It’s unsurprising that, for many families, it’s a catamaran that meets their requirements best of increased space – both living space and separate cabins for privacy-seeking teenagers, additional crew or visiting family – as well as stable and predictable handling.

Photo: Nicholas Claris

Undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories has been the Lagoon 450, which, together with boats like the Fountaine Pajot 44, helped drive up the popularity of catamaran cruising by making it affordable and accessible. They have sold in huge numbers – over 1,000 Lagoon 450s have been built since its launch in 2010.

The VPLP-designed 450 was originally launched with a flybridge with a near central helming position and upper level lounging areas (450F). The later ‘sport top’ option (450S) offered a starboard helm station and lower boom (and hence lower centre of gravity for reduced pitching). The 450S also gained a hull chine to create additional volume above the waterline. The Lagoon features forward lounging and aft cockpit areas for additional outdoor living space.

Besides being a big hit among charter operators, Lagoons have proven themselves over thousands of bluewater miles – there were seven Lagoon 450s in last year’s ARC alone. In what remains a competitive sector of the market, Lagoon has recently launched a new 46, with a larger self-tacking jib and mast moved aft, and more lounging areas.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget

Fountaine Pajot Helia 44

The FP Helia 44 is lighter, lower volume, and has a lower freeboard than the Lagoon, weighing in at 10.8 tonnes unloaded (compared to 15 for the 450). The helm station is on a mezzanine level two steps up from the bridgedeck, with a bench seat behind. A later ‘Evolution’ version was designed for liveaboard cruisers, featuring beefed up dinghy davits and an improved saloon space.

Available in three or four cabin layouts, the Helia 44 was also popular with charter owners as well as families. The new 45 promises additional volume, and an optional hydraulically lowered ‘beach club’ swim platform.

Photo: Arnaud De Buyzer / graphikup.com

The French RM 1370 might be less well known than the big brand names, but offers something a little bit different for anyone who wants a relatively voluminous cruising yacht. Designed by Marc Lombard, and beautifully built from plywood/epoxy, the RM is stiff and responsive, and sails superbly.

The RM yachts have a more individual look – in part down to the painted finish, which encourages many owners to personalise their yachts, but also thanks to their distinctive lines with reverse sheer and dreadnought bow. The cockpit is well laid out with the primary winches inboard for a secure trimming position. The interior is light, airy and modern, although the open transom won’t appeal to everyone.

For those wanting a monohull, the Hanse 575 hits a similar sweet spot to the popular multis, maximising accommodation for a realistic price, yet with responsive performance.

The Hanse offers a vast amount of living space thanks to the ‘loft design’ concept of having all the living areas on a single level, which gives a real feeling of spaciousness with no raised saloon or steps to accommodation. The trade-off for such lofty head height is a substantial freeboard – it towers above the pontoon, while, below, a stepladder is provided to reach some hatches.

Galley options include drawer fridge-freezers, microwave and coffee machine, and the full size nav station can double up as an office or study space.

But while the Hanse 575 is a seriously large boat, its popularity is also down to the fact that it is genuinely able to be handled by a couple. It was innovative in its deck layout: with a self-tacking jib and mainsheet winches immediately to hand next to the helm, one person could both steer and trim.

Direct steering gives a feeling of control and some tangible sailing fun, while the waterline length makes for rapid passage times. In 2016 the German yard launched the newer Hanse 588 model, having already sold 175 of the 575s in just four years.

Photo: Bertel Kolthof

Jeanneau 54

Jeanneau leads the way among production builders for versatile all-rounder yachts that balance sail performance and handling, ergonomics, liveaboard functionality and good looks. The Jeanneau 54 , part of the range designed by Philippe Briand with interior by Andrew Winch, melds the best of the larger and smaller models and is available in a vast array of layout options from two cabins/two heads right up to five cabins and three heads.

We’ve tested the Jeanneau 54 in a gale and very light winds, and it acquitted itself handsomely in both extremes. The primary and mainsheet winches are to hand next to the wheel, and the cockpit is spacious, protected and child-friendly. An electric folding swim and sun deck makes for quick fun in the water.

Nautitech Open 46

This was the first Nautitech catamaran to be built under the ownership of Bavaria, designed with an open-plan bridgedeck and cockpit for free-flowing living space. But with good pace for eating up bluewater miles, and aft twin helms rather than a flybridge, the Nautitech Open 46 also appeals to monohull sailors who prefer a more direct sailing experience.

Made by Robertson and Caine, who produce catamarans under a dual identity as both Leopard and the Sunsail/Moorings charter cats, the Leopard 45 is set to be another big seller. Reflecting its charter DNA, the Leopard 45 is voluminous, with stepped hulls for reduced waterline, and a separate forward cockpit.

Built in South Africa, they are robustly tested off the Cape and constructed ruggedly enough to handle heavy weather sailing as well as the demands of chartering.

Photo: Olivier Blanchet

If space is king then three hulls might be even better than two. The Neel 51 is rare as a cruising trimaran with enough space for proper liveaboard sailing. The galley and saloon are in the large central hull, together with an owner’s cabin on one level for a unique sensation of living above the water. Guest or family cabins lie in the outer hulls for privacy and there is a cavernous full height engine room under the cabin sole.

Performance is notably higher than an equivalent cruising cat, particularly in light winds, with a single rudder giving a truly direct feel in the helm, although manoeuvring a 50ft trimaran may daunt many sailors.

Beneteau Oceanis 46.1

A brilliant new model from Beneteau, this Finot Conq design has a modern stepped hull, which offers exhilarating and confidence-inspiring handling in big breezes, and slippery performance in lighter winds.

The Beneteau Oceanis 46.1 was the standout performer at this year’s European Yacht of the Year awards, and, in replacing the popular Oceanis 45, looks set to be another bestseller. Interior space is well used with a double island berth in the forepeak. An additional inboard unit creates a secure galley area, but tank capacity is moderate for long periods aboard.

Beneteau Oceanis 473

A popular model that offers beam and height in a functional layout, although, as with many boats of this age (she was launched in 2002), the mainsheet is not within reach of the helmsman.

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 49

The Philippe Briand-designed Sun Odyssey range has a solid reputation as family production cruisers. Like the 473, the Sun Odyssey 49 was popular for charter so there are plenty of four-cabin models on the market.

Nautitech 441

The hull design dates back to 1995, but was relaunched in 2012. Though the saloon interior has dated, the 441 has solid practical features, such as a rainwater run-off collection gutter around the coachroof.

Atlantic 42

Chris White-designed cats feature a pilothouse and forward waist-high working cockpit with helm position, as well as an inside wheel at the nav station. The Atlantic 42 offers limited accommodation by modern cat standards but a very different sailing experience.

Best bluewater sailing yachts for expeditions

Bestevaer 56.

All of the yachts in our ‘expedition’ category are aluminium-hulled designs suitable for high latitude sailing, and all are exceptional yachts. But the Bestevaer 56 is a spectacular amount of boat to take on a true adventure. Each Bestevaer is a near-custom build with plenty of bespoke options for owners to customise the layout and where they fall on the scale of rugged off-grid adventurer to 4×4-style luxury fit out.

The Bestevaer range began when renowned naval architect Gerard Dijkstra chose to design his own personal yacht for liveaboard adventure cruising, a 53-footer. The concept drew plenty of interest from bluewater sailors wanting to make longer expeditions and Bestevaers are now available in a range of sizes, with the 56-footer proving a popular mid-range length.

