Size of yacht big enough to serve as a floating vacation home for a family?

8 comments

1. 

   jbpopem on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   yachthoo.com

   seriously though, if you can afford it, just buy the damn thing. A 52 footer should do the trick.

2. 

   Winnie on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   depends on where you intend to use it. if an inland lake, a houseboat is ideal. coastal waters or bay consider a V hull or catamaran. minimum length 45 feet. more than four people, 50 feet. in salt water, an inboard closed cooling engine. a lot more to consider and too much to list here.

3. 

   george.plane on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   sunseeker.com

4. 

   Imaka on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   It really depends on you, the size of your family, and what you want. My husband and I lived very comfortably for a year on an Ericson 35. We had room for just one visitor comfortably, but we could reorganize the main salon for two more.

   You probably want two cabins for sure, and a center cockpit is always great to have. A Morgan 41 is a large roomy boat, usually with two cabins, one in the V-berth and an aft cabin, with two heads also. The main salon area can often sleep up to four visitors. However, I think it is meant as a coastal boat, not really a sea going boat.

   How good are your sailing skills? The bigger the boat, the more trouble you can get into, so consider that as well. A boat of 50 feet or more would be lovely, but do you have the skills to handle a boat of that size? Do you intend to anchor or stay at marinas? Marinas charge by the foot, so the bigger the boat, the higher the marina fees, and of course, the more expensive the boat is to operate, etc.

   Consider where you will sail the boat. If you will mostly do the ICW, you want something with a relatively shallow draft, and catamarans are often a good choice. If your boat draws 5 feet or more, you will have some "touchy" spots on the ICW.

   I hope these thoughts are of some help. Cruising is a great way to spend some time.

5. 

   robert p on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   40 FT OR LARGER

6. 

   hms jollies on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   the bigger the better if there is more than 4 on board over 55 feet remember that if you are going cruising for a long haul you will need space for spares / food /sails / and other equipment

7. 

   Jay J on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   depends on what u can afford, suppose depending on family size, if limited in $, a 35-45 footer maybe more than great.

8. 

   45 cal on June 21, 2009 at 12:58 pm

   Any one that sleeps as many as you need> But first does any 1 know how to operate a large yacht> And can you all be in a confined area with out arguing for a length of time>Talk to a yacht broker $ is the biggest concern>