Downsizing and a Return to the Light ?

[fishwife]

Thanks Don, she's a lovely boat but not what I have in mind.

P.

[Pelagic]

That gives us a much clearer picture of your situation and goals.

It is great what you are planning on doing, but I think the issue is first more about crew than boat.

I always advise “baby steps” for those not committed to the Sea, so whether your two friends who left after the last cruise will ever return, depends on how you manage their future visits.

If financially you were needing your two friends involvement to subsidize the operational costs of the journey, then downsizing so that you are not dependant on them makes sense…

An alternative idea would be to develop some kind of women’s group “Wellness” program… that would see similar women experience New Horizon, but in a less challenging environment, so that confidence and like minded purpose develops within your new group and operational costs are subsidized. (before undertaking an RTW)

The problem you experience with your crazy crew member was because she was not hand picked and tested by you, before you were forced to commit to her at sea. (In 35 years as a captain, I have never known such a horror!)

I have a 65ft motor sailor and while I can troubleshoot all the systems, it is nice to have an assistant to keep the vessel well maintained and clean. I prefer to hire someone who is young, trustworthy, intelligent and eager to learn (my way).

They must commit to a minimum of 2 years with a six month probationary period and my goal is that after the first year, they have an intimate knowledge of the complete yacht and her systems and they think of her as their boat.

It is great to have that solid backup in a paid crew, but the key is to find and develop that person yourself, so that their loyalty is unquestioned. Their compensation is not always about money, but a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction.

If you do opt to change boats, I am partial to motor-sailors that sail well but also can motor-sail most efficiently, with simple commercial systems. (I do love my Dutch built StarGazer)

Hopefully someone on board has some hands on experience with the Fisher,

Best of luck!....Nick

[Rangiroo]

I have a Stevens 47 for sale here in NZ. It is absolutely setup with redundant systems and outfitted completely for long term ocean cruising. I spared no expense when setting her up. I have just completed sailing her from the East Coast of the US through the Caribbean to Panama then through the Sth Pacific to here.
It is a very easy boat to sail with 2 people but has room to comfortably take 4 for long passages or even more for short coastal cruising.
I picked extremely carefully when choosing this boat and I love sailing her.
She can be seen here....

Bennett Brothers Yachts (Wilmington, NC)

She is very reasonably priced and needs almost nothing spent to take her to sea again.

Michael

[fishwife]

Hi Micheal, Thanks for the thought but NZ is a little far for me to go and look at a boat

P.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by fishwife

At Uni and in the forces I met up with a group of women who became my life long friends, a couple of them had cruised with me over the years and the other three had dreams of doing so but life always got in the way. When I bought New Horizons she was to be the vessel that took us all around the world in style.

Hats off on the scale of your ambition I wish I'd been nicer to freinds from younger years

Appreciate the reasons for the sale of New Horizons, but am wondering whether dropping down to "only" 50 odd feet will meet the 2 person useability requirement.

I dunno if your current vessel has twin screws but if it has then you're going to notice going over to a single engine sailing boat on the close quarters handling / docking. Not to say insurmountable - but perhaps more likely that a couple of pairs of hands and eyes (with or without a roving fender or already ashore to catch the lines) will make a difference in both practice and also in giving confidence to give things a punt when conditions less than favourable.

In any event, whether 50 odd or 67 feet on a longer passage a couple of extra crew will make the voyage more restful.

What am I saying? errr, dunno? Maybe that you could end up with a smaller boat and still wanting the extra crew - except with less room to stow them. Wanting not the same as needing, but about making life easier / more enjoyable.

As a natural contrarian maybe an answer is more crew! Could plan longer legs around some of your (currently) less than enthused freinds coming along to help you out (and a sneaky way to re enthuse them with the RTW idea ) or (and?) what about building a long term relationship with a couple, on a paid basis (so you be the boss ) for at least part of the year. I am thinking that a cruising couple with own boat looking to finance their own adventures may be a good fit for each side, and financially might not need to pay top dollar, whilst for them it would be work a bit of a busmans holiday that means they avoid going back ashore to keep their own cruising kitty topped up.

Obviously picking strangers still carries a risk, but a couple is a different dynamic and if you aimed for the more mature end will have some background (home / work history) to verify with references to take up and likely will be people with more to lose than gain from meddling in the drugs game. Plus if you can get folks with useful skills (especially on the mechanical / electrickery side as well as general cruiser skills) could lower costs elsewhere.

Also might be an idea to be aware when entering the more known drug smuggling trade routes to be extra cautious of folks comig onboard - including shoreside visitors?

Other people's boats and lives - always a piece of p#ss to sort out

[fishwife]

Hi David, New Horizons has a single main engine and a small wing engine with a folding prop. She also has hydraulic bow and stern thrusters but unless it's really tight I don't use them. I can use a spring line with the best of them The Fisher is only 46ft but I take on board what you are saying about crew.

Thanks

P.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by DannySt

This looks like a nice small boat within your price range

A gorgeous boat indeed........and then they had to go and put in Parquet flooring...