The well-known Bestevaer 56 Tranquilo  (pictured above) has a deep, secure cockpit, voluminous tanks (700lt water and over 1,100lt fuel) and a lifting keel plus water ballast, with classically styled teak clad decks and pilot house. Other owners have opted for functional bare aluminium hull and deck, some choose a doghouse and others a pilothouse.

Photo: Jean-Marie Liot

The Boreal 52 also offers Land Rover-esque practicality, with utilitarian bare aluminium hulls and a distinctive double-level doghouse/coachroof arrangement for added protection in all weathers. The cockpit is clean and uncluttered, thanks to the mainsheet position on top of the doghouse, although for visibility in close manoeuvring the helmsman will want to step up onto the aft deck.

Twin daggerboards, a lifting centreboard and long skeg on which she can settle make this a true go-anywhere expedition yacht. The metres of chain required for adventurous anchoring is stowed in a special locker by the mast to keep the weight central. Down below has been thought through with equally practical touches, including plenty of bracing points and lighting that switches on to red light first to protect your night vision.

Photo: Morris Adant / Garcia Yachts

Garcia Exploration 45

The Garcia Exploration 45 comes with real experience behind her – she was created in association with Jimmy Cornell, based on his many hundreds of thousands of miles of bluewater cruising, to go anywhere from high latitudes to the tropics.

Arguably less of a looker than the Bestevaer, the Garcia Exploration 45 features a rounded aluminium hull, centreboard with deep skeg and twin daggerboards. The considerable anchor chain weight has again been brought aft, this time via a special conduit to a watertight locker in front of the centreboard.

This is a yacht designed to be lived on for extended periods with ample storage, and panoramic portlights to give a near 360° view of whichever extraordinary landscape you are exploring. Safety features include a watertight companionway door to keep extreme weather out and through-hull fittings placed above the waterline. When former Vendée Globe skipper Pete Goss went cruising , this was the boat he chose to do it in.

Photo: svnaima.com

A truly well-proven expedition design, some 1,500 Ovnis have been built and many sailed to some of the most far-flung corners of the world. (Jimmy Cornell sailed his Aventura some 30,000 miles, including two Drake Passage crossings, one in 50 knots of wind).

Futuna Exploration 54

Another aluminium design with a swinging centreboard and a solid enclosed pilothouse with protected cockpit area. There’s a chunky bowsprit and substantial transom arch to house all manner of electronics and power generation.

Previous boats have been spec’d for North West Passage crossings with additional heating and engine power, although there’s a carbon rig option for those that want a touch of the black stuff. The tanks are capacious, with 1,000lt capability for both fresh water and fuel.

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• A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 1

There’s no gentle way to say this, but I have long felt that cockpit enclosures are for those who don’t really want to sail their boats. And, of course, I’m also well-known as an advocate of clean decks.

But now we have a cockpit enclosure, and…I’m loving it. OK, I nearly gagged on that statement, but it’s true. And…I was…wrong…about cockpit enclosures—ugh, that was even harder to say.

This is the story of how and why we ended up with a cockpit enclosure, together with the design we came up with and the usage we are adopting to make sure we can still sail our boat efficiently and safely.

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More Articles From Cockpit Enclosures and Dodgers:

• Cockpit Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat
• How To Home Build a Hard Dodger For an Offshore Sailboat
• A Sailor’s Cockpit Enclosure—Part 2

Hi John, About 18 months ago we upgraded from an Ovni to a boat with raised saloon and an indoor watchkeeping station with 270 degrees visibility. After 6000 miles one of the clear benefit of a protected and warm watchkeeping areas is the very positive effect of less crew fatigue leading to more active watchkeeping and better decision making . It is stating the obvious but managing fatigue better has a direct impact on safety at sea. How many boat are getting in strife because of fatigue leading to poor judgement, loose watchkeeping or reluctance to take action early enough? The main down side is less reactivity when something goes pear shape as it takes a fews seconds to get on deck, but when things are tricky we are back into our open and uncluttered cockpit. Cheers. Chris

On our old dutch 27ft boat we could extend the dodger to enclose the whole cockpit, although we lost the option to sail. (Motoring was still possible) That may not sound very practical, but made living at anchor a lot more comfortable in moderate latitudes. It’s very comforting to put up the Kuchenbude (cake-booth, the German colloquial term for an enclosure) after a wet sail to enjoy a hot after-sail-grog without having to move inside.

The dutch knew what they were doing.

I love the “cake-booth” name.

We actually went the other way this year. When we got our current boat a few years ago, it had a full enclosure but we have really only ever used the dodger and occasionally the bimini. For the second half of this season, we removed the bimini as it takes up cockpit space when down and were very happy without it. I plan to sew up an awning for use at anchor only this winter so that we can keep the bimini and its bulky frame off the boat.

What works best really depends on where you are. At anchor, we like to sit in crazy creek chairs under our dodger facing aft and this stays pretty warm in most conditions thanks to the dodger. We basically don’t go to docks so we don’t need to worry about being angle in funny ways to the wind. Underway, we almost never need additional protection but we did occasionally motor with the bimini up. At night, we can get pretty cold but I am not comfortable looking through the plastic so we don’t allow any of that stuff to be up. For long distance sailing, I have always had open cockpits but I would think that the Boreal system would be ideal. For the tropics, a bimini but no dodger is often good unless it gets really splashy. For the mid latitudes, I like just a bimini with the ability to get cockpit shade on a really hot, still day. I have done some pretty cold weather deliveries and the boats with pilothouses were really nice for that but I really struggle to sail a boat with a windshield or anything over my head as I use the wind on my ears so much (I also hand-steer more than most which probably contributes to my dislike of this). The Boreal with an awning that could be put up at anchor would seem to be ideal in my mind.

Good points on the drawbacks of enclosures. In part 2 I will be writing about some of the things we have done to at least ameliorate them. Also, I suspect that the willingness to put up with said drawbacks may scale with age!

We sail with only a dodger which works just fine in most conditions as you have noted. We are planning on taking our 37′ sloop south in the next year, so I’ve been investigating various bimini designs. I’m particularly concerned about maintaining a view of the mainsail and telltales. I look forward to your design thoughts on how to incorporate this important feature.

I think you dismiss the idea of a cockpit enclosure in the tropics too quickly. We have both isinglass and textilene enclosures for our cockpit. After you spend a long time in the tropics or even sub tropics, temperatures as low as 70’s starts to feel cold. In the early winter when the xmas winds howl we get out our fleece and bundle up! Its nice being at anchor and keeping most of the rain out of the cockpit. During the warmer months we drop the isinglass and put on the textilene to keep the strong sun at bay late in the day. We also like to shower in the cockpit to keep the moisture out of the boat. We have extended out our living space and in the winter we can sit in tshirts in the cockpit while ice forms on the Chesapeake. Overall, we feel it was one of the best improvements we made to the boat. The only improvement we will make it changing soft bimini to a hard bimini when the time comes to replace it.

Good point about how much our bodies get acclimatized to temperature.

On the hard bimini, yes it can be a good change. Our’s has worked well, but we were very careful designing it to make sure that it would not compromise our ability to handle the sails properly. I see a lot of hard biminis, particularly the ones that are covered in slippery solar panels that make it very difficult, or even dangerous, to say tie in a reef.

The reason that many of us have been averse to vinyl–Eisenglass, etc.–is that it gets cloudy and difficult to see through. There are several reasons for this including UV degradation and abrasion of the surface from wiping salt off instead of washing it off with fresh water, but the most important may be crushing the vinyl by folding the dodger down. When vinyl develops wrinkles it distorts vision through it and becomes frustrating to use.

