[PUP] Full walk-around versus asymmetrical versus no walk-around

[John Marshall]

OK... I'll kick this thread off by stating my own peculiar preferences:

A) No Walk-around: This is a significant problem for me if the boat  
has very high bow or high freeboard, making both docking and picking  
up a mooring buoy difficult.

B) Asymmetrical cabin (walk-around one side only): Preferred as long  
as two conditions are met:

    1) You are set up to be just as comfortable backing into a slip  
under all wind conditions as going in forward. To me, that means  
either a very capable rudder (perhaps even an articulated one), or a  
great deck hand to spring it in, or a stern thruster.

    2) Have easy access to non-walk-around side via a swim platform.

I have a stern thruster and swim platform and an asymmetrical cabin  
and have never had an issue with ensuring I always have a starboard  
dock.

C) Full walkaround: An undesirable tradeoff in loss of living space  
for limited improvement in docking, assuming you can handle backing in  
when needed as noted above.

So, I'm voting for asymmetrical with conditions as the optimum solution.

John Marshall
Serendipity - N5520
Sequim Bay, WA


>  Now, how
> about a discussion about a full walk-around on a boat vs. just one  
> side?  How
> much fuel do you need for blue water passagemaking? What are the  
> advantages
> and disadvantages of the front berth vs aft berth?  Does every  
> passagemaker
> need a watermaker?