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sailboats and captains

3K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  EJO 
#1 ·
My sailing experience is limited to an introductory sailing course and a few sailing jaunts that reaffirm that I have sea legs and appreciate the expanse of the ocean. It's been years since my last sail but now I want to buy a sail boat, hire a captain, and sail to Hawaii from San Francisco, learning more about sailing along the way. I'd like suggestions on open water boats that are easy to sail and more apt to forgive when given poor instructions. Here are a few that are for sale nearby that I'm looking at: Morgan 382, 38 feet, yr 1978. A 1999 Beneteau 411, 42 ft long. A pearson 365, and a hunter 3800. Feel free to suggest other boats.

I also want to hire a patient, laid back, knowledgeable captain for a month or so for the journey to Hawaii. If anyone one has any recommendations of captains; what I should expect to pay for a month of instructional delivery; or what to look for in a captain for such a trip, I would appreciate your input.

Thanks for your time.

Pickett
 
#2 ·
Would you have time to "test drive" or "audition" one or more skipper/instructors on some day trips before committing to spend a few weeks with someone? For a trip that long the personal aspects are critical.

Also, you could probably learn a whole lot about your boat starting with shorter sails with lots of maneuvering, docking, anchoring, traffic etc. as opposed to the long run to paradise where you might go for many hours at a stretch without needing to adjust trim.

Also, it might be easier for you to get your first "oopsies" with the new boat out of the way within a few hours of chandleries and repair shops. And, that would give you one or more captains' input and more time for your own ideas about how you'd like to improve and equip the boat for the big ocean run.
 
#3 ·
.... Here are a few that are for sale nearby that I'm looking at: Morgan 382, 38 feet, yr 1978. A 1999 Beneteau 411, 42 ft long. A pearson 365, and a hunter 3800. Feel free to suggest other boats.

Pickett
Very different boats from very different era's that will have very different issues. Two thoughts: don't be in a rush to buy anything. Spend plenty of time looking at A LOT of boats in your budget. (By the way, what is your budget? Remember that you'll need the cost of your boat + about 20% at a minimum to upgrade/equip and address basic maintenance issues) Rushing into a purchase can lead to very expensive buyer's remorse. Don't forget to add up the costs of moorage, potential new sails, etc....

Read up. There are a lot of books that will provide a baseline for thoughts about design, etc... There are many boats that will do the job you're looking for. The trick is to know enough to be able to make a list of 8-10 models that are close to what you're looking for, then find the best boat for the money that happens to be on the market in your purchasing time frame... While your looking, take your basic sailing lessons (ASA 101-104, etc...) including some dingy time if possible.

Three books for you:

Yacht Design According to Perry: My Boats and What Shaped Them by Robert Perry

The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising by Beth A. Leonard

Boatowner's Mechanical and Electrical Manual: How to Maintain, Repair, and Improve Your Boat's Essential Systems by Nigel Calder

I'm sure other's will pipe in with book suggestions. As you sail locally, read, etc... you'll meet people and get a much better idea who you might look for to help skipper your boat.
 
#6 ·
get a berth

One other little idea -- getting a crew berth on an overnight or longer ocean race or cruising rally might give you a good luck at how boats can be set up for bluewater work. In California, for example, the Baja HaHa has a crew list and crew party for prospective skippers and crew to meet.
 
#7 ·
I'd point out that unless you're independently wealthy, hiring a captain to sail your boat from SFO to Hawaii is going to be a fairly expensive proposition, especially if you can find one that is willing to teach you along the way and take a new-to-you boat that may or may not be seaworthy for the voyage.
 
#13 ·
small steps

Hi Pickett,
I agree with Post 2, you can learn alot yourself, just by taking small steps. Perhaps get to know the guys around you at the marina, tag along with them, everyone is always looking for day crew. We all start in the same place, I know I did. I bought my first yacht in Sydney with a mate of mine. After we'd taken ownership, nether of use wanted to take it over to the fueling dock !!!!. The total sailing we had done between us was the "test sail" before buying the yacht. After a year of sailing every week end and holidays, we took off on the start of a circumnavigation, first passage 1300 miles Australia to New caldonia. The yacht went up to japan and across the Baring sea to Dutch harbour and then down the west coast to mexico. The buddy I bought the yacht with is now a full time skipper on an 80 footer.
Good luck , you will tingle with enjoyment as you learn more, take the mistakes on the chin and move on. It's amzing what you can tackle if you put your mind to it.
 
