Challenge: Smaller Boat, Singlehanded, Southern Route, Non-Stop

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by dcstrng

Boy, ain’t that the truth… what I used to consider a barge is now only adequate, and what I used to consider generous is now barely a daysailor…

;-)

I am 6'11'', pretty fit (as compared with very many people), and have sailed boats from an Optimist to relatively chunky 50+ footers. And yet, with one circumnav under my belt, I would not readily go for anything bigger than a decent 34/36' sloop/cutter (bigger, if a nicely laid out ketch, yawl or schooner) - if I were to go alone / double!

I know electric winches and hydraulic kickers help. But what when they stop? And they do stop at times (and unfortunatelly enough, somewhat more often at the hard times).

b.

[slomotion]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

;-)

I am 6'11'',

So I take it that in the debate you come down on the side of not needing standing head room.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by Mambo

I don't think escaping storms is a realistic goal in a 33' monohull.

I don't think escaping storms is a realistic goal in the SO period..

I doubt our newest and youngest solo cicumnavigator would disagree.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by slomotion

So I take it that in the debate you come down on the side of not needing standing head room.

Damme it! Should read: 5 and 11!

Even so - no standing height in my 26 footer either! The standing height not critical IMHO - but the length of the cockpit bench very much so .. it is real cool to be able to sleep in the cockpit in the tropics.

BTW - the standing height - definitely required in the galley area. I am lucky because my first mate cooks much better (and more often) than me (yes, I know, it IS a sin). She is the shorter one ...

I think too little headroom can be an issue as can be too much of it - (personally) hate boats that are like a den inside and you cannot see the world when you get up from the bunk - common in many Koopmans / Tradewinds and a couple of other boats that I otherwise love (and probably even desire ;-).

Sorry for the ooops.

barnie

[Adelie]

[QUOTE=SouthernSpeed;451929]Books- Can I have a list of books you would reccomend? I have been to libraries, but need to order some online.
QUOTE]

'Piloting & Dead Reckoning 4th Ed.’ --By Shufeldt, Dunlap & Bauer.
‘The Complete Book of Anchoring and Mooring’ --by E.Hinz, & R. Rhodes
‘The One-Minute Guide to the Nautical Rules of the Road’ --by Charlie Wing
Ocean Passages of the World --British Admiralty (BA)
Pilot Charts (not pilots) show historical weather for each month --USGS
World Cruising Routes --Jimmy Cornell
Bowditch's American Practical Navigator (HO#9) --US Defence Mapping agency (DMA)
The Mariner's Handbook --BA
Sight Reduction tables for Aircraft (Ho#249)--
Nautical Almanacf (or the year or years underway)--
Celestial Navigation for Yachtsmen --Mary Blewitt
This Old Boat --Don Casey
The Windvane Self-Steering Handbook --by Bill Morris
Marine Diesel Engines --Nigel Calder
World Cruising Handbook --Jimmy Cornell
Chart 1 or equivalant for whatever charts you are using. --USGS/DMA/BA
The Seaworthy Offshore Sailbat --John Vigor
Desirable and Undesirable Characteristics of Offshore Yachts Edited --by John Rousmaniere
Advanced First Aid Afloat --Eastman


Offshore Sailing Bill Seifert & D Spurr
The Voyager’s Handbook’, Beth Leonard
‘Voyaging on a Small Income’, Annie Hill:
‘The Self-Sufficient Sailor’, Lin & Larry Pardey
‘The Capable Cruiser’, Lin & Larry Pardey
‘The Cost Conscious Cruiser’, Lin & Larry Pardey
‘Handbook of Offshore Cruising’, Jim Howard:
How to Sail Around the World Hal Roth

--'Piloting & Dead Reckoning is out of print but the best compromise between brevity and thouroughness that I have found. I've seen another book recently that might do but have not read it.

--I know you want to go non-stop so the anchoring book should be superflous, if you get the book, read it and bring it along you are less likely to need it. In the same vein bring lots of anchoring gear, 3 or 4 different types of anchors, 200-300 feet of chain and 600 feet of twisted nylon rope and put at least 3 oversized cleats and fairlead on your bow.

--The 1-minute Guide is the best in print primer for rules of the road.

--Ocean Passages, World Cruising Routes and Pilot Charts are what you will need to plan your passage. You will also need to acquire the appropriate Pilots, Sailing Directions and charts for the areas you will be sailing in. If you are staying south the BA Pilot for Antartica may be useful even though you don't land.

--Bowditch and the Mariner's Handbook cover , navigation, piloting, weather phenomenon and other marine related topics in depth. Bowditch alone is probably sufficient. Lots of useful tables and archana that may help you make important decisions.

--You will probably be navigating with GPS and have 2 or 3 backups so HO#240, the nautical almanac and Blewitt's book fall into the same catagory as anchors and the anchoring book, insurance. Carrying them implies that you will carry a sextant (a new plastic Davis or a used Astra IIIB will be fine) and 3 watches to track time and a notebook to track the rate of error for the watches set to GMT (do not reset them, track the rates at which their errors grow) and plotting sheets. A shortwave radio for a time tick would be nice as you will also be able to get news, music whatever, but you can check the watches against GPS time too.

