Offshore In a northstar 1000?

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by Hobosailor

Ha yeah fair enough. I'm thinking of a 12v water maker to go with my 40 gallon tank. I'd bring extra parts just in case and would also have a hand pump water maker in the go bag for the life raft so if the 12v one were to break I could use the hand pump in an emergency

What kind of boat did you make the crossing in? When? And were you solo sailing or crew sailing?

Hi.. A hand watermaker is a good idea, I carried one in case of emergencies for all my trips post 2014.
My S Pacific crossing was on a Bruce Roberts 54 with myself as skipper and one female crew as watch keeper for when I needed to sleep, it was a delivery to Perth.
Unfortunately the tanks developed a bad leak and most of the 1200L ended up in the bilge.
By the time we reached Nuku Hiva I was rationing water use and unfortunately the available water was unpotable and bottled water in the shops was limited so we left there for the 1500 nm trip to Samoa with about 1L/day of water.
Fortunately we had reached the squall belt so we're able to get around 5 gallons a day off the mainsail from the brief squalls as they came..
My method was to raise the boom with the topping lift to belly the sail (about 10-15 degrees above horizontal) and hang a bucket beneath the gooseneck so the rain that hit the main ran down and along the belly with most running into the bucket.. a 20 minute squall was enough to fill a couple of buckets.. this was much more effective than a tarp I had tried rigging as a catcher on the side deck.. waste of energy.
This trip was in 2014.. Miami to Perth via St Martin and Panama.
Original plan was S Atlantic and Indian Ocean but an engine room fire and delays in St Martin where I detoured for repair led to changing to an easier downwind route.
I was later grateful for that fire as I believe the boat would not have made the original route to Perth.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Hobosailor

Have you ever actually been ON a northstar 1000? It's roomy af inside. More so than my friends 36 foot.
What exactly do you consider wrong about the hull dhape, or the rig. The decks are actually made to be flat when your heeled over. And the cockpit, ya that I don't like either. It's annoying.

Considering your "infinite knowledge" and apparently budget too, what do YOU sail?
You suggest just buying a new boat but some of us don't have that luxury.

You have what you have. The Northstar will sail, Having had friends with one. They sail well, but I wouldn't go offshore in one.

There is no way I would ever consider it roomy. It was far far tighter inside than my (at the time) Grampian 34 (2-34). Unless your friends 36 is an out and out race boat there will guaranteed be more room in the 36ft'er

Current neighbour has a Hughes 35 (Northstar 1500) and its a nice boat, sails well but when the waves get up, it get squirrely really quickly. Its an active boat to steer if you are trying to go fast. big headsail that needs attention when reefing. This one won't go offshore. The owner wants a more comfortable boat for that type of work.

[Hobosailor]

Originally Posted by pcmm

You have what you have. The Northstar will sail, Having had friends with one. They sail well, but I wouldn't go offshore in one.

There is no way I would ever consider it roomy. It was far far tighter inside than my (at the time) Grampian 34 (2-34). Unless your friends 36 is an out and out race boat there will guaranteed be more room in the 36ft'er

Current neighbour has a Hughes 35 (Northstar 1500) and its a nice boat, sails well but when the waves get up, it get squirrely really quickly. Its an active boat to steer if you are trying to go fast. big headsail that needs attention when reefing. This one won't go offshore. The owner wants a more comfortable boat for that type of work.

"This won't go offshore"....uh it's literally made to race off shore.
I've got all the answers I care for at this point.
I have alot to consider about this boat and a few things to try for myself to see how many of you are talking out your ass.
The general idea I've taken from this from both sides of the debate is that its possible but not ideal and less comfortable. But very much possible because one person in this conversation has already done it.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Hobosailor

"This won't go offshore"....uh it's literally made to race off shore.
I've got all the answers I care for at this point.
I have alot to consider about this boat and a few things to try for myself to see how many of you are talking out your ass.
The general idea I've taken from this from both sides of the debate is that its possible but not ideal and less comfortable. But very much possible because one person in this conversation has already done it.

Actually it was designed after the at the time in the fashion of Offshore boats (IOR)... Big difference, huge difference actually!

But if you want to go offshore, go ahead, lots of people have been offshore in smaller boats, less comfortable boats, etc. all up to what you can deal with in the end!

