The Truth and Nothing But The Truth!

[River Cruiser]

Some of the things I've seen people ride down the river on nothing surprises me now. Huck Finns raft has inspired many people, & a few of them had very little skill or $$$ in the building & not much regard for their safety. But I figure it's different strokes for different folks and their on the river doing it not at home thinking about it. Your not going to hurt anyone's eyes on the river just try to avoid being ran down by the tows it's a long way from the 1st one to the props. Good luck

[IolantheSF]

I really didn't mean to sound like a boat snob. We are long term liveaboards. I just get so SAD when I see what used to be a really nice boat going under for want of a little care. The boat that sits next to ours is a case in point. The owner visits it once every few months, not sure why. Our friend actually had to take the guy's sailcover off and clean it because it was growing mold spores which are decidedly unhealthy to breath. I love our boats and it just breaks my heart to see these once beautiful pieces of art slowly rotting because the owner won't sell it to someone who cares or won't take care of it.
I would gladly live next to someone in the process of building a boat. Out little woodie was a work of love for 10 years. She wasn't so pretty when we bought her. So you would be welcome and my husband would probably be over there talking to you and helping.

[Lake-Effect]

Well, here's to the ones who push the boundaries! A toast to Wavewacker!

Me, I'm solidly on the timid side of this line, but here's my two cents anyways.

When time and money are limited, (ie you're not Ted Turner or Sir Richard Branson), you have to juggle many considerations, you have to decide what's most important, and invariably, you have to accept a compromise or two.

To me, the sailboat+650cc bike together seems a tough obstacle. I can't imagine any affordable sort of sailboat, even home-grown, that meets that goal, that would be any fun to sail or live on. Not impossible, but more effort than I'd put into it.

It also seems like a weird imbalance of transport: a sweet bike that can take you several hundred glorious miles in a day, and a rough, poor-sailing boat that might make 30 or 40 miles, uncomfortably. Orders of magnitude apart.

My first impulse would be that the activities are best pursued separately: you spend a month or three doing an extended cruise, later you do a 2 to 4 week bike trip. With this compromise, you can now choose between many 20' to 30' inexpensive used sailboats that will all be fun to sail, and nice to live on, and you can go almost immediately (barring hurricanes)

Being over 50, and having already buried three out of four parents now, time is the most precious thing to me (besides my wife), and so I immediately gravitate to the the solution that gets us doing the things we wanna do, as soon as possible. Can you really spare the 2+ years it would take to make a custom, single-purpose boat?

PS - our compromise is sailing a 19' trailerable that we stay on a few times a year, while we save and plan for a larger boat. We get to sail alot, and we trailer to amazing places in a day that would take weeks to move a larger boat to. Different strokes...

[Wavewacker]

Great opinons and comments and I certainly agree with all said, as can be applied to my quest!

Blue Crab, ther' ya go! That's it, but in ply, and a little different cabin back there, like the looks of the canal boats, especially with a small pilot house on the tail.

Lake Effect, agreed, seperate activities and that would work well from home, been there done that.

Thanks for the toast...

Those who do any bike touring will understand that I'm not riding my 650 from southern Missouri to Martha's Vinyard. I have been in some of the Poconos by car, I'd love to see more of the area on my bike. Both are basically on the way doing the Great Loop. I use to live in Louisiana, down the Mississippi, get off and go visit folks down there. While the good folks next to me at the marina will be stuck there I'll get my bike out and go get the beer, or milk and eggs, or some boat thingy.

River Cruiser, I'm confident that my boat will not be the ugly duck on the rivers, I've seen them too. Just different. The boat posted by Blue Crab is about what I have in mind. As I said, a guy in AK built one and it works for him up there. I think my bow gate will be smaller than the one shown, 38 to 42 inches is more than i'd need for an opening.

Ionlandthe SF, no problem I never took it that way at all, I really think I can overcome any judgment if I get to speak with people. I make friends pretty quick and besides, I'll have a sticker on the side that says "My Other Boat Is A 52' Sea Ray"! LOL

[ranger58sb]

Might be possible, and maybe easier/faster/cheaper, to fit a conventional boat -- wood, glass, whatever -- that has suitable deck space with an extending crane/davit system to load/offload a bike.

-Chris

[Blue Crab]

Even tho I agree with Lake-Effect on the age/time thing, there's no doubt that building your own whatever has a powerful allure. Even if never launched, the boat 'abuilding in one's backyard or driveway can be a source of constant pleasure and pride. Neighbors, beer cans in hands, can opine "hell, that ramp'll never work, it needs ... ." I can hear it all now.

Gimme a beer, lemme tell ya how I'd do it.

[Wavewacker]

Ranger, I've been looking and there are several, but they usually end up having twin 8s or a huge diesel and that will drink the fuel, one must have is good fuel economy. I have not seen a sailboat that works, keeping with the draft requirements for the GL. There always seems to be some reason. I'm hoping to use a 25hp OB, not over a 50hp OB, a long and narrow boat, shorter than Bolgers Tennessee which runs a 10hp, but won't cut it for the ICW. Sailing would be downwind, going with the flow, if possible.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Might be possible, and maybe easier/faster/cheaper, to fit a conventional boat -- wood, glass, whatever -- that has suitable deck space with an extending crane/davit system to load/offload a bike.

-Chris

I think we had a thread on that before........

.........Personally I would be looking at sailboat - even if bought with no intention of ever using the mast to hold a sail as would be a great basis for a crane!

[Wavewacker]

David, you're right! A "Strwaler" would be great, but can't find a good canidate, either too big to be efficient or too small to do the job, few have sufficient deck space.

That's what has taken be to the long narrow LC configuration mentioned. I'm sure it wouldbe a one of a kind and just wondered how it would be received by others.....maybe not that important if they see the whole reason of having it....

[Blue Crab]

[QUOTE=Wavewacker;1025300]... I'm sure it wouldbe a one of a kind and just wondered how it would be received by others.....maybe not that important if they see the whole reason of having it..../QUOTE]

WW, if it is shipshape, it'll be fine. My experience has been people bend over backwards to help cruisers. The smaller the boat, the more help is offerred. People know the difference between a cruiser and a dirtbag.