Crew, size, options, training, carrying capacity, budget: the six questions for choosing a bluewater or circumnavigation sailboat.
Bluewater cruising — a circumnavigation, an Atlantic crossing, an expedition — requires several factors to be considered when choosing an offshore yacht. Six questions shape the decision.
| RM 1080 | RM 1180 | RM 1380 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hull length | 10.80 m | 11.80 m | 13.30 m |
| Fresh water | 200 L | 270 L | 270 L (400 L optional) |
| Fuel | 80 L | 120 L | 2 x 96 L |
| Drying-out version | Twin keel 1.76 m | Twin keel 1.95 m | Twin keel or lifting keel |
Builder’s data.
Sailing as a couple, as a family or alone does not call for the same boat. Interior space and number of cabins are decisive for everyone’s comfort over time. Our guide to family circumnavigation covers crews with children.
The length of a cruising yacht determines how much equipment it can carry, hence its autonomy, but also its seakeeping: motion in a seaway and average speed on long passages.
For a circumnavigation, configuration is essential: sail plan, arch with davits and solar panels, watermaker, extra tankage. Our guide to options by programme reviews them.
Mechanics, electronics, navigation: training strengthens the whole crew’s safety. Our subsidiary Grand Large Services offers many courses in its training catalogue.
Estimate a reasonable weight budget for everything you carry: provisions, electronics, options, gear. The longer the boat, the greater its carrying capacity — and a boat that is light to begin with, like a plywood-epoxy RM, absorbs that load better.
Price depends mainly on size and options. Our guide to the cost of a cruising sailboat details purchase and running costs item by item.
Two RM models were designed from the outset for bluewater cruising: the RM 1180, French Sailboat of the Year 2020, and the RM 1380. The RM 1080, an ocean cruiser, is also capable.
The 9 to 10 metre models can cross oceans too, but their volume limits the number of crew and carrying capacity.
Our guides to preparing an Atlantic crossing and choosing a family voyaging sailboat.
The one that suits your crew, budget and route: usually an 11 to 14 metre monohull designed for offshore sailing, with good water and energy autonomy. At RM, the RM 1180 and RM 1380 are designed for this programme.
9 to 10 metre boats do cross, but above 11 metres comfort, carrying capacity and averages become much more favourable for a crew of several people.
An arch with solar panels and davits, a watermaker, extra tankage, a staysail and downwind sails are the most common.
Yes. A plywood-epoxy hull is stiff, light, insulating and repairable anywhere with simple means, which makes it a good choice for long voyages.
It is recommended: mechanics, electronics and navigation strengthen crew safety. Grand Large Services offers suitable courses.
