Preparing for Cruising

[barnakiel]

OMG now I find VOR boats have deck stepped masts too ...

;-)
b.

[Khagan1227]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Well, next time you can tell them one barnie sailed a deck stepped mast rtw.

Our boat is over 30 y.o. and has sailed nearly 40k Nm in last 10 years alone. I cannot see any issues with the mast here.

BTW I believe my friend's huge HR has a deck stepped mast too - definitely unsafe and unseaworthy ... ;-).

b.

Tell him I'll take it off his hands at no cost to him, I'm a bit reckless.

[Kevin84]

Lol. Thats what I thought.

[roverhi]

You can add Westsail 32s to the deck stepped mast boats. Might want to read the perfect storm. Sartori, a W32, survived the storm quite well despite a rebellious crew. after several months sailing around the North East with no one on board ended up on a beach in NJ completely intact. it was refloated and is out cruising again, IIRC. Another one lost its backstay on an attempt to round Cape Horn. The mast stayed up but the septuagenarian single handed skipper opted to abandon the boat. Think if he'd used running backstays, he could have sailed it to a port. Being in the southern ocean with a crippled boat and 70 plus years old, exiting the field to fight another day is something I can't second guess.

The only reason for a keel stepped mast on a cruising boat is if you like fresh water running down inside the mast whenever it rains and rotting out any wood in the bilge. If a mast loses an upper shroud, it will almost always fold at the lower shroud whether it's deck or keel stepped. If a lower shroud goes, the whole stick will normally go over the side. With a deck stepped mast, you pull the pins and jettison it over the side or if you can, and it's doubtful, you haul it back on deck. With a keel stepped mast, you will have to cut the mast in two at the partners to free it so you can jettison it, if you are lucky. If you are unlucky, it will mess up the deck at the partners tearing a large hole in the cabin top. Gets a bit wet below decks after that happens.

A keel stepped mast can get by with slightly lighter mast extrusion and narrower shroud angles. That's a big deal for the racer who demands the lightest and flimsiest stick possible and a few degrees better pointing ability, safety be damned. I'm sure all cruising boats with deck stepped masts are designed with proper mast wall thickness, extrusion size and shroud angles to equal or exceed a suitably strong keel stepped mast. The best argument for deck stepped mast in your case is the nearly 50 years your boat has been sailing and apparently still has the original stick.

Have you bought your self steering vane yet???

All the parts you need to keep a healthy A4 running are pretty cheap. Mainly ignition parts. If you get to Europe, the Carribeab or SoPac and something major goes wrong, it's probably time to stick in a diesel. Will deplete the cruising kitty a bit but it's money you won't have spent before you leave. The cost of a diesel will set you back at least a years cruising budget. More importantly, depending on your financial condition and income will delay the beginning of your cruise a significant amount of time. It's really easy to put off leaving getting every last little thing perfect before you go. Some people have spent decades doing that and die before they think they've gotten the boat ready. The hardest part of going cruising is untieing the dock lines. Those who've said do the minimal to get underway and experience the reality of what you really need and don't need. Then add those must haves as you go along.

[Kevin84]

Not yet. The 5k Monitor wants for a new one with spares kit is a bit much. I'm saving up for it now.

[chuckr]

kevin84 - one thing it took us some time to learn is the helpful hints from those on the dock - before we left miami there were 5-7 boats getting ready to go - 1 left - us - the rest are still there getting ready to go 5 yrs later - they all know how to prep a boat and called said we were not prepared - 5 years and few thousand miles later i think we may be ready -
we find out here almost no one gives you advise unless you specifically ask for it and for a specific item and then they qualify that -
so listen and hear and ask questions here as there is a world of infor from some very good sailors here

oh - and it is your boat and you have to live with what your decisions -

just our thoughs and opinions
chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trinidad for hurricane season

[Paul L]

Skimming this thread I don't see where you've said why you don't like the tiller and what you plan to accomplish by going to a wheel. The A35 can have some wicked weather helm. They are tender and heal quickly -- changing tbe waterlines radically due to the big overhangs. A wheel will not improve this.

Part of prepping tbe boat should be going over all structual metal in great detail. I found hairline cracks in tbe gooseneck, mast head and many bronze fittings in my 1961 Pearson Alberg 35.

[Kevin84]

Thanks!

[Bash]

Originally Posted by Kevin84

T
One question I do have though, in talking to some people around my marina, some have discouraged taking an Alberg on real long passages because of the deck stepped mast. Would that be a problem? Would I be better off buying a boat with a keel stepped mast?

Sheesh. No. Dock wisdom is often best ignored.

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by Paul L

Skimming this thread I don't see where you've said why you don't like the tiller and what you plan to accomplish by going to a wheel. The A35 can have some wicked weather helm. They are tender and heal quickly -- changing tbe waterlines radically due to the big overhangs. A wheel will not improve this.

Part of prepping tbe boat should be going over all structual metal in great detail. I found hairline cracks in tbe gooseneck, mast head and many bronze fittings in my 1961 Pearson Alberg 35.

Honestly, I don't the fact that everything is backwards in it. Granted, with time I would def get used to it, but having to push the tiller to port to turn to starboard is a pain. I agree that there are benfits to using it (less to break) I'm just not sold on it. But since I don't want to be eternally prepping the boat, I'll probably leave it alone.

[zeehag]

if and when keel stepped masts leak is because the owner didnt maintain the mast boots or replace them...makes a big difference--i no longer have any fresh water ingress at and down my masts after i performed the appropriate maintenance required for a keel stepped mast inclusive of changing out the boots and rebedding the hardware and sealing it with the appropriate caulk

[cfarrar]

Med Kit - many first aid kits are pretty sparse, and the good ones are expensive. However, you needn't spend a lot of money. Here are some of the basics:

Betadine / povidone iodine (disinfectant)
feminine napkins (in place of gauze)
duct tape (to hold napkins in place, or in lieu of stiches)
ice packs
antibiotics
pain killers

[Kevin84]

Originally Posted by cfarrar

Med Kit - many first aid kits are pretty sparse, and the good ones are expensive. However, you needn't spend a lot of money. Here are some of the basics:

Betadine / povidone iodine (disinfectant)
feminine napkins (in place of gauze)
duct tape (to hold napkins in place, or in lieu of stiches)
ice packs
antibiotics
pain killers

Super Glue. Comes in very handy in treating blisters and closing cuts that would otherwise need stitches.