What happened to the small offshore cruiser?
Some of us have long been lamenting the dearth of small new production cruisers. Too many builders have stopped building boats altogether or moved on to bigger ones instead. In either case, the reason is usually the same: it has become increasingly difficult to make money from small boats.
Back in the 1960s and 1970s it was by no means unusual for a family of four to go cruising for a week on their 22-footer, or for three blokes to change from city suits to sailing suits on a Friday night, hop aboard their Hunter 19 and line up for a JOG (Junior Offshore Group) race across the Channel.