[boatman61]

Hobo.. regarding your sails.. Standard main, a 100%jib on a furler cut so it furls down efficiently plus an asymmetric spinnaker on an endless furler.. a lot less of a handful to manage than a sock when it comes time to drop.. this will serve you well in winds upto F4-5.
Just my 0.00000001cents worth..
Oh. I've solo'd 3 W to E Transats on boats from 31ft to 37ft, one nonstop from SXM, Caribe to UK which took 47 days.
So a little experience behind me.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Hobosailor

"This won't go offshore"....uh it's literally made to race off shore.
I've got all the answers I care for at this point.
I have alot to consider about this boat and a few things to try for myself to see how many of you are talking out your ass.
The general idea I've taken from this from both sides of the debate is that its possible but not ideal and less comfortable. But very much possible because one person in this conversation has already done it.

Think you are misreading here... I didn't say that the boat wasn't capable of going offshore or that it shouldn't go offshore but that the one in particular that I was referencing (The specific Northstar 35/Hughes 36) won't be taken offshore by its current owner, they want something more comfortable to take offshore when the time comes.

[JPA Cate]

@Hobosailor:

Forty gallons of water should be okay. You might want another 5 gal. for emergency water, and that can be stowed in a settee locker.

For our trip to HI, we used hanging nets for some food, and also kept some in the forepeak.

We had a storm jib, which was the sail we used when she had her 168 n. mi. day.

We also used water catchment. On our boat, Boatie's method lost a lot of water, and you can put a water tank fitting like a through hull, into the belly of the main, and run a hose to a bucket in the cockpit, and lose less.

We did not fit a bimini, felt the boat was too small. Instead, long sleeve shirts and sun hat.

It really will help a lot if you plan and install a salt water pump for the galley (we prefer foot pumps because they leave your hands free.) You can pre-wash your dishes in salt water and dish washing detergent, and only use fresh water to rinse them off. We did know people who used salt water for it all, and then dried and stowed the dishes. They saved up the salty towels for arrival in port where they could be washed in buckets.

My guess is that some on CF would think none of our boats were suitable for cruising, but both our offshore boats have been on the "racy" side, and I quit counting after 175,000 ocean miles. We left the States by boat for the second time, in March of '89. Been out since then, except for visits back to see friends and relatives. No transats, one rt to the Societies and back to the States, then back through Mexico and off to the Marquesas, and many years in the "South Pacific Eddy".

Ann

[SuW]

Originally Posted by Bowdrie

Are you by yourself?
It's a small boat but I would expect it to sail pretty well.
Hughes built good boats, and S&S designs are well regarded.
That said, that design was adapted from a design for a "Half ton class" racing boat, so tankage and space for amenities and cruising stuff is quite lacking.
Another issue is a gas engine.
Capsize screening formula?
It's a bit higher than I would want, but small boats generally have higher #s unless they are total "lead mines".
I'm sure it'll "go offshore", but you'll lead a real minimalist lifestyle.
Exposed cockpit?
It's only ~22>23' on the water, and the cockpit needed to be big enough for a racing crew, (if they weren't sitting on the windward rail).
In that length range something from Alberg/Cape Dory would be more in line for a "cruising" boat.

As a former owner of a Hughes 26, I'd not say they were well-built. At all.

I think these are fair weather coastal or lake cruisers. They don't sail that well, a lot of lee helm.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Hobosailor

How much stock do you guys put Into the capsize screening formula? (For this boat it's 1.9). From everything I have read this boat seems like it was made to go off shore but I haven't tested it in heavy weather yet and the cockpit feels very exposed for my liking. I wanted to update the rigging, get new sails, and add some electronics (water maker auto tiller chart plotter etc) and new safety gear, and take it from Vancouver Island to Mexico and beyond in a few years. Is this possible or should I look for a different boat?

I'm a cruiser not a racer. I had been sailing my San Juan 28 (6000lbs.) to B.C. and Alaska for about seven years when I figured I had done about all I could do with it and desired to go offshore. But before I would take it offshore I did a counterclockwise Vancouver Island circumnavigation to test it and myself. Afterwards, I spent five years researching offshore sailboats (reviewing ratios for all the contending boats) and bought a bluewater boat.

