Power Boat Cruiser

[mvweebles]

If cruising means coastal passagemaking where multi-day runs are not uncommon, powerboats are rarely cruised. For whatever reason, even when powerboaters coastal cruiser, they go to great lengths to day-hop, even when it's more pragmatic to run overnight such as along the Pacific Coast where ports are infrequent and going in/out adds a lot of time and frankly, increases risk.

That said, I know of several power-cruisers. 25 years ago, a dock-mate took his Uniflite 42 mototyacht from San Francisco to Acapulco and back over the course of 2 years. A couple on a Willard 40 cruised from Ventura to Alaska to Maine and back over the course of 5 years. And I know of several sail-cruisers who switched to power and continued a similar styke of cruising (Dashew being one, albeit a very well-heeled cruiser). There is a decent blog by a couple who have chronicled their adventures circumnavigation in a small catamaran, buying an RV and heading to Central America, then a vintage Airstream, them converting to a Grand Banks 42 trawler where they are cruising throughout the Caribbean. Obviously, they are hooked on adventure travel of all sorts.

Www.bumfuzzle.com.

Finally, I'll observe that the most frequent type of recreational vessel transiting the Panama Canal is not a sailboat and not a trawler, but a sportfisher. These boats are the antithesis of what many on forums such as CF and TF consider cruising boats, but they get it done just fine.

Peter

[sailorboy1]

wow, I go to bed and wake up to a simple thread going off the rails

but I do agree about the sportfisher boats, when I see thee I know I am about to get badly waked (in general as once in a while one tries to not do it)

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by mvweebles

If cruising means coastal passagemaking where multi-day runs are not uncommon, powerboats are rarely cruised. For whatever reason, even when powerboaters coastal cruiser, they go to great lengths to day-hop, even when it's more pragmatic to run overnight such as along the Pacific Coast where ports are infrequent and going in/out adds a lot of time and frankly, increases risk.

I've never boated on the west coast, but especially with a faster boat, I can definitely see the preference towards "run faster and stop for the night".

It's generally my preference. Running slow is more fuel efficient, but if range isn't a concern, I can get up on plane and cover ground a lot faster. In my case, slow cruise is ~6.5 kts, fast cruise is ~17. So a 24 hour run at slow cruise can be done in 9.5 hours at fast cruise. Fast cruise is a no-go in the dark in my mind, plus an overnight is definitely less relaxing when traveling for pleasure and it can be avoided.

That said, with appropriate crew (probably not just the 2 of us), I'd run an overnight if needed, but not if there's a good option for a stopping point available. Then again, I also don't have a boat well suited to a long non-stop coastal passage. At slow cruise, we only carry enough fuel to run for ~60 hours with a comfortable reserve. At fast cruise, that drops to ~10 hours.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

wow, I go to bed and wake up to a simple thread going off the rails

Sorry everyone is trying to answer your "how long is a piece of string" questions.

-Chris

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by ranger42c

Sorry everyone is trying to answer your "how long is a piece of string" questions.

-Chris

By talking about the color

[NNK]

We are off to the Pacific islands in a 50' cat next year, mast and sails were removed by previous owner and a flybridge added.
She cruises at 8kn with a max of 12 but only burns 8-10l of diesel at cruise.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by NNK

We are off to the Pacific islands in a 50' cat next year, mast and sails were removed by previous owner and a flybridge added.
She cruises at 8kn with a max of 12 but only burns 8-10l of diesel at cruise.

From where to where?

[NNK]

Originally Posted by Paul L

From where to where?

Nz to as far as we can get !
We'd like to see all the SI islands over 3 to 5 years but I understand fuel quality in places is a bit iffy.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by NNK

Nz to as far as we can get !
We'd like to see all the SI islands over 3 to 5 years but I understand fuel quality in places is a bit iffy.

I was wondering where you were starting from and how long the primary passage was. Are you planning something like South Port QLD to New Cal? Or an initial jump from ? to NZ?

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by NNK

We are off to the Pacific islands in a 50' cat next year, mast and sails were removed by previous owner and a flybridge added.
She cruises at 8kn with a max of 12 but only burns 8-10l of diesel at cruise.

Being a cat that used to be a sail version, does she have the tankage required and can she carry the additional weight of a full load of fuel plus gear and still perform?

Any more details about the vessel you can give us, would love to know more.

[Orin]

Just a couple of comments here. I’ve torn apart and rebuild a few engines - my sailboat engine is super accessible. I can touch and see all but the bottom after spending 2 minutes removing the stairs. That said, it’s auxiliary power - and a hip tied dinghy or anchor can usually get me out of trouble as well... so despite being reasonably maintained, I am never really all that concerned with my engine.

Thing 2. We here have a fishing fleet, and historically had a larger one - that leaves every year for the weeks long trip up the inside passage. Many don’t have the range to do the trip all at once - so they fit 55 gallon drums or 42 gallon barrels of diesel to the decks and refill the tanks as needed. They have been doing this around here for a very very long time. Purse seiners, crab boats, Gill netters. I would think any of them would make a decent cruising boat.

Here we have a lot of sensible small Nordic tugs and things like that - which are fuel efficient. I would also go for some of the older whale boats, trawlers and other heavy displacement diesel powered boats. They can be quite comfy year round here and have nice range and limited power used on heating and the like. Most of them are fitted with diesel heaters. This is quite a nice area for it. Unfortunately there are a lot of guys in fast boats with no manners mucking about here during the summer as well. Had one coming off a plane in the marina the other day throw a wake that nearly out my boat onto the dock. Would have done some real damage if I didn’t have 3 guys with me pushing the boat out as hard as they could after that guy drove by.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by NNK

We are off to the Pacific islands in a 50' cat next year, mast and sails were removed by previous owner and a flybridge added.
She cruises at 8kn with a max of 12 but only burns 8-10l of diesel at cruise.

I was originally looking for a sail Catamaran around the 40-45 foot range.

Looked a several modified sail cat hulls that had been built as flybridge power cruisers.

Ended up with an power catamaran designed and built as a power cruiser.

A Voyager 1100. Being only 4.2m wide fits in monohull berths when in marina.

Designer PAUL STANYON Underwater design similar to Malcolm Tennant's designs with protected props and rudders using canoe stern. Good fuel economy 2.7 litres/NM at 14 knots. WOT 20KN 1L/NM at 7knots Around half fuel use of many power cruisers.

Have lived aboard for 3 years now travelling East Coast of OZ from Lizard Is to Sydney.

Advantages

Speed makes for easy daylight passages between anchorages.
Cockpit/galley/lounge on one level
Set up with 1.8KW solar (5x 360w panels) and 720w AGM's gives adequate power without need for gennie.

[NNK]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

Being a cat that used to be a sail version, does she have the tankage required and can she carry the additional weight of a full load of fuel plus gear and still perform?

Any more details about the vessel you can give us, would love to know more.

Ron Given design
Long range tanks being installed at present, including a couple of 205 drums we will have approx 2400L onboard for initial passage NZ to Fiji/Tonga.
When surveyed we were advised it was capable of handling the extra weight.

[downunder]

Originally Posted by NNK

Ron Given design
Long range tanks being installed at present, including a couple of 205 drums we will have approx 2400L onboard for initial passage NZ to Fiji/Tonga.
When surveyed we were advised it was capable of handling the extra weight.

Good designer. What is your underwater profile like.

[NNK]

Going back in water on saturday