A DIY Guide to Rating Cockpit Ergonomics

Rating cockpit attributes is a worthwhile endeavor for a serious boat shopper. Start by rating component parts. It will allow you to more effectively compare and contrast one boat with another, according to your specific sailing plans and needs.

For example: Above, we have focused on seven key cockpit attributes and rated five new boats accordingly. Below is a brief explanation of each of the criteria selected. The result of the data table is not a winner-take-all report card. It’s a means of determining what has been emphasized in a specific cockpit design on a wide variety of very different vessels.

Trimming

Rating for this attribute reflects both the location of a winch and the way in which crew members must bend, lean, or contort themselves while sheeting. We considered how efficiently a manual winch could be cranked and whether or not an electric winch could be safely operated while retaining a clear view of the sail being sheeted or hoisted.

Steering

This was not a look at the vessel’s steering hardware, rudder design, or feel of the tiller. It was more focused on helm location and how the person steering the boat could carry on the process comfortably for lengthy periods of time.

Reefing

We consider the ability to quickly and efficiently reduce and add sail area to be a primary aspect of seamanship. Cockpit layouts teamed up with efficient well-chosen hardware can make or break this facet of cockpit ergonomics. Awkward winch placement, too many lines clustered together around a big bank of rope clutches, and attempting to place sheets, halyards, and reefing lines all in the helmsman’s lap with only one or two undersized winches usually lead to lower ratings.

Visibility

Collision avoidance requires seeing what’s about to cause trouble well ahead of time, and anything shy of a 360-degree angle of view detracts from the process. We were concerned about view angles and obstructions ranging from dodgers, to deck-sweeping headsails, cabinhouse bulkheads, and other design features that limit the helmsperson’s field of vision. Aboard many multihulls, there’s a growing trend toward providing one perch that offers an all-around view. But when the vessel is operating on autopilot and no one is in the elevated helm seat, watchkeeping efforts are hampered.

Heeled

When floating on an even keel, it’s easy to get in and out of most cockpits. However, a modest heel of 15 degrees can turn wide-open cockpits with awkward coamings and narrow sidedecks into a hazard. Getting around on a vessel in a seaway requires good nonskid, an abundance of ready handholds, and an unobstructed pathway in and out of the cockpit. Seats need to be usable underway, and the dodger, companionway, and bimini must work in concert.

Short Handing

Because most cruisers sail short-handed, we are always on the look out for features that make watchkeeping more user friendly. These include line leads and winch layouts that allow headsail trimming from the helm and may even offer the chance to tuck or shake a reef from the confine of the cockpit. Crew alone on deck also benefit from deeper-welled open space. Giving the short-handed crew protection from seeping seas and offering well-placed hardware goes a long way to ensure safe, efficient passagemaking.

Entertaining

At anchor and in port, the cockpit changes from an operations center to a backyard patio. Gone is the need for seakeeping attributes, and what counts is how well the area at the aft or center portion of the boat stacks up as a place for stationary fun. Tables that can serve dinner for six or drinks for 10 get high marks. Transoms that fold down, offering access to the sea, are also a current rage. It’s no surprise however, that many of the attributes that drive high scores for entertaining earn a lower grade at sea—the reason many designers and builders have spent time developing fold-up swim platforms and wellreinforced drop-leaf tables ready for sea duty.

VALUE GUIDE: Comparing Cockpit Design