Stability (STIX) Rating

Stability is the resistance of the boat to forces that tend to induce heeling.

Issues that impact stability are the center of gravity, the center of buoyancy, overall displacement and the moment of inertia.

If we know what the issues are we can determine the relative stability of one vessel vs. another.

Although we do not have an established rating system in North America, the Europeans use a comprehensive system known as STIX.

To be offered for sale in the European Common Market, new boats are required to publish their STIX ratings.

Island Packet Yachts are actively sold in Europe. The company’s tag line is “America’s Cruising Yacht Leader.”

Island Packet STIX ratings bear that out. For example, the STIX rating on a 50 ft. sailboat from the world’s largest manufacturer of coastal cruisers is 41.The Stix rating on an Island Packet 485 is 66!

In every case, the comparably size Island Packet yacht enjoys a far higher STIX rating than its competition.

Racing around the beer cans calls for long waterlines and light displacement. The race is fast but managing the boat can be very tiring. Beer can races only last a few hours so crew fatigue is not a major issue.

Cruisers, on the other hand, are on the water for extended periods of time. Fatigue is to be avoided.

At sea, displacement is your friend. A high STIX rating means that the boat will be able to look after itself through a wider range of wind and sea conditions. Her crew will not feel the need to jump up and grab the wheel to correct for the effects of a gust of wind or a large wave.

Island Packets have travelled the world. They are recognized by cruisers everywhere who see them as seaworthy, seakindly and cruiser friendly.

More Thoughts

Bow Thrusters

Cruisers encounter all kinds of less than perfect conditions when sailing into unknown ports or anchorages. A bow thruster can be worth its weight in gelcoat in a really tight spot.

Reduced Glare

Deck Color

After days at sea in the bright sunshine, Ivory or off-white decks can be much easier on your eyes .

Stark white decks tend to produce high levels of glare.



Acessible from in
the water



Swim Ladder

Swim ladders should be accessible to anyone who has accidently fallen in the water. Ideally, you should be able to deploy it yourself if you have fallen in. If tied-off to the top of the stern rail, you can’t get to it!

Navigation & Communications

The Nerve Center

Cruisers tend to go places where the average coastal cruisers just don’t go.

Anyone can buy an extensive array of today’s sophisticated equipment, but you still need a proper navigation station with enough room to install and service its components..

Blue water cruisers typically devote more serviceable space for electronics and communications equipment.

From VHF, to SSB, to satellite communications, to Direct TV, to internet, email and weather fax, the need for space is high. Don’t forget GPS, color chart plotters, radar, and perhaps forward looking sonar.

Even with all of the above, you still need room to spread-out a paper chart!

And yes, room to grow is equally important.

Rest, Recuperation & Personal Hygiene

Good Storage instead of
Clutter

Staterooms need to be spacious with plenty of headroom. If you can’t stand up, you’re just camping. Forget about living out of a knapsack. You need a yacht designed to give you adequate storage for clothes and personal effects. Full size, cedar lined hanging lockers and plenty of storage under the berth make a difference.

You can also forget cheap foam pads as mattresses. Memory foam is fine, but you don’t want to wake up to your watch with an aching back!



Proper Heads with
Showers

Separate heads with full showers also make a difference. Personal hygiene becomes very important after even several days at sea.

Fresh water, VacuFlush or electric heads cut down on unnecessary odor. Much of the "head odor" is cause by decaying marine life in the seawayer used to flush standard hand pumped toilet fixtures.

Ideally, fresh water for the heads will be kept in separate, dedicated water tanks. Water levels are easier to monitor if separate from the main supply.

Don’t compromise on how you look after yourself!

Remember to Eat

Galleys on coastal cruisers are usually ok for a weekend cruise or perhaps a week or so. Sure they have stoves and refrigerator /freezers, S/S sinks and hot water. They just don’t have enough of anything for extended cruising.

Fully Equipped Galley
with lots of Counter
Space

Let’s face it. One of the pleasures of cruising is eating. Unless you are planning on eating the catch of the day, every day, you need manageable refrigeration. Manageable means options. The best cruising designs have separate, thermostatically controlled refrigerators and freezers. Just like you have in a modern home!

You will also appreciate a galley design that gives you abundant storage. Too many designs run out of storage after you find a place for your pots and pans. Don’t forget counter space! Without it, you’re camping again!

For a number of issues, the difference is in capacity. How about 300 gallons of fresh water, not 100. How about a 400-600 gal/day water maker. How about a built-in water filtration system?

A genuine cruising vessel needs both the space and the buoyancy to carry a full load of provisions, without compromising the boat’s ability to sail.

Great cruising designs will carry perhaps up to 300 gallons of fuel,  the water, and the provisions to make your next destination without compromise of comfort, safety or performance.

You don’t want to depart the dock with the boat settled in the water below the boot stripe!

Going Below

Here is where we transition from what makes a vessel seakindly to what makes it cruiser friendly.

If going below feels like going downstairs into the basement of a house, the boat is not going to get a very good rating.

Open, bright and well ventilated are essential characteristics of a cruiser friendly vessel. There is more to it than that, but if she is dark and dingy, you can forget about anyone wanting to be there.

People who can afford today’s large cruising vessels have likely become accustomed to a fairly high standard of living.  A great cruising vessel still won’t let you take everything with you, but it has to meet your personal standards for quality and comfort.

Simply put, clutter does not cut it. Abundant, well organized storage is essential. Specific design elements make a real difference to tidiness.

Abundant fuel and water tanks located on the center line, below the floor boards in the main salon will free-up tremendous storage space for provisions and other equipment.

Their location on the centerline helps to keep the center of gravity lower and reduces heel as liquids are consumed at different rates.

Although you would expect the engine to be located on the centerline of the boat, it also helps if provision has been made in the design layout for a generator on the center line as well.

Cruisers typically want to be able to fold-up the dining table in the main salon and stow it up against the bulkhead. This also frees up space to expand the salon settee into a double sea berth with an appropriate lee cloth.

Combination plywood/laminate floorboards tend to squeak. Real wood floors are both more attractive and quiet!

Anchors Aweigh



Dual Anchors and
Rollers



The phrase "anchor's aweigh" is a report that the anchor is clear of the sea bottom and, therefore, the ship is officially underway.

Designers of blue water cruising yachts know that cruisers use their anchors more frequently than most coastal cruisers in west coast regions.

Before weighing anchor, someone has had to set the anchor in the first place. Often, two anchors are need to be set to secure the vessel.

Proper cruising yachts need a minimum of two anchoring systems available at all times. More than just a convenience issue, they are essentially a safety issue. A second anchor may need to be deployed on short notice.

Chain and rode for each anchor need to kept separate to avoid entanglement. Anchor lockers need to be properly divided for ease of access.

Windlass Remote at
the Helm

Electric windlasses are ideally controlled remotely from both the helm and the foredeck.

Sunken Foredeck

Speaking of the foredeck, cruising designers incorporate a sunken deck at the bow to give a crewmember secure footing against the bulwark when going forward on a heeled vessel in an active seaway.