Hi all I am planning a very long cruise - down the west coast, through the canal, up the east coast and over to England - or something along those lines depending on the wind and weather. The target is in 2 - 5 years from now. I currently have a 27' Catalina. I have cruised the BC coast extensively and am going to sail round Vancouver Island this summer in my C-27. I am beginning to look for a 30 - 32 footer for this cruise. I understand the various requirements - strength, stability, keel and skeg, etc - but would like some thoughts from experienced cruisers about boat choices. Suggestions and reasons? Thanks
Best boat for offshore or long cruise
- Thread starter Richard McBride
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Sorry I can't give you
any advice as I sail a Mac26X, but if/when you do the trip stop by Gold Beach Oregon and I'll buy you a bowl of clam chowder, and pick your brain on the San Juan's, if you give me a 'heads up' about when you will be here.
any advice as I sail a Mac26X, but if/when you do the trip stop by Gold Beach Oregon and I'll buy you a bowl of clam chowder, and pick your brain on the San Juan's, if you give me a 'heads up' about when you will be here.
It depends on your budgets ...
How much time and how much money are you going to spend? C27's have sailed around the world. If you have the time to pick your weather you can take the boat you have. If you cannot afford to put a boat into seaworthy condition the boat is too big. I would budget at least $20,000US for maintenance, upgrades and repairs before setting off. As a yardstick, over $100,000 was spent on a 37 foot boat in preparation for an around the world cruise. Calculate your cruising budget for the duration of the cruise and double it. Are you going to sail singlehanded? With 1 crew? With your family? Don't get a boat that requires 4 crew (2 on, 2 off watch) if it's just you and one other. Don't get a boat that can only carry water for 2 and put a crew of 6 on it. The answer ... it depends.
How much time and how much money are you going to spend? C27's have sailed around the world. If you have the time to pick your weather you can take the boat you have. If you cannot afford to put a boat into seaworthy condition the boat is too big. I would budget at least $20,000US for maintenance, upgrades and repairs before setting off. As a yardstick, over $100,000 was spent on a 37 foot boat in preparation for an around the world cruise. Calculate your cruising budget for the duration of the cruise and double it. Are you going to sail singlehanded? With 1 crew? With your family? Don't get a boat that requires 4 crew (2 on, 2 off watch) if it's just you and one other. Don't get a boat that can only carry water for 2 and put a crew of 6 on it. The answer ... it depends.
Sorry I can't give you
Hi Mel This voyage could be anywhere from 3 to 5 years in planning, and anywhere from 3 to 5 years in duration. So I don't expect to be in Gold Beach any time soon. On the other hand, I can tell you a lot about the Canadian Gulf Islands and something about the San Juan Islands. The San Juans are beautiful, well serviced, and easy to get to. There are a couple of things you need to manage. One is the currents that happen throughout this area. The other is the summertime crowding. Isn't your Mac26 trailerable? If so, I would haul it up to Bellingham or even Blaine and head out from there. The other approach would be to haul it right up to Sidney in BC and launch right there into the Gulf Islands. You would clear customs by car, and you can be in the most incredible coastal cruising grounds in the world within a few minutes of launch. If you go to Sidney, start with Sidney Spit and a run up to Ganges. When God made Heaven, he started with the Gulf Islands. Just take it from there. Send me a note at rmcbride@rama.com if you decide to head up. I can send you a ton of ideas.
Hi Mel This voyage could be anywhere from 3 to 5 years in planning, and anywhere from 3 to 5 years in duration. So I don't expect to be in Gold Beach any time soon. On the other hand, I can tell you a lot about the Canadian Gulf Islands and something about the San Juan Islands. The San Juans are beautiful, well serviced, and easy to get to. There are a couple of things you need to manage. One is the currents that happen throughout this area. The other is the summertime crowding. Isn't your Mac26 trailerable? If so, I would haul it up to Bellingham or even Blaine and head out from there. The other approach would be to haul it right up to Sidney in BC and launch right there into the Gulf Islands. You would clear customs by car, and you can be in the most incredible coastal cruising grounds in the world within a few minutes of launch. If you go to Sidney, start with Sidney Spit and a run up to Ganges. When God made Heaven, he started with the Gulf Islands. Just take it from there. Send me a note at rmcbride@rama.com if you decide to head up. I can send you a ton of ideas.