We recently had an enclosure built and went to a hybrid solution. The three front panels of the dodger are made of Lexan, a polycarbonate, and are as clear as glass and almost as stiff, but can be curved for the corner pieces. We made the center panel as large as possible because I wanted to be able to get wind into the cockpit for cooling and for data (the sound in your ears and the feeling on your skin) when I wanted it. It can’t be rolled up, but it will swing up against the underside of the dodger and then zip back down when needed.

The rest of the enclosure panels are vinyl and remain attached to the bimini in a rolled–but not crushed–position until needed. This creates a bit of inconvenience in entering the cockpit from the deck because the roll lowers the entrance heiight by a few inches, but it eliminates the need for storing them so carefully that they can’t get crunched. The vinyl panels will lose their clarity faster than the Lexan panels, but with proper care and cleaning both should last many years before needing to be replaced.

Good points. We will be writing about, and discussing, the details of a good enclosure in part 2 in a few days.

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A Practical Look at Sailboat Cockpit Design

Ps outlines what to look for when searching for a comfortable, functional cockpit..

Cockpit ergonomics involve more than a concern about coaming angles and comfortable seating. These are just two items on a long list of attributes that define the space where sailors spend most of their waking time.

At boat shows, the crowd can be divided into those that poke around on deck and those who head directly below. Brokers know the difference between racing sailors and cruisers and which end of the companionway ladder will seal the deal. Racers want performance and scrutinize the on-deck design features that make it all happen, while cruisers look below for the amenities of a house afloat. This stereotype may be too rigid, but from what we’ve seen at recent boat shows, cruisers need to take a closer look at the cockpit and get a feel for how a sailboat will handle underway, as well as serve as a home away from home.

There’s much more at stake than comfort for the crew. Cockpit design and layout drives many boat-handling tasks, ranging from steering and sail trimming to what goes on when its time to reef. Angles of view can even affect watchkeeping.

For example, a high center cockpit and a large overlapping genoa create a 90-degree-plus no see zone, and thats a big deal when it comes to collision avoidance. A large catamaran with a tall bridge-deck cabin can add an even larger no see zone, especially when running on autopilot with no one perched on the elevated helm seat.

In short, many cockpits are optimized for at-anchor enjoyment instead of underway usability. So part of the boat-shopping process should include careful scrutiny of how essential sailing and boat-handling tasks will be accomplished. For starters, note how much contortion it takes to really crank each winch, determine whether or not the line leads favor easy reefing, and check to see how well the cockpit shape contributes to keeping the crew from being washed overboard. These are essential attributes, and for some, they are more vital than galley counter material and the fabric that covers the cushions below.

Grand Prix racers have long favored wide open, low sided, no-transom cockpits that are more of an open deck than a protective trench. In heavy weather, these nothing-to-cling-to cockpits can become perilous. In 1997, during the Hong Kong to Osaka, Japan Race, Americas Cup trials veteran Makoto Namba was at the helm of Escape One when a 20-foot breaking sea washed him out the open transom of the 45-foot racer. In 2006, Dutch Volvo Ocean racer Hans Horrevoets was swept from the deck of ABN AMRO TWO and lost at sea. Closer to home, pro sailor Dan Cianci was tossed over the lifelines of the 50-foot ocean racer Snow Lion. The accident occurred at night, in heavy weather just off the Delaware River mouth. In each case, the cockpit design favored sail trim and line handling over heavy-weather safety considerations. Many ocean racers mitigate such design tradeoffs with careful use of harnesses, tethers, jack lines, and hard points for tether attachment.

Just the opposite design trend can be found in the deep cockpit and conventional closed transom of sailboats such as Ted Hoods 25-year-old design, American Promise. Dodge Morgan sailed the heavy-displacement 60-footer solo around the world. The big, double-head rigged sloop provided a great deal of crew protection and seakeeping ability during Morgans voyage. And for years after he donated the boat to the U.S. Naval Academy, midshipmen also learned to appreciate the cockpit layout-particularly during bad weather offshore.

PS Technical Editor Ralph Naranjo sailed that boat in a gale-strewn trans-Atlantic with an able crew and encountered a nasty 979-millibar low at about 45 degrees North latitude. According to the log, AP was reaching eastward at 9 knots under storm trysail and storm jib with green water routinely sweeping the deck. Seas had silenced the mini-M satphone by regularly immersing the dome shaped antenna in wave faces, eventually flooding the internal circuitry.

It was a rough passage, and little things taken for granted in smoother seas showed their true value. Features like the deep cockpit well, the heavy-duty, water-tight companionway doors, and the massive cockpit drains all proved their worth.

The flip side of the coin is that really bad weather encounters are a rare occurrence for most sailors. More often, 0- to 20-knot sailing conditions prevail. And our coastline is dotted with safe havens in which to hide from the elements. So one of the big challenges facing every designer and naval architect drawing lines for their next new boat is the question of exposure. Will owners use the boat as a dockside second home and be underway only in fair weather, or will they take the cruiser label to heart and leave land well astern? A close look at cockpit layouts will give you some indication of the boats intended use.

We prefer to evaluate cockpit ergonomics from both static and dynamic points of view. On some boats, these underway and at anchor evaluations lead to disparate conclusions. A cockpit that works well underway may be confining in port, or another vessel with a patio-size stern may be altogether dysfunctional at sea. It’s all an issue of trying to do two different jobs with one fixed set of dimensions and appendages. Buyers need to know what attributes they will make best use of.

For monohulls, coping with heel is the first big challenge, and wide-open space, whether its in the cockpit or main saloon, can be a tough challenge. The universal solution to carrying wide beam aft on cruising boats seems to be the ubiquitous cockpit table. It can be a handy centerline support, but it’s a tough addition to a seafaring cockpit in the minds of many traditional sailors. That said, production boatbuilders have gotten much better at making these centerline, folding-leaf tables sturdy enough for sea duty and effective as a handhold.

Industry Trends

Over the last 50 years, mainstream production sailboat design has moved noticeably away from the racer/cruiser defined by Pearson, Tartan, C&C, Cal, Columbia, Ranger, Islander, Ericson, and others. The new boats are roomier with less emphasis on performance under sail. Racers now have their own genre of sailboat, and they are faster, better handling, and more capable than their predecessors. But whats most surprising is that many mainstream cruisers are anything but optimized for long-distance passages and long-term living aboard.

These boats feature convenience, style, and comfort, and the actual design objective in many cases is more focused on weekend cruising and an annual two-week summer harbor-hopping cruise. Easy sail-setting and large boat interiors in shorter waterline lengths prevail, and such trends influence the shape and layout of the cockpit. When it comes to ergonomics, the split between cruisers and racers is more apparent than ever, but theres also some real differentiation within the ranks of cruisers themselves.

In Practical Sailors recent scrutiny of cockpit designs at local boat shows, weve noted four emerging sailboat stereotypes. These include daysailers that feature few, if any, accommodations; racing boats brimming with performance-enhancing hardware; and ocean-going cruisers capable of extended passagemaking. The fourth grouping-larger than all the other three combined-are also labeled cruisers, but with less draft, less stability, and less versatile sail plans, they are more like an SUV designed more for the highway than off-roading in the backcountry.

Sizing Up a Cockpit

The takeaway lesson for us was the importance of making sure that the cockpit of the boat you are about to buy is in keeping with the mission of the rest of the boat. If you are a serious club racer, the centerline table wont be a crew favorite. Those making a double-handed passage on a 40-footer will see a tight, narrow cockpit differently than when eight sail the same boat. So with complete belief in the old adage, different strokes for different folks, heres what we looked for when evaluating cockpit design. It can be used as a helpful buyers guide when you’re surveying your next boat.

