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maxingout · 22-01-2007, 15:45

[quote=Kipper]I've got a Mahe on order but have to wait until Nov 2007 for delivery

I'm actually gonna pick her up in La Rochelle and bring her across the pond with my brother... my first offshore passage, I must be mad!

I had my new Privilige 39 sailed by delivery skipper from Sable d'Olonne, France to Felixtowe, England. On the delivery, the skipper ran into something and knocked an eight inch hole in the starboard bow. Fortuantely, there is a collison bulkhead about a foot back from the bow, and only a few liters of water entered into the small water-tight compartment ahead of the collision bulkhead. Sounds like bad luck. Right?

Well, actually it probably turned out to be good luck. We ground out the temporary repair to the bow after the boat arrived in Fort Lauderdale. Then we massively beefed up the bow so the glass was about twice as thick as normal. This came in handy when we were sailing in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka after the Global Tsunami because there were giant logs floating in the water, and at night this same bow ran into a log in the dark. Because the bow was so beefed up, we only chipped the gel coat. So there you have it. Sometimes what seems to be bad turns out to be something good. For pictures, check out DEBRIOSAURUS* REX* THE TREE THAT WANTED TO EAT MY BOAT* Once upon a time there was a tree that wanted to eat my boat

With respect to sailing across the Bay of Biscay in winter. You are a braver person than I. The distances are just too great to be guaranteed a weather window that keeps you from getting hurt. On the other hand, it could be a real opportunity to get some experience with a parachute sea anchor or drogue.

Go to Maxingout.com and click on Maxingout Podcast #1 - The Perfect Storm, and you can hear what it's like to deal with a storm using drogues and parachutes.

I personally wouldn't make the trip across the Biscay in the winter in a new untested yacht even if I had a parachute sea anchor and a drogue. The parachute attachment points have not been tested, and the Mahi 36 has bridle attachments to the forward crossbeam. I wouldn't put a parachute to a crossbeam because of the risk of pulling out the crossbeam and doing a backward capsize.

If I were in your shoes, I would delay the delivery of my catamaran from the factory until the spring when I could do proper sea trials and I would have time to prepare the boat for the transatlantic passage.

If delay was impossible, I would seriously consider shipping it transatlantic at that time of year.

When we crossed the Atlantic, we had three days of 45 knot winds on the trip from Gibraltar to the Canaries during the month of November. If you want to see what it's like to be in those conditions dragging warps, go to Video and click on the video called WARP SPEED. That was a relatively easy storm to deal with, although the monohulls that we were sailing with were taking knockdowns, filling their cockpits with water. One monohull got two inches of water in their galley.

I don't want to discourage you, but at the same time, if your boat isn't fully prepared for what could happen, the amount of damge you could sustain could easily exceed the cost of shipping.

I confess that I am a belt and suspenders type of person who builds hundred ton bridges and then drives twenty ton trucks over them. But, so far, I have survived intact, knock on wood. I have an exceptionally well equipped catamaran that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. But part of the reason that I'm still around is that I sail offshore in the right season.

If you do choose to cross the Bay of Biscay in the winter, be sure to take a video camera because you may have an opportunity to capture some awesome footage.

Keep on keeping on mate, and good luck

Dave
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Maxingout.com

22-01-2007, 15:45	#55
maxingout Registered User Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Fort Pierce, Phoenix Boat: Privilege 39 Catamaran, Exit Only Posts: 917	[quote=Kipper]I've got a Mahe on order but have to wait until Nov 2007 for delivery I'm actually gonna pick her up in La Rochelle and bring her across the pond with my brother... my first offshore passage, I must be mad! I had my new Privilige 39 sailed by delivery skipper from Sable d'Olonne, France to Felixtowe, England. On the delivery, the skipper ran into something and knocked an eight inch hole in the starboard bow. Fortuantely, there is a collison bulkhead about a foot back from the bow, and only a few liters of water entered into the small water-tight compartment ahead of the collision bulkhead. Sounds like bad luck. Right? Well, actually it probably turned out to be good luck. We ground out the temporary repair to the bow after the boat arrived in Fort Lauderdale. Then we massively beefed up the bow so the glass was about twice as thick as normal. This came in handy when we were sailing in the Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka after the Global Tsunami because there were giant logs floating in the water, and at night this same bow ran into a log in the dark. Because the bow was so beefed up, we only chipped the gel coat. So there you have it. Sometimes what seems to be bad turns out to be something good. For pictures, check out DEBRIOSAURUS* REX* THE TREE THAT WANTED TO EAT MY BOAT* Once upon a time there was a tree that wanted to eat my boat With respect to sailing across the Bay of Biscay in winter. You are a braver person than I. The distances are just too great to be guaranteed a weather window that keeps you from getting hurt. On the other hand, it could be a real opportunity to get some experience with a parachute sea anchor or drogue. Go to Maxingout.com and click on Maxingout Podcast #1 - The Perfect Storm, and you can hear what it's like to deal with a storm using drogues and parachutes. I personally wouldn't make the trip across the Biscay in the winter in a new untested yacht even if I had a parachute sea anchor and a drogue. The parachute attachment points have not been tested, and the Mahi 36 has bridle attachments to the forward crossbeam. I wouldn't put a parachute to a crossbeam because of the risk of pulling out the crossbeam and doing a backward capsize. If I were in your shoes, I would delay the delivery of my catamaran from the factory until the spring when I could do proper sea trials and I would have time to prepare the boat for the transatlantic passage. If delay was impossible, I would seriously consider shipping it transatlantic at that time of year. When we crossed the Atlantic, we had three days of 45 knot winds on the trip from Gibraltar to the Canaries during the month of November. If you want to see what it's like to be in those conditions dragging warps, go to Video and click on the video called WARP SPEED. That was a relatively easy storm to deal with, although the monohulls that we were sailing with were taking knockdowns, filling their cockpits with water. One monohull got two inches of water in their galley. I don't want to discourage you, but at the same time, if your boat isn't fully prepared for what could happen, the amount of damge you could sustain could easily exceed the cost of shipping. I confess that I am a belt and suspenders type of person who builds hundred ton bridges and then drives twenty ton trucks over them. But, so far, I have survived intact, knock on wood. I have an exceptionally well equipped catamaran that takes a licking and keeps on ticking. But part of the reason that I'm still around is that I sail offshore in the right season. If you do choose to cross the Bay of Biscay in the winter, be sure to take a video camera because you may have an opportunity to capture some awesome footage. Keep on keeping on mate, and good luck Dave Exit Only PositiveGraphics.com Maxingout.com Last edited by maxingout; 22-01-2007 at 16:14.