What size boat is to small for a bay?

Question

I'm thinking of buying a 19' bowrider that will be used in the Chesapeake Bay, is this too small?

Answer 1

I certainly saw boats of that size when I cruised Chesapeake Bay last summer.   True, most are bigger, but if you have good skills, it should be fine.

Answer 2

One can not comment on the appropriateness of a boat based only on it's size.    There are many characteristics which will determine how sea kindly a vessel is, of which length overall is only one component.  The expected conditions and distance from shore you are sailing are another factor.    There have been many sunfish and lazer regattas in bays of the ocean and those boats are much smaller and more exposed than the boat you are talking about.  

One person crossed the Atlantic in a 10 foot sailboat, one even did on a windsurfer.   However that doesn't mean a 19-footer is necessarily okay on a bay in any conditions.    How well your boat is kept up, the systems on her and the conditions you may encounter are all considerations.  

Equally important are you seamanship skills.

Before you buy a boat, take a sailing class and get some experience.  Then you'll be able to make an informed decision on what boat is appropriate for you.

Answer 3

Yes, it's too small. As soon as rough weather comes up, you'll be tossed around quite a bit. I wouldn't go smaller than a 22 footer, preferably a 24. Good luck!

Answer 4

TOTALLY depends on your experience and what you want to do with the boat. You can go small: see this pic for a kid aged somewhere 10 to 14 and a boat of about 8 or 9 foot long: http://rule69blog.com/blogImages/1956lar...

Or you can go big. Either way you can enjoy it and / or you can make a mess of it!

Answer 5

I'm not familiar with the 19' bowrider, but it totally depends on the shape of the hull and your sidewall height. As long as the water is calm you should be OK in any 19 footer, but when the chop starts it might get iffy. I have a 21' renken cuddy that handles 2-3 foot seas pretty well. If it gets worse than that I head in. Also if the wind is getting up and sea conditions start to change, head in close where you can get in port quickly. Conditions can go from 2 foot to 4 or 5 foot pretty fast even in the bay. You can go here to check conditions and forecasts . http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Chesapeake...