'Blue Water' - What's Your Boat ?

[sneuman]

this video is pretty good illustration. It's only 20 kts., so not the s**t, but more typical. While the guy obviously is bias, what he says about the relative motion comfort between a modified full keel boat such as the Tayana and a similar fin-keeled boat of similar size:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irbJ6xxvtxc

But, for that, you're going to give up some light air performance. It's all a trade off.

[sneuman]

sorry, the above came out very garbled - but, I think if - like me - you are sleep-deprived and coffeeless, it might make sense anyway.

[JulianGullsway]

Endurance 35 Ketch, yet to get it too some blue water yet though, trying!!!!!

[SV Liberty]

Morgan Out Island 416. I'm sure its not "blue water", but we've sailed it several hundred miles into the Atlantic in december, and across the Gulf of Mexico four times, and offshore to/from the NW Caribbean, to/from Bahamas, and coastwise offshore all along the US east coast. After some big conditions I'm confident in the boat (and I've learned to shorten sail). Our sails are quite heavy, rigging is heavy, and have replaced all chainplate bolts, some chainplates, etc. Also regular rig inspections by a professional.

[wolfenzee]

I live in the PNW where 20knots is just when things start to get fun. Though I just found out the main on my boat is the same as the main from an O'Day 37....that and working jib are a tad over 500sf and I just re-rigged the boat as a cutter. my boat is just under 30' and the masthead is 45' off the water.
I have never been in blue water in this boat (but was in a Freedon 33 in the Atlantic) and my boat has been in blue water alot, just not with out me.

[chadlaroche]

I voted coastal I think everyone would like to have biggest /best rooster in the fight but how many people really want to test their boat out ?? I would suspect the whole point of a "blue water" classification is a boats ability to handle the crazy wild great deep ocean/ mother nature. Cheers to everyone who willing to test it out I'll be quite content floating along in calm seas with an eye on the forecast. No need to climb everest here

[wolfenzee]

Blue water boat is quite broad, because you have numorous sub catagories and interpretations. Three basic things need to be addressed hull design, construction/equipment and ability of the sailor, as the operator is an integral piece of equipment, it doesn't matter how good your boat is if you don't have a clue what you are doing...but if you *DO* know what you are doing that will make-up (to some degree) for short comings in equipment

[wolfenzee]

I admit I need more experience, but I do have a solid boat under my feet

[First Mate]

Originally Posted by chadlaroche

I voted coastal I think everyone would like to have biggest /best rooster in the fight but how many people really want to test their boat out ?? I would suspect the whole point of a "blue water" classification is a boats ability to handle the crazy wild great deep ocean/ mother nature. Cheers to everyone who willing to test it out I'll be quite content floating along in calm seas with an eye on the forecast. No need to climb everest here

asked a lady on the dock about this issue, as she and her mate have made at least one 31 day passage from Hawaii to Portland OR and some other less long ocean passages. She and her captain live on a steel boat. She said all her passages have been uneventful and she enjoys them all.

I asked her if she thought boats designated as coastal cruisers should make long ocean passages, such as Hunters. Her thoughts on whether coastal cruisers, such as Hunters, should make a crossing like the one from Hawaii to Portland was something like this:

Her face wrinkled first, and she prefaced her comments with "well we live on a steel boat...." then " the more lightly constructed fiberglass boats will flex out there in the big waves and swells and the cabinets will all pop open - stuff will fly out. I think that would be kind of spooky...." I think she dodged that question tactfully.

[anglooff]

Although I only cross seas, my boat captained by PO's crossed oceans.

Alan

[CBinRI]

I consider my old S&S Swan 41 to be a bluewater boat in all respects except that maybe the diesel tank is a bit smaller than ideal for ocean passages. But it is extremely stable, sails beatifully and is built like a tank.

[captainteacup]

30 sagitta, double ended sloop, self steering vane- shrouds the size of your index finger. originally set up as an official beer can racer in the UK and across the English Channel. Bulkheads like a cargo ship, turns on a dime. Fast and nimble. Great little Atlantic crosser-exactly what the Europeans are always looking for. May break apart in a storm but unlikely. Small enough to not be seen from space in a depression. A good way to go out if you are going down. Or you can get a modern beneteau and wonder how they fit a 10mm screw in a 5/16th inch spot.

[wolfenzee]

The most significant differences I remember about Benetau's over other boats was there additional cost, squirrely handling because of the racer based hulls...and yes all the screw heads in the paneling were lined up.

[NotQuiteLost]

65' Custom Steel crab crushing (almost 50 tons fully loaded) ketch, original configuration could sleep four couples and four singles in the bunks, another three singles could sleep the dinette/seti's. 500 gallons of diesel, ~400 gallons of water and maybe a dozen total sails. One third deep (8'6" draft ) fin keel actually points the boat better than I ever thought it would, and were it not for some bad seals in my hydraulic steering cylinder, this baby would self-steer all the way from the west coast to Hawaii without an autopilot. Best touched speed was 15.something on the GSP, but best sustained speed over a period of a half hour was 13ish when I blew my little spinnaker. I'm sure it can go 16-17 if I wanted to push it with a heavier spinnaker.

Solo handles beautifully, as well

[jyoung]

i have asked on other blogs, but what is the popular opinion of say catalina 375 as a blue water cruiser?