Best Sailboats for Rough Seas

Although I’ve been on a cruise more than once, the tides and windstorms keep me from taking to the open sea. 

You see, headwinds are going to pipe up, and the rough seas will dance between you and your destination. 

And despite the assurance that you’ll remain afloat, the thought that something crazy could happen isn’t as easy to sweep under a rag.

After all, who really would ignore the bangs that make the hull shutter and not hope that the boat builder got their construction right?

The truth is:

It’s not always going to be calm and soft in the open seas.

There are times when you’ll have to deal with snotty conditions, and in that moment, the smooth, soft ride will fade.

That’s why you need to invest in the best sailboats for rough seas that can easily tackle the highs and lows.

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Here are the top three options to consider.

Best Sailboats for Rough Seas Reviewed 

Best Sailboats for Rough Seas
Sailing rough seas

1. Prout Snowgoose 37

For the experienced multihull sailors who’ve cruised across the Atlantic, the Prout Snowgoose 37 is a real blue water cruising boat to take to the rough seas.

But for the mono hull sailors and those new to sailing on rough seas, Snowgoose 37 may mistakenly seem like a new concept never seen before.

Even if you don’t like sinking deep into history about nearly anything you see or touch,

it’s worth noting that the Prout’s family has been in the catamarans business since the 1950s.

In fact, the Snowgoose 37 is an upgrade of the Snowgoose 35, which is one of the most successful catamarans they ever built long before 1983.

While it lacks the hotel-like accommodations and double-digit speeds that many modern catamarans have,

it’s a viable choice at least for its rugged construction and relatively lower price point.

best small boat for rough water
Sailing rough seas

Dubbed the classic workhorse, the British-made Prout Snowgoose 37 proves,

in many ways, to be the catamaran for crossing oceans even when the weather seems too unfriendly to allow.

It’s one of the few catamarans for under $100,000. And for those that can pay the earth for the high-end models,

Prout Snowgoose 37 does without a doubt comes across as a grab-and-go option that you probably would wish to jump at right away.

Featuring a double hull for an increased width and enhanced stability,

the Prout Snowgoose 37 can easily sail rough seas in extremely vicious weather conditions on short and long distance expeditions.

Made of fiberglass, the hull seems light and nimble, and yet it maintains the strength required to handle well in rough conditions.

Snowgoose 37 doesn’t look catchy by any means. It’s seemingly outdated and pedestrian like, with hulls that don’t offer access to swim steps and stern scoops.

Add to this the compact cockpit by the current standards and the fact that it’s not as spacious as many modern catamarans,

and it might be tempting to walk far away from it with the assumption that its first impression isn’t worth a bargain.

Perception changes when you step aboard because you end up with the realization that Snowgoose 37 is undeniably a solid, serious boat.

And if you’re in the market for a budget build that can brave rough seas, your options pretty much limit you to this version.

Plus, it doesn’t disappoint when it comes to performance. And considering the price point, its staysails rigs are a plus, particularly in the heavy weather.

Prout Snowgoose 37’s asking price varies depending on whom you buy from, with some deals starting from as low as $50,000 for the used ones.

The models that are in the best condition can cost up to $80,000, with the newer ones scooping about $110,000 at most.

Read: Beginner sailboat

2. Nordic 40 Sailboat for Rough Seas

When it comes to sailing on rough seas, you want to do so in as sailboat that can stand up to the water storm while being comfortable, stable, and safe enough for short and long-distant cruising.

After all, you can’t compromise your safety despite the magnitude of your adventurous spirit, or can you?

The Nordic 40 is a fine pick for the price, a versatile boat that’s weather-friendly and comfortable to take to the most uncertain sea expeditions around the world.

To begin with, the Nordic 40 recreational keelboat is made of single laminate fiberglass.

Its trim is complete teak wood, the deck has a balsa coring, and its masthead sloop rig features an aluminum spars painting.

There’s a through-bolted and plate backed solid glass under the deck hardware. And its rudder hung on the stout skeg bolted to the hull.

