Oceangoing for under $1000

[Rorzech]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. No better way to test your steel. You'll have a good idea whether you're going to make it or not in your first 10 miles. Build it strong enough to withstand a whole swimming pool of water dumped on it all at once from a height of 20 ft.if it doesn't flatten right out like a pancake then you stand a chance.Bring lots of good fishing gear and lots of devices to make fresh water along with plenty of fresh water and a satellite distress locator. Remember you can get lots of good fibre glass sailboats for, from Free, to $1,000.00. Don't be in a rush, the Pacific isn't going anywhere last I heard.Have a look around. Good Luck and don't let the naysayer's steal your dream.

[fatherchronica]

I have a book that I think is called "The Boats They Sailed" that chronicles a dozen or so such voyages. Classic examples include the Dyes sailing an open 15 footer from the British Isles to Iceland, and Webb Chillies (sic) near circumnavigation in a Drascombe boat. One of my heroes, when I was just getting into sailing, was Sven Lundin. I admired him for building his 20 foot covered canoe in a basement and then crossing the Atlantic in it and for convincing two young women to accompany him. That said, it takes an almighty big bit of really good luck or unbelievable good seamanship, and probably both to do it. Picture the Dyes overboard in storm trying to right their little craft, or Webb swamped to the gunnels and over the centerboard well unable to bail the boat for weeks. Not to mention I have seen more than one canoe torn to pieces from what I do not know, maybe the road. A couple of years ago I saw a Hobie cat disintegrate to pieces no bigger than a bathroom trash can on one wave, in just seconds. If I had that particular dream, I would instead look for free, or nearly free boats on Craigs list and the many other places they sometimes show up and try to get a vessel actually designed to be in the ocean. My boat, Mana, has hit 13.8 kts surfing down particularly large breaking waves, in sustained 55 kt winds a hundred miles west of Neah Bay. It was exciting and surreal to be there in our pilothouse, feeling quite confident in my boats construction. I cannot imagine the terror I would have felt in the described boat. Good luck

[Jerry Schwab]

The OP needs to read "Kon Tiki" by Thor Heyordaul (sorry about the spelling)

[Lancerbye]

Cut down a large tree close to the water, make yourself a dugout canoe, attach outriggers a mast, sails, etc. All these items can be scrounged. The Polynesians did this and crossed the Pacific a long time before Columbus used his high tech ship to cross the Atlantic. Anything is possible with enough determination and luck.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Lancerbye

Cut down a large tree close to the water, make yourself a dugout canoe, attach outriggers a mast, sails, etc. All these items can be scrounged. The Polynesians did this and crossed the Pacific a long time before Columbus used his high tech ship to cross the Atlantic. Anything is possible with enough determination and luck.

And knowledge.

The Polynesians were very knowledgeable sailors.

[seasick]

A close relative of mine worked hard and failed to pass legislation in Washington State to make attempts like these illegal because the cost to the taxpayers to rescue these crazy, would-be mariners was exhorbitant.

The majority thought the bill was an infringement on their rights.

Stupid is what stupid does. Is it doable? Most definitely. Is it anything short of suicide? Not very.

$1,000 per boat foot length is closer to reality not per boat.

[Rohan]

The ancient polynesians did this using outrigger canoes. And they didn't have GPS.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polynesian_navigation

Early Polynesians Sailed Thousands of Miles for Trade

Wayfinders : Polynesian History and Origin

However, you have to take some other things into account. You can assume they were expert sailors on these canoes, and they were willing to accept the high failure rate.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by seasick

A close relative of mine worked hard and failed to pass legislation in Washington State to make attempts like these illegal because the cost to the taxpayers to rescue these crazy, would-be mariners was exhorbitant.

The majority thought the bill was an infringement on their rights.

Stupid is what stupid does. Is it doable? Most definitely. Is it anything short of suicide? Not very.

$1,000 per boat foot length is closer to reality not per boat.

Move close to a military airbase base and you will see constant "training" flights going on daily.

A flight out to pickup a sailor isn't going to cost the tax payers any extra. The training flight/exercise for the day or night simply became a real flight.

[CSY Man]

OP never came back.
Perhaps a troll trying to stir up reactions like trolls do.

