What is the best sailboat to sail around the world? - Sailing Ep196 

Subscribed! great video! With so many people always thinking sloops are easier and that ketches are old and outdated with no practical purpose I think the modern youtube zietgist has everyone hoodwinked. This sail plan makes a lot of sense in that you have smaller sails to work with. I DO think that this means the boat suffers in lighter winds, but frankly as a liveaboard I am more concerned about safety in heavy winds, especially as this means in weather that others may not be able to sail in, I CAN, and with the frequency of more and more storms as the earth warms I think the wisdom of a heavier boat with more options in how you hoist the sails really does make sense!

We sailed our Amel Mango for 10 years. We rerigged her as a Cutter-Ketch after 5 years, before our Pacific crossing by adding a meter long bowsprit. What an ideal improvement. We crossed wing and wing at 8 knots. We sold Tempest in Australia, but after a year we bought an experienced Privilege 42. Between the two, the Amel is suited for heavy weather, the Cat, not. Our current program includes rotating our grandkids on board. Better for the kids. After so many years of just the two, it is a gift to share with the next generation. Our ketch in her past made 4 Atlantic crossings, Sailed North to Spitsbergen, as Far East as Croatia, and West to Perth via the south shore. We miss her greatly. Her last suit of sails was a pure pleasure, with a lighter weight 130 Genoa and heavier working jib she kept us safe. I hope her new owner has half the adventures we had.

I own a 43' catamaran, and it's GREAT for living on. And I know that people cross oceans in them. But I think a cutter ketch is absolutely the right rig for long passages. And they're SO BEAUTIFUL.

Man, I could write an entire book on this answer. I think what you really meant was "What is the best sailboat TYPE to CRUISE around the world"... as I don't think you mean any of those offshore racing machines with 20 crew... I am a Bluewater KETCH sailor and have about 8000 miles on the open ocean in some very challenging conditions (Amel Super Maramu). It drives me crazy to hear (usually video-sailors or charter boat skippers) talk about Catamarans for speed... but for anything much more than an overnight passage that's just not reality. Because of their speed, Catamarans can "make their own wind" and unfortunately as things get a bit rougher, the apparent wind moves forward and increases which makes dumping sail even tougher and it's very easy to get into a situation where the sails are driving the boat far too hard and you can capsize the boat or lose the rig. As a result most Catamarans ACTUALLY cruise with far less than optimal sail out - especially after dark and so they don't rack up anything like their potential daily mile total and if you look at the ARC or Pacific Puddle Jump results, you will find that many Sloops and Ketches easily match or beat the times of even the fastest Cataramans. For example, in the 2019 ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), while admittedly, the fastest time was set by a couple of very fast Marsaudan cats at 14D:15H and 16D:3H respectively, if you take those two boats away, there were 26 monohulls including everything from stock standard Beneteaus, Hanses and Jeanneaus beating EVERY OTHER CATAMARAN out there. The third fastest monohull (5th overall) was a Beneteau 40 at 17D:10H. The slowest passage time was a Catamaran and 28/40 of the Catamarans did it under 23D... while 90/120 of the monohulls beat 23D. The median time for a catamaran to make the crossing was 21D:03H with an Outremar 51 (a very fast cat) while the median time for a monohull was 20D:20H in a Bavaria Cruiser 40 - not exactly a screamer. So, you don't buy a cruising catamaran for speed no matter how fast they go. If you want a house on floats, fine... but don't justify it based on speed. So... Sloop or Ketch (assuming Cutter for both). For me, Ketch... for all of the reasons you put forward. Just so much more flexibility and ease of sail handling for a couple (which really means single handing it - as you don't want to have to wake your partner ever time you need to make a sail change). That mizzen is brilliant in changing conditions and when you are flying the Mizzen Ballooner/staysail along with the cutters up front, they are so pretty they make your eyes bleed. One other advantage, the mast height is lower so you can get under more bridges... the US Intercoastal has a limit of 65'.. many ketches can slide under those but their sloop brothers would leave the top quarter of the mast on the bridge if they tried it. That said, these days, because of the power of the electric winches and significant extra cost of twin masts/booms/rigs and more sails, new sailboats have moved away from Ketches. The last Amel Ketches were a LOT more money than their current sloops and people weren't buying them as a result so the market moved to sloops. At the end of it, it really comes down to what do you want to do with the boat... Then you have to figure out where you are going... if you are doing the trade wind/puddle jump route and probably won't go across the Indian Ocean past Thailand or around Cape of Good Hope, then that's one thing... if you are going into areas where you could see some REAL blue water conditions... then that's a totally different thing. With a really good reason, I could probably be convinced to take a Beneteau or Jeanneau or even a Catamaran across the typical Canary Islands to Caribbean or even to the Marquessas from Panama but I wouldn't ever want to take one down the east coast of America or Africa through the Gulf Stream or Agulas Current respectively, from the Society Islands up or down to NZ or Sydney to Hobart and there is no way in hell you could ever talk me into taking one around Cape Horn although some have done so. Some people jump out of perfectly good aeroplanes too... but that's not for me. Some people want a house on floats... like the big patio doors at the back but having seen 20-30' waves chasing (and overtaking as they move much faster than even catamarans can go), I just couldn't put myself in that situation if I'm really sailing around the world but if I was going to charter a boat in the Caribbean or Greek Islands, and take along my family, then I'd take a Cat.

