Sensible Small Boat Cruising

Comment

Comment by Mike Malone on June 11, 2008 at 12:00pm

What few people realize when picking a boat you really need to understand what your desires and sailing skills are. Plus look at what happens when you age, will you be capable of really sailing a larger boat. I never want a boat bigger than I can sail by myself and be comfortable with or a boat that relies on electronics/automated systems. Today I’m very comfortable with “Trost” a S-2 9.2 cc. She has been a great boat.

Cheers, Mike
*
~~~_/)~~~

Comment by Richard on June 8, 2008 at 12:03pm

Wow, it's hard to believe that I've created one of the largest groups on this wonderful site. Seems I've struck a nerve somewhere. Thanks to all the members. NOW, contribute your thoughts, knowledge and dreams of cruising in small boats.

Comment by CommodoreSwab on June 7, 2008 at 8:49pm

Probably the most defining influence wil be your draft. To try to sail around here and the bahamas with a 5-7 foot draft is a might tricky but there are other places where a draft like that is great

Comment by ___/)ances With Sails on June 7, 2008 at 7:13pm

I suppose this is a good place to ask. Im curious to know the best choice of boat (all dynamics considered) for cruising most-all waters. Realizing there are optimal designs specific for each coast, what is the choice of many? Is it best to decide on where I want to sail, stick with cruising that coast for a duration then sell, get yacht designed for another coast and etc. This decission is an obstacle to me.

___/)

Comment by Richard on June 4, 2008 at 8:02pm

Hey, Dave. No, 25' was just an arbitrary length. One that I think of as a minimum for comfortable living aboard while doing extensive cruising. Of course lots of sailors have gone long ways in lots smaller than 25'. West Wight Potters come to mind.

There are actually a lot of advantages to really small boats that you can cruise in that will allow you a place to lay down in and stay dry when it's raining. One advantage of small boat like yours is that you can tool down the highway at 65 mph and expand your cruising area to include larger land-locked lakes that most cruisers can't access.

Comment by Dave on June 3, 2008 at 9:25pm

Is there a 25 minimum ? Hi, I sail an aquarius 21. Shes' rigged for cruising and we've spent more than two weeks aboard cruising several times. The furthest off shore I've had her was about 50 miles West of Key West. That said most of my cruising is on large inland lakes such as Lake of the Woods (MN,ON,MB).
Haven't taken her to the Great Lakes yet but it's in the works.
Dave J S/V StarShine

Comment by ___/)ances With Sails on May 27, 2008 at 4:06pm

Ahoy gang,

Im a small boat sailor.
Ive been at it for a 10 years now, as weather permits my 110 sq. ft. of dacron to draft without ado.

Im enjoying reading yalls stories (or truths, as ye claim) for one day i'll decide to keep my feet dry and upgrade.

Perkins___/)

Comment by Richard on May 24, 2008 at 8:55am

Welcome Chris...hope you share your refit with us.

Comment by seafarer 26 on May 23, 2008 at 5:10pm

Hi, my name is Chris Ahola. I currently reside in beautiful cocoa beac fla. my comrad and I (boyh lifelong sailors) have started a total refit of a seafarer 26. Our intention is to make a 3.1/2 to 4 year circumnavagation with major surf spots on the mind. keep attention to new pictures i will post on the site. we are also starting a website to look for sponsors. The little boat got caugt up in our big dreams.

Comment by Richard on May 16, 2008 at 7:49pm

What kind of galley do you have on your boat?

I have run and worked on boats from 41' to 176' with galleys that rival most homes. At the other end of the spectrum I also lived for six years on a 26' sailboat. My primary stove was a two-burner propane stove top that I bought at an RV dealership. It was much more substantial than a Coleman camper stove. It was fueled by two five pound propane bottles. They looked to be miniatures of the 20 pound bottles used for BBQ grills. They were both filled when I left Key West and I spent the next six months in Mexico, Belize, and the Rio Dulce. I had one of the bottles filled in Guatemala. It worked out that each bottle would last me nearly 3 months. And I did a lot of cooking. At least breakfast and dinner every day. The stove sat on the chart table when in use and under the quarter berth when not. Of course it was useless when under way but my single burner Sea Swinging gimbaled stove did admirable duty. When it anchor or dockside I could also put the Sea Swing to use as a third burner when needed.

One of the best meals I've ever cooked on that boat was at anchor off of Garbutt Caye in Belize. I traded with the fishermen there on the tiny island two cans of Chef Boyardee ravioli, two cans of Bush's Boston baked beans, an onion and two very small Taster's Choice instant coffees and received 13 fresh lobster tails and 3 conch. Since I had no refrigeration on my small boat and hadn't even had ice for my cooler in about a week it was necessary to cook and eat the lobsters as soon as possible. As I watched the sun set behind the mountains in Belize I whipped up a lobster Newberg that I devoured in the cockpit.

Lobster Newberg (or shrimp or seafood)

First prepare a basic white sauce:
two tablespoons butter
two tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Mix in the flour to make a roux. Slowly add the milk to the roux until completely blended. Stir constantly over medium heat until sauce starts to thicken.

Cut the lobster tails into chunks. Melt some more artery clogging butter in a deep frying pan. Shake in a half teaspoon or so of paprika for color. Sauté the lobster (or whatever other seafood you desire) in the butter until almost cooked. Add about six or seven good glugs of sherry from that bottle you keep hidden away. When the lobster is completely cooked stir in the white sauce which now, because of the paprika, should take on a nice pink color. You can also throw in a cup of peas for some added color and your veggies.

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