This question is kind of misleading, but there is a good point to it. You see we purchased an 87 Hunter 34 and plan to sail it to our marina on Labor Day weekend. The total distance is 97 miles southwest on Lake Erie (from Ashtabula to Sandusky). Not being totally familiar with the boat, people have told me that I can make the trip in as little as 10 hours by motor sailing. Of course I want to sail as much as I can, but I have to meet the family the next afternoon. This being my longest trip yet, I just wanted to get some words of wisdom from other 34 owners. Like is the fuel tank large enough (25 gallons) to make the trip traveling at that speed? And will the boat even travel at that sustained speed (the largest I have sailed is my 25)? Will it labor the engine for that length of time? I think I know the answers to most of the questions however I am just looking for words of encouragement from other 34 owners. Anything you can provide will be grateful. AL Shaffer Sandusky Oh.
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Plenty of fuel, not enough time.
Al: You have plenty of fuel. If you run your engine at the recommended 2500-2900rpms you should have 25-40 of fuel. That should not be a problem. But 10 hour motor sailing is stretching the capability of your boat under any circumstances. You should only figure a max. speed of 6-7kts., which may be more in line with the actual speed that you will travel. Of course you should also consider what may happen if you have engine problems etc etc. If I were you, I'd plan to do half or so one and complete it on the next. This will give you time in case of a breakdown. Not to mention that you may not going to have enough daylight to complete the trip in a single run.
Al: You have plenty of fuel. If you run your engine at the recommended 2500-2900rpms you should have 25-40 of fuel. That should not be a problem. But 10 hour motor sailing is stretching the capability of your boat under any circumstances. You should only figure a max. speed of 6-7kts., which may be more in line with the actual speed that you will travel. Of course you should also consider what may happen if you have engine problems etc etc. If I were you, I'd plan to do half or so one and complete it on the next. This will give you time in case of a breakdown. Not to mention that you may not going to have enough daylight to complete the trip in a single run.
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Tim Schaaf
Too fast!
Not to mention that your sailing might be at less than "hull speed". Experienced offshore delivery skippers will tell you that, for the size of your boat, factoring in all the variables of weather, etc,. you will do well to average much better than 5 knots. This totals 120 miles a day, and is very "real world", over the long haul, but, of course a particular passage may have some dominant or consistent conditions that speed or slow this somewhat.
Not to mention that your sailing might be at less than "hull speed". Experienced offshore delivery skippers will tell you that, for the size of your boat, factoring in all the variables of weather, etc,. you will do well to average much better than 5 knots. This totals 120 miles a day, and is very "real world", over the long haul, but, of course a particular passage may have some dominant or consistent conditions that speed or slow this somewhat.
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Steve Larson
Plan on two days
Al, I went from Catawba Island to Ashtabula last year and it took two days in an H31. The first day (8 hours) was from Catawba to the East side of Cleveland (55th St. Marina). It was dead calm all day so we had to use the iron lung for wind. The second day I ran into a Northeast storm and it took 10 hours to get from Cleveland to Ashtabula. I had the main sail up but reefed and had the motor running at about 2900rpm. The last half of the day was into 35 knot winds. I was doing well until an ore boat passed about a mile off of our bow. The wind kicked up its wake to about an 18 foot wave. It is a rush to be sitting in the cockpit and have to look up over the second spreader to see the top of the wave. I turned into the wave however and the wind thru out a batton and ripped the main along the leach. Long story only to say when you are out in a boat you should not try to maintain a strict time schedule as you are not in charge of the conditions you are sailing in. Further, you might consider that the 97 miles is as the crow flies and not as the boat sails.
Al, I went from Catawba Island to Ashtabula last year and it took two days in an H31. The first day (8 hours) was from Catawba to the East side of Cleveland (55th St. Marina). It was dead calm all day so we had to use the iron lung for wind. The second day I ran into a Northeast storm and it took 10 hours to get from Cleveland to Ashtabula. I had the main sail up but reefed and had the motor running at about 2900rpm. The last half of the day was into 35 knot winds. I was doing well until an ore boat passed about a mile off of our bow. The wind kicked up its wake to about an 18 foot wave. It is a rush to be sitting in the cockpit and have to look up over the second spreader to see the top of the wave. I turned into the wave however and the wind thru out a batton and ripped the main along the leach. Long story only to say when you are out in a boat you should not try to maintain a strict time schedule as you are not in charge of the conditions you are sailing in. Further, you might consider that the 97 miles is as the crow flies and not as the boat sails.
