What is the Smallest Boat That You Would Sail Outside of Coastal Waters?

[Cheechako]

Nothin wrong with your W28 for sure. The smallest boat to take offshore is just not a good question in the first place. It's really about YOU, not the boat. I would not do well with a boat under 30 ft. Flicka was a 20 ft home built plywood boat that circumnavigated... the Man did it, the boat was a tool. Tania Aibe (sp?) did it in a Contessa 26, I had one myself. It was such a small wet ride that I didnt want to do coastal cruising in it! To each his own. Most boats will sail themselves for months after you abandon them in a hurricane.

[callmecrazy]

I'd take any size boat offshore if I thought it was fit for duty.
What puzzles me these days is it seems like coastal sailing is far more dangerous than 100+ miles offshore sailing. Storms are worse, sea state is worse, and land can often be too close for comfort.
I'd prefer to weather a storm 100 miles offshore in a proper 24 footer as opposed to the same storm 10 miles offshore in a pretty much any 40 footer.

I think the boats people consider to be only "coastal" boats should be understood as "inshore" boats. And "bluewater" should be understood as "extended periods of time", irregardless of distance from shore.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by limejucer

But Bash what about my Prout with waterline of circa 10 m ?
400 made, 200 circumnavigations, one capzise (at anchor?)

I suspect that ten meters of multihull is almost equivalent to 12 meters of mono. Regardless, that's a debate I tend to shy away from, only because I've never found it to be productive. I'm probably more happy going offshore in my boat, and you're probably more happy going offshore in yours. This is a good thing, no?

[tbodine88]

I sailed a 32 foot Ericson across the Caribbean in 15 - 30 knot winds and up to 12 foot seas. Had a great time.

I sailed a 19 foot West Wight Potter around Galveston 20 knot winds, four foot seas, got seasick and had a bad time.


So for me minimum is 32 feet with a five foot 2000 lb keel.



Regards Tom Bodine

[nautical62]

That someone crosses an ocean once with a particular boat doesn't tell me much, beyond the fact they survived the experience.

If they do it again in the same boat, that means something.



You don't need a parachute to go sky diving. You do need a parachute if you wish to repeat the experience.

[h20man]

I think (as has been mentioned by some others) that the Captain is more important then the boat. After all, a good captain has sailed a 23-foot (7 m) open launch with no GPS, just equipped with a quadrant and a pocket watch and with no charts or compass, no watermaker, minimal provisions, no radio, over 3,618 nautical miles in a 47-day voyage overloaded with 17 other passengers/crew and managed to get to his destination.

Of course we know this Captain today as Captain Bligh.... (who has a seemingly undeserved harsh reputation today). But this is the guy who managed to overcome any drawbacks of the vessel he commanded, and illustrates (for me) the point that the captain has a great effect on survivability of any journey.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by virginia boy

I had big offshore plans for my little Westsail 28, but a few people declared my boat to be crap.(...) I'm going anyway. right after I fix the split rudder and mast compression issues

Well, it is not the most efficient hull around but it is a great cruising hull at the same time - it can carry the crew AND the desired amt of provisions and supplies. It is a strong form and the rudder is protected. It will comfortably heave to. The cockpit comfort sucks but at the same time this cockpit will only take a limited amount of water and drain in no time. The interior is spacey for a 28'. And so on and so forth.

I would put W28 VERY high on the list of similar size boats that can go places. Seen one that sailed from the US to NZ. She looked every inch a very, very serious open water boat.

Fix her up (very, very well) and off you go, the naysayers will not get a postcard, will they.

Cheers,
b.

[cheoah]

Virginia boy, just sail the hell out of that boat and have a good time. He's a boat designer , don't let his nuanced appraisal get in the way of your enjoyment. If you decide you don't like it then you can get a new one some day. If it goes where you want it to, keeps the water outside more or less, has a head, galley and berth, you are all set.

My impression of the OP's intention was to have us banter about the subject then they would make their own decision. No right answer for sure, it's all about the captain, as others have said, some fundamental soundness of vessel, and some luck I guess. Generally speaking.

While theoretically I can sail something smaller, practically speaking the 30', 10,000 lb range is what I would want for extended voyaging for tankage, extra room for stowage and diverse sail inventory, inboard diesel, etc.

I don't want to break any records or prove anything, I just want to travel around and have some modicum of comfort....

[carstenb]

Assuming you want a minimum of comfort (water, food, dry clothes, a place to sleep, a galley etc.) something like 30 ft is probably as small as you can get. how many crew? just yourself? stick with 30 ft for every crew add 3 feet. next question is what kind of boat? lot's of good ones out there. if you're a good skipper any of them will do, if you are not -none of them will do. i'm planning circumnavigation on a 40 ft jeanneau. we will be two persons most of the time. we like some comfort that's why the 40 ft. you'll find most experienced circumnavigators like boats between 40-45 feet if they are only two. big to carry all the **** you need to circumnavigate, small enough that two can handle the boats no matter what the weather

to sum up you question: how big is a fish?

[Capitain Mike]

What would you consider to be coastal waters House of Commons - Environment, Food and Rural Affairs - Sixth Special Report

HM Government say 1 - 3 nautical miles, here in the Med my insurance company says all of the Med is coastal Waters and we get some nasty blows here 10+ Bft 48 - 55knts, 89 - 102km/per hr. But I am a coward or prudent whichever you like here at the East end of the Med there can be a very large fetch, I head for home or anywhere if its changing to a 7 or 8Bft

[Capitain Mike]

Sorry I forgot to say I am only 8.5 metres long OA. 3.5 tons

[Capitain Mike]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

The old conundrum - do you only take advice on not stabbing your eyes with a sharp pencil from someone who has done it - and blindly follow what they suggest......or settle on "only" advice from someone who understand that a) a pencil is sharp and b) eyeballs are squidgy.....but hasn't actually done it .....and then get to decide for self.

Always a tricky one is that .

All ways err on the side of caution, you might stay alive longer.

[s/v Beth]

There is no replacement for displacement. I think LOA is not what really makes a boat handle the ocean- it is displacement. My Min. displacement would be 6000, with half of that in the keel. The Catalina 27 I had sailed pretty well in the swells, but she would have had lots of work to be seaworthy. The design was good, just poor build quality.

[Capitain Mike]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

There is no replacement for displacement. I think LOA is not what really makes a boat handle the ocean- it is displacement. My Min. displacement would be 6000, with half of that in the keel. The Catalina 27 I had sailed pretty well in the swells, but she would have had lots of work to be seaworthy. The design was good, just poor build quality.

So what would be the maximum wind speed wave height and wave time you would feel confident to sail in?

[s/v Beth]

Thanks for calling me on this. In looking at my post, I see people can misunderstand. I feel like the Catalina 27 can be made into a boat you can sail offshore. I had my boat in some microburst conditions, but always inshore. It always handled itself well (i could sail her with wind and waves at force 7.) However- I currently sail offshore in a Valiant 40. Even then I tend to get seasick when the seas become confused ( which tends to be a lot of the time here in the PNW) I really feel there is no easy- "10 foot swells is OK" The first priority is how good is the sailor? followed by how good is the boat?. A sound boat like a Contessa 26 or a Catalina (modified) 27 should fit the bill. What I was trying to say is that 6000 lbs is about the smallest weight in which I think a good design can be implemented.