Best buy in a solid cruising boat (go anywhere, $30k or less)

[vancouver25]

"A thing I really don't like about the triton is that the cockpit scuppers are integral to the hull, there is no through hull fitting, just a fiberglass tube."

I was concerned about this too initially but another advantage of removing the inboard is each of the "tube" thru-hulls (which are pretty strong already) can be isolated in watertight cockpit lockers. So a breach could fill the locker but wouldn't sink the boat.


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[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sully75

That said, singlehanding before gps seems crazy to me. I can't imagine adding all that nav work in addition to sailing the boat. But I guess you do what you have to.


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I'm thinking doing Celestial Navigation would be a good daily event on a long cruise. I get bored with the sailing the boat part just crossing the 17 miles of the lower Chesapeake so I turn on the autopilot and read or something.

[sanibel sailor]

Originally Posted by thomm225

I'm thinking doing Celestial Navigation would be a good daily event on a long cruise. I get bored with the sailing the boat part just crossing the 17 miles of the lower Chesapeake so I turn on the autopilot and read or something.

keep an eye out for those really big boats- they can sneak up fast there.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by sanibel sailor

keep an eye out for those really big boats- they can sneak up fast there.

Yeah, I reckon so, (see attached. We have to dodge these guys on every cross) but hopefully if you are single handing and on a long cruise you have an idea of where the shipping lanes are.

AIS and radar would be recommended also. I still think knowing Celestial Navigation is a good thing. You are not planning on being on the wheel or tiller every minute on a long cruise are you?

Reading time starts after Thimble Shoal Channel and ends before crossing the North Channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTCG6...ature=youtu.be

Going below for my book can be good exercise also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7iWTf-Q8SM

[thomm225]

Boat: $2,000

New Main: $1,550

New Outboard: $1,500

The sailing experience, Priceless!

[onestepcsy37]

Nice looking mainsail. Hard to believe that in nearly forty years of sailing and five boats I've never owned a new mainsail.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

Nice looking mainsail. Hard to believe that in nearly forty years of sailing and five boats I've never owned a new mainsail.

I was a racer for 15 years. So that's four new mains for five boats in 18 years. (2 new boats and 2 new mains)

My first boat was a Hobie 16 used for rental in Ft Walton Beach, FL. I quickly learned that a huge blown out sail was an awesome weapon racing in 3-6 knot winds on the lakes in Tennessee and Mississippi, but when the breeze jump to 12 knots and up, I was done before getting to A Mark until I bought a newer boat which had an almost new mainsail and an 8 to 1 block for the mainsheet.

So when an Alberg 30 guy thought we could race boat for boat, we had a great time until we had to go into the wind then the race was over. He had old sails and usually on our course, the upwind leg was late in the day when the winds had come up.

And there was a hole in the 30-40 year old rag of a main that came with the boat so after doing the math, I figured putting $6,000 - $8,000 into this good old boat wasn't such a bad thing.

The jib (1 of 2) came with the boat!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhNQs1DUaDY

Here's a nicer picture. See attached.

[onestepcsy37]

Nice video. Watched it a couple of times. Makes me wonder what the heck I'm doing here on the internet in front of a tv. And proof that the size of the boat has little to do with the enjoyment. And maybe better on a smaller boat because you spend less time fixing...