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ED
Ashtabula to Sandusky
I would do it in two days - Ashtabula to Lorain or Vermillion, then on the next day to sandusky. If the wind is not on the nose, you can do 6 knots or so motor sailing, which translates to about 16 hours. I have done Conneaut to Vermillion, which was a long day. Last month Lorain to Ashtabula, which was more enjoyable. There is a very nice marina in Lorain - Spitzers. They did'nt even charge me for two extra days that I stayed there waiting for the wind and waves to subside. In Vermillion, the city dock has a lot of transient dockage.
I would do it in two days - Ashtabula to Lorain or Vermillion, then on the next day to sandusky. If the wind is not on the nose, you can do 6 knots or so motor sailing, which translates to about 16 hours. I have done Conneaut to Vermillion, which was a long day. Last month Lorain to Ashtabula, which was more enjoyable. There is a very nice marina in Lorain - Spitzers. They did'nt even charge me for two extra days that I stayed there waiting for the wind and waves to subside. In Vermillion, the city dock has a lot of transient dockage.
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Bob Knott
Steve's Point Well Taken
Steve's point about not rushing is well taken. When you have a schedule that has to be kept...something bad's gonna happen. Don't have that schedule rule your trip or you'll pay a big price in some form or other. Get crew and motor or sail 24 hours a day... Set aside more days for the trip and make it fun... Take your family with you and site see along the way... Enjoy the time and don't rush... Sailors go where the wind lets them and rarely arrive when they plan to. Powerboaters have schedules that must be kept, and leave no matter what the weather or wind to make that lunch appointment 25 miles away. If you can't afford the extra time to do it safely and slowly perhaps a professional skipper and crew could deliver it for you, or you can postpone the trip till more time presents itself. Don't set yourself up for failure with an inflexible schedule. Though Bryce didn't make the above mistakes, read his post about coming home from the Hunter Rendezvous to see what can happen in 20 minutes on your boat. Hope the trip works out the way you'd like. Bob Knott H380
Steve's point about not rushing is well taken. When you have a schedule that has to be kept...something bad's gonna happen. Don't have that schedule rule your trip or you'll pay a big price in some form or other. Get crew and motor or sail 24 hours a day... Set aside more days for the trip and make it fun... Take your family with you and site see along the way... Enjoy the time and don't rush... Sailors go where the wind lets them and rarely arrive when they plan to. Powerboaters have schedules that must be kept, and leave no matter what the weather or wind to make that lunch appointment 25 miles away. If you can't afford the extra time to do it safely and slowly perhaps a professional skipper and crew could deliver it for you, or you can postpone the trip till more time presents itself. Don't set yourself up for failure with an inflexible schedule. Though Bryce didn't make the above mistakes, read his post about coming home from the Hunter Rendezvous to see what can happen in 20 minutes on your boat. Hope the trip works out the way you'd like. Bob Knott H380
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Bruce
My average ...
My average on my 34 is 5 knots/hr and 0.5 gal/hr fuel. Fifty miles is a good day for me. I hope you enjoy your trip.
My average on my 34 is 5 knots/hr and 0.5 gal/hr fuel. Fifty miles is a good day for me. I hope you enjoy your trip.
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David Foster
Wind Direction
When we set off from Mentor toward Put-in-Bay in our h27 in June, we had two course ideas: If the winds were not the prevailing southwest, we would do a 40 mile leg to Lorain, and then head to the islands the second day (could as well have been Sandusky.) We ended up on the other plan: rather than buck a healthy swell driven by southwest winds, we headed across the Lake to Erieau on Rondeau Bay. The second day, we motored through calm, then picked up a south wind to take us to Pelee Island. When we picked up our boat in Sandusky last year, we got it to Lorain where an engine break-down forced us to leave it for a week at the Spitzer Marina. We brought her home the next week-end. The point of both of these stories is that we maximized our enjoyment, and time _sailing_ on the Lady Lillie by shaping our course to the weather and events, and by having a time reserve to allow us to do so. On our shorter (so 1 knot slower) boat, we plan 40 miles a day when cruising, and leave a 50% time reserve to prevent getting hung up and forcing a passage. David
When we set off from Mentor toward Put-in-Bay in our h27 in June, we had two course ideas: If the winds were not the prevailing southwest, we would do a 40 mile leg to Lorain, and then head to the islands the second day (could as well have been Sandusky.) We ended up on the other plan: rather than buck a healthy swell driven by southwest winds, we headed across the Lake to Erieau on Rondeau Bay. The second day, we motored through calm, then picked up a south wind to take us to Pelee Island. When we picked up our boat in Sandusky last year, we got it to Lorain where an engine break-down forced us to leave it for a week at the Spitzer Marina. We brought her home the next week-end. The point of both of these stories is that we maximized our enjoyment, and time _sailing_ on the Lady Lillie by shaping our course to the weather and events, and by having a time reserve to allow us to do so. On our shorter (so 1 knot slower) boat, we plan 40 miles a day when cruising, and leave a 50% time reserve to prevent getting hung up and forcing a passage. David
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AL Shaffer
Thank you for confirming what I thought.