#15 ·
One possibility is to hire a "teaching" captain who can bring along additional crew members/students with some experience who want additional bluewater miles and experience, and will split the costs. Make it a teaching cruise. Otherwise, one captain and one inexperienced owner for a couple of weeks--- not good.
 
#16 ·
The big problem with what you want is not many delivery skippers will travel that distance with a novice owner. He/she will, if they have any sence bring along an extra body; one who they can trust when things go pair shaped. And on any trip of the distance you are thinking, there will be one or two occurances.
 
#17 ·
Just so happens that 2 weeks ago I bought a boat in San Francisco, last Monday I came out the Golden Gate on the noon slack. One of my "crew" was wearing a scopalamine patch, (clue #1) perfect weather and his head is in a bucket already, three times before we reach Pacifica. The other one is useless & dangerous, but doesn't know it, tries to talk me into tacking IN FRONT of an inbound freighter. Got his own charts and GPS but can't navigate or read the charts, sees an oil rig on the chartplotter and is convinced it's a freighter. When I tell him it's an electronic chart and anything on it AIN'T moving he's unconvinced. Freakin' trip from hell, 30 knots around Pt. Conception and it's ONLY me at the helm all night.
Both men are "older" and have been sailing for decades, both have said they have removed sailing around the world from their bucket lists.
Make a couple good long trips before you make any long term plans or buy a boat.
A competent Captain is going to be much more expensive, AND WORTH, more than you can probably pay. You want a REALLY good friend who is a VERY good captain. Delivery Captains get $1.00 a mile, if the boat ain't moving at top speed he's losing money.
 
#18 ·
crew and skippers

Cap'n -- were the crew worth what they were paid?

Invention I've though of for green-around-the-gills ocean crew -- a funnel and hose run to a cockpit drain. Could serve multiple purposes.

For the original poster, the generic advice would be to do smaller steps first and then maybe use a captain/instructor as the final "grad course" for ocean sailing.
 
#20 ·
Ah, maybe the crew jumped ship because the boat you were delivering didn't have a pizza stone on board to get the crust just right.

Seriously, it's way disappointing that supposedly experienced sailors were so ineffective, clueless, dangerous, and unable to get the concept of following the captain's directions. I guess no amount of interviewing or references can substitute for sailing with people and even then some quirks will only emerge on a longer passage or in more stressful situations.

Seasickness in crew probably can't be avoided since everyone is different about this and even some really good, experienced sailors can have "issues", especially early on at sea.
 
#22 ·
Martness,
You buy the boat & I'll (plus Admiral) will take you.
PM me before you buy the boat! Obviously it must past my personal seaworthy muster, but we can discuss this at your leisure.

My sailing experience is limited to an introductory sailing course and a few sailing jaunts that reaffirm that I have sea legs and appreciate the expanse of the ocean. It's been years since my last sail but now I want to buy a sail boat, hire a captain, and sail to Hawaii from San Francisco, learning more about sailing along the way. I'd like suggestions on open water boats that are easy to sail and more apt to forgive when given poor instructions. Here are a few that are for sale nearby that I'm looking at: Morgan 382, 38 feet, yr 1978. A 1999 Beneteau 411, 42 ft long. A pearson 365, and a hunter 3800. Feel free to suggest other boats.

I also want to hire a patient, laid back, knowledgeable captain for a month or so for the journey to Hawaii. If anyone one has any recommendations of captains; what I should expect to pay for a month of instructional delivery; or what to look for in a captain for such a trip, I would appreciate your input.

Thanks for your time.

Pickett
 
#23 ·
somebody earlier in this thread mentioned $1/mile for delivery Captain hire, is that really a good rule of thumb? I assume plus expenses.
I would have paid that for an 80 mile trip (12 hrs) in 34 deg. F weather earlier this year.

So was a boat bought and did a captain teach him/her and when is the trip to Hawaii?
 
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