Charter Boat to Bluewater Crusier

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by dazed321

If I wanted to set it up for blue water cruising ie: crossing the pacific, what are the essential lacking from a typical charter boat?

b:

Nothing.

I bought mine in St Martin in the Caribbean and only bought an EPIRB and food and off we went.

Charter boats are set up for 7 day autonomous cruising so the longest passages in the Pacific are only 3 times that.

I would add an AIS...


Mark

[jackdale]

Many charter boats have a lineal galley.



IMHO a U, J or L speed galley is more appropraite for cooking underway

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

For example Sunsail catermarans have a "front porch".

Those are Leopard cats. The owner versions have forward cockpits as well. I have sailed them in bluewater (over 4,000 miles); they are fine. The drainage is quite adequate; much more so that the tiny drainage holes in most anchor lockers.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by jackdale

Those are Leopard cats. The owner versions have forward cockpits as well. I have sailed them in bluewater (over 4,000 miles); they are fine. The drainage is quite adequate; much more so that the tiny drainage holes in most anchor lockers.

I don't disagree with using anything less than a long keel, long overhang heavy displacement vessel for passage making. Just about everything from a rowboat upwards has been successfully used for this purpose. Both my last boat and current boat (which just happens to be an ex-charter and built like a tank) have made extensive open water passages yet both are most definitely coastal designs.

However, if or when the poo starts hitting the fan big time out of range of immediate enough help, I know which features I'd prefer to be in the boat, and those which I'd prefer not to be!

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[jackdale]

A couple of other thoughts.

The huge v berths found on many charter boats is really unusable for sleeping, but makes for good storage.

All of the sinks on monohulls should be as close to the center-line as possible. Otherwise the will not drain properly, or worse, fill up sea water when heeled.

For bluewater you actually want a small head with the toilet facing forward.

[Reefmagnet]

Originally Posted by jackdale

A couple of other thoughts.

The huge v berths found on many charter boats is really unusable for sleeping, but makes for good storage.

All of the sinks on monohulls should be as close to the center-line as possible. Otherwise the will not drain properly, or worse, fill up sea water when heeled.

For bluewater you actually want a small head with the toilet facing forward.

And handholds; and sea berths; and reinforced/deadlighted ports; and jackline/harness attachment points; and gimballed stove; and decent tankage and storage; and a place to store the dinghy; and direct discharge capable head; and a decent reefing system: and decent light air downwind sails; and lots of those other little things that all add up. Perhaps not all essential, but very nice to have.

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[MarkJ]

If hand holds and berth size are so wrong on these boats i wonder how I have done a circumnavigation in mine?


Maybe I have already died and this is an apparition typing.


Boo!

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by Reefmagnet

And handholds; and sea berths; and reinforced/deadlighted ports; and jackline/harness attachment points; and gimballed stove; and decent tankage and storage; and a place to store the dinghy; and direct discharge capable head; and a decent reefing system: and decent light air downwind sails; and lots of those other little things that all add up. Perhaps not all essential, but very nice to have.

Sent from my SGP521 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

Exactly. Both the deck layout and interior layout need to be suitable, as do the boat systems.

One of my bugbears about galleys is the lack of a galley harness. They make life so much easier.

Decent liferaft stowage.

The floorboards and under cushion storage locker need ed to be able to be secured.

[boatman61]

In '06 I bought a 2001 Beneteau from Sunsail, BVI's..
She came with no dinghy or outboard, no liferaft, but did have AP and and CP at the helm... engine hrs were over 3K but had been well looked after, only problem was with the alternator..
I took her to St Martin and a further $10K saw me with a new dinghy/OB, a custom SS solar/dinghy arch, solar panels and wind generator.. etc..
I then sailed her to Portugal and sailed the Atlantic islands in her the following year ending up in the UK winter '08..
Where I downsized to a Hurley 22 and did a December sail to Portugal..

[Jon Hacking]

Many good replies here. FWIW, we bought a cat from Sunsail in St. Martin in 2001 & have put ~50,000 ocean miles on her, most with our teens on board. We spent more than MarkJ getting her ready, but those were mostly "wants" rather than needs (solar panels, SSB & pactor, radar, watermaker, etc). She needed a dinghy, & the sails & batteries were used up, & I replaced the mechanical refrigeration system with electric. Sunsail St. Martin took pretty good care of their boats, but they get rid of them after only 5 years, & other charter operators may not be so good. We have some details on our website, but feel free to PM if you want more details.

[adlib2]

Originally Posted by dazed321

Hi Guys,

I'm a newbie here,

SORRY this is going to be a bit of a vague question(s). I'm looking at buying a charter boat, something around 40" and 10 years old or so.

If I wanted to set it up for blue water cruising ie: crossing the pacific, what are the essential lacking from a typical charter boat?

And roughly how much would they cost?

Any advice would be great appreciated,

Thanks in advance,

Rob

From experience I can say if you pay $100k for a Charter boat you will pay more than that again to make it suitable for comfortable safe ocean passaging
You'll get a much better deal from a private owner and a better class vessel.

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Nothing.

I bought mine in St Martin in the Caribbean and only bought an EPIRB and food and off we went.

Charter boats are set up for 7 day autonomous cruising so the longest passages in the Pacific are only 3 times that.

I would add an AIS...


Mark

In what shape were the sails, standing rigging, running rigging?

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by boatman61

In '06 I bought a 2001 Beneteau from Sunsail, BVI's..
She came with no dinghy or outboard, no liferaft, but did have AP and and CP at the helm... engine hrs were over 3K but had been well looked after, only problem was with the alternator..
I took her to St Martin and a further $10K saw me with a new dinghy/OB, a custom SS solar/dinghy arch, solar panels and wind generator.. etc..
I then sailed her to Portugal and sailed the Atlantic islands in her the following year ending up in the UK winter '08..
Where I downsized to a Hurley 22 and did a December sail to Portugal..

I asked Mark this question as well.

In what shape were the sails, standing rigging, running rigging?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by jackdale

In what shape were the sails, standing rigging, running rigging?

Fine.

The next money I spent on her was in Australia on an extra 50m anchor chain.

So from the Caribbean to Australia I broke one split pin.

That's half a world.

[Lizzy Belle]

Originally Posted by adlib2

From experience I can say if you pay $100k for a Charter boat you will pay more than that again to make it suitable for comfortable safe ocean passaging

Depends on your definition of 'comfortable', I think.

These days, people (not saying you, and yes, I am generalizing here) seem to think you can only cross an ocean safely and comfy if you have all the bells and whistles, and the newest of the newest at that.

When I was a wee girl, a 30' boat was considered ideal for a couple or small family wanting to go cruising. Add charts & a GPS (kinda nice to know where you are after all) and you've got the basics covered.