Working the winches: All too often, winch location is an afterthought, and fine hardware is stuck on side coamings shaped more as a roof for the aft cabin than as a key component of sail trim. We always like to check sheet leads angles that lead lines to a particular winch and then mimic what cranking with a two-handed winch handle would be like. Look for 360-degree clearance with no knuckle-busting stanchions in the way. Be sure that the winch grinding works on either tack. Genoa sheeting may always put you on the leeward side of the cockpit, but runners and spinnaker guys will usually be worked on a windward winch.

Sheets and halyards: One of testers major complaints was builders habit of running seldom-used halyard lines attached to roller-furling headsails and in-mast furling mainsails all the way aft to the cockpit. Doing so left lengthy line tails cluttering up the area under the dodger where reefing lines, the boom vang, and in some cases, the main sheet all arrived like too many trains in a station.

Theres no perfect mainsheet arrangement, but some are better than others, and the one you choose has a lot to do with how much attention you pay to the nuance of sail trim. The current vogue among serious racers involves 2-to-1 end-boom sheeting: an in-boom lead of the double-ended sheet returns aft via turning blocks near the mast and runs to winches on both sides of the boat (often referred to as Admirals Cup, or German mainsheet). Fast, no-load hand trimming is the upside, but in any breeze, theres good reason to quickly get the sheet on a winch drum. The sheet tail is shorter because of the low ratio (2-to-1) lead. One nuisance is that the sheet can end up bunched up on one side or the other.

Many cruisers prefer higher ratio, multi-part tackles for mainsheeting and may lead each end to a Harken-type adjustment system rather than using a winch. When fast tacking action is not in the cards, this is a user-friendly system.

Some cruisers incorporate mid-boom sheeting because it moves the tackle out of the cockpit than rather then because of how effectively it allows the mainsail to be trimmed. The shortened lever arm means the sheet needs a winch sooner than later. There is also more of a leech-flattening, vang-like effect to this type of sheeting, not the best feature for light-air efficiency.

The trend toward travelers roosting on over-cockpit arches, a longtime standard in Hunter Yachts and a recent adoption in some Beneteau lines, helps protect the crew from accidental jibe injuries and allows dodgers and biminis to flourish, but windows in these covers are essential, if a crew is to see whats happening whey they are pulling the strings.

Anticipate the angles: Look at how things will change as heel increases and note where vulnerability lies. We recently ran into a crew who had lost an engine due to the shape of the cockpit. During the design phase, the location for an engine instrument recess was placed within easy reach of the person at the helm. In an upright trim-and even at 30 degrees of heel-all was well, but in a knock down when the cockpit began to flood, the engine instruments ended up in a low spot, and despite their sealed all-weather design, submerging them in saltwater had not been part of the engine manufacturers gameplan. The ensuing corrosion took out the panel and the alarm system, and a novice crew failed to notice the changes in sound and smell as a raw-water blockage in the cooling system went critical.

Those headed offshore need to pay special heed to the companionway and have a feel for what angle of heel sends water down an open hatch. Whats a surprise to many is that the first part of the hatch to reach the water may be the top rather than the lower portion of the companionway. Sticking in a washboard or two will help keep a breaking wave from sloshing below, but it may be of little use in a deep knockdown.

Getting in and out: One of the most important safety features of a good boat is the transitional path that leads a crew from the cockpit to the deck. Good engineering focuses on step heights, deck camber, handholds, and the quality of the nonskid surface. This transition in and out of the cockpit is one of the most repeated movements on the vessel. If a dodger, bimini, or Florida room compromises access, they become a hazard. Small, molded steps are of little help in a seaway.

There is no ideal cockpit that meets everyones preferences, and plenty of bad ideas still persist. No matter what your aims are as a sailor, some things deserve to take precedence. Ample space for entertaining friends for sundowners dockside is nice, but comfort underway, including ergonomic seats for sitting or napping, and secure places to steer and stand watch when the boat is heeled should be a higher priority.

Likewise, sight lines and sensible sheet arrangements should come before drink-holders. Next time you prowl the boat show, spend some time exploring the cockpit and comparing features. It is the hub of the boat.

Rating cockpit attributes is a worthwhile endeavor for a serious boat shopper. Start by rating component parts. It will allow you to more effectively compare and contrast one boat with another, according to your specific sailing plans and needs.

For example: Above, we have focused on seven key cockpit attributes and rated five new boats accordingly. Below is a brief explanation of each of the criteria selected. The result of the data table is not a winner-take-all report card. It’s a means of determining what has been emphasized in a specific cockpit design on a wide variety of very different vessels.

Rating for this attribute reflects both the location of a winch and the way in which crew members must bend, lean, or contort themselves while sheeting. We considered how efficiently a manual winch could be cranked and whether or not an electric winch could be safely operated while retaining a clear view of the sail being sheeted or hoisted.

This was not a look at the vessel’s steering hardware, rudder design, or feel of the tiller. It was more focused on helm location and how the person steering the boat could carry on the process comfortably for lengthy periods of time.

We consider the ability to quickly and efficiently reduce and add sail area to be a primary aspect of seamanship. Cockpit layouts teamed up with efficient well-chosen hardware can make or break this facet of cockpit ergonomics. Awkward winch placement, too many lines clustered together around a big bank of rope clutches, and attempting to place sheets, halyards, and reefing lines all in the helmsman’s lap with only one or two undersized winches usually lead to lower ratings.

Collision avoidance requires seeing what’s about to cause trouble well ahead of time, and anything shy of a 360-degree angle of view detracts from the process. We were concerned about view angles and obstructions ranging from dodgers, to deck-sweeping headsails, cabinhouse bulkheads, and other design features that limit the helmsperson’s field of vision. Aboard many multihulls, there’s a growing trend toward providing one perch that offers an all-around view. But when the vessel is operating on autopilot and no one is in the elevated helm seat, watchkeeping efforts are hampered.

When floating on an even keel, it’s easy to get in and out of most cockpits. However, a modest heel of 15 degrees can turn wide-open cockpits with awkward coamings and narrow sidedecks into a hazard. Getting around on a vessel in a seaway requires good nonskid, an abundance of ready handholds, and an unobstructed pathway in and out of the cockpit. Seats need to be usable underway, and the dodger, companionway, and bimini must work in concert.

Short Handing

Because most cruisers sail short-handed, we are always on the look out for features that make watchkeeping more user friendly. These include line leads and winch layouts that allow headsail trimming from the helm and may even offer the chance to tuck or shake a reef from the confine of the cockpit. Crew alone on deck also benefit from deeper-welled open space. Giving the short-handed crew protection from seeping seas and offering well-placed hardware goes a long way to ensure safe, efficient passagemaking.

Entertaining

At anchor and in port, the cockpit changes from an operations center to a backyard patio. Gone is the need for seakeeping attributes, and what counts is how well the area at the aft or center portion of the boat stacks up as a place for stationary fun. Tables that can serve dinner for six or drinks for 10 get high marks. Transoms that fold down, offering access to the sea, are also a current rage. It’s no surprise however, that many of the attributes that drive high scores for entertaining earn a lower grade at sea—the reason many designers and builders have spent time developing fold-up swim platforms and wellreinforced drop-leaf tables ready for sea duty.

VALUE GUIDE: Comparing Cockpit Design

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How to Pick the Right Sailboat Cockpit Enclosure

A good sailboat cockpit enclosure does more than just keep you warm and dry. Read this blog post to learn how to pick the right sailboat cockpit enclosure.

