Why Aluminum? 
Full Keel, Fin Keel or Centerboard? 
While one ponders on the seaworthiness and technical details of a suitable cruising boat there is always the personal issues of size and cost to consider. Here we have Don Casey and John Kretschmer shedding some thoughts on the matter: 
The Right Boat, 
The Perfect Cruising Boat? and
You've Bought The Wrong Boat.
To multihullers a monohull is only "half-a-boat".:
    A  case for Multihull.
James Baldwin's Multihull Experience.
John Kretschmer's Reality Check on Cruising Catamaran
More on why a catamaran makes a great cruising boat:
    Why A  Catamaran?
Which multihull?  Catamaran  vs. Trimaran. By Bill Springer
  Evaluating a cruising catamaran. By Bill Springer
Multihull designer John Shuttleworth's paper on Multihull Design :
    "Multihull Design Considerations for Seaworthiness"
What are D/L & SA/D Ratios? Prismatic Coefficient etc.?
    Understanding Basic Sailboat Design Formulas 
New!  Here are a few recommended books that may be helpful in your search for a cruising boat:
Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere 
The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat 
 
The Complete Guide to Choosing a Cruising Sailboat 
 
Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of the Offshore Yachts 
 
Updated
   How much does it Really Cost to go cruising?
   Find out what these sailors have to say about the real cost of cruising from small boats to large boats and monohulls to multihull:
Peter & Lyndall of  yacht 'Illywhacker' 
Phaon Reid 
Jim Barrentine and Diane Mayo.
 Tor Pinny
 The Cost of Cruising. By Michael Frankel 
 Dave & Jaja Martin.
 Al & Beth Ligget.
 Steve & Linda Dashew.
 Randy Harmon.
 Doreen Gounard.
 Sue Holt & Larry Hamilton.
 Paul & Sheryl Shard.
 
NEW!
The cruising life is neither a long vacation nor is it an escape from reality. Some cruisers even get depressed. Robert Pirsig examine the symptons of their cruising blues and its cure. 
NEW!
Circumnavigator James Baldwin's ("Atom") profound and realistic answers to many Frequently Asked Questions about cruising in general and macro-budget cruising in partcular.    FAQ Page. 
NEW!
Want to go cruising? Melissa and Guy Stevens' web site discussions might help you get off the dock.    Living the Cruising Dream. 
Do you have any suggestions to add? E-mail us.
 
Heavy Weather
  
   What's it like in the recent Sydney to
   Hobart Race (1998)?
   Here are some shots of boats caught in the storm. Go
   to photos.
   Thanks to Howard Klein for sending in this link.
 
"Avanti" (Beneteau First 38) skipper's report about this survival race: Speech.