Here’s the specs on that boat
https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/newport-27-1
That site, sailboat data, has info on damn near every boat ever produced as more than a “one off.”
When comparing boats, it is not nearly enough to compare length. Displacement is equally required to compare twovessels of similar length. A heavier displacement is desireable in a boat used for voyaging, as displacement translates to more capacity, a more sea kindly motion, etc.
Around here, in these mostly protected waters, with an anchorage never far, (or a lee shore lol) all sorts of small and simple boats could get the job done.
My current boat is 30’ -9” on deck, and I sometimes wish I would have waited for a 28’ of some sort. Me and my wife have lived on a 24’ boat with sitting head room. Our current boat is the biggest one we’ve had, and while the extra room is nice, everything gets more expensive: it’s exponential- from anchor size, to haul out costs, to sail cost to gallons of bottom paint, to hours of work, it all grows rapidly in preportion to the size of the boat.
Not to mention small boats are easier and more fun to sail (less physical work involved) and therefore get sailed more often overall.
I would suggest getting the SMALLEST boat you can possibly imagine being comfortable on. Anything from 20-30’ is fine, 30-32’ being the max I’d recommend for a singlehanded or doublehanded crew. Boats can always be sold and upgraded, etc.
Cheers,
Crow
