Sensible Small Boat Cruising

I am interested in hearing more about other experiences in this range, It is what I would likely choose. Insurance would be 1 factor, but ease in marinas, lower draft, I am thinking more versatile as a vessel. But I like quiet places.
So why are you partial to them?

Why am I partial to small boats?

Lower cost of purchase
Lower cosr of maintenance
More easily single-handed.

But finding a REAL ocean-going pocket cruiser is rare though there are some out there. Most of the smaller boats, those in the range of this group are really coastal cruisers, but the older ones, like the Kaiser as well as the Pacific Seacrafts, Pearsons, Tartans that were built in the late 60s and early 70s were generally "over built" because the builders weren't that sure of fiberglass as a building material.

I also like those boats because they usually had full keels and classic lines.

If you want to find out more, get ahold of Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach, by Don Casey and Lew Hackler. But beware, reading it may change your life.

Another thing is: A small boat and a suitcase full of money beats a 40 footer tied to a bank.

David:

Just got off the web looking up the Saturna33. VERY nice boat. Certainly something to be proud of

Let's see if I can stir up a little discussion here.

What do you consider to be the LEAST important piece of equipment on a small sailing vessel? Why?

What do you consider to be the MOST important piece of equipment on a small sailing vessel? Why?

As far as I'm concerned, the least important piece of equipment would have to be an inboard engine, either diesel or gas. First of all, you're on a sailboat and you're supposed to sail it. Essentially I believe an engine is an evil entity waiting to fail at the most critical moment. They're nice to spin an alternator to keep the batteries charged and the fridge cold if you're lucky enough to have one.

When I was running an 85' motor sailer it had a pair of Gardiner engines that were wonderful pieces of equipment. On my 26' Kaiser the engine had been removed and an 8hp Suzuki outboard on a bracket served as the main power for both the sailboat and the hard bottom Avon. Sure, there were about three times in the six years I owned her that I would have liked to have had an inboard but all things considered I liked the storage space that was created with the removal of the engine and fuel tank.

I have TWO pieces of equipment I consider absolutely essential...1) a windvane self-steering system and 2) a windlass. Note, I said wind vane and not an auto pilot. Electrical powered auto pilots, to me, are in the same category as engines...just waiting to crap out when you need it most. The key word in wind vane, though, is WIND. No wind no work. On my passage from Key West to Isla Mujeres on the Kaiser I was becalmed for three days. My outboard pushed me along easily at hull speed (speed through the water, but speed over the ground sucked bucking into the Yucatan Current and an inboard wouldn't have made any better time) but I spent two days and nights at the tiller. It is in instances such as that when a Tiller Pilot or other electrical steering system would be benificial.

Your ideas.......

I forgot the windlass in the last post. If you're really into cruising and divorcing yourself of the yellow umbilicus of a shore cord then you need good ground tackle. I spent nine months poking arount Mexico, Belize and Guatemala and was at a marina dock one time in each place, so I anchored out all the time.

My boat had 125 feet of chain rode and that's the only way to go, believe me. My boat also came with a Simpson-Lawrence manual windlass and when you're dealing with chain every time you want to move to a new piece of paradise you don't want to be hauling it up hand over hand. My windlass was a vertical model and operated by a winch handle. To me it was nearly as essential for the pleasure of my cruise as was the windvane.

You may want to expell me from this group as I cruise 396 Carver, However what I have read in the comments is very interesting to me as I love to cruise i.e (take a trip by boat). I have taken my old boat( 32 Carver aft cabin) up to Lake Michigan twice. Absolutely an adventure but very expensive!! Maybe you sail guys have something there. I also made the trip from Chattanooga Tn. to St. Louis, Mo. My home port. This location allows you to get to just about anywhere. I hope to do the LOOP when a few things iron out in my personal life such as money, convincing the admiral, etc. etc..

Mike, while primarily for blow boaters, I wouldn't kick you out because you consume vast amounts of fossil fuel.

Personally, I LIKE going fast on the water. As long as someone else is footing the bill. Working in the offshore oil industy for quite a few years running crew boats I had some fast craft. One that I ran was a 47' aluminum boat with a pair of 892's and I'm telling you it was a screamer. I bet it topped out at around 50 mph. But on my own dime I'll let the wind take me where it will.

I did the "LOOP" in '74 & '75. In '74 in my first captain's gig I took a 42' Hatteras tri-cabin from Burnham Harbor, Chicago and ran the lengths of lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie, out the Erie Canal, down the Hudson and outside to Norfolk. I ran from Norfolk to Fort Lauderdale single-handed. And let me add, that the boat, with a pair of 653s was a real SLUG!

In '75 I was hired by a young couple to help take their Outhouse 51 (oops I mean Out Island 51) to Fort Lauderdale from Chicago. We left from Burnham Harbor again and went down the Illinois and Mississippi rivers (no Tom Bigby then) and ended up at Bahia Mar the same as the previous year.

I'd do the Erie Canal again. It was a nice ride, especially once you got into the Mohawk River. It was fall and the leaves were turning. Enjoyed it very much.

I once believed that sailing on a lake was for novice sailors. That was before i have been on Lake Mead with:
1. Wind changing direction 180 degrees without warning.
2. Winds funneled through canyons and coves are accelerated from more than just a gust.
3. Winds of 21 MPH or greater (=/> 21 MPH = "WINDY" by Weather Forecaster) forecasts usually mean 30-35 MPH.
4. Waves bounce back from high wall of the canyon like shore line to provide a confused water condition (Chop).

