One Couple’s Search for the Right Offshore Cruising Boat
When Sarah and I tell people we’re planning to sail around the world, we usually get one of two questions: “Where will you go?” and “What kind of boat are you doing it in?”
The first answer is simple: everywhere we can. High latitudes and tropical trade routes, quiet coves and remote anchorages, oceans to cross and people to meet.
The second question takes longer to answer—and the decision behind it took even longer to make.
We knew from the outset that this boat wouldn’t just be a mode of travel. It would be our home, our lifeline, and our entire support system for months or even years at a time. That made the search personal, and deeply mission-driven. The end result—our Boreal 56, Spindrift—is the product of months of discussion, dreaming, and refining what really mattered.
If you’re beginning your own search for a serious offshore cruising boat, we hope our experience helps frame the questions that matter most.
Start With the Mission
We began with a clear plan: to circumnavigate under sail, as safely and comfortably as possible. Our route would include everything from tropical trades to high-latitude routes with cold water, long passages, and unpredictable weather.
Our crew? Often just the two of us. Occasionally, our daughters Hannah and Samantha would join. Maybe, now and then, another couple. That meant two things had to be true: the boat had to be easily handled by two people, and it had to be rugged and forgiving in heavy weather.
We weren’t in a rush. Retired and finally free of the demands of career and commuting, we had time on our side. But that also meant we didn’t want to spend our retirement years tied to a dock, elbows deep in a refit or chasing system failures across foreign ports. We were looking for a boat that wouldn’t just go the distance—it had to arrive ready to go.
New vs. Used: The Time Equation
This led us to the first big fork in the road: old boat or new build?
There are plenty of excellent older boats out there, and we seriously considered going that route. But we also recognized that a “project boat” can quietly take over your life—and often carries invisible risks. In our case, the price of uncertainty outweighed the savings.
We didn’t want to be in a boatyard for the first year of retirement. We wanted to be at sea.
Material Matters: Why We Chose Aluminum
With the new-build route in mind, the next big choice was hull material. Fiberglass? Steel? Aluminum?
After plenty of research, conversation, and crawling around in boatyards, we decided on aluminum. For us, the pros—ruggedness, impact resistance, structural strength, repairability—outweighed the cons. We liked that aluminum deforms rather than cracks, and we trusted the long-term durability when built well.
The construction techniques used in our final choice were impressive: a thick keel plate, double-digit millimeter hull plating, and a monocoque structure that removed as many failure points as possible. Concerns about electrolysis are real, but manageable with good engineering and proper maintenance.
Hull Form and Handling: Comfort First
Comfort underway became a guiding value. Not comfort in the sense of plush cushions and granite countertops, but a kind motion—a boat that takes care of her crew in rough seas.
That ruled out multihulls for us. We gave them a fair look, even touring a Chris White Atlantic 55. But in the end, we preferred the motion and security of a monohull. One particular design caught our attention: the Boreal 56, a centerboarder with twin daggerboards—a rarity, but a configuration with huge upsides. It could go shallow, surf safely, and track well on long passages.
Weight distribution was also thoughtfully managed—fuel, water, chain, and batteries were centralized low in the hull. This created not just a more stable ride, but also increased internal volume where we needed it most: for storage, guest accommodations, and systems access.
The Rig: Safe and Simple
The rig design sealed the deal for us. We chose a Solent configuration with twin furling headsails and a main with deep reefing capability. Downwind, we carry a Blue Water Runner and a furling gennaker, all sized for short-handed control.
But what impressed us most was the attention to safety. The mainsheet is out of the cockpit entirely, mounted to the top of the doghouse—no traveler to fall into or trip over. Winches and sail controls are brought inboard where they can be handled safely from the cockpit. These details reflect real offshore experience. They’re not flashy—but they make a big difference in the moments that matter.
Finding the Right Builder
No boat is built in a vacuum, and in the end, the people mattered most.
After visiting many yards, we found one where the philosophy aligned with our own. The builder’s experience, integrity, and design evolution made a strong impression. The founder had clearly spent thousands of miles at sea and poured that experience into each detail.
What sealed the deal wasn’t just the specs or even the prototype—it was the team. The pride they took in their work. The thoughtfulness in their answers. The way every decision seemed tied back to the real-world question: “Would this make life safer, easier, or better for the crew?”
Final Thoughts
We know Spindrift isn’t the right boat for everyone. But for our goals, the Boreal 56 checked every box. And that’s the point.
There’s no single answer when it comes to boat selection. The “right” boat depends on your mission, your crew, your risk tolerance, and your sailing style. The only real mistake is not thinking hard enough about the decision.
Ask questions. Challenge assumptions. Visit builders. Talk to other cruisers. And most of all, know your priorities.
This was our process—and it led us to the boat of our dreams.
Offshore Cruising Boat Selection Checklist: A Practical Planning Guide for Cruisers Starting Their Search
Whether you’re dreaming of trade winds or tackling high latitudes, here are 10 questions to help guide your offshore boat search:
- What’s your mission?
Define your sailing goals—distance, locations, duration, and seasons. - Who’s your crew?
Will you sail solo, as a couple, or with friends/family? This impacts layout, sail handling, and safety. - How important is comfort under way?
Evaluate motion at sea, not just interior space. Try different hull types in different conditions. - Do you want a new or used boat?
Consider time, budget, project appetite, and the hidden costs of a refit. - Which hull material fits your plans?
Fiberglass, aluminum, and steel each have trade-offs in weight, repairability, and resilience. - How shallow do you want to go?
A centerboard, lifting keel, or shoal-draft design could expand your cruising grounds. - Is your rig optimized for your sailing style?
Look for a setup that’s safe and manageable by your smallest likely crew. - Can systems be maintained off-grid?
Think about power generation, redundancy, and access to critical parts. - How is safety integrated into the design?
Look beyond marketing—ask how design decisions reduce real-world risks. - Do you trust the builder?
Visit yards, talk to past owners, and evaluate the yard’s philosophy and support.
About the authors: Tony and Sarah Mercurio grew up on the water in New Jersey and Rhode Island and now live on Long Beach Island, NJ. Lifelong sailors, they spent years chartering globally before commissioning their current world-cruising sailboat. In retirement, they’re pursuing a lifelong dream to circumnavigate aboard Spindrift, their Boreal 56. Follow their voyage at KrustyKrabAdventures.com.
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