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Old 21-07-2012, 05:49   #1
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Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

I'm looking at a Westerly Nimrod 18 for light cruising as a trailer sailor primarily, but would like to put in, say in the Great lakes and do the Circle, or maybe stray as far as the Bahamas or Dry Tortugas. The boat seems to be in good repair, I can't find any soft spots, etc, and appears to have been well cared for and the rigging is good. It's just me, my wife, and our cat, and we have always lived simply and spartan conditions have never bothered either of us.

I drove a truck for 30+ years, so confined spaces don't bother us, either. As to sailing experience, it's some on the Great lakes and sailing inland scows in Indiana from the I-20 to the A Scow classes (20-38 foot race boats), with crew or single handed. An A Boat is quite the handful for a solo skipper, by the way.....a LOT of work.

Now, a Nimrod is a 2 person swing keel boat, fractional sloop rigged with a closable cuddy cabin. This boat has a 5HP aux outboard, 22 liters water and 22 liters fuel bunkerage.

Thoughts?
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Old 21-07-2012, 06:45   #2
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

The size of the boat limits the amount of provisions you can carry so you will have to carefully plan your itinerary with regards to available ports of call on your chosen route.
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Old 21-07-2012, 07:05   #3
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

I've sailed the great lakes for 35 years and just did a trip to the virgin islands and back. I know the waters you are planning to sail in. I would think you need something a bit more solid than the nimrod. Eventually you are going to be caught in open water and that boat is not up to it.
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Old 21-07-2012, 14:58   #4
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

They have a good name in these parts (build and speed), but they are what they are - a large dinghy with a lid.....so ain't gonna be rounding Cape Horn on autopilot whilst down below having a snooze for a week .

I have no experiance of the areas you talk about (nor of course of your capabilities - both when sailing and when choosing not to set out).....but at least one has crossed the English Channel (only 47 seconds - Youtube not the passage! - likely a pretty much full (daylight) day, depending which route.....the day was clearly chosen with some care, as conditions pretty tame).



For those unfamiliar:-





I won't say she is capable of what you intend to do, nor that she will be big enough as most of all that is down to you as much as the boat (and like any small boat she would get smaller as the wind / sea pipes up!)....... Certainly won't be in the 30' + no brain(er) class. but IMO would not be insane to be out on in a bit of a blow, if you knew what you were doing - even if later very happy to then be back on dry land .

With a trailer involved always will be a trade off to be made. If 99% of what you intending to do is day sails (therefore can pick the weather) then IMO mostly comes down to whether you & wife (and cat!) can live with the size.....if you can for more than the day (weekend?) you likely in a minority - but nowt wrong with that.
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Old 21-07-2012, 15:27   #5
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Looks like Manrey's tinkerbelle on steroids. I think chiles used a drascombe for a crossing. While Manrey crossed the atlantic. Tinkerbelle did great and Manrey grabbed the soil and planted his lips in a English boat lot. Chiles on the other hand arrived on a Pacific island by alternate means and later his boat was found. No mention of kissing dirt in his journal. More more then less he washed up. How that has relevance is unknown.
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Old 21-07-2012, 16:09   #6
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

Quote:
Originally Posted by sabray View Post
Looks like Manrey's tinkerbelle on steroids. I think chiles used a drascombe for a crossing. While Manrey crossed the atlantic. Tinkerbelle did great and Manrey grabbed the soil and planted his lips in a English boat lot. Chiles on the other hand arrived on a Pacific island by alternate means and later his boat was found. No mention of kissing dirt in his journal. More more then less he washed up. How that has relevance is unknown.
A mate has a photo of Chiles sitting in his boat in Cairns inlet (Australia) in the rain reading a newspaper, lack of comfort never perturbed Webb.
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Old 21-07-2012, 16:32   #7
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o...owe/IBoat1.jpg

These are my primary sailing experience, an I 20 scow, as well as an E Scow....28' version of this, and an A Scow, a 38 foot version of this on smaller inland lakers. I've also sailed Dinghies like the Rebel, and Lightnings. I have some experience sailing Lake Michigan's South Shore, which can get kind of hairy, in the Rebel. If you get caught out, and the squalls are coming from the north, there's a 300 mile fetch to build the waves and Michigan is shallow, so the waves get steep and nasty..

I won't say I'm the bestest or bravest sailor on the planet, but I do intend to be one of the oldest.
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Old 22-07-2012, 00:34   #8
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

The opening view on that you tube looking at the "combings" had me wondering if this wasn't a 470, where are the dang hiking straps?. Dingy with a lid on it seems right but what the heck. If you feel like there's enough room, the build seems sturdy and you accept her limitations for heavy weather might be fun.
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Old 22-07-2012, 15:42   #9
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

Second possibility for a Pocket Cruiser....more capable, shoals keel with extendable daggerboard, beamier, and stronger and better berths. Galeforce 20?
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Old 23-07-2012, 05:39   #10
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Re: Looking at a boat: Opinions/suggestions?

Triton 28, inexpensive and 8 feet wide but not exactly a weekend trailerable boat. James Baldwin circumnavigated his twice (see Voyages of the Atom which includes a long list of inexpensive sturdy vessels) and also recently trailered one cross country from Georgia to California. I learned a lot from reading his website as a newbie, he is definitely a proponent of "go simple and go now." The idea of being trapped in a small boat for 3 days in the rain without standing headroom with a significant other doesn't appeal to me nor do I have the svengali skills to convince a woman to try it, ha. Also, the Nimrod appears to have a huge cockpit, what happens when the first big following sea comes aboard, which can easily happen even in an inlet? Why not use the Nimrod now for a daysailer and then sell it to buy a Triton 28/other when you get ready to make the big trip?
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