A mizzen mast is also nice for drying towels and hanging laundry.

Gratitude to yss for this excellent presentation. I am about to begin sailing. I bought a Bruce Roberts Offshore 44 ketch quite randomly because of a low price for it's majestic size inside and it's beauty. So wow, I'm stoked even more now!

Blessings to you both!!! My husband and I (58 and 59) are shopping for our live aboard. Without knowing why, I said, "I don't believe we should get a ketch because I am already a bit overwhelmed by all the things that need maintenance, repairing, then replacing." THANK YOU for this!!! We have been researching and researching... exhausting really, but a lot of FUN! Now you've helped us because my husband wants a ketch but will never force anything on me (I'm quite the lucky girl! 🤭). He knows quite a bit and your video drove it home for me! We're truly grateful and hope to meet you "some day" on a passage! I'll be the nut selling freshly baked organic breads and crackers!!! You will get some free! 🤭🤣😂🙏❤️ Stay safe!

Thanks for taking the time to explain the advantages, I always wanted to steer away, but you have changed my mind

Personally I think a cutter rigged ketch under full sail looks absolutely beautiful. I fell in love with Laura Dekker's Guppy, a Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch, and was hooked on your channel when I realised Esper was the same rig. Stay safe.

Outstanding information on ketch rigged blue-water sailboats....thank you both!!

You guys answered many of my questions I had for years concerning the ketch. So thanks!

Not a dry topic at all Liz! Love hearing your views on this. SY Miss Foxy is a cutter-rigged sloop (Jeanneau 53) and the only drawback after doing around 10,000nm on her since buying her in Tahiti in Oct/2017 was that the massive mainsail is a mitt-full to manage shorthanded but wow she lifts her skirts with slightly cracked sheets. Very exhilarating! And coming into cruising after racing a dozen yachts over the past 30 years, performance (speed) was a priority for us.

You’re both delightful eloquent communicators. Great on camera. Thanks for this, from the rocky shores of Downeast Maine.

We are shabby coastal cruisers and rarely get more than 5-10 miles from the shore.on our 35' sloop, even though our center-cockpit Hallberg-Rassy is a bluewater boat which has plied the Atlantic a number of times before we were the owners -but we aren't quite there yet in our cruising career. There was a ketch-rigged version of this boat but sadly ours is not one of those. They did move the mast step forward a bit less than a meter for this hull on the ketch, as well as shorter. And that brings us to one thing that you didn't touch on as an advantage of the ketch rig. They generally have lower mast heights, and that means in coastal areas where there are a lot of bridges and power cables the air draft is much less likely to be an issue or obstacle to navigation. On the US East Coast there is the ICW -or Intra-Coastal Waterway, with many bridges along the 2000+ mile route. While they are all supposed to be at least 65' tall, in reality with seasonal flooding and very high tides at times plus wind-driven tides many cruisers have issues getting under many of these bridges. Some bridges were built a bit lower than planned and some predate the standard such as one near Miami called the Julia Tuttle Causeway Bridge which requires boats higher than 56' to take the outside route through that area. With a ketch, that is usually not a problem on boats even up to 50' in length. Our mast height is a shade under 50' so we can get under many bridges that typical larger cruising boats with 60+ foot masts simply cannot. The ICW is an extremely popular protected migratory route for thousands of cruisers in the US. It does not take much research online in online cruising communities to see a lot of kvetching about bridge heights every season as many cruisers deal with it. Having a ketch-rigged sailboat means you probably don't need to worry about that.

