Offshore Improvements

moondance5003 · Oct 26, 2004

Dan,

I had many of the questions you now have about getting a vega ready
for offshore work. Surprisingly, it's not to complicated or
involved. Most vega's, unless they were totally neglected are, for
the most part, ready to go.

I contacted Chuck Rose here on the site and joined the club. He is
very busy but eventually you should receive your membership CD which
contains alot of info. including what was done to make the Lorna
Doone and Tarka the Otter ready for their circumnavigations. Very
informative.

As for the question about the outboard motor vs. inboard, there are
good and not so good things about both.

Inboard diesels give you much better cruising distance and
reliablity, especialy in rough seas. They also are an efficient way
to charge batteries. But they are heavy, take up room and are a bit
more expensive on maintainance and repair.

Outboards are less expensive and you can use the now vacant motor
room for water tanks and extra storage. But may not be able to
charge the batteries, and are not as efficient or dependable as
diesels.

If my boat did not have a diesel, I would get a good outboard and
that would be that. Many people cruise this way and after all, it's
a SAILboat.

However my boat does happen to have a diesel and I am preparing to
rebuild the transmition in it. I am also installing a small (2-3
hp.) outboard motor on a bracket to use as a (somewhat of a )backup
and dinghy motor.

I think the most important thing is to get out there and enjoy it.

We're down here in Texas, so when you pass this way, be sure to give
us vegatarians a call.

Robert.

freeflight7 · Nov 23, 2004

Dan, we are also getting ours ready for offshore tip.
I have had an excellent storm made by quantum sails out of storm
orange heavy duty cloth with bronze hanks.
Other than that we have:
- replaced the cockpit lockers with white starboard 1/2inch thick
with new gaskets - they are now watertight.
- got 3 anchors(bruce22, danforth18, danforth14)
- got 600 feet of 1/2 3strand new england rope
- got a sea anchor (buord parachute) with 1/2 inch ss swivel
- removed the inboard albin gas - replaced with yamaha 4hp4stroke
- got two sets of flares in orange sealed bottles
- new lifejackets, jacklines, harnesses
- tp10 autopilot
- solar panel
- walker bay 8 dinghy
- sevelor inflatable kayak
- 4 x 5gal portable water stored in 'engine room'
- 2 bilge pumps + 1 manual
- used old gas tank for kerosene storage for lights
- replaced origo alchoal stove with 2 burner gas (origo is for sale)
- replaced halyards with rope
- replaced lifelines with rope (low stretch - 6000lbs breaking)
- installed new v-berth mattress - 6 inches
- removed head replace with seat with hole and toilet seat with
bucket under with lid.

wxt8981 · Nov 23, 2004

Hi freeflight;

you did a good job outfitting your Vega for offshore.
Though I question the choice of using a walker bay dinghy!
That dinghy is not self bailing and you're going to find
that out when the sea is high!!!

Good luck.. Wilhelm, V-257

freeflight7 · Nov 23, 2004

Wilhelm, you are quite right about the Walker Bay not being self
bailing but at least I don't have to inflate it first. I hate that.
We are adding fenders all around for extra floatation and also we hope
to not have to use if ofshore. We will never tow it. It actually
fits below the boom, upside down. We are also installing stainless
custom handrails that are thru bolted to matching rails, strong enough
to act like 'roofracks' to tie down the dinghy. Besides I got it for
$300 with sailing rig included and could not pass that opportunity.
We store the inflatable kayak (made from hypalon) inside the dinghy
with pump and this way will have two little boats should the big one
sink. Ofcourse we hope that won't happen but at least we have some
kind of plan. The walker bay with the fenders and built in foam is
unsinkable and sailable and rowable which for me is better than a life
raft thay may or may not inflate, goes nowhere, may flip or be lost
before I could even get in it. Sigh the pro's and con's for hard
dinghy vs inflatable is indeed a dilemma.

What do you use for a dinghy?
Regards
Emile

wxt8981 · Nov 24, 2004

Hello Emile.

