To piggyback off of bigjer40's thread, what would it take for a 33 or 37 Cherubini to be bluewater capable? I am just curious and the thought has crossed my mind on a time or two..... now let the infighting begin.
Prepping for blue water.
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What do you define as bluewater? Coastal cruising or truly offshore?
Get to know your boat, inside and out. Know how to fix EVERYTHING. Know how to sail.
Otherwise, it's just more water. Of course, you have no tow trucks or garages to duck into.
Storage space for food and water...the list goes on.
Get to know your boat, inside and out. Know how to fix EVERYTHING. Know how to sail.
Otherwise, it's just more water. Of course, you have no tow trucks or garages to duck into.
Storage space for food and water...the list goes on.
When I say blue water, I mean true blue water sailing. I have a 33 Cherubini that I am working on refitting right now. To start with I am adding stainless portlights. I have to redo the head system to add a discharge hose. Watermaker, wind turbine..... the usual offshore equipment. What hardware should be upgraded? Or added that anyone thinks should be added.
Hardware upgrades? More based on condition I would think. I mainsail/boom preventer.
A watermaker is also quite helpful if you have the electrical system to support it. Solar before wind.
A watermaker is also quite helpful if you have the electrical system to support it. Solar before wind.
This might be fun - refitting your boat 
Check and replace all below and water-line thru-hulls and valves. Most notiable is the head's plastic sink drain thru-hull.
Add a full cockpit enclosure. A strong dodger and enclosure is a must at night when the sea is cold.
Dinghy davits.
Not much room for solar pannels on a 33. A freind on another boat added a hard tube frame over the cockpit to place solar pannels. He also extended it over the stern for dinghy davits. This also involved raising and shorting the boom to clear the frame. Also had to cut down the main sail.
As you have, he also replaced the plastic ports with SS.
Interesting thing about generating power, I talked with a world sailor who had both wind and solar. He said when you are at a place with a lot of wind you may not have the sun and when you have the sun maybe not the wind.
On a 33 less is more so changing to low energy use lights, etc. is a good power choice.
Of course, buy all the spares you can afford and learn all the boats systems by taking them apart and putting them back together. A freind who is retiring in a few months and sailing off went to a diesel engine course where he disassembled his engine - put it back together and started it...
learn weather forcasting. The winds are always 15-20 knots more off-shore than the radio reports.
If you can sign on as a crew of someone moving a boat you can experience first hand off-shore sailing.
Best to you in this endevor.
Check and replace all below and water-line thru-hulls and valves. Most notiable is the head's plastic sink drain thru-hull.
Add a full cockpit enclosure. A strong dodger and enclosure is a must at night when the sea is cold.
Dinghy davits.
Not much room for solar pannels on a 33. A freind on another boat added a hard tube frame over the cockpit to place solar pannels. He also extended it over the stern for dinghy davits. This also involved raising and shorting the boom to clear the frame. Also had to cut down the main sail.
As you have, he also replaced the plastic ports with SS.
Interesting thing about generating power, I talked with a world sailor who had both wind and solar. He said when you are at a place with a lot of wind you may not have the sun and when you have the sun maybe not the wind.
On a 33 less is more so changing to low energy use lights, etc. is a good power choice.
Of course, buy all the spares you can afford and learn all the boats systems by taking them apart and putting them back together. A freind who is retiring in a few months and sailing off went to a diesel engine course where he disassembled his engine - put it back together and started it...
learn weather forcasting. The winds are always 15-20 knots more off-shore than the radio reports.
If you can sign on as a crew of someone moving a boat you can experience first hand off-shore sailing.
Best to you in this endevor.
Thanks Paul. I do have a lot of work ahead, but that's the enjoyable part, for me. I don't mind taking my time and doing the upgrades that are needed. This boat, more than any other so far has been a real joy to work on. I really love the lines of this boat. I get to put in on the hard in a few months for a bottom job. While it's up, I plan on knocking out the thru-hulls and I have a depth sensor to contend with.
I am doing a blog on this if anyone is interested it's...http://michelleandfrankschasinthewind.blogspot.com/
I am doing a blog on this if anyone is interested it's...http://michelleandfrankschasinthewind.blogspot.com/
I like the new hydro chargers! Haven't heard much feedback, but the concept seems great! Especially for us river sailors!Stu Jackson said:
What about all the standing rigging and chain plates? And how about one of these?
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-sis2i.html
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/-sis2i.html
Good question. I don't know if upgrades would be needed for the standing rigging. Mine are already 1/4" 1x19.
Ditto on the stern tube. And the issue with the standing rigging is potential aging wear and tear, not that the factory specs are inadequate.
A good article addressing a lot of these questions.
http://smallcraftadvisor.com/archived-articles/5-seaworthiness-q-a-a
http://smallcraftadvisor.com/archived-articles/5-seaworthiness-q-a-a
I like the link. I bought a book a couple of years ago called "The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat " by John Vigor. It goes into real good detail about worthy boats and it includes a questionnaire you can use to judge your boat. The lower the score the better. A basic Cherubini is, by his accounts, a borderline blue water worthy boat. With upgrades and a seasoned captain it is a capable boat.
I've read numerous books on offshore cruising, but one author's message really stuck with me - "Imagine what would happen if your boat is upside down!"
He's referring to the infrequent, but not necessarily rare, occurrence of a knockdown, capsize, pitchpole, etc. event, and cautions us to imagine what would happen to whatever item is installed, stowed, attached, or whatever and the boat turns over. I guess, in simple terms, he's saying NEVER rely on gravity to keep anything in place.
He's referring to the infrequent, but not necessarily rare, occurrence of a knockdown, capsize, pitchpole, etc. event, and cautions us to imagine what would happen to whatever item is installed, stowed, attached, or whatever and the boat turns over. I guess, in simple terms, he's saying NEVER rely on gravity to keep anything in place.
Stern Tube
What is a stern tube ?
While scanning over different topics, I noticed Paul F mentioned a stern tube tha"almost sank his boat"Also, when you have the boat out and up on stands, take a good look at the stern tube. Mine broke and almost sank the boat. The Coast Guard saved me
What is a stern tube ?
Re: Stern Tube
Here's the thread where he wrote of the experience.
Reading it, one gets the impression it's where the prop shaft enters the hull.
Here's the thread where he wrote of the experience.
Reading it, one gets the impression it's where the prop shaft enters the hull.
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