I've had a few boats over my 80 yrs 95% single hander. UK Waters till 31. Australian and N.Z Waters from then on. A mix of Timber 27ft Nicholson. 27ft '65 Planked (Beautiful little girl.) Concrete 32ft. 32ft Pugh Moonwind Centre cockpit. then 2 x Boden South Seas 42ft. Cutter and Ketch. I usually didn't go out in less than 25 knots. liked heavy weather. Hence the Steel, Plus I bounced off a Container once Adelaide to Strahan (Tassie) in the '80's) and Smaller boats. 85% Coastal (Commitments. Family ashore). The 32 ft I found fine. 42 better for offshore for carrying capacity for longer trips. Cutter with a ghoster off forestay. Loose footed rather than a kite. The Pugh ofter running and reaching at 7 to 8 knots. The 42fters very little faster. You can set ALL boats to self steer on sails. PROVIDING the rig is balanced and hull form well designed. Mechanical. For over 40 yrs on all boats (had mix of solar, towing and shaft logs)) I had a Wheel Autopilot. Combined with a small electrical "Windvand" from a TILLER steer AutoP. Mounted on Side rail out of sail draught. When off shore and clear of coatstal variances. You can usually travel on sails set. Watching for wind shifte For days usually. Wave/swell sets give a good mental chart of any shifts. Coastal the wind vane Pilot did good job for me. I preferred Cutter to Ketch. Lazy. Smaller boats. Easier. Less travel distances, not so much carrying capacity needed. Plus. Single. Peaceful. No disagreements. You F-- up. Nobody but YOU to blame. Fix it. I've travelled round most on Westerm world. Plus Asia. My choices. Done Atlantic in 'late '50,s (27ft Nich when it was popular. Almost ran out of water. twice.) Fish for food Food) Both ways are fine but I have medical reasons for being not too far from treatment. My Coastal kept me within reach of facility's. Do them both... BUT Coastal Stay under 5 ft draught and preferably steel in either. They dent, rather than hole. And real easy to repair. IE fix patches. Weld. Cats to easy to flip if you lose it in Curly tops and hollow backs. (been there 32fter and North Sea Trawlers in mid '50's in winter season) ) Just enjoy it. It's ALl ways great. I was brought up in a North East fishing port/fishing fleet. (Suttons. Hartlepool I remember the last STEAM Trawler. "Longscar") So enjoyed it bouncy and interesting. Not flat, boring water. Just me. Lost depth of field in vision. No more bouncy. bouncy.

This was a great video to watch from the salon of my 36' Ketch. I feel really vindicated for no real reason.

I once had a 30’ Seawind ketch. One thing I liked was the ability to stand up holding the rigging in the cockpit under sail. You can’t do this on a sloop.

I had a 76' cutter Yawl and sailed extensively in both the Pacific and Atlantic. I found that I had the performance of a Sloop but the small mizzen balanced the boat and became the wind vane.

