Sailing on bigger boats

[AjariBonten]

I think the biggest danger is a bad case of "3-footitis", or more likely 12-footitis.

Go, have fun, and don't stress!

[MSN2Travelers]

Originally Posted by xort

anchoring is easy if you have the right equipment, nightmare if you don't.
what issues were you having?

Not really a matter of issues, it's a lack of experience (and the lack of confidence that brings).

I'm just getting to the point where I need to learn how to match bottom type to the anchor I may or may not have. The Admiral wants to cruise Door County (WI) this summer and that will involve a number of nights on the hook.

[twinsdad]

I went from sailing open cockpit 12 footer to a 34 foot racer/cruiser, although I sailed a few times on friends' bigger boats. Found sailing a bigger boat easier (more forgiving of an imperfect captain), and the motoring part was easily picked up with one short lesson from a friend. Go have a great time!!!

[Hudsonian]

When my wife and I first chartered in the VI twenty five years ago the largest boat either of had ever sailed was a 17' dinghy. We had a grand time sailing from St. Thomas to the Virgin Gorda and back. This before moorings had been sunk so we anchored every day for lunch and every night. When we got back to the charter base and the staff checked the gauge, we realized that we hadn't turned the engine on all week. The boat had an ice box; no refrigeration.

I think the first time you will have to deal with a dock is when you return to the charter base. Your biggest concern with the engine will be avoiding fouling the painter on the tender.

[sck5]

When you first get out on the bigger boat spend some time in the harbor doing a couple of figure 8's to see how tight you can turn. Then try to see if you can stop it at a particular point. If there is a buoy in deep enough water or an empty mooring ball that is perfect as a target. Then see if you can back up to it. Actually, these are good exercises any time you get on a boat that is new to you. Sailing is easy. Anchoring is still pretty easy and if you are chartering they will presumably have the right anchor for local conditions already on the boat. It is close quarters maneuvering that is different with each boat, particularly if there is wind.

[Petar]

Sailormon6

If you need a book to handle 35 ft boat you needn't go off your berth. we are not talking about 1000 ft VLCC( Very Large Crude carrier) but a boat. Inboard engine sailboats are way easier for shiphandling than ones with outboard engine. People make such a big fuss about handling sailboats??

Petar

[johnshasteen]

Big boats sail just like little ones - you just need a bigger slip, more money in your checking account and more room to turn the boat.

[imagine2frolic]

I took my lessons on 22 ft. Santanas. 3 months later bought a 30ft. Columbia, and then jumped to a 46ft. cat. I would only worry about the extra momentum the extra weight carries as mentioned above. Practice anchoring what you have, and if you are successful at that. Then you will be successful with the larger boat.

The BVI will have lots of mooring to protect the bottom. The Bahamas is mostly wonderful sand, and easy anchoring......BEST WISHES on the upcoming trip......i2f

[fastfilm]

Yeah, you probably have the skills to sail a 38 footer in the BVI's and you can avoid docking and even anchoring by simply choosing. The bigger popular sites in the BVI's all have mooring balls and you are required to moor in park areas to protect the coral. It would be worth taking a three hour intro course on a cruising boat before you go to familiarize yourself with systems, water, fuel, etc. Pay attention when the charter folks go through the boat with you, even worth taking notes so you can find the hidden valve or switch when you need it 3 days later. Taking a captain with you the first day is also possible and not too expensive, if you can stand the company.

Charter companies estimate that you can easily handle a class up from what you are used to, i.e. a 32 or 36 footer for you. I have chartered 38 to 50 foot boats and never encountered problems related to size. Just be very conservative and remember that the windage of these big boats will produce forces much larger than you are used to. I had a friend (5ft2 110 pounds) who didn't want to turn loose of a boat hook because she was determined to hold on to a mooring despite the parallel rows of bruises on her ribs from the pulpit. Turn loose and try again is a good motto.

[Bene505]

We have a Beneteau 50. My previous boat was a Victory 21. Of course, some crewing on other people's boats can make you more comfortable. (I wasn't looking for that big a boat, she was a boat I came across that was right for me and my family for several reasons.)

Reading Chapman's, and thinking a lot about everything helped. As did taking it easy with the new boat. Oh, and the keels on the 21 and the 50 are very similar. I might have had more trouble moving to a full keel 35 than to the Beneteau.

Practice getting in and out of slips with no wind. SAY NO TO DOCK BOYS. Again: SAY NO TO DOCK BOYS when they direct you to a transient slip that looks untenable due to wind and current. Go elsewhere if it looks too dificult.

Invest in fenders and boat hooks and bring people who can help ease you into the slip. Tip good dock boys really well, when they show up to help you.

Read everything you can about prop walk.

IMHO, mooring and anchoring are easier that getting into a slip. Things happen directly into the wind and getting the main up is easy when you are still moored/anchored.

I have a great windlass with a remote switch at the helm. That makes it easy to drop the anchor and (after deciding you don't like the holding) raise all that chain and try again.

Practice 3-point (5-point?) turns so you know how tight an area you can turn around it.

Practice Man Overboard Drills -- it gets a more difficult with higher freeboard.

Think about Plan Bs and Plan Cs. For instance, if the wind picks up and you can't get into the dock safely, you can go grab a mooring. If there are no moorings, you can anchor. If the anchor doesn't hold, you could raft up, if you can't raft up, you could get away from other boats and idle into the wind until it blows over. (Some of these may be unworkable depending on the circumstance, but you get the idea.) Think of many "what-ifs" and know the "outs" that you have for each of them.

Probably the easiest thing to do is to find someone with a bigger boat and go sailing with them. That's what I did. You mentioned a 35 foot boat. There are a lot of them around and people are always looking for good crew. And for my biggest BFS, I was in the company of 5 other experienced sailors (sailnetters all). That made all the diference. Good company, good crew, good times.

I still count myself as having a lot to learn, so take this advice for what it's worth.