A what boat query

They say you need a foot for every year old you are...

Tends to be the old-fashioned boats that do well in rough seas - strongly built, long keels, overhangs - everything I'm asuming you would hate in a yacht?

http://www.co32.org/

Plenty of Contessa 32's have been globe trotting.

Originally posted by iGRF So, imagine you've had enough of it all and want to bugger off, maybe single handed, and you have a sub £40 grand budget, with the idea of maybe a bit of stooging around the med, then perhaps the Arc and winter in the Caribbean, what would you go for...

Of that £40k, a lot will be eaten up in costs in the Med.
It is generally  an expensive game.

Originally posted by JohnW £40K would just about get you a week's charter of this: http://www.wally.com/dark-shadow-charter/

Wow.

Having done the packing it all in and sailing away for a couple of years with my partner (and now spouse) I would strongly recommend getting a boat that your intended crew can handle comfortably.  Anything bigger than about 34' is going to be too big a handful for mooring, docking, reefing for two people unless you have a lot of electronics and motorised support equipment (and that is all going to be broken within 6 months of pushing off).  We saw so many couples struggling and fighting to control their very flash 45'-50' boats, when we could handle our 30' boat in pretty much anything.  As others have mentioned many older designs are very seaworthy.

Absolutely the best thing I ever did, and once the kids have left home, we'll be off again.  We are a bit older now so we'll probably get a 34' with a few more mod cons - but absolutely the minimum electronics and stuff that can (and will) break 100s of miles from where it can be fixed.  In mast reefing - don't make me laugh.

Top tip - always ship about twice as much gin as you think you are going to need for a passage!

Mark