I'm not a big fan of the Walker Bay dinghy. It's very
difficult to get into this dinghy when you're swimming. It
almost once flipped over me. That, and not being self
bailing was enough to stay away from it. I'm sailing single
handed and the thought of climbing into this dinghy with 6
food waves (or more) made me think of choosing another
dinghy.
Right now I have a West Marine inflatable with a 3 1/2 HP
Mercury outboard. I tow the dinghy with the outboard
attached when day sailing, but without the outboard when
off shore.( any dinghy can and will flip over, hence it's
better to store the outboard on board the Vega.)
I'm no big friend of inflatables, but I consider it the
best choice right now. They don't row good, do okay with
the outboard, but I can get into the dinghy without being
afraid it will topple on me.
I've sailed my Vega over 45.000 Miles and thus far I never
was forced to use a dinghy in an emergency. I hope it stays
that way. Of course I've become choosy when to go sailing-
must be I'm getting old..

)))

Wilhelm, V-257

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moondance5003 · Jan 20, 2005

Emile,
I was also thinking of getting a Walker Bay 8 and doing what you did
with the fenders. But, Wilhelm has brought up a concern of mine.
Have you tried getting in the Walker from the water? Do the fenders
work well enough to make this easy, and what size fenders are you
using?
Thanks,
Robert

tlochhaas · Jan 20, 2005

Check out this interesting new dinghy that doubles as a liferaft. Much
more $ than a Walker, but I'm thinking about this instead of a liferaft
for offshore passages.

Loading…

www.portlandpudgy.com

moondance5003 wrote:

bhofler · Jan 20, 2005

Consider a "Tinker" as an offshore dinghy... check out

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www.tinker.co.uk

freeflight7 · Jan 23, 2005

Robert, on second thoughts we may replace the fenders with the now
available inflatable tubes that one can get for the walker bay. This
should really make it stable enough to get into. The basically
changes the walkerbay into a rid...I am sure you have seen them at the
walker bay web site.

My bigger problem is getting time off work to go sailing:-(

wxt8981 · Jan 23, 2005

Hi Robert;
I could have bought an almost new Walker Bay 8 for about
$100.00. I took it out- went swimming and tried to get into
this boat. I'm 6'2", 180 pounds... I could not get in!
Lucky me I had the ladder on my Vega. Needless to say- I
turned down this 'great deal'.
Wilhelm, V-257

moondance5003 · Jan 25, 2005

Thank you all,
It is true that this is a hard choice. Inflatable or hard?
Robert.

wxt8981 · Jan 25, 2005

Hi Robert,

there's another thing to think about. I like a dinghy that
is self-bailing. Some time you will get into bad weather,
and it's no fun to drag a ton of water behind you. (after
the dinghy fills up and you have other worries than to get
the water out of the dinghy.)

Wilhelm, V-257

moondance5003 · Jan 26, 2005

Wilhelm,
I understand. Please, what do you have for use as a tender and what
do you do for a liferaft?
Robert

wxt8981 · Jan 26, 2005

Hi Robert;

at the present time I have a 9 foot roll-up floor
inflatable dinghy from West marine with a 3 1/2 HP Mercury
outboard. It is self bailing. Normally I tow it behind me
with the motor attached, but in in bad weather I take the
motor off. (before it hits me).
I'm not a friend of inflatables, but it has its advantages,
like storage. So far I haven't found a suitable rigid
dinghy. I'm not cruising much any more, only for a couple
of days, and for that the inflatable works well. I don't
have to worry to climb into it and having it overturn. And
because it's self bailing I don't drag a ton of water
behind me. And I don't smoke: the one I owned before this
one, somebody tossed a cigarette into the dinghy.... I had
to get a new one.. the one I have now. That's also one of
the reasons I sail singlehanded for about 99%. And I do
sail a lot, being retired.. but not that far any more. I
love to anchor out and although here in Southern Florida
thunderstorms are something to reckon with just about every
night... I sleep like a baby... hehehehe

Take car... Wilhelm, V-257

moondance5003 · Feb 1, 2005

Thanks for the site address Tom. I agree, this is a bit more $ but
it doubles well as a tender and liferaft. After reading Adrift (the
survivor developed the FRIB or Clam, a foldable hard dink that also
doubles as a liferaft) and several other accounts I am thinking of a
hard dink suitable as a liferaft. Great site.
Robert