How useful is a cockpit?

[psneeld]

I have had both and most of the negatives about NOT having a cockpits are in my experience are unfounded.


Unless you have extended periods aboard both types, I believe you just dont see the compromises.


Get a big enough boat and pay for it all, yep cockpit all the way....

 

[sunchaser]

Boatless newbie here. My wife and I are planning to buy a boat later this year on which to do the Great Loop in a couple of years when I retire. We're in the process of deciding which features to look for in a boat when we start shopping. I've read Boat Search 101.
We think we want a cockpit motor yacht. It seems the cockpit would make line handling and dinghy access much easier than on a boat without one. How much of a factor is that in reality? (We'll both be mid 60s when we do the Loop; we're both still active and agile at present.) Is there a downside to having a cockpit? Is this one of these strictly personal choice items? I ask because, while there are several CPMY models in our desired size range (42-46 ft), holding out for a cockpit does limit the market a bit, and disqualifies a number of other boats which might otherwise check all our boxes.
Thanks,
David

Back to David's original question -

Suggest you look at two models and brands for comparing with and without cockpit. Both are easy enough to find once you start seriously looking beyond on line forays.

Tollycraft 44 vs 48 and DeFever 44 vs 49/50. Both are identical in interior space. Not saying you should buy either but they do provide useful comparisons. Californians offer similar comparisons in the + 50' range. The DF 50 sundeck/cockpit version is quite popular and still made today.

Good luck David, your question is a good one.

 

[Mako]

I’ve always loved the cockpit of a sport fisherman (convertible) because it is an extension of the interior, like a walk out patio that is only one or two steps down.

But I think of my previous boat where the cockpit was 4+ feet down. Since the covered aft deck was 14 feet long it was used 100% of the time. The cockpit rarely used. Just a waste of 7 feet of dock fees.