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Mik · 03-07-2010, 22:19

Me name is Mike. Just getting aquainted with the boating community. Been living on a boat of my own for about 3 months now and really want to expand my horizons as far gathering more and more knowledge on boating. I am also extremely interested in sailing from San Diego (where I live now) to Hawaii (where I plan to live). I look forward to your comments and advice! Talk to you soon!

Aloha,

Mik

swagman · 04-07-2010, 07:40

G'Day Mik,
A 26 footer is a tad squeezed I guess - but plenty big enough to carry you where-ever you want to go. Welcome to the site and I hope you enjoy gaining the experience needed before heading off.
Sail safe
JOHN

captain58sailin · 04-07-2010, 07:43

Welcome to the forum.

maxingout · 04-07-2010, 08:24

I used to have a Pearson Renegade 27 in the Caribbean. It was about the same size as your boat, and was heavily constructed in fiberglass. It was one strong boat, and I would have been comfortable sailing it anywhere.

Many of the older monohull designs from the sixties and seventies are good ocean boats with some modifications for offshore sailing.

Keep on keeping on and live your dreams.

Mik · 04-07-2010, 20:05

Thank you for all your welcomings!! Much appreciated! Do you think I can make a 26 Ranger (racing boat) seaworthy for offshore sailing, maxingout, and to cross an ocean?? The keel is only 4 ft and not a full keel by any means...

maxingout · 04-07-2010, 21:54

If a yacht is well constructed and appropriately fitted out, it can cross oceans. Some of my favorite sailing stories involved sailing across oceans or even around the world in a small yacht. 21 foot Trekka took John Guzwell around the world. Later he sold Trekka and cruised on a 45 foot yacht.

Sergio Testa sailed around the world from Australia on Acrohc Australis which was 11 feet and 10 inches in length. The voyage took him 500 days, many of which were miserable because he was in such a cramped space, and his yacht was tossed around by the large seas offshore. You can go a museum in Brisbane, Australia and see this small yacht.

Most people find smaller yachts cramped and uncomfortable when they are sailing offshore. The motion of a small vessel in large confused seas can be violent.

You can take a well constructed yacht just about anywhere you want to sail, but it may not be in comfort. Larger vessels have an easier motion in challenging seas.

In an age of floating condominiums voyaging offshore with every know convenience on board, many will scoff at the sailor of small seaworthy affordable yachts. I do not scoff. I admire those hearty sailors who do their thing in small unpretentious yachts.

Only you can answer whether you can make a Ranger 26 seaworthy for offshore voyaging. Many people would say no.

But if you ask Dave and Jaja Martin, they might say yes because they sailed their modified Cal 24 around the world having two children along the way.

captain58sailin · 05-07-2010, 07:02

I would look to the hull thickness, your standing / running rigging will need careful scrutiny, especially if she has been raced. For long term occupation a 26' vessel will grow tight to most folks. Like maxingout has posted it really depends on your mind set. There may also be a similar class vessel that would better suit your needs and require less modification. The difference between a 26' racing vessel and say a 32' cruiser is huge, beyond the mere 6' difference in length overall. There are several well found cruising vessels in that class, that might better suit your needs. Not every vessel does everything well, all have their limitations. It wouldn't hurt to spend as much time on some other person's vessel to learn what you want or don't want. Spend as much time on as many different vessel's as possible to gain a better perspective.

maxingout · 05-07-2010, 09:18

When we sailed across the Pacific, We saw a sailor who picked up his 22 foot sailboat in the Caribbean. We met him in Panama. We set sail for the South Pacific and had a great trip to French Polynesia. He also set sail, and sixty days later arrived in the Marquesas. He arrived safely, but it was a very long trip in a 22 foot sailboat. He seemed to be having a good time, but his passages were excruciatingly long - too long to suit me. He could not carry enough water on board, and he took a hand pump reverse osmosis desalinator in his boat, and every day he would pump out some fresh water. Not many people would choose this minimalist approach.