albin vega for cruising?

[kwaltersmi]

Yo' U68...

For many of us the length of our boat is tightly correlated to our wallet. We'd all love to cruise in a 45 footer with two heads, 3 cabins and space to bring all the goodies from home, but alas, money is often a big part of the choice. A decent Vega can be had for $15-18k.

[sailingdog]

U686932-

IIRC, the Pardeys were cruising in something about the same size. The average size of the boats have gotten bigger over the years, but for many years, a 27-32' boat was pretty much standard for cruising around the world. It is only just recently, where people want most of the comforts of their shore-based life while out cruising, that the boats have gotten bigger and bigger.

Not everyone can afford to go cruising on a 45' boat, with two master cabins, and a generator, and all that...and many don't see any need for all of that. Cruising used to be more a way of life, than it was a way to take a break from life. The people who sailed, did so for the love of sailing, and loved the freedoms that it brought. They were on sailboats—not yatchs.

A well-outfitted boat, like an Albin Vega, is more than sufficient, for someone who is of modest means, to go cruising around the world. It will probably take more skill to do so in a smaller boat than a larger one, as the seamanship required in a smaller boat may be higher. It will also take an acceptance of a simpler way of life than the people who have the 41' floating condos, as much of what is stuffed aboard a 41' yatch has no place on a 27' sailboat.

[Tartan34C]

A friend and I sailed one to England from New York some years back. The only major change we did other then the standard stuff for a boat her age was to change the spreader bases. A nice trip and we had no problems with finding enough space for our gear and stores. But then again my first crossing was solo on a 22 foot Sea Sprite so I have experience with sailing light so to speak.

A small boat has a lot of advantages over a larger boat such as reduced cost; less work to handle her and you can row instead of having an engine.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

[camaraderie]

Nice to have you here for a visit Robert. Are you the same Gainer of "the sea always wins" fame? What great adventures you've had! Happy Holidays! Can we have Jim back now??

[Tartan34C]

Thanks for your welcoming note Mr. Moderator. Sorry for not responding sooner but your question about “The Sea always wins” took the wind out of my sails so to speak. I don’t think I want to make any clams about that phrase because I think many others have used it and besides when people give me that strange glance and a question starting with “Are you the same Gainer” I most often hear something like these to finish the question,

a. Are you the same Gainer who was on “To Tell the Truth” after becoming the youngest person to solo the Atlantic. (1974 in a 22 foot boat)

b. Are you the same Gainer who died, I read your obituary after you rolled your boat over in hurricane Gloria.
(October of 1976 on a 30 foot boat 550 miles east of Puerto Rico with 90 Knots wind speed and over 45 foot waves)

Well, you get the idea and now I have had over 35 years of sailing experience so I have accumulated a lot of interesting mistakes some success and even what you describe as adventures. Fortunately most of the times my trips are extremely dull and I’m sure you know the old saying “the hallmark of good seamanship is a dull passage. My next trip is from New York to the west coast of Greenland this coming summer and that should be fun with hopefully only a moderate amount of adventure.

But my favorite story about name recognition was in Bermuda just last year when I couldn’t convince a young lady single handing her boat to New York to join me for dinner after I arrived with a friend on his boat. We were in the ships store in Hamilton at the time so I grabbed a copy of Richard Henderson book on Single Handed Sailing off the self and showed her my name in his Honor Roll of Single Handed Sailors. We had a good conversation about sailing technique and enjoyed a nice dinner after that.
All the best,
Robert Gainer

[camaraderie]

"We had a good conversation about sailing technique and enjoyed a nice dinner after that. "
Robert...I guess that is the upside of fame! Hope you have a dull trip to Greenland!! Will you be single-handing and what will you be sailing?
Hope you can keep us entertained with a missive or two along the way!
All best...Cam

[Tartan34C]

I will be sailing my Tartan 34C named Growler. I may have a friend with me on this trip if his schedule permits but single handed is not out of the question. Most of my longer trips have been singlehanded and in many ways I think it’s the best way to sail.

I am a very traditional sailor and still use sextant and taffrail log for navigation and using a SSB for e-mail is something new to me. I haven’t yet figured out how e-mail works using the SSB but if I do then I will send e-mail during the trip.

Talking about new technology like e-mail, my first landfall with GPS was just last year when I sailed to Bermuda. I will have a GPS on board for this upcoming trip but I am still not convinced of their ability to survive the marine environment so I will also have two of my sextants aboard.
All the best,
Robert Gainer