A sailboat cockpit enclosure is a straightforward piece of hardware that prepares your  your watercraft for use. It’s a rigid frame covered with fabric and see-through enclosure windows/panels that protect you and your passengers from spray, wind, sunshine, and rain.

A good sailboat cockpit enclosure does more than just keep you warm and dry; it offers protection from UV rays, fabric strength and tear resistance, clarity in the windows, and so much more. In fact, there are so many features and options available today that when you’re considering a sailboat cockpit enclosure, you might want to consult a forum or you can check out other online resources to help you understand the landscape.

So what do we think makes a good sailboat cockpit enclosure? Here’s a quick list of things to to look for before you buy:

• UV Ray Resistance : Protecting you, your guests, and loved ones from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays is one of the most important reasons for having a sailboat cockpit enclosure.
• Clarity : The windows or panels of a cockpit enclosure should be clear and easy to see through, without any cloudiness, fisheye effects or swirl marks.
• Strength : The enclosures should have a sturdy frame and be made from a specialized marine fabric that is waterproof and mold/mildew resistant.
• Color : The marine fabric that makes up the rest of the enclosure - not the windows or panels - should be colorfast and able to withstand the rigors of the sea. Your supplier should also have a variety of colors available.
• Hardware : The hardware of your sailboat cockpit enclosure should be strong, made of materials that don’t rust easily, and that include the right zippers, poles, and sewing techniques. You’d be surprised - not all enclosures are made equally when it comes to quality.

Once you’ve decided you want a sailboat cockpit enclosure, you need to consider a few things that will impact your choice of product and style. Do you want a fully enclosed structure? Or do you want a partially enclosed one? For example, if you like to sail on calmer waters under clear skies, then a partial enclosure might be right for you. But, if you if you often find yourself in rough conditions, a full enclosure might be a better fit.

Some other things to consider include the types of fabric and enclosure panels you want to use when it comes to design. Your enclosure should fit the lines of your boat and use colors that match your watercraft, and the special features of your fabric (like UV resistance) should be designed for the environment you sail your boat in. Don’t just go with any marine fabric, they’re not all the same.

Finally, always do your research and due diligence when it comes to investing in your boat. Find out who supplies the best fabrics and enclosures and ask your manufacturer/installer about the different products, services, and warranties that are available.

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outboard cabin cruiser DINO 26

Length : 7.8 m Width : 2.76 m Motor power : 250 ch

... lines and spaces usability, suitable for daily and weekend cruises. A wide STD equipment offer and rich list of OPT. The wide cabin has a convertible relax area, an underdeck area with double bed and private toilet. The ...

outboard cabin cruiser MERRY 795 SÉRIE2

Length : 7.19 m Width : 2.82 m Motor power : 250 ch

... enhanced performance for higher-energy crossings. Are you seeking greater comfort and a welcoming atmosphere? The U-shaped cockpit configuration, galley with a burner and countertop, and air conditioning will make your ...

outboard cabin cruiser 285 CONQUEST PH

Length : 8.51 m Width : 2.9 m Motor power : 500 ch

... boat. Easy-access engine compartment also stores cockpit table when it’s not in use. Enclosed windshield with aft bulkhead and doors offers unobstructed visibility and weather protection. Optional ...

inboard cabin cruiser GOBY 230

Length : 7.4 m Width : 2.6 m Displacement : 2,950, 1,950 kg

... Shore Power Cord Swim Platform and Swim Ladder Fuel & Water Inlets-Stainless Steel COCKPIT Integrated Windshield and Hard-Top Wiper Cockpit Lightings Cabin Entrance Door (grp) Captain ...

outboard cabin cruiser ST790 OBS

Length : 7.9 m

Characteristic Data Overall length with motor: 7,90 m Length hull: 6,93 m Max Beam: 2,86 m Max displacement: 3,10 Tm Mono-motor: 150 a 250 cv Bi-motor: 2x 115 / 150 cv Fuel: 270 L Fresh water: 80 L Crew: 8

outboard cabin cruiser 830 OBS

Length : 8.3 m

Characteristic Data Overall length: 8,30 m Hull lenght: 7,70 m Beam: 2,86 m Max. Displacement: 3,47 tm Engines: 1x150/250 CV - 2x90/115 CV Fuel capacity: 270 L Fresh water capacity: 80 L

outboard cabin cruiser DERVINIS 695 CAB

Length : 6.95 m

The BORD A BORD 695 is an aluminium wheelhouse which offers a surprising space and appreciated displacement room. Wide gangways, high reassuring freeboards, a surprising marine behavior are the qualities which seduces any sailor whatever ...

outboard cabin cruiser 890 Ventura

Length : 8.9 m Width : 2.98 m Displacement : 3.34 t

We introduce the new version of the Rodman 890 Ventura with a new style and renewed personality. The new version of the Rodman 890 VENTURA: quality, prestige, innovation and excellent seaworthiness. The addition of new design elements ...

outboard cabin cruiser 300 Deluxe

Length : 9 m

... in total independence. The dual outboard motor applicable (up to 500 hp), is able to offer performance for nodes 48. The cockpit is usable both as a seating or dining chairs. In bow there is a generous sunbathing on ...

outboard cabin cruiser 868 CAB

Length : 8.86 m

... boat that’s perfectly capable of being used. A boat you can rely on. Almost 9 metres long and equipped with a spacious cabin , the 868 CAB offers open spaces and stable transport in the archipelago. With plenty of ...

outboard cabin cruiser EXPLR 10 +

Length : 9.4 m Width : 2.5 m Motor power : 500 ch

... module. Gather your group & go! 8-10 people can travel through the wind and navigate steadily with comfort. The front cabin accommodates two people for a good night sleep, hence the inevitable night after a day is ...

catamaran cabin cruiser C90

Length : 9 m Width : 10'00" Motor power : 150 ch

Description The 28′ C90 is special in so many ways; its pedigree starts with very high expectations in a trailable cruiser . Most power cruising catamarans have misnomers attached, such as “pocket” or “cuddy” and are ...

outboard cabin cruiser 6.9X

Length : 6.7 m

... duckbill and high handrails which makes entering the boat easy. A wide front door to the cabin is placed on the port side of the front wall. Inside the cabin the driver seat is quite close to the ...

outboard cabin cruiser 720 CT EVOLUTION

Length : 7.03 m

... the windshield, which visually increases the interior dimensions of the cabin , less glare, less drip and rain drops down. Thanks to the shifted felling in the nose, the cockpit of the Trident 720CT ...

outboard cabin cruiser 28'

Length : 8.53 m

THE SIZE YOU NEED. THE LOOK YOU DESERVE. Henley Custom-Built Cabin Boats are one of the most sought after purpose-built boats on the market. This boat is able to haul people wherever they need to go, or can be used ...

outboard cabin cruiser 760 HTS

Length : 7.6 m

... a sunroof. The interior of the boat will provide 3 beds which is an absolute hallmark of the boat in its class. Spacious cockpit is ideal for a reception as well as for a comfortable journey through the trails from your ...

catamaran cabin cruiser Top Gun

Length : 7.9 m Width : 2.7 m

Cheetah Marine has just completed a 7.9m Cheetah Catamaran called ‘Top Gun’ for six times shooting world champion, John Bidwell. Upon its completion, John expressed delight at the quality of the build and the versatility of the product ...