It depends on your budgets ...
I am planning on purchasing an older boat, say something in the 1975 - 1980 range, but I am more concerned about the type of boat that I buy. Budget for the boat purchase is anywhere from 0 - $35,000. I would like to keep modifications and refit to about $10,000, but I am willing to spend up to $25,000. It is a balance between build or buy. I also plan on having about $50,000 for my initial cruise budget. However I am a freelance Project Management consultant and I work globally. I can "jet off" to an assignment from almost anywhere in the world, and most of my gigs are fairly short term. So I will be working while sailing (sometimes).
I am planning on purchasing an older boat, say something in the 1975 - 1980 range, but I am more concerned about the type of boat that I buy. Budget for the boat purchase is anywhere from 0 - $35,000. I would like to keep modifications and refit to about $10,000, but I am willing to spend up to $25,000. It is a balance between build or buy. I also plan on having about $50,000 for my initial cruise budget. However I am a freelance Project Management consultant and I work globally. I can "jet off" to an assignment from almost anywhere in the world, and most of my gigs are fairly short term. So I will be working while sailing (sometimes).
My wish list ...
I have a Cat 30, I'd almost consider taking her on the cruise you describe but she lacks a few things that I would want for the trip. The first thing I would look for is a sea berth. Most production boats just don't have one. The interiors are fine for sleeping in port, but they lack secure berths for the off watch crew at sea. On the C30 the stb settee with a lee cloth is ok, the port settee is too short for a proper berth if you are over 6' tall (I'm 6'1"). The aft 1/4 berth is too wide for use as a sea berth. The vee berth is useless. Another issue with boats in the 30 ft range is tank capacity. The space is limited and the boats are too slow to make fast passages. Adding a water maker is one answer to the tankage problem, but it adds a complex system to the boat. Ice box and food storage capacity is also limited in 30 foot boats. Using the engine to power the water maker and a holding plate system for the ice box requires some extra room around the engine to add the pump and compressor, many boats (like the C30) don't have much room to work with. I'd take a look at a Pearson 30, IIRC they have a decent interior layout, sound construction, about the same interior volume as your C27, and a skeg hung rudder. I know they handle moderately rough conditions pretty well. They don't have the interior volume of a C30, but not many other 30's do.
I have a Cat 30, I'd almost consider taking her on the cruise you describe but she lacks a few things that I would want for the trip. The first thing I would look for is a sea berth. Most production boats just don't have one. The interiors are fine for sleeping in port, but they lack secure berths for the off watch crew at sea. On the C30 the stb settee with a lee cloth is ok, the port settee is too short for a proper berth if you are over 6' tall (I'm 6'1"). The aft 1/4 berth is too wide for use as a sea berth. The vee berth is useless. Another issue with boats in the 30 ft range is tank capacity. The space is limited and the boats are too slow to make fast passages. Adding a water maker is one answer to the tankage problem, but it adds a complex system to the boat. Ice box and food storage capacity is also limited in 30 foot boats. Using the engine to power the water maker and a holding plate system for the ice box requires some extra room around the engine to add the pump and compressor, many boats (like the C30) don't have much room to work with. I'd take a look at a Pearson 30, IIRC they have a decent interior layout, sound construction, about the same interior volume as your C27, and a skeg hung rudder. I know they handle moderately rough conditions pretty well. They don't have the interior volume of a C30, but not many other 30's do.