Two cents worth. Ketches “in their time” have been excellent in part I think the attraction was to get a generous sail plan (and gear changes to suit) whilst all along allowing it to be sailed and handled by a couple. The earlier Dacron mainsails started to get really heavy with a luff length of greater than 12metres so two masts gave you the same sail are as you might get with an 18 metre mast an the corresponding 55 - 60 ft yachts - in more recent times sails can now be less than 50% the weight add to the fact that sail handling systems have improved out of sight making sailing a sloop ( single mast) quite achievable. Having said all of that a Swan 65 ketch is nothing short of pretty

We have a 41 Morgan sloop and love the way it sails. However I also sail for charter 41 Morgan ketch and at first didn’t know much about using the mizzen. It changed my mind and it true the versatility was amazing. Also when you balance the sails it’s been one of the best sailing experiences I’ve had. She pointed and it was as if she was on rails. 3 hours and never touched the helm. I have sailed all kinds and I have to agree there are some great advantages of a ketch.

My father owned an 80's 44 or 46ft Spirit yacht sailboat, the hulls on those are epoxy laminated wood. It was a ketch rig sailboat. He would never use the smaller mast in the rear. He always said, that only if the main mast breaks, or is inoperable. He was a structural engineer. I remember when we dry docked it, he attached these wing looking stabilizers to the vertical keel, & at the bottom it has a winged shaped bulb that was full of led. He also attached chine runners on both sides of the back of the hull, about 2 ft below the water line. After he did all this the boat heeled a lot less, & seem to porpose less, but rode lower in the water, but much more stabile. He told me, in the summer of 90 that SWATH boats would be the hulls of the future because the hulls rode beneath the surface of the water, & if they are made rhe right shape say with vertical stabilizers on them they could be very stabile in rough water with very little movement, I still don't understand why there isn't any SWATH HULL SAILBOATS.

Sir Francis Chichester clearly agreed....his record setting Gypsy Moth IV was a ketch.

And, under full sail, the cutter rigged ketch is the prettiest boat in the water! thumbed

I confess I used to be a ketch lover, grew up sailing on my fathers ketch which was a sister ship to Joshua, Bernard Moitissers boat. Sailed great could always balance her well lots to play with, heaven! However I have now seen the light! If we are talking about boats over 40 foot (for smaller boats a sloop of some sort is fine) then a cutter makes much more sense. Here's why... On a true cutter the mast is set slightly father back than a sloop so smaller more manageable main (yes I know a ketch has two of them so they're smaller too, but who wants two mainsails? mainsails are a pain to reef) Instead a cutter has two foresails that are easy to reef. Sailing a cutter with a high cut yankee and a staysail means there is no big 120+% genoa to grind in, things are much more manageable shorthanded. Going to windward flying both foresails you have as much drive as the big gennys, but the real magic happens when you have to reef. Instead of winding in some Genoa on a sloop or faffing around with mains on a ketch you roll away your yankee. Then instead of a flappy partially rolled Genoa (low cut sails dont roll well) you have a fully out perfectly trimmed staysail, and the centre of effort is where it should be low and inboard. Loosen the sheets as you come off the wind and your yankee is the perfect reacher, the clew doesn't rise as you bear away and you dont have to adjust the car forward at just the time you need it back to stop the leach flapping. So now the wind really gets up and you want to hove to. Well in a cutter that can be done instantly. Roll up the yankee, back the staysail & with main and staysail reefed to suit conditions your done & you have the centre of effort of both sails close to the centre of balance of the boat which makes trim much more forgiving. I could go on but this is sounding like the rant of a madman now so I'm not even going to mention all that extra weight aloft and complexity of more standing and running rigging with a ketch! I think there's a good half dozen reasons a cutter wins over a ketch there Jamie, so here's the challenge... if you can come up with 6 reasons a ketch wins over a cutter you might win me back to my miss-led youth! I'll start you off, ketches have an inbuilt riding sail, that's all I can think of ;)

thank you for all info my choice will be for the Amel 55 l am so happy to see your video and definitely that the boat I will by.thank you.Claude

Thanks so much for this post on the ketch. I'm looking at one, didn't know anything about them but have a better idea now.

As always, you two put out very useful information. Stay safe and best of luck from Texas.

Thank you for this video. As a couch sailor, a ketch seemed like a very complicated setup. Thank you for explaining the advantages, its changed my mind about what makes as easy to sail boat.

Gorgeously practical. Thx !