outboard cabin cruiser 2455 Storm

Length : 7.15 m Width : 2.45 m Motor power : 250 ch

... extending over aft cockpit Automotive technology bonded safety glass for front and sides Large opening roof instantly converts salon area to open Separate toilet compartment with solid walnut frame and lockable door Real ...

outboard cabin cruiser Clon FB / OB

Length : 6.63 m

Progress is possible only when you look away. Much more than a fishing boat. Sail in family with maximum comfort & attraction. Its performance will convince you and its character will love you.

inboard cabin cruiser CUSTOM 850

Length : 8.9 m

When Trade-a-Boat (Australasia) named the new Custom 850 as a Kiwi King it confirmed everything that’s been said about the Dickey Boat difference. Showcasing the proven hull design of its 750 and 800 siblings, this latest addition ...

inboard cabin cruiser Lobster Yacht Saowanee 31

Length : 8.97 m

... equipped with bow- and rear platforms. The interior offer luxurious holiday comfort. The front cabin with twin berth and the roomy port side cabin offer comfortable bedrooms. In addition, the ...

outboard cabin cruiser 750 MODELS

The SHT model has been our bench mark since the beginning of our career. Boaties that want a no nonsence tough Alloy Hard Top with a shape that can deal with the harsh coastal conditions off the East Coast and around New Zealand. We have ...

outboard cabin cruiser 635 EXESS XL

Length : 6.76 m

... Steel cockpit grab rails Stainless Steel rod holders Alloy Fuel Tank Compass Teak coaming treads Cockpit rod racks LED Cockpit courtesy lights Cross curve toughened glass windscreen Transom ...

inboard cabin cruiser 620M

Length : 6.7 m Width : 2.5 m Motor power : 4, 15 ch

... Draught - 0,30 m / 0,90 m Height over the water line - 1,70 m Weight of the yacht - 1200 kg Ballast - 250 kg Height in cabin - 1,80 m Berths - 4 Outboard engine - 4-15 hp Design category - C Constructor: Janusz Konkol

inboard cabin cruiser BY30

Length : 9.25 m

LOA 9,25m, 30ft Beam 3,10m Weight 4800-6000kg Fuel tank 400-700 Freshwater tank 40-120l Septic tank 75-300l CE B

trimaran cabin cruiser

Length : 7.1 m

Developed to be built to superyacht standards, this high speed (65 knot) outboard powered day boat is unprecedented. The styling speaks for itself and is not just for show. The form has been optimised for high speed dynamics and safe ...

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World Renowned Reputation - The UK's Premier Boat Cover Maker

WORLD RENOWNED REPUTATION THE UK’S PREMIER BOAT COVER MAKER

Cockpit Enclosures - Sailing Yacht

Exceptional design and build quality, designed to perform, protect and last.

Arcona 430 Sprayhood and Cockpit Enclosure

Cockpit Enclosures in an exceptional range of colourfast colours from the Sunbrella Plus range

Bavaria Cruiser 34 Sprayhood and Cockpit Enclosure

Renolit Prime Crystal Clear windows, Marine grade No 10 coil zips, 138 heavy duty anti-wick U.V stabilised thread

Beneteau Oceanis 40 Sprayhood and Cockpit Enclsoure

316 Super mirror polished marine grade Stainless Steel frames with heavy duty adjustable frame fittings

Dufour 382 Sprayhood and Cockpit Enclosure

Tecsew  manufactures a range of high-quality Cockpit Enclosures for different types of Sailing Yacht.

Known as Cockpit Enclosures, Cockpit Tents or Cockpit Canopies they are both well designed, stylish and most importantly, they work.

Many designs have been developed with and supplied to Major UK importers, of brands such as Bavaria, Beneteau, Dufour, Dehler, Elan, Jeanneau and UK builders such as Southerly yachts.

Good design is everything when it comes to designing a product that is both functional and fulfils your requirements. Our  3D CAD design  process and insistence on specifying leading brands such as  Sunbrella Plus canvas and YKK zips enable us to produce a superior Cockpit Enclosure that can withstand the harsh elements in the toughest marine environments.

Our Cockpit Enclosures are fully functional together with a high-quality specification that you will find hard to better. They are effective in offering protection to both the Cockpit and your crew and vastly increase your liveaboard space.

All our Cockpit Enclosures are designed as premium products with features such as zipped pockets and a stowage valise. Our frames are heavy-duty 316 Stainless Steel and feature our quick-release stainless frame fittings as standard, not as optional extras, delivering a hard to beat specification and quality.

Our Cockpit Enclosures can be further enhanced with the addition of optional extra windows. They can also be constructed with zip removable sides and rear panel. These enhancements do come at extra cost but can personalise your Enclosure to your requirements.

How to fold a typical Cockpit Enclosure

We use our unique 3D CAD design process (developed in-house) to achieve the best possible design and have many standard CAD patterns shown in our website gallery.

Tecsew Cockpit Enclosures come in a wide variety of colours and specifications to suit both your personal preference and boat features. We take pride in ensuring accurate production to come up with reliable and functional boat canvas and accessories. Nearly all standard designs are available for self-fitting and we export to most of Europe.

Why not check out our range of Cockpit Enclosures in the gallery below or use the search function, and  contact us  to enquire about specific requirements.

Call us for enquiries on 02392 556548, visit our contact page,  or use the enquiry form at the bottom of the page. Our friendly staff will gladly assist you.

Cockpit Enclosures - Sailing Yacht Gallery

Aphrodite 33 Cockpit Enclosure

Arcona 430 Cockpit Enclosure to fit Tecsew Sprayhood recover for factory fit original, CIDER WITH ROSIE, ref 8794

Astus 22.5 Cockpit Enclosure with no windows, ref 1244

Bavaria 30 Cruiser Cockpit Enclosure fitted to CJ Sprayhood, ref 5245

Bavaria 32 Cockpit Enclosure fitted to CJ Sprayhood

Bavaria 34 (2000 model) Cockpit enclosure fitted to Tecsew Sprayhood, ref 6327

Bavaria 34 Cockpit Enclosure off CJ sprayhood, Skippers Fantasy

Bavaria 36 Cockpit Enclosure fitted to CJ Sprayhood

Bavaria 36 Cockpit Enclosure fitted to one-off Sprayhood, “VIS”, ref 5763

Bavaria 37 Cruiser Cockpit Enclosure, 2006 model ref 0022

Bavaria 37 Holiday Cockpit Enclosure

Bavaria 39 Cruiser Cockpit Enclosure, TESSA JANE, ref 8279

Bavaria 40 Vision Cockpit Enclosure and Sprayhood recover, ref 4945

Bavaria 42 Cruiser Cockpit Enclosure

Bavaria C38 Cockpit Enclosure to fit Factory Fitted Sprayhood, ref 1613

Bavaria Cruiser 32, 2013 Cockpit Enclosure

Bavaria Cruiser 33, 2013 Cockpit Enclosure

Bavaria Cruiser 34 Cockpit Enclosure to fit FACTORY supplied Sprayhood, ref 8550

Bavaria Cruiser 34, 2016 Cockpit Enclosure, ref 7547

Bavaria Cruiser 37 Cockpit Enclosure, ref 5340

Bavaria Cruiser 41 Cockpit Enclosure fitted to Tecsew standard Sprayhood, ref 6322

Bavaria Cruiser 46, 2014 model, Cockpit enclosure off Tecsew Sprayhood, ref 5946

Bavaria Cruiser 51 Cockpit Enclosure to fit our Custom Design Sprayhood, ref 1310

Bavaria Vision 42 Cockpit Enclosure, NON Standard design

Bavaria Vision 42 HIGHER DESIGN Cockpit enclosure, 2050mm, NOW STANDARD DESIGN fitted to Tecsew standard Sprayhood, ref 6718

Bavaria Vision 42, HIGHER model Cockpit enclosure fitted to FACTORY FIT Sprayhood, ref 7929

Beneteau First 21.7 Cockpit Enclosure

Beneteau First 25.7 Cockpit Enclosure

Beneteau First 31.7 Cockpit Enclosure

Beneteau First 40.7 Cockpit Enclosure to fit Tecsew standard Sprayhood, PROFILE, ref 7792

Have a question we are happy to help.