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Richard, Sounds like a realistic plan, especially concerning the funds required to refit and the funds you will need to take along with you for on-going expenses. Scooping North America can be done in almost anything seaworthy; crossing the Atlantic is a different story. Most popular production boats just aren't built for crossing an ocean. You might try BBs more oriented to cruising sailors: http://www.cruisersforum.com http://www.sailnet.com/messageboards/index.cfm You can start today to get an idea of what is available in your area on www.yachtworld.com. You can search by many critera, including price and year. The advanced search lets you limit your searches to the Pacific Northwest. The best boat for your endeavor I see there in your area/proposed budget is this: http://yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_detail.jsp?currency=USD&units=Feet&checked_boats=1457977&slim=quick& Of course, you will get all kinds of opinions from different people. It's good that you're starting your research early. It will be a miracle if you can set off in just two years; more reasonable to figure five. Good Luck
Richard, Sounds like a realistic plan, especially concerning the funds required to refit and the funds you will need to take along with you for on-going expenses. Scooping North America can be done in almost anything seaworthy; crossing the Atlantic is a different story. Most popular production boats just aren't built for crossing an ocean. You might try BBs more oriented to cruising sailors: http://www.cruisersforum.com http://www.sailnet.com/messageboards/index.cfm You can start today to get an idea of what is available in your area on www.yachtworld.com. You can search by many critera, including price and year. The advanced search lets you limit your searches to the Pacific Northwest. The best boat for your endeavor I see there in your area/proposed budget is this: http://yachtworld.com/core/listing/pl_boat_detail.jsp?currency=USD&units=Feet&checked_boats=1457977&slim=quick& Of course, you will get all kinds of opinions from different people. It's good that you're starting your research early. It will be a miracle if you can set off in just two years; more reasonable to figure five. Good Luck
Is that your Catalina on pier 5 at Sewell's
Check out used CT 37's. These boats are made in Taiwan and are similar to Choey Lee's, another great boat. I'm not sure but I think the sail boat at the end of pier 6 (at Sewells) is a Choey Lee; if not it is very similar. The CT's are designed for open ocean sailing; a friend of mine single handed one back from the French Polynesians a number of years ago; I think it took him 45 days.
Check out used CT 37's. These boats are made in Taiwan and are similar to Choey Lee's, another great boat. I'm not sure but I think the sail boat at the end of pier 6 (at Sewells) is a Choey Lee; if not it is very similar. The CT's are designed for open ocean sailing; a friend of mine single handed one back from the French Polynesians a number of years ago; I think it took him 45 days.
Here we go again!
Here we go again...There was a post early last fall from a person wanting to use a Catalina 42 for circumnavigation. There were quite a few people chiming in about that idea. Not many of them supportive. My perspective is to buy as heavy and seagoing vessel as your budget allows, and my first choice would not be Catalina, Hunter, Bennnies, O'Days,(though I sail an O'Day 240) or any of the coastal cruisers that one thinks of. They are wonderful boats, so don't get me wrong. IMHO you have to hedge your bets. Is your life worth $20,000? $30,000? You would have little problems scooping North America as "Anchor Down" states. Everything changes once you hit the Gulf Stream and head off shore to Europe. It appears that you have experience in challenging coastal cruising. You are asking the right questions with plenty of time to get them answered. There are many small safe cruisers out there. Cal, Cape Dory, Pacific Seacraft, Pearson, and others. Good luck, How is the weather out there? Not too nice huh? We had 12 inches of rain here in October, over 9 days. What a mess it made of my boat! Good Winds, Eric
Here we go again...There was a post early last fall from a person wanting to use a Catalina 42 for circumnavigation. There were quite a few people chiming in about that idea. Not many of them supportive. My perspective is to buy as heavy and seagoing vessel as your budget allows, and my first choice would not be Catalina, Hunter, Bennnies, O'Days,(though I sail an O'Day 240) or any of the coastal cruisers that one thinks of. They are wonderful boats, so don't get me wrong. IMHO you have to hedge your bets. Is your life worth $20,000? $30,000? You would have little problems scooping North America as "Anchor Down" states. Everything changes once you hit the Gulf Stream and head off shore to Europe. It appears that you have experience in challenging coastal cruising. You are asking the right questions with plenty of time to get them answered. There are many small safe cruisers out there. Cal, Cape Dory, Pacific Seacraft, Pearson, and others. Good luck, How is the weather out there? Not too nice huh? We had 12 inches of rain here in October, over 9 days. What a mess it made of my boat! Good Winds, Eric
A couple boats to think about
The Endeavor 32 is a pretty solid boat that is in your price range and is a decent sailing boat. I had an Irwin 32, which was the same mold, but Endeavore built a better boat. Practical sailor did a write up on it a while back. I have heard the Ericson 32 is a good boat and suitable for offshore work. I would also research Nicholson. These are boats you don't often hear mentioned and, since they aren't trendy, they tend to be less expensive - in your price range.
