Sensible Cruising

[tdw]

Originally Posted by MoonSailer

The main argument from sensible cruising IMHO was that you should go cruising not waste your life planning to go cruising. I know that I am chicken **** and going cruising is scarey. Sitting around for years planning to go criusing is much less scarey!!!! Loading up the boat and going is difficult and I will probably use any excuse to procrastinate actually casting off the lines that hold me firmly attached to life on shore.

And ain't that the troof.

Well said.

(There is a mea culpa attached.)

[VENRICO]

Thanks,

Mu wife and I are still searching por a boat and now are pointing to some Catamarans.

[tdw]

Originally Posted by VENRICO

Thanks,

Mu wife and I are still searching por a boat and now are pointing to some Catamarans.

Don't you try and blame that on me !!!!

[erps]

If traveling shipping channels then an AIS receiver is nice to have. Knowing where those big boys are can put your mind at ease. The transponders are another issue. As a VTC friend of mine says "they are intended for commercial shipping. If every little boat with the bucks to burn goes out and buys one VTC will not be able to read their screens." My feeling is as long as I know where they are I will take the steps to avoid them - they are generally not able to maneuver around me anyways.

True, but when you're off shore on the night watch, having an AIS transponder is probably pretty good insurance. I understand from another thread that they haven't been approved yet for small craft in the US, but can be purchased from other countries.

Latitude 38 - The West's Premier Sailing & Marine Magazine

[denverd0n]

Originally Posted by erps

I understand from another thread that they haven't been approved yet for small craft in the US, but can be purchased from other countries.

Yes, but if you intend to buy it elsewhere and then bring it into the U.S. beware that you may have a problem. I've been searching, but cannot find the story I read sometime back. Maybe it is a figment of my imagination, but I am sure that I read that someone who attempted to do that had his class B AIS transceiver confiscated by customs when he tried to bring it into the U.S. on a U.S. registered boat.

[vega1860]

That's odd. When we arrived off Cape Flattery last summer and checked it with Tofino Traffic they asked us to turn on our AIS. We didn't have one but I've been considering getting a receiver to keep track of commercial vessels in low visibility situations as we don't have radar. (Waiting for radar to get small enough to be practical on my 27 footer)

[Dick Pluta]

I traded in my basic Pearson 30 for an Islander Freeport 41 with generator, A/C, etc. Neither one is perfect for two. In the Pearson, we had to clean up dinner and put away the table before going to bed. In the morning the same thing the other way round to have breakfast. The bunk in the cabin is just a bit too small for two people. Storage in almost non existent. We ended up with a bunch of blue plastic totes in the quarter berth. It's no fun to pull out everything to get something out of the box in the back and then put it all back when you're done. If you're into camping that's fine but, for any length of time, not for us. Having to turn sideways to pass each other in the cabin gets old in a hurry. In fairness, the Pearson is more a weekender or big day sailer and there are other, smaller boats that are better thought out for cruising.

The Islander, on the other hand, is probably a bit too big. I can handle her myself, no problem, and the comfort is really nice but the PO wasn't real big on maintenance and I spend WAY too much time keeping things running. Almost every pump needed repair or replacement. Half the stuff didn't work. When something stopped, the PO just stopped using it. In fairness, on a 30 year old boat, stuff happens but in this case maintenance was definitely deferred too long. Little by little, I'm getting things into shape and, I think, once I get everything shipshape things should calm down but I still think she's a bit too big for two. Don't forget that the cost of everything goes up by the cube of the length...dockage, hauling, everything.

For our lifestyle the best boat I have seen is the Islander Freeport 36 with the stateroom layout. Lots of room, a nice big bunk, comfortable cockpit, plenty of storage packaged in a hull that is a decent sailer. There are others with a similar layout. Unless you plan to make trans Pacific voyages where you need a snug sea berth for the times you're crashing through waves as big as an apartment building not the right boat, but I think most of us who cruise spend a lot more time hopping from port to port and at anchor that in long offshore passages. What's right for you depends on your style, but I think waiting for "the perfect boat" is foolish. My Pearson "wasn't the right boat" but it was a boat and we put on lots of miles together. I sailed her for over 20 years before I traded up. I would paraphrase the cruising wisdom. Go as small as you can tolerate, go as simple as you can deal with, go as soon as possible. An extra year of cruising in misery is no joy.

Dick Pluta

[sailormanbigd]

hi, thanks for the post, exactly what i was looking for-almost. While I applaud the posts on "concept", I require more details. Sure you can cruise on a 20 footer or a 60+ footer but what exactly do you require relating to amenities/systems. I am currently rebuilding a Morgan 33 outisland and am looking for advice pertainning to minimal systems required. I have to build floor and bulkheads and all systems including propulsion. I got the boat for free and it is big and wide so i think i will name her "free willy". I am specifically looking for a reduced maintainance situation. So, are candles ok for lighting, kerosene, is hatch hood ok for ventilation (plan on sailing the tropics), is alcohol stove ok for cooking, don't know bout the head, which is mostly foolproof. How much water and fuel storage is needed or desired? What about water maker, ice maker, solar panels, battery size, etc, etc? I had the best time when camping primitive, solar shower, coleman lantern and cook stove, etc. Thanks for any input. This topic is exactly what i came here looking for. Patrick

[sailormanbigd]

Also, what is a must have for the Admiral.

[MoonSailer]

It all depends upon the person. Do you require ice and cold beer??? If so refrigeration is a must have. Do you watch a lot of television??? Are you afraid of fog and need a radar unit. Do you get hot and desire air conditioning??? We need to work on our boat a Pearson 323 which is probably too small for a couple. My first concern is a seaworthy boat. We have refrigeration that we don't use but it can be improved and used. I figure that I need two more batteries and have bought a solar panel to power the frig. I have rarely encountered fog so rada is a low priority. A new inflatable is on the wish list but we have decided that for us a life raft is probably not worth the expense. We will be mostly coastal and the inflatable should be all we need. A new bladder type water tank so that we can carry more water!!!! We can only carry 35 gallons now which is ok but if we go to the Bahamas an extra 30 gallons or more would be nice. Maybe 6 X 5 gallon containers that can be easily transported in a dinghy??? We would like to be able to carry scuba gear but there just is not room. In a larger boat I would also want a scuba tank compressor. We have a alcohol stove that works but is not ideal. Propane would be nice but is not in our plans right now. The list can be endless. That is what I love about ""Sensible Sailing"" the advice to go cruising now. Leaving the dock is so scarey. It is so much less scarey to work on the boat. I met a guy who was building an airplane. He was not a pilot!!!!! Flying a small airplane makes sailing seem absolutely safe. Sitting in his garage building an airplane was even safer than sailing!!!!! Me when I wanted to fly I rented a airplane and went flying. Absolutely no desire to spend years building an airplane. Though I must admit that I met another guy who had built a Long EZ which is an amazing airplane. Of course he was a pilot who was flying while he was working on his airplane at night and on weekends. He took me flying and I was amazed at how cool the long EZ is to fly. Not particularly comfortable but very fast. But back to my point. Ask yourself if you want to go sailing and when. We are planning to go cruising next year but have been sailing every chance we get for the last 18 years.... Our boat is very far from perfect and is usually dirty but we would rather go sailing.