I’m sure many of you are wondering why the heck John is writing about a $750,000 boat that most of us can’t afford. Here’s why:
We Need This Boat
The Outbound 46 is a great voyaging boat, and there are not many of those being built these days, no matter the money.
A Good Example Boat
And even those of us who can only dream of owning a brand new Outbound 46 can learn a huge amount from this boat from the board of a great designer with updates and improvements based on the wisdom of nearly 70 owners over 20 years.
Expanding on The Example
So not only did I review the Outbound 46, I also used the Outbound 46 as a springboard to discuss decisions all of us must make when selecting a boat. For example, in Parts 1 and 2 on the hull form and appendages I have dug into:
- Choosing a good hull form for offshore voyaging
- Encapsulated or bolt-on keels and the interesting hybrid on the Outbound 46
- Full keels or fins
- Spade or skeg rudders
- Bow thruster, or not
Valuable to Refits
So even if your plan is to buy an old and inexpensive boat and refit her, a much more attainable goal, particularly if you can live aboard while still earning, reading this series on the Outbound 46 will help you make better decisions, both about what boat you start off with and how you refit her.