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Old 28-06-2014, 17:56   #31
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

That is what it comes down to doesn't it, not so much what I can live with, but what we can live with in the end.

Obviously I went slow because I'm a terrible sailor. And my sails are bad. Surprised the boat didn't sink myself. Didn't even know how to use a wind vane when we left.

BTW, Whats your record time using a small boat to cross the Atlantic, maybe you can give me some pointers?

Yeah, why try something new, I should just drink a bunch of rum, and hang out in the Caribbean.

Ha, To much coffee.
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Old 28-06-2014, 19:09   #32
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

bbowers,

We shifted from our Yankee 30 to a Palmer Johnson Standfast 36, and lived aboard that boat for 18 yrs., before upgrading to our 46. Sailed our 30 ft. from San Francisco to Hawaii and back, decided it was too tender for comfortable ocean passages. And needed room for the guitar. We replaced the 36 because we wanted accommodation for grandkids to come visit, but mainly, they did not, so do not kid yourselves on that score.


I think the best input you've had and also put in, is that if your "companion" is a keeper, then hearing her "needs vs. wants" will be very important for her wanting to "keep" you.

Ann
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Old 28-06-2014, 21:23   #33
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

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Originally Posted by bbowers2004 View Post
That is what it comes down to doesn't it, not so much what I can live with, but what we can live with in the end.

Obviously I went slow because I'm a terrible sailor. And my sails are bad. Surprised the boat didn't sink myself. Didn't even know how to use a wind vane when we left.

BTW, Whats your record time using a small boat to cross the Atlantic, maybe you can give me some pointers?

Yeah, why try something new, I should just drink a bunch of rum, and hang out in the Caribbean.

Ha, To much coffee.
I didn't mean to offend, just point out that I have read your blog and it sounded like you had a lot of issues. Much more prepared people, without the issues you experienced, have tried and failed and lost their lives. There is zero chance my wife would have crossed an ocean in a boat with some of the issues you had.

We have never crossed the Atlantic and we have never sailed in very poor weather. Call us cowards or call us smart, we just don't feel prepared for either quite yet.

You said yourself you don't have a lot of experience, so my implication is that maybe your boat wasn't slow - maybe your sail trim was poor or your sails beat up. It happens with older boats.

A larger boat does not automatically mean better or faster boat. Maybe you can strike "fast boat" from your requirements. Before we had our current boat we owned a Colgate 26 for 10 years. This boat was just as fast as our Cabo Rico 38 and maybe even faster. The Colgate is a better teaching boat than it is a racer but its pretty darn quick. Of course, I also did point out that there are lots of Bene's in your region priced for quick sale, which are faster, are under 60K, and suit all your requests.
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Old 29-06-2014, 00:29   #34
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

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I didn't mean to offend, just point out that I have read your blog and it sounded like you had a lot of issues. Much more prepared people, without the issues you experienced, have tried and failed and lost their lives. There is zero chance my wife would have crossed an ocean in a boat with some of the issues you had.

We have never crossed the Atlantic and we have never sailed in very poor weather. Call us cowards or call us smart, we just don't feel prepared for either quite yet.

You said yourself you don't have a lot of experience, so my implication is that maybe your boat wasn't slow - maybe your sail trim was poor or your sails beat up. It happens with older boats.

A larger boat does not automatically mean better or faster boat. Maybe you can strike "fast boat" from your requirements. Before we had our current boat we owned a Colgate 26 for 10 years. This boat was just as fast as our Cabo Rico 38 and maybe even faster. The Colgate is a better teaching boat than it is a racer but its pretty darn quick. Of course, I also did point out that there are lots of Bene's in your region priced for quick sale, which are faster, are under 60K, and suit all your requests.
Centaurs are one of the loveliest little coastal cruisers around. They can handle a lot more than you think. However, they are a tad slow. 4 knots in a mild and 6 plus a little bit in a blow. Safe as houses but not quick.

addition: One of the largest production boats ever made in Europe. Available used from $10-$17K............. excellent value.
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Old 29-06-2014, 02:08   #35
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

Rob and I have lived on board our Sadler 25 since 1999. We've sailed her from the UK to the Azores, then to Gib, through the Med, into the Black Sea, down the Red Sea, then up to Dubai, after a year in Dubai we sailed to India, along the coast to Sri Lanka, then across the Bay of Bengal to Phuket. We took 30 days beating fro 1100 miles to reach Phuket.

