Living aboard a Cargo Schooner

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by taxwizz

But hopefully, after 30 years of full time, professional boating, he will not be totally tired of it and want instead to retire to the Arizona desert.

You seem to have a knack for putting a negative spin on things.

[taxwizz]

Hopefully not always negative.

But maybe a little different.

"You should not take life too seriously.
You are not going to get out of it alive."

[buzzstar]

If it is a dream, go for it. Dreams do have hurdles called reality, but that does not mean they cannot be achieved. Good luck, and be flexible.

[Deltasailor]

Go for it young man. Don't let the doom and gloom lot get to you. I've built a 26"footer and a 42" footer. both before I was 45. Raced 1/4ton and did a Cape Horn trip in between. It all depends on your drive. Go for it.

[Aground]

Originally Posted by Deltasailor

Go for it young man. Don't let the doom and gloom lot get to you. I've built a 26"footer and a 42" footer. both before I was 45. Raced 1/4ton and did a Cape Horn trip in between. It all depends on your drive. Go for it.

thank you sir. a stone only travels as far as the energy put forth to throw it.

[PortClydeMe]

Originally Posted by Aground

Hello Everyone,

Anyone among us living aboard a cargo Schooner?

I am exactly 21 years from retirement, yes i know that is still a good piece away, and i have decided to start building the boat i will retire onto. While searching plans i keep coming back to 50-60 foot cargo schooners. I love the look. I love the fact that they have a pilot house. Most of all i love that they have a cargo hold to hold our 2 Touring motorcycles.

So I was wondering, is anyone else traveling about, living full time on a cargo Schooner? If so, what do you like about it, dislike about it. Would you change anything if you had the chance. Besides shallower ports, will having a cargo Schooner keep me out of certain marinas if the vessel isn't being used commercially?
Anything else you care to share about your boat would be much appreciated as i try to narrow down in my mind what boat to "break ground" on.

Canadian rocker Neil Young's schooner "W.N. Ragland" comes to mind. It's exactly what you describe. It originally shipped cargo, yet Neil had it rebuilt into a live-aboard. Neil had little sailing experience when he bought the schooner, so don't let anyone here "scare you away". If you wanna do it, do it.

Do you like the interior? I do. I think Neil eventually sold it.

[topmast]

There are still many "Baltic Ketch' and Scottish fishers converted or could be. Big enough to cargo a couple of touring bikes. Buying bikes in each port could be cheaper but your dream.Inmo american schooners would like to be at least 72' to carry that comfortably. Big body european can wallow along and look gracefull. 68' Passing Cloud could do it and sail well.

[PortClydeMe]

and just a recap ... David's schooner was a tad smaller, and maybe never hauled cargo.

Neil's schooner 'W.N. Ragland", and band mate David Crosby's schooner "Mayan" (59 feet, John Alden, Boston)

1) Ragland:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnK25ABc4tM

2) Mayan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AhFiePczT8

[Diesel Bill]

When I was a kid back in the 60s there was a show on TV called "ADVENTURES IN PARADISE" about a cargo schooner sailing to south pacific ports and delivering cargo to the islands and having wonderful adventures. I think that show and reading "TOM SAWYER" is what was my downfall from leading a so called normal life.
If Aground wants this type of life all I can do is encourage him and say go for it. I only wish I started my adventures at a younger age instead of waiting till I was 29 years old.
So much time wasted. I really like the idea of carrying a couple of touring bikes.
Worst thing is to end up in a cubical and realize you never even tried to achieve your dream and now your out of time and out of years.

[TheThunderbird]

Anything afloat can Sail away

[Matt Johnson]

While we were in Cuba, a steel schooner came in to the SW port of Cienfuegos and docked near us. The had sailed from the east end of the island where they dropped off the owners and their two motorcycles a week before. A few days later, the motorcycles pulled in, loaded-up, and within hours the boat sailed off. Very cool program!

Matt

[Benz]

Originally Posted by Aground

Hello Everyone,

Anyone among us living aboard a cargo Schooner?

I am exactly 21 years from retirement, yes i know that is still a good piece away, and i have decided to start building the boat i will retire onto. While searching plans i keep coming back to 50-60 foot cargo schooners. I love the look. I love the fact that they have a pilot house. Most of all i love that they have a cargo hold to hold our 2 Touring motorcycles.

So I was wondering, is anyone else traveling about, living full time on a cargo Schooner? If so, what do you like about it, dislike about it. Would you change anything if you had the chance. Besides shallower ports, will having a cargo Schooner keep me out of certain marinas if the vessel isn't being used commercially?
Anything else you care to share about your boat would be much appreciated as i try to narrow down in my mind what boat to "break ground" on.