02392 556 548

[email protected]

Tecsew Ltd, Unit E3 Eagle Building Daedalus Park, Daedalus Drive Lee-on-the-Solent, Hants, PO13 9FX

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9 Affordable Boats With Enclosed Cabins (with pictures)

Boats with enclosed cabins are great for boaters who want to spend a little more time out on the water.  Unfortunately, they are often out of the price ranges of most people.

However, just because most boats with enclosed cabins tend to be expensive, it doesn’t mean that they all are.

In this post, we’ll talk about nine affordable boats with enclosed cabins that you can buy today!

Table of Contents

Cuddy Cabins

Cuddy cabins are great boats for people on a budget who are looking for a boat that offers an enclosed sleeping space.  These little boats provide their owners with an interior cabin at the front of the boat that can be set up to sit in or to sleep in.

However, they typically do not offer any other amenities such as galleys or heads.

This makes them great for day trips, weekend adventures, and boat camping excursions, but not very good for full-time living.

Related Article: 6 Popular Low-Draft Boats for Shallow Water (With Pictures)

The Bayliner VR5 Cuddy

The Bayliner VR5 Cuddy is a 20’4” boat with a hull length of 18’4” a beam of 8’, and a draft of 2’10”.  A 150HP or 250HP engine can be attached to it, and a 33-gallon fuel tank is built to fuel these engines.

While this boat isn’t very large, it can still hold up to 8 people.

Of course, these eight people would not be able to move around freely in a boat of this size, but they would have plenty of seating options as this boat offers them in abundance.

One of the best features of this boat is its weight.  With the 150HP engine, the boat only weighs 3,131 pounds , and even with the 250HP engine, it only weighs 3,351 pounds.  This means the boat is easily towable for people with small trucks, SUVs, and even some minivans with towing packages.

The main area of this boat has comfortable wrap-around seating, and the captain’s chair swivels around to lineup with an optional teak dining table.  This makes this little cuddy cabin perfect for cruising around on lakes, rivers, the bay, and even through small channels.

2020 models of this boat sell for around $71,000.00. However, this model isn’t completely new to Bayliner, so if you want to reduce your expenses, you could get an older used VR5 for a bit cheaper.

Stingray 208CR Cuddy Cabin

The Stingray 208CR is another 20’ long boat with an 8’ beam.  This boat is a fiberglass boat, and it sports a V6 4.3-C 200 SX engine.  A 34-gallon fuel tank is used to fuel this boat.

Nine people can ride on the 208CR, and two people can sleep inside it.  It even has a freshwater tank of 6 gallons and a 25qt icebox.  With the 200HP engine, the dry weight of the boat is only 3,078 pounds, so it is definitely able to go on a trailer.

Up on deck, you’ll find two captain’s chairs and a bench that could realistically seat three adults.  This area is covered by a small bimini top and a front windshield.

At the stern of the boat, there is a nice little area for launching tubers, water boarders, water skiers, and even swimmers.  To get back onto the boat, one just needs to climb up the extendable ladder.

Move to the front of the boat, and you’ll find a small cabin that offers seating and a little place to sleep.  This area can also house a small portable toilet, but personally, I wouldn’t want to use a toilet in the same area that I intend to sit in and sleep in, so it’s best left for emergencies.

I couldn’t imagine being on this boat with eight other people, but it is perfect for a group of four or five people who want to have a nice day out on the water.  Passengers can rotate between doing water sports and resting in the cabin, and a couple could even spend the night out on the water from time-to-time.

This boat is very reasonably priced at $39,180.00 for a brand new 2020 model.

This cabin cannot be closed so you might want some special boat lights to keep mosquitos away .

Atlas Boat Works Pompano 23

The Pompano 23 is 23’ long and has a 7’ beam.  The dry weight on it is only 2,100 pounds, so it is easy to tow.  It has a small fuel capacity of only 30 gallons, but this should be plenty considering how light the boat is.  Also, the engine capacity is only 115HP max, so the engine won’t be eating up a lot of full either.

One of the nice features of this boat is that the cockpit can be enclosed with a canvas enclosure.  This gives the boat an additional indoor area on top of the small cuddy cabin.  You could use this to get changed in or simply to get out of the wind and sun.  Also, the stern of the boat is completely covered with a bimini top, so you never actually have to expose yourself to the hot midday sun.

Inside the cabin, you’ll find a small vee berth and a portable toilet .  The berth can be converted to a small sitting area, but most people probably won’t use it as it is quite small.

Campion Allante 635

The 2019 Campion Allante 635 is a 22’ long fiberglass boat with a 200hp outboard gas engine.  This engine is fueled by a 60-gallon fuel tank, which is massive for a boat this size.  The larger fuel tank would be perfect for owners who want to spend a few nights out on the water in their little cuddy cabin.

Up on deck, there are two captain’s chairs and a small sitting area for four to five people behind them.  This sitting area has a round table attached to it with two built-in cup holders.  Move through this area, and there is a nice opening that can be used to access the rear of the boat.

Head inside the cabin, and once again, you’ll find a small sitting area that can be converted into a two-person sleeping area.  There is also a portable toilet that fits in between the sitting area.

The only dry weight listing I could find for the boat was 2,800 pounds , but it doesn’t list whether or not this weight includes the weight of the motor.

However, even if you add a couple of hundred pounds for the engine, you’ll still have a boat that is light enough and small enough to be towed easily.

Pricing for this boat is in the neighborhood of $50,000.00.

Cabin Cruisers

Cabin cruisers provide a lot more usable interior space.  They make wonderful weekend getaway boats and can even be used for extended vacations.  Some people even use these boats as full-time homes , but they are a bit limited in space for this purpose.

A cabin cruiser will feature at least one berth and will usually offer a head and a galley.  It may even offer multiple berths and even a lounge area.  You can often find these with air conditioners and heaters, and a generator can even be added to power these amenities when the boat isn’t running.

People who want a yacht but can’t quite afford one just yet often turn to cabin cruisers as they offer many of the benefits of a yacht but in a smaller package.

Related Article: How Much Do Boats Weigh? 11 Types (Numbers & Pictures)

Boston Whaler Conquest 285

The Boston Whaler Conquest 285 is a smaller cabin cruiser.

Its length is 27’10,” and its beam is 9’6”  The dry weight without the engine is 7,300 pounds.  This is light enough that the boat could be trailered with a larger truck, but the width would make it difficult to tow around realistically.

With the high weight of the boat comes a large engine.  The engine on this is a 500HP engine.  This engine is fueled with a 200-gallon fuel tank.

The outside features a few captain’s chairs and a nice standing area that could be used for fishing.  This area also features a fridge and a small sink as well. At the bow, there is a small door so that the rear can be accessed for water sports.

The cockpit is completely enclosed, and there is seating for three.  Head through the cockpit, and you can enter the main salon, which features a berth that converts to a dining table, a small head, and a small kitchen.  There is also a cabin inside as well, which has a berth that can convert to a small seating area.