[maisis00]

[LONG LOW WHISTLE OF ADMIRATION] Wow... that Fisher is definitely a beauty. Ooooooh... come back to sail, ditch the dino-guzzler! I wish you the best of luck on your smaller boat search, regardless of which (motor or sail) you choose.

I remember reading about your recent crew troubles and no one should have to deal with that kind of crap. Made me so mad, I wanted to hop the pond read that little tamp the riot act for you. On a positive note though, I hear that rum helps wash away that nasty "pycho crew" after taste, exceedingly well.

[mintyspilot]

Fishwife - any further progress on your search for a sailboat?

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by fishwife

I may consider a return to the light and get a sail boat. P.

You get lotsa change from $500k on a brand new, fully outfitted Beneteau 54.

Nice boats.

[rourkeh]

Fishwife, I sold alot of smaller 50'-60' trawlers and larger 60'+ motoryachts to people in their 50's and 60's who had no problem handling them with a husband and wife team no crew. But many of those same people could not deal with the requirements, agility, manual labour of sailing even a 30' sailboat. Alot will depend on your physical abilities and the amount of work you are willing to do to have the use of a boat.

[fishwife]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

You get lotsa change from $500k on a brand new, fully outfitted Beneteau 54.

Nice boats.

I don't think it's quite what I'm looking for Mark

Originally Posted by rourkeh

snip ... Alot will depend on your physical abilities and the amount of work you are willing to do to have the use of a boat.

In my experience husband and wife teams invariably take on extra crew when the are crossing oceans or use Dockwise or similar. I find 4 hours on and 4 off for long periods too tiring, especially when even with a solidly engineered boat like mine, there is going to be a few hours maintenance every day. Most people who buy blue water trawlers never use them for their intended purpose and can happily manage with two people for the two or three day passages they make.

Originally Posted by mintyspilot

Fishwife - any further progress on your search for a sailboat?

I'm going to look at a couple of motorsailers next week. Alternatively, I've been discussing the possibility of finding crew we'll pay a small wage to, for New Horizons, with Sue my sole remaining original crew member. We may (probably will) do a circumnavigation of Britain starting in the spring, trying out prospective crew members for 2 week periods. To be blunt, we'll never be that far from a port where we can say goodbye to anyone who is not working out.

P.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by fishwife

In my experience husband and wife teams invariably take on extra crew when the are crossing oceans or use Dockwise or similar. I find 4 hours on and 4 off for long periods too tiring, especially when even with a solidly engineered boat like mine, there is going to be a few hours maintenance every day. Most people who buy blue water trawlers never use them for their intended purpose and can happily manage with two people for the two or three day passages they make.



P.

G'Day Fishwife,

Don't know what cruising population you are referencing here... perhaps long range trawler folks are different from sailing cruisers... but Ann and I have never taken on crew for long passages. In fact, most of the long term cruisers we've met over the years are couples, and only a very few did as you suggest. Granted that the extra watch-standers would make a voyage less demanding, but we (and manyu others) feel that the benefits are outweighed by the downsides of finding, "testing", accomodating and feeding the extra bods. YMMV!

I also am surprised at the "few hours of maintenance every day" idea. Is this associated with the engine? We certainly haven't had such a demand on any of our sailing cruisers. This aspect alone makes me think that you will just LOVE your proposed change to the light side!

At any rate, Ann and I wish you joy in whatever new yacht/trawler/motorsailer you choose.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Cairns, Qld, Oz

PS: We use a six hour on, six hour off watch schedule when at sea. Works for us!

[RiverRat]

I can't advise you on boats, but I'd hate to see you change boats with a bitter taste in your mouth. And how could you NOT?! after your experience with the crew from hell? Hopefully, the professional and competent crew will take you and your friend on a wonderful cruise around Britain and you can then change boats with a positive last memory.

Best wishes for a successful transition.

K

[fishwife]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

G'Day Fishwife,

Don't know what cruising population you are referencing here... perhaps long range trawler folks are different from sailing cruisers... but Ann and I have never taken on crew for long passages. In fact, most of the long term cruisers we've met over the years are couples, and only a very few did as you suggest. Granted that the extra watch-standers would make a voyage less demanding, but we (and manyu others) feel that the benefits are outweighed by the downsides of finding, "testing", accomodating and feeding the extra bods. YMMV!

I also am surprised at the "few hours of maintenance every day" idea. Is this associated with the engine? We certainly haven't had such a demand on any of our sailing cruisers. This aspect alone makes me think that you will just LOVE your proposed change to the light side!

At any rate, Ann and I wish you joy in whatever new yacht/trawler/motorsailer you choose.

Cheers,

Jim and Ann s/v Insatiable II lying Cairns, Qld, Oz

PS: We use a six hour on, six hour off watch schedule when at sea. Works for us!

Thank you for the very kind wishes Jim and Anne

Running a big diesel engine 24/7 takes some time time each day but there are lots of other small things that individually are only perhaps 10 to 15 minutes each but they add up, transferring fuel for trim purposes, checking all the fluid levels, making water, fixing that little seep from a pump before it becomes a big leak, I could go on and on

I think the shift system that would suit me best with a two hander is 12hrs on and 12 off but I'd I think I'd be on my own if I tried to implement that

P.