Cruising non-stop... what runs out first?

Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
I was online chatting with a designer at the firm that designed my boat (Finot/Conq) when the the discussion switched to their new semi-custom FC53 came up. The FC53 is a fast planing world cruiser, designed to be sailed by a couple. I noted that I thought it interesting that the galley stove is spec'ed (but of course can be changed) to be an electric induction cooker. He said that's very very common now, with this style boat and its ability to generate a lot of electricity via its two hydro-generators. The mindset of these owners is 'what runs out first'? With gas you have small tanks of hard-to-find fuel that serves only one purpose on the boat. With the hydrogenerators, watermakers, induction stoves, and icemakers! the FC53 can go until you run out of food. Its possible to pack a year+ of that.

What runs out first on your boat if you decide to 'go moitessier'???
 
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DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
This is an interesting topic. SV Delos replaced their gas stove with electric induction cook top and a small electric oven. They have solar, two wind generators and a diesel generator. They switched to lithium batteries. I was surprised at first when they switched but thinking about it, it does make sense getting rid of propane when you can get so much free electricity with a diesel back up just in case. On smaller boats that don't travel as far from readily available resources and that have more limited electricity available, propane may still make sense.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Designer hasn't cruised. Cruisers spend most of their time at anchor. Hydro-generators are only good underway and for long distance crossings. That's why solar, wind gens and condomarans are so popular.
A large section of the cabintop is designed for integrated solar panels. They did several electric budget scenarios and they all worked. The boat also has a generator and 200g of diesel tankage. You would of course add wind turbines to the spec.

But you are right, this is NOT a boat designed to sit at anchor. Hence the design brief, and the question.

schum-vuenew7.jpg
 
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Nov 6, 2006
9,885
Hunter 34 Mandeville Louisiana
First long(er) trip I was involved in (friend's Tartan 37) we ran out of ice and good beer.. There was Tecate, but I couldn't quite drink that stuff.. probably why there was some left when we landed at Isla Mujeres , Mx.
 
Jan 27, 2008
3,045
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Who needs food, water or beer if you have enough rum? Rum requires no electricity, no refrigeration, takes up minimal space, can be used in place of fresh veggies, doesn’t get rancid like water tanks full of old water. With enough rum you can cruise forever or until your liver bursts whichever comes first.
 
Jan 22, 2008
296
Islander Freeport, 41 Ketch Longmont, CO
So would they like some additional feedback based upon the drawing provided?

I can solve the beer problem by switching to rum and storing more.

In looking at the design I see a few areas which would raise concern for long passages:

1. a lack of comfortable seating behind the helm - granted these boats are AP driven but, still its nice to be able to sit behind the helm when docking or going into a new harbor where the AP can't get me. Also the distance between the helm and the winches makes it difficult for a single person to handle things. If its meant for a couple it needs to be able to be handled by one person.
2. Beefier rigging - When caught in a storm, this lightweight rig (no back stay, minimal side stays, etc.) would come down in a minute. Also with no back stay, rigging an SSB antennae could become an issue which would limit offshore communications capabilities.

I'm sure they are thinking through these things, just my comments, one other item the deep keel is a problem - it limits harbor accesses and becomes a point of failure during a storm.

These types of boats are great for racing and having loads of fun but when the speeds get too high they become dangerous and require significantly more skill and knowledge to handle, cruising couples may not be a great target market.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
NO! Not that please.

Given an unlimited amount of fresh water via the watermakers, would it be possible to brew beer underway? What would you need to provision?


and



Might be better to just increase storage space for the store bought stuff...
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
So would they like some additional feedback based upon the drawing provided?

I can solve the beer problem by switching to rum and storing more.

In looking at the design I see a few areas which would raise concern for long passages:

1. a lack of comfortable seating behind the helm - granted these boats are AP driven but, still its nice to be able to sit behind the helm when docking or going into a new harbor where the AP can't get me. Also the distance between the helm and the winches makes it difficult for a single person to handle things. If its meant for a couple it needs to be able to be handled by one person.
2. Beefier rigging - When caught in a storm, this lightweight rig (no back stay, minimal side stays, etc.) would come down in a minute. Also with no back stay, rigging an SSB antennae could become an issue which would limit offshore communications capabilities.

I'm sure they are thinking through these things, just my comments, one other item the deep keel is a problem - it limits harbor accesses and becomes a point of failure during a storm.

These types of boats are great for racing and having loads of fun but when the speeds get too high they become dangerous and require significantly more skill and knowledge to handle, cruising couples may not be a great target market.
hey Victor,
Here are some of my thoughts on your comments, partly based on a deeper understand of the the boat than I posted here.