The Endeavor 32 is a pretty solid boat that is in your price range and is a decent sailing boat. I had an Irwin 32, which was the same mold, but Endeavore built a better boat. Practical sailor did a write up on it a while back. I have heard the Ericson 32 is a good boat and suitable for offshore work. I would also research Nicholson. These are boats you don't often hear mentioned and, since they aren't trendy, they tend to be less expensive - in your price range.
Spencer 35
Richard; How about a Spencer 35 built in B.C.. Hal Roth went around the world in one sailing more than 50,000 miles in eleven years. There is one for sale across from my slip in Campbell River and nicely equipped. This boat is full keeled and made for offshore work. Pick up a copy of Roth's book "After 50,000 miles' as it makes very good reading. Mac.
Richard; How about a Spencer 35 built in B.C.. Hal Roth went around the world in one sailing more than 50,000 miles in eleven years. There is one for sale across from my slip in Campbell River and nicely equipped. This boat is full keeled and made for offshore work. Pick up a copy of Roth's book "After 50,000 miles' as it makes very good reading. Mac.
Hi all There are some excellent ideas here. The comments about tanks, water capacity and other long haul requirements are appreciated. They will make up a part of the knowledge base I need to do this. I will look at the suggested boats, but would appreciate anything you can offer with respect to the specific reasons behind a suggestion (eg extra-heavy construction, full keel, etc.) And yes, my C27 is moored in Sewells. Thanks
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Hi there It's interesting you suggest the Freya. I was looking at it as one of the possible types. I like the heavy construction and lower profile. My suspicion is that it has a fairly heavy keel too. Thanks
Hi there It's interesting you suggest the Freya. I was looking at it as one of the possible types. I like the heavy construction and lower profile. My suspicion is that it has a fairly heavy keel too. Thanks
Check out John Neal's list of cruising boats
in the link below. He may know more about this subject than anybody else I've run into. Also, go to www.ssca.org and check out the discussions on this topic. Look especially for Jack Tyler's comments, although the list of people who have been there/done that is too long to write here. Above all, remember, live your dream! Give us another person to be envious of ;D Cheers, Bob s/v X SAIL R 8
in the link below. He may know more about this subject than anybody else I've run into. Also, go to www.ssca.org and check out the discussions on this topic. Look especially for Jack Tyler's comments, although the list of people who have been there/done that is too long to write here. Above all, remember, live your dream! Give us another person to be envious of ;D Cheers, Bob s/v X SAIL R 8
Challenger 32
...is an odd one out. Available cheap, they were long fin-keeled and very strong. Built in Los Angeles in the 60's/70's. Of course, you will need a re-rig, et al. but that's the norm for the vintage. They also had a lot of room and storage and were all diesel powered. RD
...is an odd one out. Available cheap, they were long fin-keeled and very strong. Built in Los Angeles in the 60's/70's. Of course, you will need a re-rig, et al. but that's the norm for the vintage. They also had a lot of room and storage and were all diesel powered. RD
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