Pocket Cruiser - Qualities

Qualities

Pocket cruisers are popular for a number of reasons:

• They are inexpensive; popular designs such as the Montgomery 15 or West Wight Potter 15 sell new, with trailer, for around US$10,000 or less.
• They are easy to build out of easily obtained materials such as plywood, using stitch and glue or more traditional methods.
• When working on smaller boats the inevitable tinkering away on various modification projects is often cheaper and more quickly gratifying.
• They are small enough to sail single handed, yet the wide beam gives them the capacity to hold more people.
• They usually weigh less than 2000 pounds (900 kg). This is light enough to be towed behind most cars.
• They are suitable for overnight trips.
• The wide beam and common use of ballast makes them very stable.
• The small size means they can be stored out of the water, which negates the need to rent expensive marina slips.
• Many of the small cruisers have active chat groups on the Web where tips, ideas, and sailing stories are freely shared.