We sail a cutter rigged ketch, and have been cruising the Pacific for ten years. I like the variety of the sail plan. We joke that we will never win a race, but checking the log I was surprised to find that we averaged 132 nautical miles (per 24 hr.) on our trip from San Diego to Victoria B. C. (via Hawaii).

Amazing, amazing vid. Outstanding information.

Great Article WHY A KETCH IS THE BEST OFFSHORE SAILBOAT Jamie. It explained the sails and setup very well. Really enjoy your videos. John D

I own a motor boat but have always loved sailing, that feeling of shutting off the engine and just going under sail is amazing. I'm currently in a quarantine in the BVI and have spent many hours today watching Laura Dekker's experience going around the world solo at age 15, I was wondering why she preferred a Jeanneau 38 ketch for this awesome trip and now you have answered my question, thank you for this informative video.

Hi guys, I've just bought a westerly Reknown.... Doing it up, but I now feel great about my per chase ketch rig and all, many thanks James.

I recently completed a 10 year circumnavigation. Cherubini 44. Inspired by the most winning yacht in ocean racing history-Ticonderoga. Double headed ketch with roller 120 jib, club footed reefing staysail. Roller furling main on a Goetz Marine custom carbon fiber main, (previous owner was very good to this boat),large reefing mizzen. Well canvassed with S/A 19.3. Best motion comfort index of 50 other yachts that I compared her to. Faster than a 56 foot VandeStad design across the Indian Ocean in both light winds and in brisk conditions with the usual 3- 4 meter seas. I have hove to in 60 knots with the heavily reefed main alone. No mizzen or jib necessary ( I have experimented with all the possible sail combinations and found the main alone to be best on Wavelength. Mizzen staysail is the secret weapon in that I feel comfortable leaving this sail up at night as it is of modest size and I can douse in it’s sock from just a step forward of the cockpit. Only in extremely settled conditions would I fly the drifter at night. Just too many night time squalls. This boat does not have the McMansion space down below of “modern designs”, but it has great storage . Did back to back solo 210 and 200 NM days on Brasil to Caribbean passage this year. Secret tip- build a small boom gallows for the club footed jib out of 1 inch stainless. When dousing, first secure staysail boom , then flake sail. That way the boom provides a secure hand hold on the deck that does not swing side to side.

Have you ever sailed a ketch? Let us know your experiences in the comments. Don't forget to like and subscribe, it really helps us. Thanks!

Thank you so much for answering my questions. Your video was very much appreciated.

We purchased a 1973 Allied Princess 36 ketch with an aft cockpit. As she is an older boat we’ve spent a lot on refit but we like the way she sails and felt that as an older couple (we are in our early 60s) it’s rig held lots of advantages for us. We will be sailing the east coast of the US with outside hops, the Great Lakes, Bahamas and Gulf of Mexico. Your Esper is such a lovely boat!

Always love your posts and videos always learn something....keep it up.

Very much enjoyed your review. Like always you two are enjoyable to watch.

Hardin Voyager 45 for the win. LOVE this vessel and stable, stable, stable. Such a joy to blue water

I’m retired from USCG, with 7 years sea duty. 3 diff ships on the west coast, 1 on the east coast. @ 65 & Having seen what the ocean can do, add a dark moonless night & the breaking waves, the thought in small boats is spooky to me! Never was seasick! Pitch pole or roll over rattles me. That’s it. Although, My fantasy boat has always been the Morgan OI 41’!

We are looking for our first boat and couple we are considering have Ketch rigs - this has been a very helpful video thanks and loving how versatile a ketch rig can be

I’ve had numerous sailing craft, but absolutely luved my Cheoy Lee offshore 31 ketch! Very stable & not at all slow! Was the perfect rig 4 Puget Sound, especially if there was a bit of a blow & heavier seas! Our C&C 33 may b bigger , lighter & faster, but not nearly as easy 2 handle as the little ketch! Kind of a racing boat! 2 many strings 2 pull! The Cheoy Lee just holds her course without anyone at the helm & no autopilot! Sweet little boat! And the wooden spars were beautiful in the setting sunlight! Fair winds & thanx 4 the video!

