What should I look for in a sailboat for ocean cruising?

Look first for sound structure, dependable steering and a sailplan your crew can handle when tired; these matter more than the badge, keel shape or a luxurious interior. Then choose a boat with a comfortable motion, secure accommodation at sea and enough carrying capacity for water, provisions, spares and cruising equipment.

Structure and condition

Before comparing equipment lists, check the hull, keel, rudder and rig load paths. A neglected premium yacht can need far more work than a simpler boat with documented maintenance.

Commission an independent survey ashore, with a separate rig inspection where necessary. Ask the surveyor to concentrate on:

• Keel attachment: grounding damage, cracking around the keel joint, corroded fastenings and movement or separation in the internal floors and structural grid.
• Hull and deck: damaged laminate, wet or crushed core around fittings, and bulkheads separating from their bonding.
• Rudder and steering: stock corrosion, bearing play, water ingress, cables, quadrants and autopilot attachment points.
• Rig support: chainplates, their hidden attachments, mast compression structure and the condition and documented age of standing rigging.

A keel-stepped mast is not automatically safer than a deck-stepped mast: both need properly engineered support and sound attachments. A long keel or skeg-hung rudder has its advantages, but neither guarantees seaworthiness. Never go beneath a lifted boat unless it is properly supported and the yard has authorised access.

Handling and motion

For a couple, roughly 35 to 42 feet is a useful starting range, not a requirement. Bigger boats offer more space and carrying capacity, but sails, anchoring gear and repair bills grow with them.

Look for straightforward reefing, a headsail you can furl under control, secure working positions and a practical heavy-weather sail arrangement. Check how you would hoist a storm jib. A rolled genoa alone is not a complete storm-sail plan.

Heavy displacement does not automatically make cruising easier. A heavy boat may need substantially more sail in light winds, increasing loads and handling effort. For many performance-cruising monohulls under 60 feet, a sail area-to-displacement ratio of about 16 to 22 is a useful reference, although published figures depend on the definitions of sail area and displacement used.

Sea-trial the boat in a breeze and some waves if possible. Assess pitching, slamming, helm balance and whether one person can reef while the other rests. Initial stiffness at the dock tells you only part of the story about motion and offshore stability.