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For experienced cruisers ...

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  killarney_sailor 
#1 · (Edited)
As some of you may know, I am writing a book about extended cruising based on the experiences of those who have done it (or are doing it). I tried to use a fairly detailed questionnaire to collect data but that did not work very well although I will use the data I did collect. I have decided to ask just a few questions (below) and hope to get more responses. If you have sailed more than 10,000 miles offshore or have crossed an ocean, on you own boat, I would appreciate your answers to the following questions. Feel free to skip questions if you like. You can answer in a PM to me, or just in a reply to this thread. Others might be very interested to hear what you have to say.

1. What model of boat did you use (are you using)? When was it built?

2. If you could make one change to this boat, what would it be?

3. Assume you cannot choose your own boat, what other boat of similar cost would you choose for long-distance cruising?

4. If money were not an object for either getting the boat or operating it, what boat would you choose for long-distance cruising?

5. How many offshore miles do you have with your own boat?

6. Please give one or more hints - things that you wish you had known when you were starting out cruising. These can be about boat choice, philosophy, destinations, crewing, food - you name it. Please give as many as you like.

---

Sample answers for me -
1. What model of boat did you use (are you using)? When was it built?
Bristol 45.5, 1982
2. If you could make one change to this boat, what would it be?
Make internal systems, particularly wiring and tanks, more accessible as on the Niagara 35 I had previously
3. Assume you cannot choose your own boat, what other boat of similar cost would you choose for long-distance cruising?
Little Harbor 44 although it is somewhat more expensive
4. If money were not an object for either getting the boat or operating it, what boat would you choose for long-distance cruising?
New Amel although the admiral would love a catamaran in the 45 to 50 foot range (I did say money was not a problem.
5. How many offshore miles do you have with your own boat?
30,000
6. Please give one or more hints - things that you wish you had known when you were starting out cruising. These can be about boat choice, philosophy, destinations, crewing, food - you name it. Please give as many as you like.
- You will never be all ready to go cruising.
- Your partner must be onside for the adventure, it must be a dream for both.
- There is always a wonderful surprise just around the corner.
- You can put up with worse weather and waves than you thought you could.

Thanks for the help.
 
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#4 ·
1) Morgan 44 centre cockpit, circa 1989

2) I would change nothing about my present boat other than equipment upgrades

3) No comment

4) Oyster 50 centre cockpit or Swan 50

5) About 28000nm over 38 years, including two ocean crossings (Indian and Pacific) sometimes with family, sometimes on my own.

6.1) Make sure that you never run out of electricity - life becomes quickly and exponentially less tolerable when you have no electricity. I have oversize alts on my main engine, 280w of solar, a wind generator and a diesel 12v gen set all connected to 800 amp hours of house bank. I never want to be "powerless" again.

6.2) Make sure you never have a fear of running out of water - you do need less than you think but sometimes quality water is hard to find. Sir Peter Blake once said "Good water - good life, bad water - bad life, no water - no life." An RO watermaker these days is compact, reliable and affordable, rain catchers are easy to make and stow.

6.3) Try to make your live aboard as close as possible to the amenities you have ashore, maybe not as big, maybe not as complex but try to have as much of it as you can. Decent shower, heads, a comfy place to read a book, good lighting, good cooking/baking facilities and so on.

6.4) Do not underestimate the need for good quality storm management gear (drogues, sea anchors, etc), you life may depend upon it. Also educate yourself on the various philosophies for storm management, pick one that suits your psyche and fulfill it in all aspects. Try not to mix and match. Example do I lie to the sea on a parachute anchor or do I slow my boatspeed and run with the weather?

6.5) You will need far less food in stock that you think, most food supplies can be had just about anywhere and the majority of trips from one place to the next are normally less than a week.

6.6) When setting up a boat for extended cruising, remember that you will be at anchor far more of the time than at sea - pay attention to your ground tackle and make your boat a comfortable place to live.

6.7) Try to have good comms on board (but see 6.1 above) A decent GPS EPIRB, many successful rescues happen because of EPIRB. Good radio equipment is expensive but cheap equipment is a waste of time. A satphone is useful for staying in contact with family.

6.8) Look after your sails, they're your ticket to the next destination.

These are my own thoughts/philosophies and each person will have different views.
 
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#5 ·
1. What model of boat did you use (are you using)? When was it built?
A 1990 Irwin 54 CC cutter.

2. If you could make one change to this boat, what would it be?
A taller rig with a boom furling instead of mast furling rig.
Easier access to the engine and generator space
Hard top instead of bimminie

3. Assume you cannot choose your own boat, what other boat of similar cost would you choose for long-distance cruising?
Right now I would probably choose a large cat. I do not know enough about different models to make a selection.

4. If money were not an object for either getting the boat or operating it, what boat would you choose for long-distance cruising?
Large cat.

5. How many offshore miles do you have with your own boat?
On the Irwin maybe about 12,000. Collectively on sailboats, about 30,000. Total on all boats about 50,000. I never actually counted it up though.


6. Please give one or more hints - things that you wish you had known when you were starting out cruising. These can be about boat choice, philosophy, destinations, crewing, food - you name it. Please give as many as you like.
-Never sail to a schedule. It is the most dangerous thing you can do
-take a community college course in diesel repair, unless you already know how to rebuild one
-same for electrical repair
- Take pictures of everything before you disassemble it
- don't be afraid to take on crew you don't know. Don't worry about kicking them off the boat if it doesn't work out.
- fresh fruits are generally in easy supply. Things like meat and cheese are much more difficult to find, and generally have to brought in from the states.
-a frozen slab of meat will stay frozen for about a day when wrapped in the middle of luggage
 
#6 ·
1. What model of boat did you use (are you using)? When was it built?
Hunter 42- 1991, Beneteau 36CC -1999, sabre 38 - 1983

2. If you could make one change to this boat, what would it be?
set up specifically for a couple

3. Assume you cannot choose your own boat, what other boat of similar cost would you choose for long-distance cruising?
Moody

4. If money were not an object for either getting the boat or operating it, what boat would you choose for long-distance cruising?
moody 41

5. How many offshore miles do you have with your own boat?
over 20,000

6. Please give one or more hints - things that you wish you had known when you were starting out cruising. These can be about boat choice, philosophy, destinations, crewing, food - you name it. Please give as many as you like.
It is only as costly as you make it. You need to be comfortable in your own skin and solely capable of taking care of yourself in all situations.
 
#7 ·
Thanks for the responses, they are exactly the sort of things I was looking for. Hope that more come in. A very preliminary judgement is that a lot of monohull sailors would like to have a catamaran in the 40 to 50' range, although cost is a big problem.
 
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