Select to expand quoteBundeenaboy said..
Centre cockpits - any comments
Ask South Ace
I chartered a Nantucket 33 once It felt like you were high above sea level didn't feel right to me any way plenty of deck room
and you get a aft cabin
My my last yacht was a centre cockpit.
Advantages are .............
A bit dryer than aft cockpits,
Mooring is a little easier as your more central.
Watches and general sailing is easier as your higher than Aft cockpits.
Engine removal can be easier as the engine is usually directly under cockpit floor.
Engine wire loom and control cables are all reduced in length.
Better all round engine access.
Aft deck and cabin is created.
Closer to the mast for access when hosting.
Better balanced boat.
Disadvantages are..........
Small cockpit.
Boom height aroud 5,8 max.
ummmmm?
Personally i would prefer a Centre cockpit especially in any yacht over 40 feet.
I have just brought a mottle33 which is a center cockpit my previous yacht was an aftcockpit and both my partner and i love the aft cabin. I dont find it to high and nothing better then having a huge square bed. It is also dryer to sail.
Im a fan.
I fitted a small opening hatch into my transom which provided fresh air and light as well as lazy watch keeping at anchor.
centre cockpit = aft cabin fantastic i love my jarkan 10.5 a terrific centre cockpit cruising boat
Select to expand quotesouthace said..
My my last yacht was a centre cockpit.
Advantages are .............
A bit dryer than aft cockpits,
Mooring is a little easier as your more central.
Watches and general sailing is easier as your higher than Aft cockpits.
Engine removal can be easier as the engine is usually directly under cockpit floor.
Engine wire loom and control cables are all reduced in length.
Better all round engine access.
Aft deck and cabin is created.
Closer to the mast for access when hosting.
Better balanced boat.
Disadvantages are..........
Small cockpit.
Boom height aroud 5,8 max.
ummmmm?
Personally i would prefer a Centre cockpit especially in any yacht over 40 feet.
I have one and love the CC, but it's the only boat I've owned. I have been in and sailed others obviously. Wife likes being furhter from the water.
Good list, SA.
Con: Longer, more complex cable run between wheel and rudder. Also possibly more complex emergency tiller arrangements? If my cable broke the tiller would be bolted to the quadrant and used in the aft cabin, hopefully with my head out the hatch. If rudder broke I'd be steering a jury rigged rudder on top of aft cabin away from shelter and winches.
Pro: main traveller is at back of boom but never in the cockpit, the ugliest and most awkward place for it, imho.
Pro: closer to the dolphins! 
Con: No bimini sun shelter for helmsman under way as boom is overhead (unless sheltered by sails). Impossible to create total enclosure by running shelter cloth from dodger to rear bimini, if fitted, due to mainsheet (unless you built some kind of SS structure forward of the traveller.
Con: yes, engine has amazing access but also means engine is close to everything: main berths in aft cabin, cockpit, saloon, head. I imagine at least you can escape to the forward cabin to escape the noise in a rear cockpit.
These two cons are pretty trivial - just trying to be exhaustive.
Centre cockpits come more into their own as the boat gets bigger, where everything is stretched out towards the ends then the cockpit can be lower in the boat.
Select to expand quoteRamona said..
EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why eek??? Cause you can't have a tiller Ramona?
It's a more effort to get from the helm to the mast on my new Adams aft cockpit I agree with loose change about as the boats get bigger.
The motor sailor Solquest that the Gourmet Farmer did his trip around Tassie in was at this years wooden boat festival and I could see my self on it
It was a 46 footer with a centre cockpit and it has a aft cabin with a decent size companion way to the aft deck
it seemed to me to be a good layout and with furling main and headsail and the clears around the cockpit it seemed to be a good cruising boat
Regards Don
Nice motor yacht I don't completely like her but interested in the clears? Are they roll up or roll off?l. Off? Donk? BBQ
Centre cockpits - any comments
..................................................................................... ..... .. the cockpit is in the center ....... . 
Select to expand quoteSandS said..
Centre cockpits - any comments
..................................................................................... ..... .. the cockpit is in the center ....... .
Sandsssssssssssssss you been drinking again
Select to expand quotesouthace said..Ramona said..
EEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why eek??? Cause you can't have a tiller Ramona?
