27ft cruising reality

[gjordan]

Flyingfish, one of the things I did when preparing my Contessa 26 was to remove one of the V-berths and install an extra hanging locker forward of the regular hanging locker. Having a designated wet locker was a blessing and the lack of the berth was never an issue. To be real about it, having more than 2 people on a 26/27 foot boat for more than a daysail is very difficult. The other forward bunk was so full of STUFF that I didnt even keep the cushion for it. Passage time Vs water/fuel capacity is always a compromise. I left Socorro Island (off of Cabo) with 40 gallons of water and only used half of it on a 22 day passage to the Marquesas. I did catch some water along the way but we had excess. I was really too frugal on the water usage and think that I was suffering from a little dehydration towards the end of the passage, so I was much more careful about keeping hydrated on later passages. I do recommend keeping the inboard for getting in and out of passes and harbors, but excess fuel is not needed for passages. A good nylon drifter weighs about the same as a gallon or two of diesel and is much more valuable. My earlier recommendation about a folding prop will make your passages more pleasant. Shorter time and not listening to a howling prop every time you slide down a wave is a plus. ___Enough for now._____Grant.

[Cheechako]

Good boat, but real small for it's length really. There are 28-30 footers that would seem a lot bigger.
Visual comparison of a Vega 27 and Cape Dory 30. You get a lot more accomodation in that 3 ft.

[john61ct]

In my search I'm keeping to an 8'6" hard limit for the beam, capable of safe (as possible) passagemaking and camping liveaboard.

That really narrows things down 8-)

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-193354.html

[Cheechako]

Ahh, yes, trailering I guess? Take a look at the Cape Dory 28.

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by john61ct

In my search I'm keeping to an 8'6" hard limit for the beam, capable of safe (as possible) passagemaking and camping liveaboard.

That really narrows things down 8-)

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-193354.html

John, IMHO that is a really narrow beam. I cannot comment on trailering because I never did any.

[OldManMirage]

My CD 28 has an almost 9' beam, which legally makes a permit needed in most places. I have owned several trailer sailers in my early days. Anything over 20' starts requiring a lot of work to get the mast up and down. From owning a travel trailer I would recommend using a boat for boating and an RV for RV'ing. The kind of boats that are ocean capable do not make good rv's. My boat is 10K pounds. Takes a lot of truck to yank that around. Plus travel trailers are cheap. I'll sail my CD until I can't and then maybe I'll sell it and rv the USA. I should be good for a couple of more years !

[alaskaflyfish]

Originally Posted by john61ct

In my search I'm keeping to an 8'6" hard limit for the beam, capable of safe (as possible) passagemaking and camping liveaboard.

That really narrows things down 8-)

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-193354.html

I have a double axle trailer for my Vega and it has been trailered very long distances. First from Oregon to Alaska. When I bought it, it was trailered from Haines AK to Tok AK whereupon I trailered it down to Homer AK. Some of the road conditions and mountains would be considered unpleasant to flatlanders. The snowstorms were the worst. The boat trailered perfectly without incident behind my F250 Diesel. It cannot be launched on this trailer and requires a travel lift or crane. That is the only downside.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by foggysail

John, IMHO that is a really narrow beam. I cannot comment on trailering because I never did any.

One thing good about a narrow beam is that when it's rough and you are down below, it's pretty easy to find something to hold onto.

My beam is 8' like the Vega's but my boat is about 1600 lbs heavier with around 600 of that in ballast

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by alaskaflyfish

I have a double axle trailer for my Vega and it has been trailered very long distances. First from Oregon to Alaska. When I bought it, it was trailered from Haines AK to Tok AK whereupon I trailered it down to Homer AK. Some of the road conditions and mountains would be considered unpleasant to flatlanders. The snowstorms were the worst. The boat trailered perfectly without incident behind my F250 Diesel. It cannot be launched on this trailer and requires a travel lift or crane. That is the only downside.

Right on right on ! Didn't want to suggest that it couldn't be done !

Can I say "Whatever floats your boat ?"

