Cruising boat help

[Little Otter]

Hey y'all sorry for the long absence, some things turned turtle for me but have since been righted and I am now in a position that I have started saving for my cruiser boat!! I have about six years (due to the current obligations of my First Mate but I'm not complaining) to save money, find a boat, and prepare for our adventure. While I'm very excited about this I also would like to hear peoples opinions on what I will need and what is a waste of space, as most of my experience is based on trips of one week or less. I hope to keep this a running thread so that we can refer to it for gear answers, and plan on asking about everything from dinghies to clothing. For my first few questions I would like to know what brand of foul weather gear the women like as I already have mine but Kristine(my First Mate) doesn't have anything since she is new to sailing, secondly I have a really hard time find boat shoes that are affordable and stay together for very long any recommendations are appreciated, thirdly what kind of dinghies do y'all use as I want an inflatable but I'm not sure what kind, as well as what size boat is needed for davits to become practical, and lastly (and please don't hate me for asking this ) what stove fuel is the best and most readily available both inside and outside the U.S. and what galley layout do you long-term live-aboard cruisers prefer. Thanks and more questions to come as I come across them and get answers.

oh and I'm sorry if this is in the wrong spot Mods

[rassabossa]

Most of those things might best be answered by using the search feature.

BTW....I'm just down the road from you in Alpharetta.

[Little Otter]

I had thought about it but I thought it would be better to get fresh perspectives rather than something that may be outdated

where at in Alpharetta I work down there off of highway 9


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[Don C L]

I may have missed it but what size boat are you thinking of and where are you cruising? Most folks these days go with propane for fuel, though there are many cruisers who still swear by their non-pressurized alcohol stove. As for a dinghy, I have a 29 foot boat so there is not a lot of room for one stored on deck and I am not a fan of hanging one from davits unless you have a really big boat. What works for me is a large expedition inflatable kayak with a drop-stitch floor from Sea Eagle. It is huge at 14 feet long and will hold 850 lbs. and it can be paddled pretty fast, and it will make progress in a mild headwind. It rolls up into a reasonable size that can be stowed on deck or thrown into the cockpit well temporarily. If you insist on having a dinghy with an outboard, there are many similar ones with transoms. The long and thin ones are nice because they carry a lot of weight, go fast (and can go into a headwind) and can roll up. I think I may have mentioned it previously in another post of yours but check out atomvoyages.com and sailboatcruising.com for lots of good info and advice.

[Little Otter]

Thanks for the info I'm looking for a 35 to 40 footer to be used in the Caribbean and possibly beyond I like the propane idea much better than alcohol for safety reasons as far as not carrying a bunch of highly flammable cooking alcohol on board(and yes I know propane can leak) and was wondering if there is any way to convert an alcohol stove to propane or if replacing the stove would be the way to go and as far as the dinghy goes I'm thinking I'll probably get an 8 or 9 footer with a folding drop in floor for longer passages of a week or more but still be able to use it as a dive platform and have something that I can just put on deck or tow for short distances when island hopping


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[Don C L]

Yes, that is what most folks do. In your size range most probably have an RIB, aka dinghy, at the size you are thinking of with a 5 hp outboard or so. Of course you can always tow it in good weather too. I wouldn't bother with trying to figure out how to convert an alcohol stove. If you find a boat that does not have propane though there is the expense of stove, line, solenoid (electrical switch to turn off gas at the tank,) and a tank that is in its own space that vents overboard. Most boats in your size range will likely have this already. For what you have planned (Caribbean) a boat that has a shallower draft (less than 5 feet) is probably your best choice. The Pearson 365 (or something like it) would be the perfect boat I think. It is well made, shallow draft, ketch rig (which keeps your sail area lower, a good thing) skeg hung rudder (strong but still very maneuverable) and faster than most heavy displacement cruisers, and capable of long distance cruising. Also, I am pretty sure that model had the keel molded with the hull, which is very strong and eliminates the need for checking keel bolts. All of these things are my own preferences in a cruising boat, others of course may differ. But when you talk to folks who are cruising and see the boats that come and go from anchorages, you will start to see what cruisers really prefer. And don't hesitate to go up and ask them about their boats and why they like them! We all love to gush about our boats over some fruity drink with a little umbrella in it. My own boat lust right now (aside from my own boat) leans toward an older boat (as I get older,) the Pearson Rhodes 41, but it probably draws too much for your plans. And it is not as roomy, nor as maneuverable but probably a little faster than the 365, and it has the mysterious quality: seakindliness which is probably more a subjective feeling for a boat's motion than it is a number in a boat's stats. Still 9 out of 10 folks here would likely yell, go for the 365 not the Rhodes 41.