No two boats handle exactly the same, not even sister ships. Even sister
ships may have different fuel tankage, placement of heavy components,
etc. By whatever differences in mass placement and configuration of hull
and rigging there are between 2 vessels, those differences are going to
have some effect on handling.

Every single difference has some impact on handling, therefore on the
tactics that will work best and all these effects are magnified at
elevated sea and wind states. Every effect has it's advantages and
disadvantages.

It is no illusion that you can learn your own boat inside and out and
how to handle her under almost any condition and find that stepping
aboard another boat, especially one of considerably different design
will in fact require a major new set of skills and understanding to
handle well, and as you guessed it, more so at elevated sea states.

It would be to your advantage to learn one boat well, before thinking
you can translate that into learning another boat well. But, even if you
have the opportunity to learn more than one well, keep this in mind. I
am not aware of anyone who ever went to sea that did not have some
strength and therefore weakness with some particular design of boat.

For instance, because I spent so much time with fast power boats on the
Columbia River Bar, my best strengths are handling such boats on similar
kinds of water. I think it is doubtful that I will ever spend the time
running sailboats in similar water or stormy weather such that I could
acquire equivalent experience.

Which brings us to another element of handling. No two mariners are able
to translate their experience into other types of craft with the same
level of efficiency. It has long been an understanding that some
mariners never seem to acquire what is called "the knack" of it all.

Some of this inability to catch on is lack of time, some of it is lack
of adequate training facilities and there are enough other reasons to
fill at least one book. Theoretical boats don't go to sea, real boats do
and the difference is what we have to cope with.

Regards,
Mike

Capt. Mike Maurice
Beaverton Oregon(Near Portland)

Ken suggested:  in a semi-related topic:

I hope that this discussion segways into a discussion of heavy seas tactics.

Scott suggests:  Let's update the subject of this thread if we head down a
discussion on heavy weather tactics.  We have taken this in a different
direction, which is great, so the subject line should reflect it!  Thanks,

Scott Bulger, List Admin