"Motor-sailor" used to illicit bad connotations when I used to hear it, now
that I own a 1976 Fisher pilothouse, the word means comfort, warmth,
protection, living room with windows, etc etc...
I originally wanted a pilothouse, but couldn't really afford the ones I wanted,
so I settled on a Baba-30 as my first boat. I could have done a lot worse, the
Bob Perry designed Baba is one of the best pocket cruisers out there! The
craftmenship, amount of storage, and overall layout is second to none. But
after living aboard for 7 years in the Pacific Northwest, "pilothouse lust"
finally got the best of me and I upsized to a Fisher 37. I figured I was
making a big compromise on sailing performance, but this has turned out to not
be true. I'm completely happy with the way the Fisher sails with the ketch
rig and find it comparable to the Baba-30. My Fisher does have a stainless
steel bowsprit which was not original in 1976 but was later a factory designed
item, and getting the jib a few feet forward from the bow helps sailing
performance IMHO. The fact that the previous owner of my boat travelled over
47,000 miles, most of it under sail, tells me that the Fisher is more than
capable of making passages as long as you're not looking to go racing.
Offshore, the big windows of a pilothouse do pose a risk, but I have 1/4" lexan
shields that can be placed over all glass. (Sometimes buying a cruising boat
with all the systems already included and figured out can be really nice!)
I also find myself sailing from the exterior cockpit using the tiller when I
want the "wind in my face" experience... but having the option to get in out
of the rain, wind, and sun is something I love now. I also feel that having a
pilothouse from which to operate the boat from which also contains all my
instruments, radar, chart table, laptop, gps etc etc... allows me a better
environment to focus on navigation and keeping an eye on gauges and such. The
trade off is that I might be a little less in tune with what the rig is doing
outside, but with a huge sunroof and opening windows on all sides, I can still
pay close attention to sail trim and how the boat is doing... The Fisher
also has a blindspot directly in front of the bow, but you learn to do a zig
zag once in a while and can keep an eye out for crabpots and the like.
I seriously looked at two Tayana 37 pilothouses, but didn't feel like there was
enough room and enough visibility in their wheel houses. I've heard good
things about Banjers, but did not actually look at any in person.
Good luck on your search!
Ken Pearce
Bellingham, WA
s/v Gryphon, '76 Fisher PH
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