I have been looking over lots and lots of boats. 90 percent of the time It would be used in protected waters or as a coastal cruiser. It's that 10 percent that bothers me. I really like the interior of the Citation 34 but am not sure of it's capabilities for off shore work. Looking for opinions on the Irwin 34 as a blue water boat and any webs sites with more info on this model. Thanks Brian
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Thanks for the reply
Thank you Tom, I already knew the answer in my mind but was having a hard time finding much info on the Irwin Boats. Although I wouldn't sail the blue water very often, that is one of my top priorities, that the boat we buy be safe blue water boat. Do you like the boat for bay and coastal cruising ? Brian
Thank you Tom, I already knew the answer in my mind but was having a hard time finding much info on the Irwin Boats. Although I wouldn't sail the blue water very often, that is one of my top priorities, that the boat we buy be safe blue water boat. Do you like the boat for bay and coastal cruising ? Brian
My sailing activities...
Irwins seem lightly built to me, and that's not a problem for my uses. I coastal cruse around Maine. I will gunkhole if I must but try to find moorings. I don't go out in storms, stick within 10 miles of the coast 90% of the time and the Irwin will be all I need. I'm not interested in pushing a boat to its limits.
Irwins seem lightly built to me, and that's not a problem for my uses. I coastal cruse around Maine. I will gunkhole if I must but try to find moorings. I don't go out in storms, stick within 10 miles of the coast 90% of the time and the Irwin will be all I need. I'm not interested in pushing a boat to its limits.
Brian, take a look at the Ask All Sailors Forum. There is a 2 page discussion
on what boats constitute a minimum blue water boat. The questioner was looking at production boats like Irwin, Hunter, O'Day, and Catalina, and after the 2 pages of comments, and 30+ posts by mostly Hunter and Catalina owners (though there were others), no one recommended any real production boats. Blue water sailing is normally considered open ocean cruising as in crossing oceans, where you don't get to a point of no return for perhaps 10 to 15 days. Coastal cruising exposes boats to bad weather and storms too, but you can generally get into port in a day or so, and escape storms of hurricane force. So a boat does not have to be a Blue Water boat, to be Offshore Capable Many production boat owners have taken them offshore (as I have from WA to Mexico) and had excellent results, while occasionally you will hear of a Blue Water boat (like the Little Harbor 54 "Flying Colours"), being lost with all hands within 200 miles of shore. I think you are wise to seek the best boat you can get, whether you go offshore or not. The reason production boats like the Irwin, the Hunter, the O'Day, the Columbia, and the Catalina have been so popular and successful, is because they initially offer considerably more boat for the money, and after many upgrades by their owners, they are still likely to be much more boat for the money. Don't write production boats of any manufacturer off for your sailing needs, unless you are definitely going Blue Water. When you do decide what you want to do, go ahead and get the best boat you can, for the money you have available. Joe S
on what boats constitute a minimum blue water boat. The questioner was looking at production boats like Irwin, Hunter, O'Day, and Catalina, and after the 2 pages of comments, and 30+ posts by mostly Hunter and Catalina owners (though there were others), no one recommended any real production boats. Blue water sailing is normally considered open ocean cruising as in crossing oceans, where you don't get to a point of no return for perhaps 10 to 15 days. Coastal cruising exposes boats to bad weather and storms too, but you can generally get into port in a day or so, and escape storms of hurricane force. So a boat does not have to be a Blue Water boat, to be Offshore Capable Many production boat owners have taken them offshore (as I have from WA to Mexico) and had excellent results, while occasionally you will hear of a Blue Water boat (like the Little Harbor 54 "Flying Colours"), being lost with all hands within 200 miles of shore. I think you are wise to seek the best boat you can get, whether you go offshore or not. The reason production boats like the Irwin, the Hunter, the O'Day, the Columbia, and the Catalina have been so popular and successful, is because they initially offer considerably more boat for the money, and after many upgrades by their owners, they are still likely to be much more boat for the money. Don't write production boats of any manufacturer off for your sailing needs, unless you are definitely going Blue Water. When you do decide what you want to do, go ahead and get the best boat you can, for the money you have available. Joe S
Thanks Joseph,
I had seen that before. Acually I have done a lot of study on blue water boats and pretty much know what to look for. My main concern with the Irwin was the way it was lightly built. I'm sure lots of light boats have been sailed in the oceans but I tend to error on the side of SAFTY !! No way you would catch me in the gulf stream in a Hunter or Catalina. I just didn't know much, and couldn't find much info on the Irwins. Shannon, BCC, Falmouth Cutter,,, Good stuff but pricey. Tha Last thing a sailor needs to be thinking about while crossing the Stream, is.... I hope the boat holds together.. Thanks to both you guys for the replies. Happy sailing.
I had seen that before. Acually I have done a lot of study on blue water boats and pretty much know what to look for. My main concern with the Irwin was the way it was lightly built. I'm sure lots of light boats have been sailed in the oceans but I tend to error on the side of SAFTY !! No way you would catch me in the gulf stream in a Hunter or Catalina. I just didn't know much, and couldn't find much info on the Irwins. Shannon, BCC, Falmouth Cutter,,, Good stuff but pricey. Tha Last thing a sailor needs to be thinking about while crossing the Stream, is.... I hope the boat holds together.. Thanks to both you guys for the replies. Happy sailing.
Blue Water
I just sailed a Citation 34 from Ft Lauderdale to Oriental N.C. up the Gulf Stream and ran into some dicey weather. I had appropriate safety equipment, epirb, liferaft, lifelines, etc., and even sat phone, and the boat handled it well, but I wouldn't do it again. Not a lot of fun when you get a few waves into the cockpit. It is not a Blue Water boat and I wouldn't have been off shore were it not for some weather predictions from passage weather.com that turned out not to be all that accurate. Got a video from the next day which was relatively calm, and actually a lot of fun compared to the night before http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYtlQAiavak&feature=email
I just sailed a Citation 34 from Ft Lauderdale to Oriental N.C. up the Gulf Stream and ran into some dicey weather. I had appropriate safety equipment, epirb, liferaft, lifelines, etc., and even sat phone, and the boat handled it well, but I wouldn't do it again. Not a lot of fun when you get a few waves into the cockpit. It is not a Blue Water boat and I wouldn't have been off shore were it not for some weather predictions from passage weather.com that turned out not to be all that accurate. Got a video from the next day which was relatively calm, and actually a lot of fun compared to the night before http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYtlQAiavak&feature=email
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