There are many advantages to the smaller cruiser.  Take the Rhodes 22:   You can sail it yourself,  maintain it yourself.  You cannot sink it,  capsize it,  ground it.   You can beach it,  anchor in shoal coves,  dock along shallow bulkheads.  It is easier to sail and easier to trail.  All in all, it is more fun and more affordable than its big sibling.  But when it comes to cruising comfort,  not even the Rhodes 22 is 30 feet.  .  .  .unless of course,  you add the Boom Room.

The boom,  a few battens,  a collection of zippered panels and you customize a cockpit enclosure so huge - most of us can stand in it.   Or, you can make the room so small,  it stows under a seat.   Unlike a boom tent, the Boom Room is amazingly versatile.

Start with the top panel for shaded sun bathing or dewless outdoor sleeping.  Add panels to one side for lean-to wind protection or unidirectional privacy.   Add screen panels for cool verandering or, solid panels for hot philandering.

The Boom Room is the family's problem solver because it is so versatile.  It is a guest room, a family room, a dining room, a private solar shower, a bedroom for king and queen sizes.  (We even know one stout "marine" who puts a spare potti in the Boom Room for middle of the night landings.)

Claustrogalleyphobia is solved with a cockpit that can now go from open to shaded to screened to enclosed; a cabin door that hinges down for more work counter or bar serving; a table that moves to its cockpit socket for sporting the mess menu of the day or the candles and wine of the night; four gunnel-homed filler cushions that span the cockpit seating to come up with triple 7'-4" sleeping accommodations, closed off from the rest of the interior by the turned-up cabin door.

The Boom Room is the real "great" room.  The kids can play games.  Guests can play cards.  You can stand,  walk around,  dress or just relax,  couched in comfort:  feet up, arm resting on the gunnel, back supported by the sloping cabin, book in hand.  There is even the "U" shaped conversation pit for those who still know how.

The Boom Room is an expensive option,  if it does not solve your needs.  But,  if adding the Boom Room spares you from giving away a few of the kids or buying a second Rhodes,  that's another story. . .  Or at least another room.

Architect's Notes:

An alternate to the Boom Room, at a fraction of the cost, is the Boom Tent.  The Boom Tent will let you sleep dew-free but not bug-free because it is not a full enclosure.

Another cockpit option is the Bimini.  You cannot sail when using a boom enclosure.  You can with a sun shading bimini.   The Bimini Top can be folded forward when not in use and can be left dockside by releasing two gunnel thumb screws.