Sailboat occupancy

[novapamela]

What would be the maximum occupancy for a 40+ foot wooden sailboat, i.e. a schooner, on a gentle sailing day?

[PatCassidy]

Maximum without sinking or maximum to sit in the cockpit?

[novapamela]

Maximum sitting in/around the cockpit. I'm thinking of a family outting scenario, just a short jaunt.

I'm writing a story and need to use a reasonable number and I don't know these things!

Thanks!

[willmarsh3]

I would guess 8 adults would be perfectly reasonable. I sailed on a 40' wooden sloop (19000 lbs displacement) without problems with 7 other people.

More recently I had 18 people on a 32 foot ketch with 12000 lbs displacement. I decided that was pushing things a bit judging how the boat handled and had about 6 go below. Then it was ok. People sat everywhere. In the future though I will limit this to 12 adults maximum.

[novapamela]

Great, that gives me an idea.

Thank you!

[Tom Hunter]

I count 9 in this photo, and there are 2 or 3 more out on the bow. We have had 14, but could take more, cockpit sits 10.

Boat is 32' on deck, answer depends a lot on the boat.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2195/2158605592_01b9ca75ee_b.jpg

and maybe some on the story.

[mmd]

I have skippered a 38-ft LOD schooner on day-charters during the Halifax Tall Ships Festival with myself, a crewman, and eighteen passengers with no great problem, but the boat was beamy, heavy, and deep. Moving about was a pain, though. As said by someone above, carrying capacity depends greatly on the boat.

[John B]

I had 11 women crew aboard Waione once . Poor old gal ,41 ft x 8ft 6 beam.
Couldn't move without bumping into something soft.

[Don Kurylko]

Geez, John, that must have been hard! :p

[John B]

Still haven't recovered really.

[novapamela]

Now there's a story...

[John B]

Awwww. It was my wifes birthday and they were all her mates so its all above board. It was 25 or 30 knots too, and they all came back scared and half drowned.

[willmarsh3]

Here's my trip


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orkDnMQ_pQ4

Your story sounds interesting.

[John B]

Looks like a nice sail ,and you've got some new blood hooked in there too:cool:

This is what we look like with 7 on board so you can imagine 12

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDBvPFu769k

Thats the short clip I took for Meer just before he passed on.

[outofthenorm]

Wow, Waione really steps along in a breeze, doesn't she? Sweet sailing.

- Norm

[rbgarr]

Geez, John, that must have been hard! :p

Hard, was it? Embarrassing, that. :eek: