Ocean Crossers and Global Cruisers Only

[Chotu]

One little informational post before I make some real responses.

The mold in inaccessible areas in the lesser boat is a real concern, as is the inability sail indoors. The lesser boat leaves me to that mold that goes off in the damp conditions you sometimes get. Gets hard to breathe as those spore levels increase. Also, every boat in existence has this. It's the part of "boat smell" that isn't diesel. I designed the perfect boat to have no mold as it has no surfaces for it to grow on, extreme amounts of ventilation, air conditioning and air purification.

The perfect boat was designed around my need for pure air. No mold, no inaccessible areas and the ability to handle all sails, even to the point of reefing, from indoors. Air purification, air conditioning, etc. To combat pollution when sailing near highly populated areas. When in places like Florida where there is no air pollution to speak of, I don't have any symptoms.

Finishing the buildout would be a royal pain because I'll have to wear my forced air respirator for even the smallest things. However, I'll be able to better protect my lungs with the boat designed with these issues in mind.

Also, what was found to be the problem is particulate air pollution of about 50ppm or higher. As well as mold and uncured epoxy and epoxy dust from sanding. These are the 3 things that wreak havoc with my lungs. I was incorrectly assuming it was the algae bloom. In fact, I'm in Florida right now and was exposed to the current bloom enough to give watery eyes and scratchy throat. Absolutely zero lung issues from it. My lung issues are allergic responses that trigger some crazy severe asthma.

If the pollution goes up above about 50ppm in particulates outdoors, I need filtered air. Either by going indoors with air conditioning or air filtering, or wearing an N95 or P100 dust mask continuously outdoors. It brutal wearing those by the way.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by trimarannaga

Heres my two cents... take the better boat, even tho she needs stuff, just right now fix her so she is safe to sail. Like fix the rigging. Sails. Engine. And go sailing. While anchored off a lovely town or docked at some exotic marina, fix the cabinets. Next lovely little island with a good canvas worker, get the interior done. Meanwhile put in your electronics and or whatever. Do it one step at a time so you can live aboard but not be confined to a boatyard. And if boatyard is what she needs, then picture this... the caribbean has hurricanes. Sail in the good season, enjoy the boat and the wonders of the tropics. When hurricane season comes around, haul her and do what needs doing. 5 months in the boatyard gets a hell of a lot of projects completed. Then come good season, put her back on the water and play.
This is actually.what i do.
I bought a boat and after replacing her rigging and sails, i sailed her. Hurricane season came i hauled her. Did a lot of work but not everything. Then sailed her some more. Then another haulout for a month, then sailed her some more. Stopped in Panama and put in a new engine. Then sailed her some more. One more haulout then went thru the canal to french Polynesia and lovely south pacific islands. Cyclone season again, hauled her in Tonga. Better season, sailed her beautifull and better than ever thru the Fijian islands. Cyclone season again, hauling next week here in Vanuatu.
So what i am saying is, the work is getting done, but i am really enjoying the sailing. Now. Aint got time to wait 2 or three or whatever years until she's perfect. Because she never will be perfect. But she IS seaworthy and a comfortable home. And that is my two cents.

This is exactly how I see doing it if the better boat. Maybe a year of pretty intense stuff. Rig, berth area, redo galley, shower/head. Then do the rest while cruising around the East coast USA for a while. Get a dock here and there to make some projects easier.

[Donald Bryden]

I made the decision you are mulling over. I've been sailing since 1973 and had done some cruising on mine and other peoples boats. In 1990, I made the puddle jump as crew and spent many months in Mexico cruising. After many miles on many different boats, I became convinced that I knew what I wanted in a boat and was prepared to build it. I wasn't fully retired, so I wasn't ready to permanently take in the dock lines yet. I went from finding the plans I wanted to a mostly finished boat. It took me almost 10 years and even then there were many things still undone. Whether I would recommend this route to another depends on them. I still managed to crew in local races and on an occasional delivery, so I wasn't off the water entirely. You didn't mention what experience level you and your girlfriend have. If you are new to this and are dreaming of the day, than my advice is to start crewing on boats making passages. If you know boats pretty well and think you are up to the task of upgrading a boat than, I would suggest you listen to your girlfriend. If she isn't happy then you will be looking for crew or single handing. I ended up with the boat I wanted and I'm happily cruising. I built my boat on the East coast and for a shakedown sailed up to the Canadian Maritimes. It was a fascinating cruise. I highly recommend it. You will need RADAR for the fog. When I left, I had refrigeration that was not hooked up. The generator was not on line. The sole was varnished plywood and the overhead was sprayed insulation. Over the years of travel, I've finished all those projects and I'm very happy with the results. I didn't like taking the time to build the boat as I felt I wanted to be underway, but like your friend, I knew I wouldn't be happy with a different boat. If you decide to build and If you can get to the hull and overhead, be sure to spray-in insulation. Also add lots of ventilation. As for the way we cruise, we like to take side trips, some of them quite distant. While in Malaysia, we traveled to Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, China, Tibet, Nepal, and a few closer places. Now in the Med, we have made more side trips to neighboring European countries. You say you like to stay until you are ready to leave. That is a nice goal, but the reality is that many countries have limits on how long you can be there. Ninety days is quite common, sometime less. In the European Union it is 90 days in 180 days. It keeps you moving whether your ready to or not. Good luck!

[roverhi]

Had a production boat threaten to fall apart on me on an ocean passage. The problem was a major production screw up in the hull layup not a conscious attempt to cut corners in design or construction, s**t just happened. Scared me so we decided to build the strongest and most tested design available at the time, a Westsail 32. 2 years later we left for SoPac after working 14/7/365 building out the bare hull. Had exactly the boat to fit our needs, excessively well constructed, but two years of full time boat building had gone by, the cruising kitty had gotten thin staying alive and my wife's biological clock was ticking away. We did spend a year in SoCal bouncing from marina to marina finishing the boat and a year in SoPac but our first borns imminent arrival cut short our long term cruising.

If I was doing it again, would buy a not so new but well constructed and CHEAP boat. Spend six months or less outfitting it and leave. That wouldn't eat up the cruising kitty, would give us at least 18 months more cruising time, have a boat that would meet 90% plus of our requirements and we'd probably be money and time way ahead.

Current boat that I sailed solo to Hawaii is a 1969 Pearson 35. Spent way less than six months getting it ready for the passage, replaced some of the standing rigging and all the running rigging, bought a new main, roller furling 135% foam luff Genoa, used self steering vane and a few other odds and ends. Have more money in it than it's worth but way less money than buying a newer piece plastic and it's a good looking boat.

[Jim Cate]

Mate, after reading your post 31, it is apparent that finishing out the cat is your only choice. You've pretty well lined it out: your specific health issues mean that the mono just can't do the job for you... period!

So, you have actually already made your decision... you just don't like what it means!
How about selling the mono and using the proceeds to hire some or most of the fitout work done... like the parts that are the most threatening to your well being. It would shrink down the time frame and keep your lungs functional so you might live to enjoy the cruising.

Jim

[slug]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Dear cruisers who have made passages across oceans and or have been cruising globally:

I'm still working on a decision between putting in the work and financial commitment to finish fitting out my ideal global cruiser... Or... doing a very small amount of work needed on another boat I own that just isn't as good, but might be adequate.

Are you cruising globally in your ideal boat or did you settle for something easy and cheap?

Do you think happiness comes more from the traveling? More from having a great boat? Or more from some combination of these? What combination do you think is right?

My girlfriend is convinced putting in the work, time and money to finish building out the interior and rigging on the ideal global cruiser is the way she wants to go. She says the so-so boat "doesn't feel like a home."

I'm not so sure, but obviously I'd love to have the best, most safe and perfect boat suited for the global cruising task. However, is it worth spending $100k-$200K and 2-3 years of my life to achieve it?

Or is it better to just use any old boat?

I will refrain from naming the exact boats because I don't want to cloud the discussion with any boat preferences.

Go wth a simple , absolutely reliable , high power to weight ratio boat

Not less than 40 ft, not more than 45 ft

[Cherod]

apologies , i have not read all the posts,, but what i did read, i liked BW one, " i let my gf pick the boat because i wanted her to be happy ",,, that is a wise man . ( i hope that she appreciated him )........
what took my notice , you have one boat ,, and maybe fixing up another and spending up to 200k $ !!!!!!!!!!!!!! well, i say ,, sell them both , take the profit and add the 200k and buy something that your gf likes and go go go

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Do you think happiness comes more from the traveling? More from having a great boat? Or more from some combination of these? What combination do you think is right?

This is something you simply can’t get answered on a forum. There is no right answer. You have to decide what you like. Some are all in for non-stop circumnavigation. Some hate sailing but love being at anchor in exotic places. Some go in a 1970s Albin Vega, some insist on a new Gunboat. Most are somewhere in between.

Happiness comes from a combination of doing whatever things make you happy, and being with a partner who is happy doing those things with you.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Dear cruisers who have made passages across oceans and or have been cruising globally

I would get down to one boat. Do the absolute minimum to get off the dock and go sailing. Note I say sailing, not cruising. Weekends, long weekends, holidays. Sit down with your GF after each trip and review your outfit list. The more time you spend sailing the more informed your decision-making and priorities.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Auspicious

I would get down to one boat. Do the absolute minimum to get off the dock and go sailing. Note I say sailing, not cruising. Weekends, long weekends, holidays. Sit down with your GF after each trip and review your outfit list. The more time you spend sailing the more informed your decision-making and priorities.

Note: we did just go cruising for 6 months on each of the boats to try to decide.

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Yes, I know. Lots of compromises. I'm 30 years into boats now,

Well, I've been a seaman most of my life already anyway

You clearly understand way more than most who make posts asking questions like this.

I personally would think the health and GF issues would make it a clear choice for 'the better boat'. But I understand and appreciate that you morn the 'lost time' and extra effort of that choice.

It is a hard choice - is there no possibility of a '3rd way'? Either hire people to finish the 'better boat' (faster and with fewer health concerns)? Or (perhaps less likely) sell both these and find something near 'ready to go' which satisfies both the GF and health issues?

Listening to you chat about your desires and limitations and experiences, I am sort of wondering of a power/trawler might better suit your travel style, or do the sort of non-boat long term travelling (airplanes are really a quite good way to cross oceans and get a barge in europe sort of thing).... but that is a whole other discussion and most people with your experience have pretty strongly formed opinions already on it.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Note: we did just go cruising for 6 months on each of the boats to try to decide.

Which is great. Going sailing regularly as boat work progresses performs a number of functions: it shakes out the performance of most recent systems and it further educates your prioritization. It also helps you identify early errors so they can be addressed quickly. Going sailing in the end--in my experience--makes important projects go faster, from motivation if nothing else.

In the end you'll find that crossing oceans is just going for a day sail and not bothering to go home. (tm)

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

She has lots more time than you do.

Good luck with it.

Ann
__________________

Theoretically..

[RSB333]

We purchased an older world cruiser for only $100k. The boat had been around the world and lived aboard for 13 years with recent engine rebuild, good sail inventory, and all the equipment necessary for crossing oceans. It wasn't fancy, but it was solid, comfortable and safe. My wife made the final decision selection of this boat among our several options and we never regretted the choice.

Good Luck, and go soon.
rsb333

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Breaking Waves

You clearly understand way more than most who make posts asking questions like this.

I personally would think the health and GF issues would make it a clear choice for 'the better boat'. But I understand and appreciate that you morn the 'lost time' and extra effort of that choice.

It is a hard choice - is there no possibility of a '3rd way'? Either hire people to finish the 'better boat' (faster and with fewer health concerns)? Or (perhaps less likely) sell both these and find something near 'ready to go' which satisfies both the GF and health issues?

Listening to you chat about your desires and limitations and experiences, I am sort of wondering of a power/trawler might better suit your travel style, or do the sort of non-boat long term travelling (airplanes are really a quite good way to cross oceans and get a barge in europe sort of thing).... but that is a whole other discussion and most people with your experience have pretty strongly formed opinions already on it.

A trawler isn't out of the question except for the tremendous guilt I don't think I can escape.

I'm unable to breathe due to pollution from industry and particulates that mainly come from diesel engines. I don't think I can, in good conscience, contribute to the pollution at the level a trawler does. I'm trying to sail to contribute less to the problem that has created my breathing issues.

3rd way is the plan for the better boat. Sell lesser boat and hire some help for the stuff I'm most allergic to.

I haven't seen anything on the maket under $250k that looks as good as the 50' mono I already have. So selling both to get one that fits the bill doesn't really work. Plus, some of the girlfriend's issues with the lesser boat are in fact cat vs mono stuff. If she'd never been on the cat she probably wouldn't have the. Ha ha ha.

But we did hit on something today. ANY existing boat will have those hard to reach places where mold grows.