Rob would love a bigger boat (he is 6'4"), but we really can't afford one and our little Bluet does every thing we need. Since we took the engine out, along with the sail drive she shows a nice turn of speed (less drag) we also invested in a new Code Zero sail which is 185%, we haven't tried it yet, but am looking forward to sailing in the light airs we get here.

We added 2 water tanks in the old engine space which means we now carry about 30 gallons (135 lts) and use the rest of the space for food storage and batteries.

We also have a 5hp o/b with a long shaft, which we use mainly for entering harbours and manouvering around anchorages. We only carry about 20lts of fuel anyway.

Have also added a new crew member, Mouse our cat. She has only ever lived on board and, even tho we have been in a marina for a couple of months doing essential work, has not gone ashore.

Small boats rock!
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Old 29-06-2014, 04:48   #36
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

So basically it gets old camping on a boat

Big boats are great


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Old 29-06-2014, 05:31   #37
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

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Originally Posted by bbowers2004 View Post
That is what it comes down to doesn't it, not so much what I can live with, but what we can live with in the end.

Obviously I went slow because I'm a terrible sailor. And my sails are bad. Surprised the boat didn't sink myself. Didn't even know how to use a wind vane when we left.

BTW, Whats your record time using a small boat to cross the Atlantic, maybe you can give me some pointers?

Yeah, why try something new, I should just drink a bunch of rum, and hang out in the Caribbean.

Ha, To much coffee.
I read many of your blog posts - You guys did great!

You certainly had a lot of issues but you seem to have great mechanical skills. In the comfort of our armchairs we can all second guess you in terms of things like the windgen mount and some of he comments about PO did this and PO did that could be turned around where regardless of the condition of the boat you get - one should make as much effort as possible to make sure the boat is ready to go.

You broke stuff on shorter legs but you learned the boat and you fixed it before the atlantic run.

You seem like bright people and you might do things a bit different in hindsight but you've come a long way already - congrats.

BTW - Your (her) breads look outstanding. I got hungry just thinking about them. And a pretty cool use for Nutella - my kids loves that stuff!
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Old 29-06-2014, 05:49   #38
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
So basically it gets old camping on a boat

Big boats are great


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I took too long reading the entire thread so Don beat me to the punch. I had a nice capable 26 footer for 20 years. Lived aboard for 6 months (never crossed any oceans). It was camping. Got a bigger boat and its a new world. Plenty of fresh water and fuel. Sure she's a bit much for single handing, so what! All boats require upkeep, do the work yourself!
As for cruising, as Boatman has often said, (I paraphrase) "cruise in the correct season for your location and your vessel". Go bigger! Get a ketch!
Congrats on your crossing.
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Old 29-06-2014, 06:19   #39
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

No real adventure is comfortable and it sounds like you guys are having some real adventures. I have met many cruisers with sub 30 footers who were crossing oceans and threw nickels around like man hole covers, I do admit that this was several years ago. I don't know how old you are but it sure helps when you are younger. I don't know your budget but boat costs go up exponentially with every foot you add so you just may get the boat and have no cash left to cruise. Either way you have crossed an ocean so you nothing in common with most of the advice givers. Book a hotel for a couple of days and think it over, might still make sense to keep your little boat and hang out in the islands for a much longer time. Oh by the way, you must have a hell of a women with you, putting up with you and a dog on a 26 footer qualifies her as someone very special, good luck in your new adventures.
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Old 29-06-2014, 08:06   #40
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

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Oh by the way, you must have a hell of a women with you, putting up with you and a dog on a 26 footer qualifies her as someone very special, good luck in your new adventures.
My wife left me and took the kids and the dog. I'm sure gonna miss the dog...

Actually that's not a small dog - Add that to a 26 footer and the provisions for it? Wow!

Then mum and dad for a visit - I just can't imagine this scenario!

You people must be angels...
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Old 29-06-2014, 09:05   #41
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

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Centaurs are one of the loveliest little coastal cruisers around. They can handle a lot more than you think. However, they are a tad slow. 4 knots in a mild and 6 plus a little bit in a blow. Safe as houses but not quick.

addition: One of the largest production boats ever made in Europe. Available used from $10-$17K............. excellent value.
Yes, we had a friend that completed that same exact journey on the same exact boat about 10 years ago. They had painted their boat bright yellow, so some of you may know them. Unlike the PO they had ZERO sailing experience before setting out. Didn't even know how to sail. They eventually went up through Florida and back down before taking a job in the islands, where we met. They ended up having their boat seized and sold by an unscrupulous business owner.
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Old 29-06-2014, 13:45   #42
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ex-Calif View Post
I read many of your blog posts - You guys did great!

