Who needs to feel at home?
How many people will regularly sleep aboard? What privacy, cabin access and room for guests will make longer stays work?
The family yacht search · Chapter one
First, the life.
Then, the yacht.
Power or sail? A flybridge, a coupe, an explorer-style yacht—or something we have not considered yet? We are starting with our family’s needs and learning what kind of boat could meet them.
Where we are now: defining the brief. No shortlist yet.
Our family comes first
A boat for the days
we want to have.
These are the questions we are working through together. The answers will shape the search.
What does a normal day look like?
Cooking, eating together, shade, showers, wet gear and somewhere quiet to read matter as much as a spectacular view.
How do we get into the water?
Swimming, diving, a tender and water toys all need usable access, sensible storage and a practical way back aboard.
Where and how far?
South Florida and the Bahamas are the starting idea. Draft, range, weather windows and time available will shape the brief.
What will we manage ourselves?
Docking, sail handling, maintenance, power, water and connectivity need to match the time and experience we can bring.
What can we sustain?
The purchase price is only the beginning. Berthing, insurance, fuel, servicing, upgrades and a reserve must fit real life.
Still open
Different questions.
Different decisions.
Propulsion, layout and hull behaviour are separate parts of the brief. We want to understand each before choosing a combination.
How we travel
Power or sail?
Do we want the passage itself to revolve around sailing, or do we picture our time afloat differently? Handling, passage time, fuel, maintenance and the skills we want to develop all belong in this conversation.
What we will compare
Sail handling and watchkeeping, engine use, room aboard, realistic cruising days and the work involved for our family. We will also explore monohulls and catamarans in both power and sail.
How we live aboard
Flybridge, coupe or explorer style?
We are looking at where we would gather, cook, shelter from weather and move between the helm and the rest of the boat. More deck space is useful only if we enjoy using it.
What we will compare
A flybridge adds an upper living and helm area; a coupe brings the focus to a lower, enclosed layout. Explorer styling raises questions about storage, access and longer stays. The label alone will not tell us a vessel’s range or capability.
How the boat moves
Planing or displacement?
Speed, fuel use, passage time and comfort at sea change the way we can use a yacht. Semi-displacement designs also belong in the discussion.
What we will compare
A planing hull develops lift at speed. A displacement hull moves through the water supported by buoyancy. We will look at the actual boat, load, speeds and conditions when comparing performance—not assume a hull label decides comfort or safety.
Background reading: BoatUS Foundation’s introduction to boat and hull types.
The process
Starting with questions.
Building towards a decision.
We are at the first step. We will share what we learn and what changes our minds as the journey develops.
01
Write the family brief
Start here: how we want to spend time aboard, who is coming and what makes that time enjoyable.
02
Explore the possibilities
Power or sail, one hull or two, living space, weather protection and the pace of cruising.
03
Learn aboard real boats
View, step aboard and, where possible, experience the different types before committing to a direction.
04
Work through the whole cost
Purchase and ownership together: maintenance, berth, insurance, equipment, running costs and contingency.
05
Identify suitable boats
Only then will named candidates have a place in the story, measured against the family brief.
06
Check the individual vessel
Records, professional survey and sea trial come before a purchase decision.
07
Prepare for life aboard
The refit, GlassBridge installation, practical learning and first trips follow the right purchase.
The reason for all of this
More time together.
More time on the water.
Weekends away, longer stays, swimming, diving and quiet evenings at anchor are what we are working towards. We want a boat that fits those days—and the people sharing them.
The questions come first. When our brief becomes clearer, the boat search, the numbers and the real decisions will follow.
“What would make us want to stay aboard for one more day?”
The question behind our family briefWhat would you decide first?
Tell us the one thing you wish you had worked out before choosing your boat.