I found this to be very informative and answered many of my questions. I have sailed on ketches, not in rough weather, but the advantages you mentioned are worthy of a blue water sailor. Any sailboat is comfortable in good weather but few are in bad weather. The ketch, therefore would be my choice.

I can't really comment as a novice and not have sailed on a ketch, but I've been on sloops in decent wind and struggled to find a balance. When we go as an older couple, I like what ketch rigs have to offer, on paper, as well as center cockpit. Safety and comfort are top of my list.

I have never owned a ketch. I have sailed on a few. For me I would say general rule of thumb is less than 45' all inboard cutter rig, over 45' cutter rigged ketch. The first f/g sailboat to circumnavigate was a Tom Gillmer designed Allied Seawind ketch. But that was long ago before the advent of readily available windvane self steering and the plethora of electronic autopilots. The additional cost and complexity of the ketch in smaller boats must be balanced against the "drive" that the split rig delivers. I converted my previous(Cape Dory 28) and current(S2 11c) boat to a cutter. I find that both sail well off the wind with just the s'sail. I even sailed many miles under reefed s'sail on the CD 28 after rounding Good Hope in 35+ knot winds and 4~5 meter seas. I built and sailed a 30' junk rigged sloop for a number of years. While not as weatherly as a sloop or cutter it was far easier to handle, especially for me, a solo sailor. Bill King aboard Galway Blazer II, a schooner rigged junk would have handily won the first nonstop solo circumnavigation had his unstayed foremast not broken while crossing the Atlantic on the final leg of the trip.

This was an incredibly helpful and very informational video thank you both.

Awesome! Thank you!

Just bought a Morgan Out Island 41 Ketch last spring with the intent of blue water cruising. I did a lot of research before deciding what kind of rig and hull I wanted and the Ketch rig really stood out as the best.

Well done video on my favorite rig. You earned my subscription. Thank you.

I don't know how to sail or have a sail boat but i do love learning all about sailing, and this was very informative.

I like the look when the world “compromise” is used :) I think about solo sailing and I am very keen with Ketch I like your video 👍🏻

We love our Amel Maramu "Popeye". She was sailed out from Panama to Australia non stop single handed. That's got to say a lot about a ketch. We put the mizzen up at anchor before we set off and pull it down once we're securely anchored. It keeps the bow to the wind so we don't end up sideways. The low center cockpit is very comfortable. The only drawback is we can't walk straight through to the stern on one level. #sailingpopeye. Cheers. 😊

Thanks for the informative videos!

I picked up a Jeanneau Gin Fizz ketch because of this video. And I love it! Thank you!

Interesting as always!

been researching sailboats for over a year and i am rock solid on a Morgan Ketch, 40-50ft, love the older versions of the Morgans ,70s and 80s

All practical issues aside, the ketch looks awesome :) Thanks for the informative video.

While there is some discussion and debate, boats are normally designed as a ketch, sloop, cutter etc. A boat designed as a KETCH is a ketch. If it has by design, one foresail, its a ketch. If it has an inner forestay for an inner staysail its a ‘double headed’ ketch. Its not ‘cutter rigged’. A cutter is designed as a cutter, as is a schooner, or a sloop. By adding an inner forestay to a sloop (a common upgrade) as an example, doesn’t make it a cutter.

Excellent video explaining!!! Im looking to ketch a boat soon!

There's no such thing as the best, only the best for your own personal circumstances.

Project Atticus is a cool little ketch too

No doubt, the Garcia exploration 45. If I had the money I would order one tomorrow. No hard feelings. Cutter rig that is.

I have always liked the Ketch... Great all around design!

