engineless cruising

jbarros · #1 (**permalink**) 09-30-2003

ok, the delema. I hate things that brake. Doubly so if I can''t fix them. From years of hanging out with gear heads, working on motorcycles, rebuilding cars and trucks, and helping with a wide assortment of motorized vehicles, I have come to a conclusion:

I am completley mechanicly inept.

I have also spent some time sailing a few diffrent vessles. Not the wide assortment of people who''ve been doing it for decades, but I''ve come to realize that I''m halfway decent with a tiller and a set of sails.

I''m also 24, in good shape, and can make myself handy with a set of sweeps if need be.

Now, I''ve been talking with some of the cats over on the wooden boat form, and know there''s a host of boats you can build yourself through a variety of methods, to be able to cruise engineless. Of course, that all consider a 20 footer a large cruising boat!!!

So, presuming I wanted some luxeries like... a real galley, standing headroom below, and a simple rig (yes, a gaff rig is absolutley breathtaking, either from looking at it, or trying to handle it in bad weather, either way, I cant breath when I''m done.) Give me a simple marconi rigged sloop. Give me a tiller and a rudder mounted on the transom where if worse came to worse, I could take a fire axe to it and put up emergency stearing.

Seaworthyness, Simplicity and enough size to be comfortable for 2 for extended cruising (of the circumnavigation type)

If you were me, where would you start looking for something like this?

I have some room, I''ve got basic woodworking and prety decent electrical skills, I can buildup from a hull, I could probibly put a hull together if the construction was simple enough (stitch and glue, multi-chine, etc) or if the perfect boat exists already, in light, low maintenance glass, all the better.

Basicly my question is thus:

If you were to chose a boat for enginless cruising, what would you pick?

Thoughts suggestions?

Thanks.

-- James

msl · #2 (**permalink**) 09-30-2003

www.yachtatom.com

sailingfool · #3 (**permalink**) 09-30-2003

Look up the publications of Larry and Lin Pardey related to their experiences with the 24'' Seraffyn - all will be answered.
(http://www.landlpardey.com)

Very few people are equipped with the skill and character to do what they have done.

jbarros · #4 (**permalink**) 09-30-2003

Regarding the Triton:

Sailed a triton. Love them. if I cant find something I can get enough room for a shower in, it is my default fallback choice.

1.) The support group is awsome and includes James Baldwin, who is straight forward, patient and a realy nice guy.

2.) I can afford one

but the flip side is that it will mean ripping out an atomic bomb, and then if I want it to sail it''s best, making up for the change in vcg etc, which could be done with extra tankage I suppose, but is still a bit odd to me. Then there''s removing and plugging the shaft and brake, er, I mean propeller, and the triton does get a bit weather helm with what I consider sufficient canvas to move it, but I do like the design. Alberg''s boats do look cool.

So yhea, that''s what I''d come to, just wanted to see what other people will say.

Regarding Seryfin/Terailsin

I''m gonna be buying a copy of "Cruising in Seryphin" and "Cost Concious Cruiser" as soon as I finish "My Old Man and the Sea" (which takes place on another Hess designed boat) so thats definatley a consideration. Thanks for the input

Thanks.

As for very people being capable of doing this type of thing, it''s true. But one thing thats true of everyone who HAS sucseeded, is that they tried. No one who hasnt tried, has ever succeeded.

-- James

Magic_Moments · #5 (**permalink**) 09-30-2003

While I wouldn''t call it a cruising boat, check out the Colgate 26 for some ideas you can use.
Easily driven hull, it can be pushed around by a 3.5 hp outboard and I believe it comes with paddles.
Rudder and tiller can turn in a 360 degree arc and can be used to scull the boat.

I guess I mostly use motors because I have to be to work monday and I would like to see more than the bay my marina is in during the weekend. I have heard of sailing ships leaving port and still being visible 3 to 4 days later because of lack of wind or headwinds.