If you get a glass boat, This Old Boat is a good start for DIY repairs and upgrades.

--The general concensus is that windvane self-steering is the way to go offshore with electro-mechanical autopilot for very light winds, motoring and backup. Hence the windvane book.

--If you have an engine onboard it is almost certainly going to be a diesel, hence N Calder's book.
--World Cruising Handbook provides info on customs and immigration for any country you might need to land in.

--Vigor's and Rousmaniere's books provide a lot of basic info on what kind of boat you want and how you want to outfit it. Vigor has several other books that provide a bunch of very handy rules of thumb.

--Everything after that is general how-to. If I were going to trim the list I would still want BLeonard's handbook, all 3 by L&LPardey and the Seifert&Spurr book. Read them all. There will be a lot of info that won't apply to your situation are that you disagree with philosophically but knowing about alternative techniques will stand you in good stead when bad things happen and you need to come up with a fix.

--Give strong consideration to adding a releasable forestay for a hanked on staysail. It will give you considerable extra sail area in light airs, the forestay and the other necessay added rigging significantly strengthen the mast, for heavy air the staysail balances the boat better than a storm jib on the headstay, and it provides more reliable backup for a roller furler on the headstay if you use one. One of the Pardey books has directions on making your own tensioning lever for the release mechanism.

--Beth Leonard's and her husband's website, www.bethandevans.com, has a lot of useful info, especially in the FAQ Section.

[Adelie]

A book addition:
The Care and Feeding of Sailing Crew -- Lin Pardey

Also I have reconsidered trimming 'Voyaging on a Small Income’ by Annie Hill from the general handbook list. Mostly because she offers the best info on food preservation I have come across.

[dcstrng]

[QUOTE=Adelie;459511]

Originally Posted by SouthernSpeed

One of the Pardey books has directions on making your own tensioning lever for the release mechanism...

???

Do you happen to recall which one… have been thinking about this for my B24, but am unsure how to fabricate the hyfield (highfield) lever arrangement, more importantly how big/small to make it…

[Adelie]

[QUOTE=dcstrng;461523]

Originally Posted by Adelie

???

Do you happen to recall which one… have been thinking about this for my B24, but am unsure how to fabricate the hyfield (highfield) lever arrangement, more importantly how big/small to make it…

"The Capable Cruiser', 1st ed., Pg 116. In other editions it would be close to that page. Also saw it on their web site recently.

Actually what they show is a 'J'-hook tensioner not a Highfield lever. It has the advatage of being completely removable from the foredeck so only the chainplate and shackle remain to stub your toes on and trip over. The Highfield lever has the advantage of tensioning and detensioning much more quickly but is an installation that remains in place so it is appropriate for things like running backstays which need to go on and off quickly but can remain loosely in place.

If I were going to fabricate one I would use a copier to enlarge the drawing to the size I wanted then trace onto the material being used.

[dcstrng]

[QUOTE=Adelie;461557]

Originally Posted by dcstrng

"The Capable Cruiser', 1st ed., Pg 116. In other editions it would be close to that page. Also saw it on their web site recently...

Super, thank you so much… I used to have most of their books, but gave `em away during a phase when I thought I’d not be sailing again…

Appreciate it !

[SaltyMonkey]

I'l like to modify the OP original request and ask this question so I don't have to write another thread - see what else pops up:

What boat?

- Less that $100k
- 30-42 feet in length
- double circumnavigation non stop southern route
- production design and readily available (USA / Canada)
- no "major" modifications to hull necessary

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by SaltyMonkey

I'l like to modify the OP original request and ask this question so I don't have to write another thread - see what else pops up:

What boat?

- Less that $100k
- 30-42 feet in length
- double circumnavigation non stop southern route
- production design and readily available (USA / Canada)
- no "major" modifications to hull necessary

Good on ya, mate. But why mix up with the money?

Then - S route, but up- or down-wind?

And would you not think 30 is errr... a tad bit smallish for the job? Think safety, supplies, etc..

b.

[SaltyMonkey]

barnakiel:

Modified for your feedback:

- Less that $100k (lowered the price so it's more affordable and for self-sponsered)
- 30-42 feet in length (lower feet so boats like aries and westsails are options?)
- double solo circumnavigation .
- non stop southern route downwind (get me to Australia fast).
- production design and readily available (USA / Canada)
- no "major" modifications to hull necessary.

[barnakiel]

Westsail 32

[Adelie]

Baba 30
Valiant 32
ALAJUELA 33

[Sabbatical II]

Originally Posted by SouthernSpeed

Speed is safety for me, and I want this to be as safe as possible.

I amazed that no one has suggested an Open 40. I would prefer a bit more comfort but if it's speed you want, I know where there's one for free. It needs a bit of attention but I've heard even kids can singlehand them. What could go wrong?