Crossing the Atlantic on a 2001 Jeanneau 37

[captmikem]

Canaries to the Caribbean is perhaps the easiest and nicest crossing a person can make. It is simple, no bad weather, following wind, little to no traffic, and with GPS, little to no navigation.

I have done this crossing about a dozen times and my only complaints were at times to little wind.

You could literally do this passage in just about any boat as long as she had enough room to stow a months worth of provisions.

I like early January because the trades are stronger, a couple of passages I had an average of 24 kts, beautiful for down wind.

Most of these passages I have carried a chute from the time I reach the Cape Verde's to my destination.

The problem can be getting there from the Med. half a dozen times I have
run into strong or gale force winds half way there.

It is really a nice sail, and the only worries you might have are what to make for dinner.

Interestingly, a few people I have spoken with on the SSB making the crossing at the same times as I complained about rolling, each one was undercanvased. once they shook out their reef or a bigger headsail they enjoyed the trip.

M

[Tillsbury]

The boat, looked after by a competent skipper, is more than capable of crossing the Atlantic. However, your question shows that you may not yet be ready for it. If you were, you'd be able to answer the question and check that all the systems on the boat were up to the job. If you're buying the boat, get a good survey before you commit, and then enjoy some sailing. Consider employing a skipper to at least go with you as far as the Canaries, and then help you decide whether you go on without them.

[hpeer]

Or, for that money. Look at this.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ts-227450.html

[tkeithlu]

Maybe the central point should be SAFELY crossing the Atlantic in a J37. Then the centrality of the skipper's skill and experience becomes key. Yes, the boat can do it, and yea, the boat may not do it, depending. Bunches of our ancestors died making crossings, bunches of ships disappeared, and people still disappear on crossings today. Slocum disappeared, he with massive knowledge, probably because the Spray was very short on ultimate stability.

So, Hightide buys a J37, and gains experience coastally. At some point he decides that he has the experience and the boat to feel safe, by modern standards, in making the crossing he has dreamed about. Godspeed to him.

[Scaramanga F25]

Sound boats are much safer today than they ever were in the past.

We must deliver ourselves from old traditions and opinions.

[Red Sky]

It’s mostly skipper and crew dependent, but I’ve done a Hawai’i to SF trip on a Jeanneau SO 49, 36 hours of 50+ knots, 90 degree knock down with a drop of some distance that took the stbd. side of the dodger off, big boom when we hit, the boat shuddered big time and staggered back up. It caused havoc below but, a couple of minutes to get the dodger fabric below and get the frame secured and we were back sailing. I spent another week on the same boat at a later time, 5 days of it under gale conditions a couple hundred miles off the Central CA coast. That time we towed a 27’, 4 person ocean rowboat from 180 miles out into Santa Barbara after we had disembarked the crew in 8’-10’ seas.

I’d have no qualms about doing more passages on the boat.

[Scaramanga F25]

My old very heavy displacement 32 footer has a: Capsize Screening Formula of 1.62, whereas the Jeanneau 49 and the 37 have a much better similar and higher Capsize Screening Formula nearer to 1.96.
That old full keel design was 20,000 lbs and the equivalent dollar cost and displacement of today's dollars of a 42 - 44footer. The modern designs are safer because of the significantly higher Capsize Screening Formula. Significant.

In racing circles, if you do not pass screening you can not race that boat.
The pass number depends on Race and Class.

Offshore I would like my boat"s CSF to be above 1.9.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Its not the boat, its the skipper..

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yeah- what he said.


Add satellite communications and you have onboard weather to avoid the really ugly stuff

[Scaramanga F25]

Most often the competent skipper brings her home.

So true. Not always, Tabaly, Colas, James, etc, etc

But with the knowledge and experience, I have earned over many types of sailboats I have owned cruised and raced from Ultralifgt to moderate to heavy, over the years and seeing as the discussion is centered around the boat I would choose, today. a boat that is more capsize resistant.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Its not the boat, its the skipper..
Suggest you spend a few years sailing the W coast of Europe and the Med before doing the Transat easy though it can be.. mainly downwind and favourable current all the way.
Once you gain faith in your own abilities and skill, faith in the boat increases expotentially.

Well, the boat is not irrelevant. We've had boats sink in the ARC from rudders falling out, power failures, running out of water, etc. Any time you're going to be at sea for two weeks or more at a time, you need to prepare the boat properly.


But to the OP: an E-W crossing of the Alantic from the Canaries is a milk run. You can do it in practically any boat so long as you think you can spend a couple weeks on it without going crazy. A J37 is more than adequate. But you need to spend plenty of time, money and effort to prepare the boat properly, conceivably spending more money than the boat cost.

[OneHullPaul]

There's a Tayana 37 in the Chesapeake right now for $30k. Not a project boat. That's a better tool!

[Chris31415]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25

The modern designs are safer because of the significantly higher Capsize Screening Formula. Significant.



....



Offshore I would like my boat"s CSF to be above 1.9.

Sailboatdata says a lower CSF is better.

“Capsize Screening Formula (CSF):
Designed to determine if a boat has blue water capability. The CSF compares beam with displacement since excess beam contributes to capsize and heavy displacement reduces capsize vulnerability. The boat is better suited for ocean passages (vs coastal cruising) if the result of the calculation is 2.0 or less. The lower the better. “

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, the boat is not irrelevant. We've had boats sink in the ARC from rudders falling out, power failures, running out of water, etc. Any time you're going to be at sea for two weeks or more at a time, you need to prepare the boat properly.


But to the OP: an E-W crossing of the Alantic from the Canaries is a milk run. You can do it in practically any boat so long as you think you can spend a couple weeks on it without going crazy. A J37 is more than adequate. But you need to spend plenty of time, money and effort to prepare the boat properly, conceivably spending more money than the boat cost.

True.. but then the only boat I have had a rudder fail on was a 7yr old Hanse built Moody45 fresh from a full refit.. The boat the OP is considering is not known for this consistent builders problem.. hence my comment that the skipper is the weak link.. poor routing choices, inexperience etc.
Regarding preparation.. that will vary from person to person and the good skipper/owner will be aware of and sail within his and the boats limitations.
Turtle and Hare..
Me Turtle..

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by boatman61

True.. but then the only boat I have had a rudder fail on was a 7yr old Hanse built Moody45 fresh from a full refit.. The boat the OP is considering is not known for this consistent builders problem.. hence my comment that the skipper is the weak link.. poor routing choices, inexperience etc.
Regarding preparation.. that will vary from person to person and the good skipper/owner will be aware of and sail within his and the boats limitations.
Turtle and Hare..
Me Turtle.. [emoji3]

2 out of 2 !

[carstenb]

Were sailing a Jeanneau (2006) 40 footer Sun Fast. Recently past milestone 20,000 nm since we left Denmark almost 4 years ago - we're in the pacific now, hawaii, headed for alaska next spring.

So lot's of oceans crossings, longest passage was 23 days, worst passage was this Marquesas-Hawaii run - 15 days, average speed 6.5 knots rain for seven of the 15 days, mostly squalls for the rest.

you can read about it on our website (see below)

Don't worry about the boat if you've prepared it correctly - boatman 61 is right - the skipper and crew are the most important part