Great video! Nice editing. My husband and i are trying to educate ourselves on which boat to get next

Preaching to the converted here. I bought a Dickerson 36 ketch a year and a half ago and have no regrets. My criteria in my search were (0) Fiberglass hull, (1) Center cockpit, (2) Protected rudder (skeg or full keel), (3) ketch rig, (4) hard dodger, and (5) two heads. Unlike what you say in your video, many of the smaller ketches (at least those available in the US) are aft cockpit. While I was searching, I saw lots of listings for nice small ketches that met most of my criteria in Europe, but few in the US. The two that I found examples of to go see were the H-R Rasmus and the Dickerson 36 I bought. Both originally came in ketch and sloop rigs and are from the early 1970's. The Dickerson 36 additionally came in both center and aft cockpit versions for a total of 4 configurations out there. My boat met all the criteria except (4), which you and Sailing Project Atticus have convinced me is possible to add. As for the sailing, no blue water yet, but I've had her out in squalls (10-15 knots to over 40 knots in a minute) and small craft advisories. She takes it all well and I think she will do well in the open ocean. Sailing on the jib and mizzen is great, and when the winds come up, my standard practice is to drop the main. I also put the mizzen up first and take it down last. The main that came with the boat was end of life, so I wound up ordering a new one last year. The sailmaker put in one reef point standard, and would but in up to two more for a fee. If I had a sloop, with my plans to go offshore, I would have wanted the extra reef points. But I figure that with a ketch, where sloop sailors would put in a 2nd or 3rd reef, I would just drop the main and use the mizzen.

I have been sailing my Allied Princess 36 ketch for 25 years and agree with much of what you said. There are a few things that I differ on though. First, my Allied was available as either a ketch or a sloop. The masts are deck stepped and the boat was built with two positions for the main mast. The ketch has the main farther forward than the sloop. That combined with the shorter main mast on a ketch means that the fore sail is considerably smaller than on a sloop for the same % of overlap. Because of the mizzen mast, even with the main farther forward the main boom is shorter than on a sloop which also further decreases the size of the main sail. An additional advantage of the shorter masts on a ketch is that the center of effort of the sails is lower than on a sloop which allows you to carry more sail in stronger winds for the same amount of heel (all other things being equal). Although pointing ability is much more a factor of the combination of underbody and sail plan design. If you want a boat to point high, then you want a tall high aspect rig AND a deep high aspect fin keel to provide plenty of lift. The difference in pointing ability of a full keel ketch like mine and a fin keel sloop can be significant (10+ degrees). However the ability to point high also generally comes with a much less comfortable ride since the sloop that points high will generally have a very shallow canoe body and correspondingly smaller displacement for the same boat length. Most larger ketches are center cockpit designs. However smaller ketches (say under 38'-40') are generally aft cockpit designs with the mizzen in the cockpit. Having the mizzen in the cockpit clutters up the cockpit rather a lot, but it also provides something to hang onto. You do have to look around the mizzen when steering though. The mizzen masts on ketches often have poor forward staying which makes the mast rather springy. This is particularly true on smaller boats with deck stepped masts. However if you have a triatic that issue goes away. As a seasonal sailor whose boat is hauled out annually for the winter I had to rig my triatic so that it can be removed without going up the mast. That way of rigging the triatic would allow me to cast the triatic off in the event of losing the main, perhaps keeping the mizzen standing (if I was fast enough). As an older sailor (70+) whose crew is primarily a passenger due to age based limitations, I have been sailing my ketch without the main for the last few years. For the last two years I haven't even put the main boom on. In anything over 15 knots I can make hull speed without the main. As a rule, ketches because of the more forward center of effort of the sail plan and shorter sail plan do not point as high as sloops. That is accentuated for older full keel designs like my Allied. While that isn't a huge problem for offshore sailors, the lack of pointing ability can mean an extra tack or two when sailing inshore and trying to clear a headland. Overall, I too prefer the ketch. I very much like being able to sail my boat jib and jigger without leaving the cockpit.

I have sailed on friends' ketches, and recently bought a Pearson 365 ketch for the reasons you mentioned. While it is not rigged as a cutter, like yours, it has a removable solent stay. As far as RU-vid channels with ketches go, there is you, Delos, and Atticus that I can think of off the top of my head. Oh, and I should mention that I have seen a catamaran ketch.

Thank you for explaining the pros and cons of the different rigs.

What a nice introdukcion👍👍👍👍👍

Thank You,so much👍

Great video by the way. And even better all the comments. Very informative.

