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My boat is a Schock Santana 2023. It's water ballast with a swing "keel" but is really just a centerboard. I've met people who tell me that's the perfect boat for taking it up to NY into the sound or down to Atlantic City cruising close to shore, and other people who tell me I'm crazy sailing it for up to 2 weeks at a time in the bay. The people who told me she's sea worthy are all experienced sailors and yachtsman while the nay Sayers feel that anything without every luxury available for a 35 foot or larger shouldn't be headed out the Inlet. I'm 32 and started sailing at 2 years ove age. At the age of 16 I started taking our boat on weekend outings solo and over the years bumping the time on the water and distance greater and greater. I've sailed and run commercial fishing boats off shore so I have the experience and feel that if being properly equipped, near coastal sailing for this boat shouldn't be an issue. My boat is in Island Heights NJ on the Toms River near the mouth into the Barnegat bay. While the distance isn't the issue is like everyone's I put on taking her into the Atlantic for short hauls.
You have experience. Why do you want random strangers on the internet (who may or may not have more experience than you) telling you what you can and cannot do? I'll never understand questions like this.
It really all depends on what enjoy doing. I have found that I don't like "camping" for more than a day or two. A hot shower, a comfortable berth, ability to cook good meals, etc. are a priority for me.
You seem to have the experience to watch the weather and not take chances.
A long time ago I passed on a water ballast boat for the obvious reasons. I would not buy one today for the kind of sailing I do in the location I do it. But, if I had one I would not be afraid to take it on a near shore cruise. I would also not be afraid to leave it in New Jersey and take the train home if I had to get back to work for a few days and come back for it later.
I remember those days, sitting by the VHF, listening to that droning voice tell me there are 80% chance of thunderstorms with high winds, possible damaging hail, wind and seas higher near thunderstorms, looking out at the sunshine wondering if I should head to Block Island. Now I look at the radar on my phone and watch the storms and make my decisions based on multiple sources.
While I do constantly push the boundaries of my comfort im not reckless. If I get caught out in a storm then I'll make a decision to press on or anchor up. A lot of my sailing beside day cruises are just being able to take a cheap "vacation" even if it's only for a few days. My wife's not very keen on anything over a few hours and she rarely wants to go so since a young age my sailing has been 99.5 percent solo. I think it's just getting to a point where I need to stretch her legs at sea and either head North to NY or Long Island or head south to Cape May for a few days.
The chances of bumping an unpredicted storm between Sandy Hook and Atlantic City is pretty remote unless you don't look at the weather, or go in winter.
I did it last week on Tuesday and it was dead flat calm.
Oh, so nobody stole Sea Life? What a relief.
Mark, how could you go for a sail without informing those on here who should be kept in the loop? For shame. lol
Now get it together and keep the pack informed.
Where are you off to next, or has Atlantic City broken the bank? I hear they'll hire an Aussie as a croupier, because his accent makes it bit less painful when he says 'loser' to those who didn't win. lol
Picking weather windows is now fairly easy and reliable...We have done 1,000 nm trips to and from the Caribbean that could have been done on a Hobie Cat! Just stay out of the wide off-shore parts of the Gulf Stream.
A lot of people have not sailed on a water ballasted boat yet they will put them down. A lot of people also put down MacGregor's so by extension, water ballasted anything (not that all MacGregor's are water ballasted or can carry a 50 hp motor).
I sailed from Fire Island Inlet to NY harbor on a MacGregor 26' "S" model sailboat and lived through a long 50 nm. day.
Properly operated, a water ballasted boat is as safe as any other boat out there.
World is full of people willing to tell others what they can or can not do with their boat that they know more about than them. Hell read any production boat thread and it will sound just like your questions.
It's your boat, you are the one that decides what it can and can not do!!!!
Just saw a documentary this afternoon on a guy who sailed a DIY project day sailor open cockpit round the world AGAINST The tides and currents. He wrecked once outside madagascar, rebuilt and had a boat drop him in the exact location to finish his voyage. My ultimate goal as a disabled veteran is to assemble a crew of other disabled vets and with the proper boat with sponsors and sail around the world.
I recently asked a similar question about the sanity of taking my 23' Aquarius outside to AC or NYC from Barnegat Bay.. My slip is in Lanoka Harbor. My well seasoned slip neighbor said I'd have no problems boatwise and should look into going. I just began sailing this year, 2 months ago, so I have much more confidence in my boat then I do in my own sailing skills at the moment. A weekend run to AC with an overnight in the middle with a second singlehander running the same direction would definitely be a confidence booster for a sailing newbie.
The largest part of "seaworthy" and "safe" may be the skipper's judgment. If you are sailing in what you have found to be "safe" comfortable conditions for the boat and crew, whatever those are they are probably right for you. Over time I think we have all expanded the conditions in which we'll sail, as we learn to deal with them.
I would note that sailing "outside" can be more risky than you would think, depending on how well you watch the weather. Pretty much all the inlets on LI's south shore become dangerous and impassible if the wind and current are contrary, or simply too strong. A large number of the NJ coastal inlets are also killers, that even the local USCG and NJ marine patrol won't gamble running in adverse weather. And what people don't realize is that the water off the NJ coast can be relatively shallow for a long way out, making the water much rougher much sooner (and farther) than one might expect.
So the idea of "ducking in" when the wx gets bad is often worse than having to sit it out, unless you are cautious and head in for shelter before the bad news can hit.
Safe? A very subjective concept.
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