A thirty-gallon freshwater tank supplies the bathroom and kitchen with clean water, and a 6.5-gallon wastewater tank provides black water storage.  There is also a 26 gallon live well as well.

This boat sells new for several hundred thousand dollars, but you can buy them used for less than $50,000.00.

Grady White Express 330

The Grady White Express 330 is a 33’6” boat with an 11’7” beam.  It weighs 10,840 pounds without the engines.  The engine capacity is 850 HP, which comes in the form of two rear outboard motors.  To fuel these motors, there is a 331-gallon fuel tank.

The exterior of the boat is set up for cruising and for fishing, and the deck can be converted to be used for either purpose as there are foldaway benches built into it.  There is also a side door with a boarding ladder that could be used for swimmers and divers.

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Inside the cabin, you’ll find a forward vee berth, a double aft berth, a seating area with a 28” television, a port side galley, and a head with a 10-gallon holding tank.  With all of these items inside the cabin, there really isn’t a lot of room to move around.  This being said, you do have everything you could need for a long weekend or even a minimalistic full-time life out on the water.

A new Grady White Express 330 is going to cost over a quarter of a million dollars. 

However, you can buy used models for less than six figures.  Also, remember that a fiberglass boat can easily last a lifetime, so an investment in a 20-year-old Express 330 could be a great alternative to buying a summer vacation home.

Rinker 270 Express Cruiser

The Rinker 270 Express Cruiser is a 28’10” boat with an 8’6” beam.  It has a dry weight of 7,095 pounds and can sleep up to four people.

One of the best features of this boat is that it is small enough to be put on a trailer and large enough to live in.  This makes it very desirable for weekend adventurers and for people who wish to travel around the country with their boat in tow.

On top of this, the boat’s cabin offers 6’5” of headroom, which is more than many campers have to offer these days.

Inside the cabin, you’ll find a vee berth as well as a double berth on either side of a galley kitchen and a small head.   This kitchen contains a one burner electric stove, a microwave, and a 2.3 cubic foot fridge.  For entertainment, there is a built-in Bluetooth stereo system.

On the outside, the cockpit features seating for three, and it is all covered with a bimini top.  Behind this, there is a section that contains dual benches that face each other.  Just past this is a back deck that would be easy to jump on and off of.  It also houses an extendable ladder that can be used by swimmers.

What I love about this boat is that you can find used models for as little as $20,000.00 and even brand new, you won’t have to sell your house to buy one.

Center Console Fishing Boats

Many boat manufacturers have caught onto the fact that it’s easier for anglers to sell their families on the idea of buying a fishing boat that’s also comfortable for passengers.  For this reason, they’re now building center console fishing boats with cabins and seating areas that rival cruising boats.

These boats are great for anglers because they have a full 360-degree area that they can fish from.  On top of this, they can bring their non-fishing family members with them, and they can hang out in the lounge areas or get some rest inside the cabin.

Here are a few examples of center console fishing boats with cabins.

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Scout 350 LXF

The Scout 350 LXF features a large open bow with bench seating and a tanning deck.  The benches and the deck are both padded for additional comfort.

At the rear, there is rearward facing bench seating and plenty of open space for fishing.  This is partially shaded by the center console’s overhead cover.

The center of the boat features a cockpit with a roof and comfortable seating .  It also houses the door leading into the main cabin and adds some additional interior headroom for the shower and galley areas.

There isn’t a lot of room inside the cabin, but you will find a vee berth that converts to a dinette, a small galley kitchen with a sink and a microwave, and a head that houses a toilet and a shower.  These amenities are filled with a 30-gallon freshwater tank.

You could spend a day or even a weekend inside this cabin, but most would probably be reluctant to live inside of it full-time.  This being said, the outside decks are nice enough that you could stay out there in nice weather and never feel like you’re depriving yourself.

The boat comes in at 34’11” with a beam of 10’9”.  It has a deep draft of 23,” and a weight of 10,800 pounds with two twin Yamaha 350 engines included.  Powering the twin engines is a 334-gallon fuel tank.

This boat comes in at over $300,000.00 and might seem unaffordable at first.  However, you have to realize that both fishing boats and cabin cruisers often cost this much, and this boat actually combines both of them into one.

Dusky 227 Fish Around Cruiser

The Dusky 227 is a 22’7” longboat with an 8’2” beam.  This makes it a trailer-safe boat that can be used for fishing, cruising, and even sleeping in.  The engine on the boat is a 230HP engine with a 60-gallon fuel tank.  This fuel capacity is much lower than some of the cabin cruisers we discussed, but it is on-par with the cuddy cabins.

This boat is a lot less plush than some of the other boats we’ve looked at, but it appears to be a lot more functional in terms of fishing capabilities.  The bow features a small bench and an area that could be used for sitting against the rails.  These areas do not have any padding and are molded into the boat, so they should be ridiculously easy to clean, even after a full day of fishing.

There isn’t any seating at the stern or in front of the center console, which would make running around the boat to get to fishing poles a lot easier.  Move into this center console, and you’ll find a small bench that can be converted into a small vee berth.  Inside the bench is a storage compartment.

For people who want a little more luxury, a bench seat can be added behind the center console, and overhead cover can be added as well.  Additional padding can also be purchased to add over the built-in bench upfront.

A brand new Dusky 227 is very reasonable and can be had for as little as $55,000.00.

Final Thoughts

There are affordable boats with enclosed cabins at all levels.

The key is to decide how much you want to spend and choose a boat that meets both your needs and your budget!

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cockpit enclosure

• Thread starter Richard Olden
• Start date Oct 20, 2014
• Forums for All Owners
• Ask All Sailors

Richard Olden

I am attempting to get some cost I formation on a cockpit enclosure for a Catalina 400. I am looking at a boat that will need the Bimini replaced and figured to go full enclosure but not sure of the cost estimates.  

Buying everyone high quality foul weather gear may be less costly.  

Kings Gambit

Bimini and spray dodger alone probably close to $4,500, if not higher.  

I have a complete enclosure I purchased 7 years ago. Cost was around $3000. Exclusive of dodger. Best $3k I ever spent. My advice is don't try to cut corners.  

Chris Patterson

Top notch enclosure might even go as high as 6 grand for a VERY nice one, grab rails, pockets, custom, etc..  

Richard Olden said: I am attempting to get some cost I formation on a cockpit enclosure for a Catalina 400. I am looking at a boat that will need the Bimini replaced and figured to go full enclosure but not sure of the cost estimates. Click to expand

Make it yourself Buy a machine and start learning how to sew. Did it 3 times to get it right. Total cost about $1500. Use the best material money can buy: canvas material for convertible cars, DOT certified glass for cars that's certified not to cloud (Kal-glass), biggest zipper and top notch hardware. Fully free standing with no webbing to get in the way. In the near future, I'll do the enclosure.  

Attachments

When we had the complete enclosure done on our IP 38 they built Sunbrella covers to go over the isinglass when visiblilty was not required. When we would leave the boat we zipped in the covers. It really extends the life of the glass. You might also think about having lea cloths made for the cockpit sides. It made for a much drier cockpit in a good blow. Ray  

Marco Garcia

In MD 3 years ago on a Hunter 40.5 Bimini, Dodger, full enclosure, and rear, aft side and front outboard panels with screens, about 10K.  

Motor sailing at night, fully enclosed, no station wagon effect, Cabin heat on, it surprised me how much quieter it went in the cockpit. Later on I closed the companionway, since no windshield effect, just a light sweater will keep you warm. A full enclosure is an expensive, but very nice option.  

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