Great video! I'm looking and learning all the little differences in set ups for the future purchase 😎 this isa very helpful video. Fair seas be safe and Happy New Year

Great video very informative

Well done. This landlubber (but sailing dreamer) is convinced by your well thought out arguments.

Explorer 45 staysail ketch with cut away full keel. We quite often are running jib and jigger which is extremely comfortable. Throwing the main up also great. Unfortunately the inner foresail was missing when we bought and we have not got around to getting a new one yet. We keep watching you 2 for the interesting ketch info. Great stuff. Currently getting the boat into a state to head off long term. Teak deck removal anyone?. Getting there.

Thanks again, guys.

Super cool graphic transition at 6.41 .... I rewatched it many times 👍🏻

Thank you for your nice and interesting videos.

This is my favorite episode.

Woe! You could make an entire Channel about this one subject... There are so many variables that there cannot be a perfect boat for every person... I had a 43 Foot Ketch and found it too much work (I'm the Laziest SOB on the planet) to sail alone (the way I like to be). However, I fully agree that having the mizzen made steering the vessel a lot easier when alone... I could point the boat and go below to make a meal without much concern... I am thinking also, that having a Cutter greatly improved the speed in lighter winds. I see many boats that are Ketches that are not Cutters and/or have removed the Staysail and wonder, "What's the point?" But I have to say, my next boat will probably be another Ketch... Oh! You didn't mention the Keel... Having a Full Keel would make a huge difference for Blue Water Sailing... I'll shut up now... :-) Great video :-)

Ketch is adaptable and can be decently fast in any weather. But.... It’s all the rigging. Takes up lounging space on deck. And it does feel less expensive to maintain. One mast is also pretty simple to learn when they first sail. So when it’s time to buy a boat they don’t consider ketch. They are not used to it. Unless you started on a ketch you won’t bother.

thanks. as a hopefull, one day, single ocean sailor, that answered a few questions. thanks again.

Great video, really enjoyed it

I've got a cutter ketch rigged Endurance 35 and whilst I agree wth all the points you made, you did miss one further point. They just look a lot prettier than sloops and catamarans whilst they have their place could never really be described as classically beautiful :)

I wish there were more educational type videos like this.

I love the look of a cutter rigged ketch!

Curious if you were ever to change your boat, would you buy another Ketch? And do you guys have a dream boat that' you would love to live on if the stars were to align? Always good to see a video from you guys....keeping us entertained and informed in lock down. Hopefully sailing starts again for you soon.

Thanks for posting and sharing. Glad to know what SV Delos is. I thought it was a ketch, but wasn’t sure.

Great information. Stay well.

Great opinion on the Ketch rig! Especially if its a larger boat.

You all produce some of the best video's!

I like the ketch rig now I'm curious to how much of a difference there is between the furling in mast main versus the more standard main sail and or the boom version of the main sail. I'm not an expert but I would think that the boom furling main would be the best way to go.

Super informative. I don't think I would have considered a ketch before learning all this and the pros really sound beneficial.

The first big sailboat boat (over 30 feet ) was a gulf star 50 ketch rigged. I discovered that when the jib and mizzen are balance that gulf star sailed very nice.

Use to race on a cruising boat, a ketch rigged 65' swan, Always raced with Mizzen up, except once when Mission backstay Tensioning did not work, we did better, much better, many weeks, but that was with upwind legs, maybe best compromise is Mizzen down for upwind. True better balancing, and insurance for night sailing, but then for cruising I would lament the loss of Solar panel real estate, and with aft cockpit as swan has, no bimini.

OMG! Great educational vid! Yes, sailed many, ketch is the best for blue water. Balance is the key. Blue water, monohull is the only way. Want to "camp" in the BVI's, buy a cat. Want to see the world?...mono ketch. You guys have nailed it in this presentation. I will "follow" the boat!

Awesome its the first time ive heard anyone explain what a Ketch is and why they exist ie their advantages.

A head sail has two main jobs to do, powering the boat and creating lift for the bow. Does the typically smaller head sails on ketch's stop some of the lift and does using the stay sail compensate. In some of the footage you show in this video Esper seems heavy in the bow with it digging in often.