A lot of good advice on your question here but you have already made up your mind since you already own the boat, you simply got the answer you were looking for which is not how I would approach solving an issue.

Your boat will be lively offshore and not very comfortable. But if you are younger that may not bother you and crew complaints are not an issue solo. Plan on a minimum of one gallon a day for water and take extra, we (4 crew) used 100 gallons to Hawaii over 22.5 days. As you are going down the coast (mid-August departure recommended) check out all the possible safe havens in case of an emergency/fuel or water shortage.

Have a good adventure.

[nofacey]

Had a Hughes 31 - beautiful sailing boat, terrific for coastal bc, lines similar to NorthStar 1000, so I’m assuming they handle similarly.
- can it go offshore - yeah, pretty well anything can go offshore. Did a circumnavigation (not in the Hughes), saw everything under the sun out there.
- would I take it to Mexico? Yes. You need to be weather wise, especially Off the Oregon coast - but that applies to everyone.
- would I take it around the world? No; it’s built too light, and the constant stresses of prolonged passages will create critical failures that will require constant attention, as well as putting you at above average risk on passage.

If you’re going to take her past Cape Flattery, I would pay particular attention to:
- the rudder - structurally it’s a number of fingers welded to a stainless shaft, with a foam core and fiberglass shell overlay. If water has penetrated over the years, the welds fail, and the shaft spins within without steering the boat. Pick one side, cut into it, and inspect the welds. Not hard to repair shell afterwards, easy to do in a yard up here…..not so much in a remote atoll.
- the rudder post (needs beefed up structural tie ins to locally reinforced hull)
- the forestay anchor (can’t be just a plate secured to the deck, has to tie into stem)
Both the latter have caused the loss of Hughes boats at sea.

[barryglewis]

Not familiar with the northstar 1000, how similar is it to the SS34?

The issue of reefing the big headsail on a roller is a real one.the shape will become awful.
you might consider twin headstays (parallel athwartships, not fore and aft) and keeping the hank on system. If you dont already have one, a down haul attached to the halyard and through a block at the tack then brought back to wherever your handling the halyard makes handling much easier.

When using twin headstays, make sure the hanks face outboard on each stay. Ie the rounded part of the piston hank is nearest the other stay. Especially when beating, The windward sails hanks will likely overlap the leeward stay, and piston hanks can clip themselves onto the lee stay. They virtually never do this when done correctly

[Icarus]

Originally Posted by Hobosailor

How much stock do you guys put Into the capsize screening formula? (For this boat it's 1.9). From everything I have read this boat seems like it was made to go off shore but I haven't tested it in heavy weather yet and the cockpit feels very exposed for my liking. I wanted to update the rigging, get new sails, and add some electronics (water maker auto tiller chart plotter etc) and new safety gear, and take it from Vancouver Island to Mexico and beyond in a few years. Is this possible or should I look for a different boat?

Sailing stability by numbers is not really helpful. at all.
.
Not sure how anyone can give you advice l if this boat suits your needs or not.?

[nofacey]

Here’s a better choice for extended offshore passages - available in your area

https://calibreyachts.com/brokered-boat/boat-types/sailboats/1980-rawson-30/?utm_source=Calibre+Yacht+Sales+Mailouts&utm_campa ign=5c222d3a53-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_11_15_07_10&utm_medium=email&u tm_term=0_-5c222d3a53-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D#details

[TrentePieds]

nofacey:

I agree, but the OP already OWNS the Northstar. Let's help him make the best of what he has :-)!

TrentePieds

[donradcliffe]

I'll add my 2 cents.

When going offshore, size matters. Bigger boats are more powerful to weather and more resistant to rollovers. Its just physics. OTOH, if you watch the weather you may never encounter weather much over 30 knots.

You can leave the racing 150% genoas home, and get a 120% on a roller furler that can still hold good shape when furled up to 90%, and can still operate off the wind when furled to storm jib size.

Friends in a Cape Dory rolled over 300 miles off Northern California. She never went to sea again.

Multiple single-handed Transpac winner cruised his 28 ft boat from Alaska to NZ, but abandoned his boat in a gale.

A Hobie 33 which had been double-handed to Hawaii was abandoned and destroyed in the Straits of Juan de Fuca trying to make the start of this month's Round the County Race.

A smaller boat will demand more seamanship than a larger one.