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The Cruising Sailboat and the Lifestyle That Goes with It

There's something rather special about a sailboat...

But there's definitely something really special about a cruising sail boat. Size isn't it - large or small - they all have it. Neither do they have to be stunningly beautiful nor hugely expensive.

A yawl under full sail

It's not about what they are; it's more about what they can deliver - simple pleasure, high adventure or genuine white-knuckle challenge.

Perhaps just a day sail on the lake or a trip along the coast.

A voyage across an ocean maybe, or even a circumnavigation of the world.

And best of all, by utilizing nature's free and sustainable energy resource - the wind.

But be warned - it's addictive. You could end up going the whole hog - getting rid of the shoreside assets, buying a suitable boat and living aboard .

But before you take that gient step, maybe you should charter a sailboat for a couple of weeks, just to be sure?

Either way, you'll find that they represent pure freedom; they're beguiling machines, sailing boats.

Take the beauty below for instance, reaching between the islands in one of the world's favourite cruising grounds - the Windward & Leeward Islands of the Caribbean .

A Hinckley Sou'wester 42 yawl-rigged sailboat with mizzen staysail set.

So whether you're a paid-up, certifiable sailboat fanatic  familiar with all the nautical jargon and niceties of flag etiquette , or just curious about those of us who are, you're sure to find something of interest by cruising around in this website.

Who knows where you'll fetch up?

Hey, you might even start thinking about buying a sailboat of your own !

The Three Most Popular Types of Cruising Rigs...

Sketch of a sloop rigged sailboat

Just a headsail and a mainsail - simple and efficient.

Is the Sloop the Best Rig for Cruising?

Sketch of a cutter rigged sailboat

A smaller headsail and a staysail makes sail handling easier. 

Why the Cutter Rig Sailboat is My First Choice for Cruising .

Sketch of a ketch rigged sailboat

A second mast with a mizzen sail, for greater versatility. 

Why the Ketch is Many Sailors' Favoured Rig for Offshore Cruising

Sailboat Rig Type Examples:

The Bavaria 55, a Fractionally Rigged Sloop

A Sailboat for Offshore Cruising

Owning a sailing boat, particularly one designed for  offshore and ocean sailing , can change your life.

With a few gallons of fuel, adequate food and water aboard she'll take you thousands of miles leaving a carbon footprint in her wake that would delight the most ardent environmentalist.

A Tayana 37 cruising sailboat

Hey, you can catch your own fish , make your own drinking water from seawate r (or collect nature's free offering with a raincatcher) and charge your batteries with a windcharger or solar panels - all without using a drop of fuel! 

And you don't need to be on the helm all day - a windvane self-steering gear will keep you on the straight and narrow without drawing a single precious amp from your 12volt battery bank .

With a bluewater boat  equipped in this way you could go the whole nine yards, sell your shoreside assets, cast off the shorelines together with the tedium of life ashore and set off on a  cruising life of freedom and adventure.

A surprising number of people do just this, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Take the accommodation below decks for example. What might look very attractive at a boat show could prove to be considerably less so when in a seaway. 

Take a look at the two alternative interior layouts below for instance...

Below Decks

It's here that the interior designer can recreate the appeal of a country cottage or splendor of a minor palace, often in the process making access to fixtures and fittings impossible without major surgery to the boat's interior. It's much better to follow the wise adage that 'form should follow function' and leave all the glitz and glamour to vehicles with wheels on.

The interior layout of a cruising boat is all important. Take a look at these two similar - but different - interior layout options...

Sketch showing the interior accommodation layout in a cruising sailboat

One of them is much more suitable for long-distance offshore sailing than the other.

But which one is it, and why?

This, and all other artwork on this page by  Andrew Simpson

Multihulls for Cruising

So far we've only mentioned monohulls, but multihull sailboats  - both catamarans and trimarans - can make good cruising boats too. 

A Lagoon 42 Cruising catamaran, intended primarily for the charter market

Our eBooks...

eBook: 'Secrets of Buying Secondhand Boats' by Andrew Simpson

Popular Cruising Sailboats...

Our ever-growing gallery of pics, specs and key performance indicators of many popular cruising boats...

Sadler 25 sailboat

Second-hand Cruising Boats for Sale...

Just click on the images below to see the full details of these cruising boats that are advertised by their owners ( not through a broker or other 3rd party ) right here on sailboat-cruising.com ...

Latest Sailboats Offered for Sale by their Owners...

'Stratocruiser', a Person 33MkII, THUMB

Stock images by Depositphotos

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VIDEO

  1. Nordica 20 sailboat, of the north tip of Cape breton

  2. Nordica 20 sailboat

  3. Nordica 20' sailboat entering pleasant bay harbor

  4. Nordica Halman Sailboat Sailing with Kitecam footage

  5. Alessandra the 20ft sailboat

  6. 1975 Nordica 16ft project sailboat

COMMENTS

  1. Nordica 20

    The Nordica 20 is a recreational keelboat, built predominantly of fibreglass. It has a masthead sloop rig, a spooned plumb stem, a rounded transom, a keel-mounted rudder controlled by a tiller and a fixed long keel. It displaces 2,520 lb (1,143 kg) and carries 1,020 lb (463 kg) of ballast. The boat has a draft of 3.25 ft (0.99 m) with the standard keel. The boat is fitted …

  2. NORDICA 20

    Probably derived from the Danish built LYNAES SENIOR, designed by B. Malta-Muller and built in Denmark. A similar model, the HALMAN 20, was also built in Canada. Optional inboard either BMW or Renault diesel, …

  3. The Nordica 20 Sailboat

    The Nordica 20 is a small but sturdy sailboat that was designed by Malta-Muller and built by Nordica Yachts in Canada from 1975 to 1985. It is a trailerable cruiser with a long keel, a masthead sloop rig, and a canoe stern. It has a …

  4. Is bigger always better? Nordica 20

    I have never owned a nordica 20 but I have had the pleasure of seeing one and was very impressed. It is a micro traditional sailboat with efficiency and utility as its banners. It reminded me of a Havsfidra in its elegant …

  5. Nordica-20

    Sleeps 4 with a compact v-berth forward and two settee bunks in the main cabin. Sail area is 188 sq. ft. The Halman 20 by comparison shows just 20 lbs less displacement, 26 lbs less ballast, …

  6. Nordica 20

    Nordica 20 is a 19′ 5″ / 5.9 m monohull sailboat designed by Malta-Muller and built by Exe Fibercraft Ltd. starting in 1975.

  7. Nordica 20

    The Nordica 20 is a 19.5ft masthead sloop designed by Malta-Muller and built in fiberglass by Exe Fibercraft Ltd. (CAN) since 1975. The Nordica 20 is a moderate weight sailboat which is a reasonably good performer.

  8. 1983 Nordica 20

    1983 Nordica 20 Sailboat with new tandem axle trailer. Sailboat is in like new condition. She shines and is a headturner. Sails beautifully with 3’3” full keel. Nissan 6hp 4 stroke, long shaft …

  9. Review of Nordica 20

    The Nordica 20 is a small sailboat designed in the mid seventies. The Nordica 20 is built by Nordica Yachts.