Have been out in Gale force winds on Lake Mead with my Mac 26X with only the working jib up and when nowhere save for keeping my bow off the wind.

No, if you can sail Lake Mead in rough weather you can sail anywhere.

Welcome Ron, and thanks for contributing to the group. As it has been stated before, Lake Michigan Ain't No River.

I just read a comment from the 3rd of April. Actually, there are many small boats that would make great deep sea cruisers. Not to mantion the boats that can be purchased for very little and strengthen for offshore. It all depends on weather you have time or money. There are many British and Scandinavian built boats that would do besides the many choices from the US. Dave Martin had a cal 25 fixed up, there was another young man who made a 3/4 circumnav in a pearson commander, and the list goes on and on. I have an Aloha 32, and an Albin Vega 27. While I love the Aloha 32, My preference goes to the Albin. But I have an Admiral to keep happy.

Regarding dingies, what's yours? Hard, Inflatible, Nesting? I really like the idea of a nesting dinghy for my next boat.

My last dinghy was a hard-bottom Avon and the 8 hp Suzuki did double service as main power for the mothership and to power the dinghy along at a nice planing speed.

She towed just great. I never towed it with the o/b attached though.

My best memory of towing it, and there was absolutely no name attached to it, was when I left Cozumel headed south to the Bahia de la Ascencion. As usual I would take a salt water bath at the end of the afternoon rinsing off with fresh water afterwards. As I'm sure you all know Joy dishwashing detergent is the soap of choice for salt water and that's what I use.

I took my bath, made dinner and when everything was cleaned up and the sun was setting I raised anchor and motored to the south end of the island before I got enough wind to raise the sails.

As the dawn brightened and I was sailing along at nearly 6 kts through the water, I looked back and saw an enormous cloud where the dinghy should have been. It only took me a couple of seconds to realize that I'd left the Joy in the dinghy with the cap off. Throughout the night the soap had dribbled out of the bottle, spray from the dinghy being towed into the slight chop would come over the side and the bouncing up and down of the dinghy acted as a giant blender and made an enormous cloud of soap bubbles. Huge chunks would be torn from the heap and were strung out nearly to the horizon in a line like ducklings following their mother.

The one big problem was stowing it aboard. The only place it would fit was between the very end of the bowsprit and a couple of inches just forward of the mast, and in order to fit there the pontoons had to be deflated to fit between the life lines. It also lowered the bow deeper into the water by a couple of inches but it didn't seem to effect performance in any way.

With the dinghy in that position it was awkward to climb over it in order to get forward and change headsails. On the other hand, it came in handy when I did change the jibs because I'd just leave the sheets attached and stuff the unused sail under the dinghy until it was ready to be used again.

Perhaps should start a little discussion about the pros and cons of hank-on vs roller furling. To be honest I go for the hank-on. The rollers on the furling gear is just another evil spirit waiting to let you down at a critical moment.

Rich, I say, some folks ~will~ go to extremes to clean the inside of the dingy, eh ? LOL
Got to try that sometime...............
Dave

Read your profile and your comment about your SeaKnot member number being the same as your sail # reminds me of a similar coincidence...

When I was in Isla Mujeres I needed to cash some Traveler's Checks. I went to the Barclay's where I had to fill out a form for each of the five checks I endorsed. On each check I had to put down my passport #. The middle four numbers 6628 rang a bell with me, a mathematical dyslexic, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what the connection could be. I knew it wasn't part of any telephone number I'd ever had, nor did it belong to anyone I used to call a lot. I'd never had a street address of 6628, either.

I took my freshly acquired pesos and went off to have a good meal.Returning to my boat in my dinghy the registration number of my pretty Nancy Dawson leaped off the bow. In bright white numerals against the fire-engine red hull it read 6628!

hi all, i live on my cal 34 and want to go for a very long cruise someday-sooner than later, sensible is a word i should be more familiar with!

I love to sail small sailboats and just found the seaKnot site. Maybe this is a good place to introduce myself a little. Look like an old man but feel like I am much younger than 58 most of the time. Have owned two sailboats in my lifetime. The first was a 25' sloop made by Watkins, which I sailed, motored, and gunkholed up and down the east coast of the US and throughout the Northern Bahamas mostly by myself. Seems like I had a million great experiences and a few less than great. Running aground is a great teaching experience and I had my share. Most of the time this happened because I just had to go places where the water was "skinny" and the charts stated "un-charted or un-marked". Spent over a month exploring the Bight of Abaco which taught me even more about that small boat with the 2 1/2 ft draft and an 8hp outboard. Had the chance to get another (small) boat in 2002 and by 2003 I found my Westsail 32 headed for Bermuda and beyond. My life has never been the same since that day.

Would love to exchange stories with other sailors whether you are a much older and more experienced "salt" than me or from those that think this crazy life might be something for them in the future.

Guess this was a long introduction but when you are a "single hander" you have lots of time to talk and write, you just don't alway get answers right away.

Bob

S/V Journey

Thanks for joining and contributing to the group, Bob.

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.

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.

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

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___/)

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

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.

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.

___/)