New big boat vs old small boat

Based on his experience, Saša Fegić examines whether new, larger yachts are better than older, smaller models

- Saša Fegić

Just a few decades ago, a 40ft yacht was considered big and luxurious. These days, when you enter a Mediterranean marina, anything less than 50ft is seen as a small boat. Yachts have grown not just in size; every new generation has more equipment, electrics, electronics and gadgets installed.

Back in the day, a refrigerator and an electric windlass were considered luxurious optional extras. Now, some sailors find it unimaginable to sail without these, along with many other things like air conditioning or a watermaker.

Previously I have sailed around the world via the three Great Capes aboard the 40-year-old 34ft home-built sloop, HIR 3.

I have also worked as a delivery skipper, recently sailing an almost new 55ft Hanse 588 from the Canaries to Croatia and, during the trip, I began to ponder.

I noticed that while there were stark differences between the two boats, other things remained the same.

THE DIFFERENCES

Comfort

The first obvious difference is the accommodation comfort on board. On HIR 3, I had just living quarters with limited storage and a small galley equipped with a fridge that was only able to cool a few beers while the engine was running every few days. On the Hanse 588, we had two refrigerators, a freezer, a wine cooler, a bread maker, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a generator, air conditioning, a watermaker, electric toilets, separate showers and queen-size beds. These were great features when we were moored or at anchor. But, all of this made very little difference in 35+ knots of wind when we weren't able to enjoy any of these conveniences.