At any rate, trying to find the cheapest boat possible to cross an ocean is just like trying to find the oldest and cheapest parachute to jump out of a plane at 10'000 feet.
Not very smart but some people think it is cool to "Follow the Dream" even if the dream is stupid and harebrained.

[capnmatt]

Originally Posted by Sdwcheney

Best chance if find a boat for free.
Spend $1000 on food, and a good GPS.

And the remaining to rent a life raft and epirb.

Or, another idea, he could find a seaworthy boat making the crossing that needs crew.

[DDabs]

Kon-Tiki baby!

[Waterrat10]

OP said sailing to Hawaii or the Philippines. There is a lot of sea miles between the two. 1000 bucks hardly covers food let alone very very basic gear. Even with a extreme DIY for that gear. Webb Chiles a very knowledgeable experience sailor sailed most of the way around the marble in Drascombe Luger. I would guess Webb spent more the 1000 bucks in 1978. If you are interested in climbing this very steep and dangerous learning curve check out Microcrusing.com. Start small with bay sailing, then try sailing to Catalina Island and back. I assume the OP is just wondering if it is possible not the they were going to actually attempt such an endeavor. Most that would attempt something like this don't post on a sailing forum asking such a simplistic question.

If it was myself and it would not be. I would look for something much larger then a sailing canoe. Maybe a significantly modified Cal 20. Still not sure how to do it for 1000 bucks. When I kayak for a week or two I have significantly more then a grand in gear and supplies. If you said paddle/sail from Washington to Alaska for a 1000 bucks I would be very impressed if you could pull it off. A thousand buck does not go very far these days.

[Waterrat10]

Epirb really. One you only have thousand bucks. Two this type of adventure has no business risking others life and limb. You should proceed at your own risk. A person who attempts something like this and has an epirb is a big royal selfish Ahole.

[contrail]

Originally Posted by seasick

A close relative of mine worked hard and failed to pass legislation in Washington State to make attempts like these illegal because the cost to the taxpayers to rescue these crazy, would-be mariners was exhorbitant.

The majority thought the bill was an infringement on their rights.

Stupid is what stupid does. Is it doable? Most definitely. Is it anything short of suicide? Not very.

$1,000 per boat foot length is closer to reality not per boat.

I am REALLY glad his legislative effort failed!

The reality in an effort like the one described by the OP is that it depends much more upon the ingenuity, determination, experience, etc. of the person attempting it, rather than on the "vessel". A Hobie cat has made it across the Drake Passage to the Antarctic. Lots of tiny boats have made all sorts of trips. A Mexican made it from Mexico to the Tuamotus in a Finn (didn't eat much food, either. He gorged himself for weeks prior to the trip, and more or less starved himself all the way across). John Neal, the highly regarded sailor who, with his wife Amanda, have trained lots of blue water sailors, made his first trip to Hawaii with very little experience on a very basic Albin Vega. He had no idea how to navigate and taught himself celestial on the way across.

There are far too many people who judge others' skills and desires by their own and decry anything remotely risky, particularly in the good ol' US. And then earnestly try to legislate the efforts of others out of existence.

The most dangerous thing any of us does is to get into a piece of metal and hurtle along at 80 miles an hour, five feet from someone else, doing the same thing while maybe drinking or texting. If someone had come up with that idea in the present, instead of over a hundred years ago, it would never have been permitted. But, we don't worry much. The risks one is comfortable with has a lot to do with what one is accustomed to.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by seasick

A close relative of mine worked hard and failed to pass legislation in Washington State to make attempts like these illegal because the cost to the taxpayers to rescue these crazy, would-be mariners was exhorbitant.

(...)

Exorbitant or not, this cost is exactly the same whether you rescue a certified ship captain or an inexperienced ocean kayaker.

If Washington Stat refuses to rescue ANYBODY, next time I meet a US boat sinking, I will first ask where they are from. If from Washington, then I will just pass them by and leave them to be rescued by the State of Washington with its stupid politicians.

Not to say there are no stupid sailors. But they are quite evenly distributed between the small and the big boats.

;-)

BTW If you want to keep rescue costs low, simply ban EPIRBs and liferafts. The sea will take care of the rest.

b.