Thanks for all the input, it has been most helpful. We now have a firm grasp on what to expect as far as time is concerned. I had a feeling, a one-day trip was quite a bit too much, but I needed other more experienced sailors to confirm my thoughts to a few other people. Our plan as of now is to try and make 50 miles a day and split it up to a two-day trip with a two-day buffer. This will give us a total of four days if needed. If it were just me, I would gladly use all four days and then some. I am all for having fun and dragging it out for as long as I can, however others close to me feel that it is important to make as many miles as possible in one day. I think the posts have answered any questions about the distance we should shoot for. I am planning on 5 knots and 50 miles a day. I think that should give us a good basis to go by according to others input. Thanks Again for all the information. I'm sure I will have a million other questions to post and I will let you know how the journey turns out. Thanks Again, Al Shaffer
Thanks for all the input, it has been most helpful. We now have a firm grasp on what to expect as far as time is concerned. I had a feeling, a one-day trip was quite a bit too much, but I needed other more experienced sailors to confirm my thoughts to a few other people. Our plan as of now is to try and make 50 miles a day and split it up to a two-day trip with a two-day buffer. This will give us a total of four days if needed. If it were just me, I would gladly use all four days and then some. I am all for having fun and dragging it out for as long as I can, however others close to me feel that it is important to make as many miles as possible in one day. I think the posts have answered any questions about the distance we should shoot for. I am planning on 5 knots and 50 miles a day. I think that should give us a good basis to go by according to others input. Thanks Again for all the information. I'm sure I will have a million other questions to post and I will let you know how the journey turns out. Thanks Again, Al Shaffer
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Mike Denman
You can do it !!
Al, We bought an 87' Hunter 34' last year and brought her around from Traverse City. Being new, to us, we motored much of the way and in one day went from Cheboygan to Harrisville, apx 110 miles, in 14 hours. The engine ran fine the whole day and we used 11 gallons of fuel. Of course your time and fuel consumption will depend alot on the seas and winds you encounter. In our experience the motor will do about 7 mph in flat seas and faster in following seas and much less in head winds. Get an early start, around sunrise and you should pull into your dock in Sandusky before sunset. Good luck and enjoy your new boat, it's a beauty!
Al, We bought an 87' Hunter 34' last year and brought her around from Traverse City. Being new, to us, we motored much of the way and in one day went from Cheboygan to Harrisville, apx 110 miles, in 14 hours. The engine ran fine the whole day and we used 11 gallons of fuel. Of course your time and fuel consumption will depend alot on the seas and winds you encounter. In our experience the motor will do about 7 mph in flat seas and faster in following seas and much less in head winds. Get an early start, around sunrise and you should pull into your dock in Sandusky before sunset. Good luck and enjoy your new boat, it's a beauty!
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Jerry Villines
5 knots
Always FOR SAIL, 1984 H34, has sailed from Ft Myers to Marco Island some 35 miles in 6 hours. Thats 7 plus knots in ideal conditons. It is almost always a full day's sail on most other days. When I motor the Yanmar 3gmf burns 1/2 gal and hour and will run all day long at 2000 rpm. Speed depends on the seas, wind and current. I plan on 5 knots and leave an anchorage on a schedule to arrive at the next in the light of day. Happy hour and sunset are much more enjoyable that way.
Always FOR SAIL, 1984 H34, has sailed from Ft Myers to Marco Island some 35 miles in 6 hours. Thats 7 plus knots in ideal conditons. It is almost always a full day's sail on most other days. When I motor the Yanmar 3gmf burns 1/2 gal and hour and will run all day long at 2000 rpm. Speed depends on the seas, wind and current. I plan on 5 knots and leave an anchorage on a schedule to arrive at the next in the light of day. Happy hour and sunset are much more enjoyable that way.
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