I have a new (yet to be in the water) 326. It is located in Mystic CT - but now a change in plans may have me bringing it to GA. Not much use for it here normally - but am thinking it would be fun in the right season to spend some time on it in the Bahammas like at Nassau for example. The question - Am I crazy? Is this to smalla boat to even consider this type of situation? From a safety standpoint more than a comfort issue. Please let me know what you think. I may be better to just sell this boat and look for something bigger if this isn't a possibility. Thanks Ed
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Tom & Diane Harmer
Cruising Endless Summer
You might want to read the above book by Roger Mummah. He and his wife have sailed the Bahamas in their 31 Hunter. I'm sure everyone will have a different opinion on the seaworthiness of a 32 boat, but I believe it is possible if you exercise caution and good common sense regarding the weather. Check out Hunters at Sea on this website.
You might want to read the above book by Roger Mummah. He and his wife have sailed the Bahamas in their 31 Hunter. I'm sure everyone will have a different opinion on the seaworthiness of a 32 boat, but I believe it is possible if you exercise caution and good common sense regarding the weather. Check out Hunters at Sea on this website.
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Steve
Yes, but...
I have a 320, which is essecially the same boat as your 326. I sail the Great Lakes, which at times can be fairly rough. I have had my boat for one year, and have doen a few things to her to make her a little more seaworthy than out of the factory. I think the boat can handle the seas, but you might want to do a couple of the things that I have done. First, the bilge pump is a little small. I replaced the small pump with a 2000 GMP, and encased the the shower/ice box drains to stop them from getting to the bilge. I used the 750 GPM that came with the boat to pump the shower/ice box overboard. While doing this, I increased the size of the through-hull for the bilge. Take the old, small through-hull, and place it between the bilge and the new drain box with a scupper. It will not drain to the bilge, but the bilge can overflow into it, and add a little pumping power. Both pumps use the new, larger through-hull by a Tee. One last thought, my bilge pump was mis-wired from the factory, and the manual pump pick-up was not actually in the bilge. Check your pump operation with the battery switch in the OFF position, and pull up the floor to check the manual pick-up. The boat handles well, reef early, and enjoy the sailing.
I have a 320, which is essecially the same boat as your 326. I sail the Great Lakes, which at times can be fairly rough. I have had my boat for one year, and have doen a few things to her to make her a little more seaworthy than out of the factory. I think the boat can handle the seas, but you might want to do a couple of the things that I have done. First, the bilge pump is a little small. I replaced the small pump with a 2000 GMP, and encased the the shower/ice box drains to stop them from getting to the bilge. I used the 750 GPM that came with the boat to pump the shower/ice box overboard. While doing this, I increased the size of the through-hull for the bilge. Take the old, small through-hull, and place it between the bilge and the new drain box with a scupper. It will not drain to the bilge, but the bilge can overflow into it, and add a little pumping power. Both pumps use the new, larger through-hull by a Tee. One last thought, my bilge pump was mis-wired from the factory, and the manual pump pick-up was not actually in the bilge. Check your pump operation with the battery switch in the OFF position, and pull up the floor to check the manual pick-up. The boat handles well, reef early, and enjoy the sailing.
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Brian
Go for it!! with some sense of course
I cruised the abaco part of the Bahamas last summer on a 32' boat and had a blast! Summer time crossing of the gulf stream is usually an easier trip to make because a north wind (usually winter) is what typically makes the gulf stream treacherous. I would not, however, recommend going to Nassau if you want to do a "get away from it all" cruise. Nassau and Freeport are two spots that offer a lot of ammenities, but they are also about the only two places in the Bahamas I would tell you to lock you dinghy to the dinghy dock and to be careful. Buy a cruising guide book, Steve Dodge's Cruising Guide to the Abacos is good, and read the Gulf Stream crossing sections. They will make the crossing sound very dangerous at times, which it can be, but also will give you good advice. They were dozens of American sailboats in the 27-32' range over there in the summer, and the key is going across in good weather. I tried to cross 2 years ago on a 26' sailboat with a 9.9 Johnson outboard. Unfortunately, we had a limited time frame in which it would have been prtaical to go, and just never got the weather. We headed out of Ft. Lauderdale one night the weather seemed like it might cooperate more than it had been, but before we got 5 miles off shore we decided to turn back. To give you some reference, a forty two foot sailboat that left when we did continued on. We weren't in danger at the time, but it was, and would have been a really rough uncomfortable crossing. And were cruising for fun, the trip from NC to FL was enough. I would say buy a book, talk to people that have gone, and if you have fairly calm seas and southerly winds, go for it. Crossing from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami lets you use the stream for speed, and can actually take less time than crossing from Lake Worth, which is less distance, but you have to fight the gulf stream in a sailboat. Good Luck!
I cruised the abaco part of the Bahamas last summer on a 32' boat and had a blast! Summer time crossing of the gulf stream is usually an easier trip to make because a north wind (usually winter) is what typically makes the gulf stream treacherous. I would not, however, recommend going to Nassau if you want to do a "get away from it all" cruise. Nassau and Freeport are two spots that offer a lot of ammenities, but they are also about the only two places in the Bahamas I would tell you to lock you dinghy to the dinghy dock and to be careful. Buy a cruising guide book, Steve Dodge's Cruising Guide to the Abacos is good, and read the Gulf Stream crossing sections. They will make the crossing sound very dangerous at times, which it can be, but also will give you good advice. They were dozens of American sailboats in the 27-32' range over there in the summer, and the key is going across in good weather. I tried to cross 2 years ago on a 26' sailboat with a 9.9 Johnson outboard. Unfortunately, we had a limited time frame in which it would have been prtaical to go, and just never got the weather. We headed out of Ft. Lauderdale one night the weather seemed like it might cooperate more than it had been, but before we got 5 miles off shore we decided to turn back. To give you some reference, a forty two foot sailboat that left when we did continued on. We weren't in danger at the time, but it was, and would have been a really rough uncomfortable crossing. And were cruising for fun, the trip from NC to FL was enough. I would say buy a book, talk to people that have gone, and if you have fairly calm seas and southerly winds, go for it. Crossing from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami lets you use the stream for speed, and can actually take less time than crossing from Lake Worth, which is less distance, but you have to fight the gulf stream in a sailboat. Good Luck!
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Al S
Depends upon your comfort level!
We had plans to go to the Bahamas this year, but I scraped them because the "Crew" wasn't ready, and we were spending an incredable amount on safety gear to get the "new" boat ready. Everyone has their own threshold of what they need to go over, but most of all you have to be confident of your crew's and your own abilities. We decided to take a coastal cruise this year to get more offshore experience and maybe next year we'll head over. With respect to boat size, I talk to all kinds of folks going north through the Fernandina Harbor Marina, and yours is prob better than most, so no you're not crazy. I'd suggest May or June before hurricane season really gets rolling and after the northeast winds subside. Where in Ga?
We had plans to go to the Bahamas this year, but I scraped them because the "Crew" wasn't ready, and we were spending an incredable amount on safety gear to get the "new" boat ready. Everyone has their own threshold of what they need to go over, but most of all you have to be confident of your crew's and your own abilities. We decided to take a coastal cruise this year to get more offshore experience and maybe next year we'll head over. With respect to boat size, I talk to all kinds of folks going north through the Fernandina Harbor Marina, and yours is prob better than most, so no you're not crazy. I'd suggest May or June before hurricane season really gets rolling and after the northeast winds subside. Where in Ga?
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