Last Labor day I furiously tacked back and forth to get by the aptly named Nose point for two hours while other boats effortlessly motored by me to get to Active Pass and by the time I got there the tide was in full ebb and it was barred to me. That day I did not care since I had more wind than I could wish for to sail and extra 25 mile detour and if I didn''t have to be at work the next day I could easily have waited for the tide to change in my favor.

I have a love -hate relationship with all internal combustion motors in my life, be they gas outboards on my last boat or a diesel inboard on this boat. I don''t like the noise, the fumes, the mainenance etc., and if I thought I could row my boat 30 miles against a 3 knot current I would, except I am no fan of exercise either.
My problem with using oars is how to manuever in the marina where all around you are super expensive boats and a nasty crosswind. I am a fan of electric motors since they are quiet and either work or don''t. I have used a cheap trolling motor (Minn Kota) on my zodiac for the last 2 years with excellent results so far. If you let the battery run down the motor just goes slower and slower until you break out the oars, but I never have to buy or store gas either.
I planned to see if this trolling motor will push my sailboat around at all, but I haven''t yet. If my diesel ever kicks the bucket I intend to look very closely at an electric motor by Solomon technologies, powered either by a bank of batteries or a fuel cell if they become cheaper someday. The Solomon motor regenerates power while sailing when the propellor freewheels.

If you do go completely engineless make sure to go for the lightest most easily driven hull you can find with a large enough cockpit to work the sweeps. And get a really big anchor in case you get in a situation that you can''t sail or row out of.

Ken

Tegolin · #6 (**permalink**) 10-01-2003

James,
I have a 29 foot Columbia that I took the engine out of. The Columbia is very much like the Triton in shape, and displcement( about 8,000 pounds) also is a little tender initially. I have a 6hp outboard for those times when I absolutley must claw off a lee shore.
THe amount of storage space you gain is immense, and dry bilges all the time.
I have no electric on board, oil lamps inside and out. I bought the hull as a derelict and stripped it right down, started from scratch. YOu have to be a bit more circumspect with the weather, and getting in and out of inlets can be interesting. other than that, its a great way to go. NOt having all the complicated systems means I get to spend more time sailing, and less on maintenance

Nick
S/VTegolin

Tegolin · #7 (**permalink**) 10-01-2003

James,
I have a 29 foot Columbia that I took the engine out of. The Columbia is very much like the Triton in shape, and displcement( about 8,000 pounds) also is a little tender initially. I have a 6hp outboard for those times when I absolutley must claw off a lee shore.
THe amount of storage space you gain is immense, and dry bilges all the time.
I have no electric on board, oil lamps inside and out. I bought the hull as a derelict and stripped it right down, started from scratch. YOu have to be a bit more circumspect with the weather, and getting in and out of inlets can be interesting. other than that, its a great way to go. NOt having all the complicated systems means I get to spend more time sailing, and less on maintenance

Nick
S/VTegolin

Stepford · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-2003

Tegolin,
I really liked everything you said until you mentioned the oil lamps. Aren''t they dirty and dangerous?

jbarros · #9 (**permalink**) 10-02-2003

On another note, COLREGS specify that nav lights must be visable for a distance of 1 mile. Those are some bright burning oil lamps.

But the general, outside of the no electricity part sounds awsome to me.

It''s just diffrent strokes for diffrent folks. I''m awfull with mechanics, but I''ve built make due transistors out of 2 capacitors, 2 diodes, and a resistor before, so electricity and me are cool like that

-- James

mdougan · #10 (**permalink**) 10-02-2003

My boat just has the "hurricane" oil lamps for running lights. They''ve been used on ships for hundreds of years... I guess if the CG wants to break out a tape measure in the middle of the night, then might be able to cite me

Dangerous, not really, not with oil in them. You can also burn kerosene in them, which may burn cleaner but is much more volitile and if you dropped the lantern on your deck it could cause a problem.