To state the obvious, choosing the right boat depends on the kind of sailing you plan to do. The right boat for weekend races at the yacht club won't necessarily be the best for the weekend gunk-holer, nor the coastal sailor and certainly won't be the preferred boat for a world girdling ocean sailor. What I plan to do is compile some thoughts to consider when searching for a cruising boat, whether the plan is to explore the Bahamas for a year or two or sail off around the world. The first part will be some of the technical considerations – how big, how wide, how heavy is the ideal boat. In the second part, I'll talk about systems to consider like tankage, engine, stoves, etc. Then I'll talk about the things that you may want to add – solar, diesel generators, wind generators, etc.