Its deep-draft fin keel and a capacity that carries enough fuel and water make it one of the fastest boats.

It’s exceptionallyroomy, with a lot of storage space in the interior to keep whatever you wish to bring with you to an unforgettable sea adventure.

Nordic 40’s cockpit teems with high setbacks, easy to reach winches, and wide coaming.

Stationed beside the companionway are instruments viewable from any corner of the cockpit.

And the radar mounted at the navigation station is easy to monitor from the dodger’s shelter.

There’s a raised bridge deck and pad eyes for hardness, all which are ideal for your safety when you’re aboard.

The boat’s u-shaped galley invites you to a spacious counter, an oven, an insulated icebox, two stainless steel sink, and a propone stove with three burners.

There’s an L-shaped settee with a folding table with spacious storage.

When aboard,the last thing you want is to feel like you’re in a hotter hotel room than a sailing boat for rough sea.

If anything, you need an environment that feels cool like the touch of the ocean water, so ventilation has to be plentiful to let you enjoy the breeze from outside.

Thankfully, Nordic 40 includes two large hatches, 10 opening ports, and four vents, which give you plenty of ventilation as you cruise.

It’s going to get cold sometimes as you sail, and although cool air is a must-have for a fresher environment aboard.

But the weather on sea is going to get gloomy sometimes, and you’re going to need to warm up a bit.

Here is where the insulated hull shines as it helps to heat the boat in extremely cold and arctic weather.

Going for between $120,000 and $150,000, the Nordic 40 is one of the priciest yet well-built model on the market.

Read Also: Wayfarer Dinghy

best boats for rough water
Sailing rough seas

3. Corbin 39 Sail Boat for Rough Seas

Corbin 39 is one of the sailboat lines that have a history of a kind. Marius Corbin started the production in 1979 and produced 129 hulls by 1982.

In the same year, a fire destroyed some of the hulls. Later, the brand came up with a unique topside designs.

They named the models completed before the fire MK1. These ones have lower pilothouse cabin and smaller cockpit profiles than the MK2 mode.

Although Marius Corbin built about 200 moulded hulls after the fire, with the production going on up to 1991, he managed to factory finish only 15 hulls and sold a majority as kits.

The Corbin 39 that we have today is one of the top sailboats that can brave rough seas and harsh weather conditions well.

They’re strong, safe, and adaptable, with a great level of the stability you need to cruise for short and long distances on calm as well as rough seas.

The models currently available in the market have either aft or center cockpit and cutter, ketch, or sloop rigs.

Unlike the oldest versions, the current Corbin 39 has wider and longer cockpits and mainsheet atop the pilothouse roof.

The lockers in the cockpit aren’t that big, but Corbin supplements them with chain and sail lockers on the foredeck.

Because Corbin sold many of the moulded hulls as kits,

it meant that the buyers had to complete the sailboats on their won by designing and customizing the interior to their liking.

Given the method of production, the interior design tends to vary from one Corbin 39 to another.

Since the variation is an expression of an owner’s personalization, you should inspect the inside before buying.

The hull is the same across the model, and given the versatility of the build, you can even remodel the interior if you want to.

Unlike Prout Snowgoose 37, Corbin 39 features a larger deck that can carry multiple passengers.

Corbin 39 is one of the most comfortable sailboat yet. The sea friendly design ensures you get a smooth underway motion as you sail.

Expect damp movements when it takes movement on the bow because it has a higher displacement and turns easily at the bilges.

If silence is anything to consider, Corbin 39 is such a quite sailboat on the inside even when strong wind blow.

That’s partly because of the strong construction of the sturdy construction of the deck and hull.

In addition to the long roll moment, expect the stop and reverse to be slow enough not to vibrate. 

Going for $80,000, the Corbin 39 is cheaper than the Prout’s Snowgoose 37, making it an option to consider if you’re on a tight budget.

There you have it, three of the best sailboats to take to rough seas. Whether you’ll be cruising with family or other sailors aboard, you’ll find these models quite a thrill to sail.

Read: Can you live on a boat?

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