Having to use a crane would be a downside. I guess if I was planning to go sailing on various lakes and places and not really trying to go to campgrounds it would make sense. I almost (ALMOST) bought a Flicka 20 on a trailer before I finally made myself stop. I've always loved those boats - they are so darn pretty. But I just knew I want a "little" more room. My Cape Dory 28 is a good compromise of all factors for me.

Think about it. I have two good settee's, so I'll always have a good seaberth. I've got just enough galley that I can cook a hot meal. I've got a head area which is adequate for the task without taking up too much space. And I've got the whole V-berth area for sail stowage and the like. Two big deep cockpit lockers. Room up top for some kind of dinghy. The more I work on her the more I love her !

I promised her just the other day that I would do my best to never do anything halfway and I would always give her the best I can afford. She said that's just the kind of owner she's been waiting for and that she would do her best to watch out for me.

I hope I'm not causing anyone to gag.

[OldManMirage]

Originally Posted by thomm225

One thing good about a narrow beam is that when it's rough and you are down below, it's pretty easy to find something to hold onto.

My beam is 8' like the Vega's but my boat is about 1600 lbs heavier with around 600 of that in ballast

Exactly ! Now the big boat guys will tell you they don't get thrown around as much, and perhaps to a certain extent there may be a some truth to that. But when the wind gets to blowing and the seas start to rise - well, I'll say it again - ALL boats get to rockin !

Albin Vega, Bristol, Cape Dory, and all the others like them are good boats. Pacific Seacraft, Pierson Triton. Who else ? ALL of them have many many ocean crossings to their names.

Heck my last big sailboat was Catalina 27. My wife and I lived on her for 3 years at a marina, sailing every weekend we could. Patrick Childress took one around the world. Yes he made a few modifications but he did it.

We can do it too !

[alaskaflyfish]

I don't mean to be negative on smaller boats and diminish their intrinsic qualities. They are imbued with many advantages for the coarse for which they have a purpose. One of which was the aforementioned ability to be trailered over public roadways to a place that suits the owners advantage and not the boat yard or marina dictates. They are much less expensive to keep and maintain for the majority or their use is weekend sailing. For single handed sailing they are more than adequate to go long distances. However, I would like to have a crew member for the long hauls and the expectation of living conditions has changed dramatically from the 1970's minimalism to a more contemporary excess modernism. It would be difficult to find somebody of my peer group to agree to be so primitive. At least so far, nobody seems interested in spending more than a few days aboard.

[goat]

Originally Posted by alaskaflyfish

It would be difficult to find somebody of my peer group to agree to be so primitive.

If, by peer group, you mean people who take pieces of wool and feathers to catch fish, it shouldn't be that hard to find a few.

goat

[alaskaflyfish]

Originally Posted by goat

If, by peer group, you mean people who take pieces of wool and feathers to catch fish, it shouldn't be that hard to find a few.

goat

I get lots of interest from the Gen-X crowd with delusions of grandeur, till they see the boat and say "where do you take a crap". When shown the head they suddenly realize that retirement funds, children's tuition, and paternal obligations are much more important. Its funny watching the reality set in even if it is disappointing at the same time.

[boatman61]

That made me smile.. met 3 Danes and a French guy doing a circumnavigation on an old steel 34ftr in Panama.. they'd started in Denmark and were having a ball.. the oldest was 32.

[goat]

Originally Posted by alaskaflyfish

I get lots of interest from the Gen-X crowd with delusions of grandeur, till they see the boat and say "where do you take a crap". When shown the head they suddenly realize that retirement funds, children's tuition, and paternal obligations are much more important. Its funny watching the reality set in even if it is disappointing at the same time.

I'm just a joker. But I get what you mean, I'm in a marina for another day in a slip for 50' boats. All the boats around me are 50'+. Good way to squelch a woman's interest is to tell her you live on a boat.

One boat that seems to tick a lot of your boxes and comes up for sale every so often is the norsea 27. I've bumped into a few in my travels. I like the aft cockpit version better but at least there are options.

A Vega was high on my list until I got to see the actual headroom.

I have seen Dana 24s on trailers but that's a lot of money for such a small boat

Best of luck in your search.

goat