You certainly had a lot of issues but you seem to have great mechanical skills. In the comfort of our armchairs we can all second guess you in terms of things like the windgen mount and some of he comments about PO did this and PO did that could be turned around where regardless of the condition of the boat you get - one should make as much effort as possible to make sure the boat is ready to go.

You broke stuff on shorter legs but you learned the boat and you fixed it before the atlantic run.

You seem like bright people and you might do things a bit different in hindsight but you've come a long way already - congrats.

BTW - Your (her) breads look outstanding. I got hungry just thinking about them. And a pretty cool use for Nutella - my kids loves that stuff!
Thanks, at times it was disheartening, it was a bit of a learning curb just going so quick

Quote:
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I took too long reading the entire thread so Don beat me to the punch. I had a nice capable 26 footer for 20 years. Lived aboard for 6 months (never crossed any oceans). It was camping. Got a bigger boat and its a new world. Plenty of fresh water and fuel. Sure she's a bit much for single handing, so what! All boats require upkeep, do the work yourself!
As for cruising, as Boatman has often said, (I paraphrase) "cruise in the correct season for your location and your vessel". Go bigger! Get a ketch!
Congrats on your crossing.
Bought where I'm at.

Thanks
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Old 29-06-2014, 14:31   #43
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

bbowers,

I really like triciarob's post. And it made me think about your voyage again. Four of you on that boat must have been very crowdy. Maybe the over-crowded feeling is just sticking to you. Or did the woman say, "if we're going to have crew, we'll have to have a bigger boat". If she is not a keeper, then don't pay attention, all that much, for soon you'll have only yourself and the dog to house and sail with.

For you right now, faster passages seem like an idea that got hold of you, and given weavis' post that they are capable of 4-6, at least during coastal cruising, perhaps your sails were tired or poorly trimmed, as mentioned above. I think it's hard to learn from what you're experiencing when you're feeling overwhelmed, and maybe now you're somewhere more mellow, you can concentrate on improving your sailing skills.

You have successfully completed a voyage that some people on CF can merely imagine, give yourself a little time to enjoy life and consider "things."

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Old 29-06-2014, 16:27   #44
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

Ann, I really enjoyed your initial response, although to validate your post by information from other posts, that just looses all credibility. Although I feel your heart is in the right place.

triciarob

Now that is inspiring.
Although going from UK to Azores and across the Med with the Sadler is a great feet, that is not half the miles in total of the crossing. As it is hard to mention their times of their trips, it is not comparable. As well as the dynamics of the centaur.

I for one have not had my Westerly to six knots. I am lucky to get 5 Down wind with full spinnaker. It is a heavy boat 6700 lbs and has only 324 ft sq of sail area. Not to mention we have a mast furler and bilge keels compared to otherwise. We had to heive to for two days during the trip and our wind vane broke. The rest of the trip the wind vane did not operate correctly and had us going in a winding motion the rest of the trip.

Although people may say it was the sail trim that did us in on our trip, it was actually the wind vane that ruined our speedy crossing. As well as we were becalmed for almost a week at the end of our trip.

This while you are correct about being on a small boat with the amount of people we have now is right, but in the end if we want to continue around the globe with crew as mentioned it would need a bigger boat.

Also, If I sailed a bigger boat, as you have mentioned. With out having ASA 101/103/104, as well as my Six Pack. I'm sure with my sail trim mistakes, I would still manage to get a boat that averages, as per the websites 10 knots. I am sure I can get that boat to move at least 6 knots, even with the blown out sails and my terrible sailing skills.

I may even be able to buy some peanuts at the other end if my mast doesn't break in route.

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Old 29-06-2014, 17:36   #45
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Re: Only Six Months -- Feeling Cramped

Hey,
I think I introduce myself. I'm Stef the "needy" woman on his side.
I read this thread here and some of this posts makes me a lil upset.
Ann, not every woman is like you who try to influence the man! I never told him I'm not happy, it was our conclusion that we need a bigger boat for a little bit more of everything. You can't talk about somebody like that or to somebody like that.

About the wrong trimmed sails, at the beginning (the first 2 weeks) we trimmed sometimes, but after that we had the sails out the hole time + the spinnaker for the last almost 2 weeks. What can somebody do wrong? And Brandon is a pretty good sailor already, I was most the time the one who wanna trim some sail.

We met on some places a few sailors, with bigger boats, a little older and with much more experience (I don't talk about Florida-Bahamas or UK- Azores for about 10 years) and they said they wouldn't do so much different, they know about the boat what's important to be fast.


And now please go back to the topic! I wonder that no admin stopped this here...
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