The main reason is the small rear cabin in yachts below 35 feet. There is no way my wife would stay in one.
The lack of a tiller and the distance and complexity of using a windvane is probably the most important.
In my homeport there is only one centre cockpit yacht at the moment. 45 foot Spencer with a small cockpit and a small aft cabin that's used for storage. Other 45 foot Adams in steel is out of the water for awhile. It's very spacious inside and you can enter the aft cabin easily from inside.
Centre cockpits are great at the marina. You can turn the cockpit into a Jacuzzi.
I have a small 32ft centre cockpit , yep small cockpit , yep small aft cabin , but for me as a single live aboard it's absolutely fantastic . My aft cabin although small is my bed room and all my stuff is contained there so the rest of the boat stays free of my Junk so to speak and remains a functional area . I notice the difference when my son stays onboard and I have to convert the table to a bed as I use the other bunks for storage . Oh and I have a tiller .
Select to expand quotecisco said..
Centre cockpits are great at the marina. You can turn the cockpit into a Jacuzzi.
Yes Don she is a manitou , previous owner had her for 17 years and used to live aboard but didn't sail her for the last 3 . I've been slowly getting her back to what she should be
Hi
A mate of mine has just sailed one of these from Sydney down here to Tassie and they are a interesting looking boat and he said they are very solidly built
I look forward to having a look over her
Regards Don
Very interesting conversation.
I looked at a Moody 35 and was amazed at the headroom in the rear cabin.
It also had a ensuite that was accessible to the main cabin.
I am just dreaming.
It was a beautiful boat.
I had a Mottle 33 centre cockpit and it was so good I got Martzcraft 35 centre cockpit which I sail now.
Great because waves over the stern don't wet the helmsman.
Theres an aft deck for sunbaking and passengers.
You can see forward and aft better from the helm position.
Downstairs theres an aft cabin which is private. So the skipper can sleep there while the crew handles the boat and sleeps forward :-)
Aft cabin is good for entertainment too, if someone wants to go to bed they can in a quiet aft cabin.
Aft cabin is rectangular so bed is much more spacious than in a v berth.
There seems to be a lot of cheap Manitous for sale, especially from the guy in Seven Hills who sells unwanted boats on Gumtree. Other than most are home builds, anybody got ideas as to why they are so cheap, apart from:
Ketch rig- more hassle for a day sail
Small boat internally for large overall length.
Do they have bolt-on or internal ballast?
Yes you get what you pay for , small internal volume, which means no space , often a lower quality of fit out and the problems that come with a 30 year old boat . Did I mention no space inside . The up side is they sail ok , I was happy in mine at 40knots from behind and a 3 metre swell on the rear quarter . When it's rolling around on a passage it's easy to get around down below cause you can pretty much reach each side with your arms out lol . The hull is ridiculously thick fibreglass , internal ballast and of course the usual osmossis problems of the day . Oh and there is not much room inside. I rarely use the main on mine as I keep the sunshade up unless there is not much wind . Sails at 6 knots jib and mizzen . Now I could have saved more for a " better " boat but I've been sailing for a few years instead of saving , so I'm out of the armchair dreaming and onto the water , suits me . Also I've been sailing for 30 years but I've been up the front , being on the helm is quite new to me . So I could spend a lot and be afraid to scratch it or spend a little and the only thing hurt is my pride when it doesn't go as planed getting onto the wharf . Yes I do have full insurance . Even I will admit they are not the prettiest looking boat , she looks very messy when it's in live aboard mode with everything up outside because did I mention there is not much room inside . lol Might be time for new sail covers that blend in .
Select to expand quoteYara said..
There seems to be a lot of cheap Manitous for sale, especially from the guy in Seven Hills who sells unwanted boats on Gumtree. Other than most are home builds, anybody got ideas as to why they are so cheap, apart from:
Ketch rig- more hassle for a day sail
Small boat internally for large overall length.
Do they have bolt-on or internal ballast?
Pretty sure they are internally ballasted. They were cheap from the start. Sold as either molded hulls and deck or as complete kits like a lot of Compass 28s/29s.
They are narrow because they started life as a 27 foot long keel design from the late 50's. The hull had a canoe stern added which brought the LOA out to 31 feet. I think the "Builder" was Biddlecomb. The idea was to get the average family man into a yacht.
