[adventurer360]

this is my first post since i am new to the site but i recently boiught a 26' islander excalibur that i now live on. I modified her with a refrigerator that slides out from the small cabin that has the head(very ingenious of me i think), solar panels, lots of shelves with high walls, etc. I have takin lots or all i should say, sailing lessons so i think i am soon ready. i feel she is a strong boat so i was just wondering what every one with more experience thinks. Is she capable of such a journey? I would hate to sell her to buy a contessa 26 like Aebi since i found her boat cramped. I have made my boat into a home but i think my life is a bit more important. Just wondering what everybodys thoughts are. Also amy supplies/ advice any seasoned circumnavigators have are welcome. Anybody lookin to join me is also welcome to write me. There is very little information about islander 26s.
thanks everyone

 

[mitiempo]

While the right sailor can probably sail most any boat around the world, preparation is everything. At a quick glance at one on Yachtworld I'd say the cockpit is too large and should be made smaller. The companionway is too large - a filled cockpit would find its way into the cabin in short order. With these changes and general strengthening of rigging, ports, et all I think you could sail this boat offshore in good weather. It is billed as a "starter boat and good weekender" and would not be my choice. Definitely not built to the standard of the Contessa 26. A voyage across an ocean or farther should be an accomplishment not a gamble. Just my opinion.
Brian

 

[tdw]

I have absolutely no idea about the "Islander Excalibur" though from the pics that google throws up she looks like a fairly typical prod sailor of her day.

As to whether you could or should circumnavigate in one I offer no opinion but if you spent a few months sailing up and down the coast near your home port you might just find out for yourself whether you have a suitable craft for this planned voayage around the planet.

Indeed, said craft might also find out is she has a suitable skipper.

 

[tweitz]

I suspect the question is not really serious. As a former owner of an Islander Excalibur, I can assure you that, while it is a very nice boat of its era, it is nowhere near suitable for a circumnavigation. Although it has a deep fin keel, drawing 4'11" if I recall correctly, it was fairly common for the keels to have play in them which would weaken the fiberglass all around the attachment point. The tiller/rudder assembly is another potential weak point. The outboard in a well is not a suitable engine and of course there is no signficant storage space for fuel or water and almost no electrical system. An autopilot or windvane would be very difficult to rig. Perhaps yours has been upgraded substantially, but neither the rigging nor the equipment would come close to a safe boat for the purpose. It was a very nice coastal boat, with modest amenities and a nice large cockpit. It was never designed or equipped for circumnavigation and the modifications that would have to be made are so major that it would not make sense to do them.