A cargo schooner is a perfectly good option--I'm working on the design of a 50-footer myself just now. Having captained an 80-foot LOA schooner and seen how easy it is to handle with a crew of three, I think a fifty-footer could easily be sailed by two people, if properly set up. With a retractable bowsprit, marina costs could be kept down (they usually charge by the foot overall), and in these days when fifty-foot and longer catamarans are common, a 50' schooner will not look overly huge.
By all means pursue this plan--I for one am convinced that the practicality, seaworthyness and ease of handling of schooners is poised to make a comeback, especially given the modern materials now available to the boatbuilder which can supercharge all their best features.

Keep dreaming, friend, and I hope you will soon put a keel under your dreams.
Ben
zartmancruising dot com

[stillbuilding]

Tom Colvin has departed but he had several designs done for larger sailing cargo schooners that had been built. Don't know who has his designs now - family I guess.

[picklesandjesse]

Originally Posted by Aground

Hello Everyone,

Anyone among us living aboard a cargo Schooner?



So I was wondering, is anyone else traveling about, living full time on a cargo Schooner? If so, what do you like about it, dislike about it. Would you change anything if you had the chance. Besides shallower ports, will having a cargo Schooner keep me out of certain marinas if the vessel isn't being used commercially?
Anything else you care to share about your boat would be much appreciated as i try to narrow down in my mind what boat to "break ground" on.

Well, it's great to see someone with a spirit of adventure and the attitude to go with it. 30 years ago in Australia when I was in my early 40's and the skipper of a brigantine, I met and later married a Canadian tourist who was a passenger. We soon had a child and continued on with a cruising life. In Victoria BC at the time we came upon a small brigantine called The Spirit of Chemainus alongside a dock. Had our photos taken next to her. This was in 1989 and the vessel was 4 years old. I remember thinking what a great looking vessel she was and how it would be fun to sail the world and have our son aboard and educate him along the way. To be financed by picking up backpackers etc, share expenses.
5 years later, the same boat had been sold and was in a sad state sitting on the end of a dock at Gabriola Island BC. She was taking in water and needed a fire pump twice a day to keep afloat. The engine was going under each day too. The rumor was that she was full of shipworms as she was planked with yellow cedar. I had no idea if this was true or not. We contacted the lawyer who was entrusted with the sale of the boat by the Japanese owner. He asked me what my offer might be and I replied maybe $100,000. His reply is not printable here! The boat had cost close to $1,000,000 to build and the owner was hoping to get 3 to 400K for it.
About a year went by and I talked to the lawyer every few weeks, I think he was billing the owner, surprise !!Then one day he called and said the boat was in danger of sinking and would be towed to Victoria and hauled out. It could be inspected and offers could be submitted, many other potential buyers would be present. I was welcome to come and have a look. There were 3 people there, the lawyer, the Australian shipyard manager and myself. The shipyard manager produced a live worm from the other side of the boat and said he'd dug it out near the horn timber. Looked a bit suspicious. He wanted the boat I later found out.
The boat was refloated 2 days later after putting in some caulking near the horn timber, they had missed a few inches when she was built and that was the source of the leak. I made an offer of $70,000 Canadian for her with 10 days to decide. He accepted 12 days later, poor bugger, so it was renegotiated for $55,000. So dreams can come true or so I thought. We pulled the motor out and dropped in a Gardner 5LW that I had. Not that easy really, took all winter. The money had run out so I contacted a business friend from Australia who was a wheeler / dealer type. This was to be a partnership....... big mistake !! I had seen some of his other deals and should have known better. He ended up owning the boat and I got my money back but kept my wife and son and our property. Never again. We kept our 37ft boat and continued cruising.
I see that The Spirit of Chemainus is for sale for about $300,000 US now. I had seen her for sale for about 800,000 euros a few years ago. She's in Europe, would be a great buy for $55,000!! maybe not.........
All the best with your dreams, you can make them happen, mostly. If you Google Spirit of Chemainus you can see her. Still has the Gardner, we painted it red !!! Was considered very uncool, must be Gardner Grey !!

[Aground]

Thanks for all the kind words. I personally believe anything one puts his heart and soul into he can achieve. To many people focused on the reasons why it cant or shouldn't be done rather than focusing on how to do it.
On my last trip out one of the books in my company to read was " Kon-Tiki". I would highly recommend it if you get the chance to read it. Any ways, it was about a scientist that set out on a raft constructed of 9 logs and a sail to cross the pacific. not a single person thought he would make it. well, he proved them all wrong.

Anyways keep the photos of the schooners coming, they are wonderful. Hopefully sooner than later yall can follow along as I start to lay steel on a boat of a life time.