1) Seating for sure is a personal choice. On these wide transom boats, by for the most popular/comfortable place to drive is sitting on the coaming. The wheel (or tiller!) position allows this. The coaming is designed to be comfortable, and you get a great view of the telltails. It also allows you to sit in that same position IN FRONT of the wheel, and drive while using the winches, either in manual or electric mode.

2) It must not come through in the pic, but the boat and rig in particular are designed for anything, indeed to go around the world. The design team has designed half of the winning Vendee Globe 60-foot race boats, and a lot of that ended up here. The rig is immensely strong, overbuilt carbon and stays tied directly into the hull. And while it can be sailed without a backstay in all weather, it also has running backs that can be pulled on for more performance.

Yes SSB more of an issue. But the guy with the means for this boat simply checks the box that include the Cobham Sat Imarstat dome.

Typical of Finot boats, the keel is lifting, providing 13 feet of draft when down, but only 5 when up. It is also fused to pop-release in a hard grounding.

While not for everyone, it IS designed for a knowledgeable couple to sail. I've done lots on the 40-foot version of this boat, and its totally manageable by 2. The first (who commissioned the design) was a couple in their 50s. The 2nd (semi-custom built from the same molds) was the same type of people. The 3 is going to 80 year old Stanley Paris, who has had two boats fail on him in attempts, but figures this is the perfect boat for the job.

https://www.sail-world.com/Australia/With-80-years-around-the-world/-154634?source=google
 
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capta

.
Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
This is an interesting topic. SV Delos replaced their gas stove with electric induction cook top and a small electric oven. They have solar, two wind generators and a diesel generator. They switched to lithium batteries. I was surprised at first when they switched but thinking about it, it does make sense getting rid of propane when you can get so much free electricity with a diesel back up just in case. On smaller boats that don't travel as far from readily available resources and that have more limited electricity available, propane may still make sense.
We just switched last month from an electric range to a 4 burner gas cooker. What a pleasure it is to cook and even boil some water without starting a genset! We still have a 3 kW inverter, but we don't need that nearly as much now either.
Wow, I can't even imagine going backward and being forced to run a genset to cook. The cook on that boat isn't going to be slow cooking a nice stew or doing a lot of baking, Oh pity, no baking bread wafting up from below while on watch. That's when using a gas cooker and an icebox keep the charter going!
Yeah, yeah, I know, there's solar, wind and hydro charging possibilities, but after living with solar and wind charging (I'd rather catch fresh fish than use a hydro-gen) for around 5 years, there are certainly times when none or all produce enough power to use electric appliances. So you are right back to a diesel genset, though most likely one too small for more than the bare necessities in AC electricity.
 
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Jan 22, 2008
296
Islander Freeport, 41 Ketch Longmont, CO
Jackdaw,

Thanks for the clarification, I knew there was more to it than I was seeing. Sounds like it could be fun if you have the means :)

V
 
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DArcy

.
Feb 11, 2017
1,691
Islander Freeport 36 Ottawa
Who needs food, water or beer if you have enough rum?
Years ago there was a guy named Dave on the CWBB with a Westsail 42. When I was aboard his boat in Florida he was provisioning for a couple months in the Bahamas then on to the windward islands and there were about 40 cases of beer he was in the process of stowing. He said rum is cheap in the islands but good beer isn't and he only drank beer.
I could probably live off rum and coconuts if the beer ran out.
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
If I was going to spend a year sailing to lonely lovely far away places on the FC53, one thing I'd make SURE to have onboard is a years supply of good American-style deodorant/anti- perspirant. Like Mitchum 48hr. I hate the thought of running out, and that stuff is a distinctly American thing.
 
Jul 27, 2011
4,989
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I suspect that the digital age along w/internet & GPS has changed the ranking of those things over the past 20 or so years. From the mouths of several cruisers I’ve known from a past era, reading materials ran out earlier than expected. That would not be a problem now with downloads available. Others have said water is limiting, but probably no longer on the large boats that have room for a watermaker. Food should not be a limiting problem for cruises of even several months if carefully planned.

However, one thing that you cannot produce or acquire at sea at all is diesel fuel, and to a certain degree that is related to electrical power to drive the above items. Many ways around that limiting factor have been found, and tried—wind-vane auto pilots, solar panels, wind-generators, LEDs, cabin lamps, and of course— sailing itself. Now, as you point out, very large capacity fuel tanks as well. But in the smallish cruising yacht away from services, whether underway or anchored out for extended period, fuel, i.e. power, is it for us and likely those folks. (Especially if you need heat!)
 
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