Cruising and Modern Conveniences- All is good with Universe

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Every time I do find a boat that is roomier and faster, it's just not that much faster.

Even something like a Gladiateur 33 is only about 1 knot faster. Many have tiller steering which would be nice though.

I'd need something like a Class 40 Aklaria which has a theoretical speed or 8.47 but can sail quite a bit faster than that.

A Class 40 is what Cole Brauer used to sail RTW. It's one of the few somewhat normal monohulls that would compare to beach cat racing. She was hitting speeds near 15 knots with hers during her voyage.

A boat like that though is not only more than I'd want to pay, but it's not practical I don't believe for a near 70 year old cruiser.

So, I stay with the boat I know and keep adding things or removing things. I removed the cabinet on the starboard side to make room for another settee and to give me a bit more room below.

Knowing your catamaran history, keep this in mind: fast with a monohull isn't necessarily in terms of absolute speed (as you're still bound approximately by hull speed unless the boat will plane). But the "faster" boats are easier to move, so you'll have higher average speeds and you'll be able to sail it at a decent speed in a wider range of conditions. A fast boat will generally be significantly faster upwind, and may make hull speed on a reach in 10 - 12 kts, while a slow boat won't go upwind as well and may need 15+ kts on a reach to get to hull speed.

There's also weight as a factor. Faster, lighter boats won't need as much sail to get them moving, which may mean smaller, less expensive sails and rigging for the size of the boat.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by rslifkin

Knowing your catamaran history, keep this in mind: fast with a monohull isn't necessarily in terms of absolute speed (as you're still bound approximately by hull speed unless the boat will plane). But the "faster" boats are easier to move, so you'll have higher average speeds and you'll be able to sail it at a decent speed in a wider range of conditions. A fast boat will generally be significantly faster upwind, and may make hull speed on a reach in 10 - 12 kts, while a slow boat won't go upwind as well and may need 15+ kts on a reach to get to hull speed.

There's also weight as a factor. Faster, lighter boats won't need as much sail to get them moving, which may mean smaller, less expensive sails and rigging for the size of the boat.

Right all true.

My boat can barely get upwind in winds 20 knots or more but until I actually do cruise any distance, this boat is fine for what I'm doing now.

Also, I use the predicted winds and tides.

I usually sail up the Bay toward the NW to take advantage of the SW winds. Or get to the Western side by Saturday night so I can use the morning SW wind to get home which then is SE or SSE.

Many times, the winds will be anywhere from 12-25 knots until 10-11 am before easing up a bit which is perfect for a return sail leaving anchor at around 0630 -0700.

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Right all true.

My boat can barely get upwind in winds 20 knots or more but until I actually do cruise any distance, this boat is fine for what I'm doing now.

Also, I use the predicted winds and tides.

I usually sail up the Bay toward the NW to take advantage of the SW winds. Or get to the Western side by Saturday night so I can use the morning SW wind to get home which then is SE or SSE.

Many times, the winds will be anywhere from 12-25 knots until 10-11 am before easing up a bit which is perfect for a return sail leaving anchor at around 0630 -0700.

That's it. You work within the limitations of what you have. It just becomes a matter of what aspects of sailing you enjoy more and what boat lets you enjoy the stuff you enjoy vs the parts you like less.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

The Pardeys had a saying: If you can't fix it, why is it on your boat?

This is certainly a guiding principle for how I equip our boat. I try to have systems that I can maintain and repair with my limited skills. Either that, or I try and use systems that are highly reliable.

Originally Posted by Shanachie

Simpler makes for a much easier life on board.

Certainly true for me. In fact, it's kinda how I live my whole life .

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Shanachie

Simpler makes for a much easier life on board.

I disagree! The things people on CF write like they break all the time, rarely really break. But the enjoyment they provide is HUGE!

But .............. just what to you is simple? Or what things are not simple enough for your boat because hey break?

I think I had all the "non simple" things on my boat. In the last 7.5 years of full time cruising the only thing that broke enough to be a {ITA was my small inboard diesel generator. So finally just replaced it with a Honda that only needed a pull cord replaced every 6 months and the carburetor cleaned every 2 years.

[Munoz]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

This is certainly a guiding principle for how I equip our boat. I try to have systems that I can maintain and repair with my limited skills. Either that, or I try and use systems that are highly reliable.

Sorry but you really need to move with the times "boat repairs in exotic locations" is so Passé(Parday?).....

Cruising is all about surfing the net while in plugged into shore power for your AC these days, or at the very least using StarLink to troubleshoot your charging system/AC issues if you really want to be masochistic about it....

[Munoz]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I disagree! The things people on CF write like they break all the time, rarely really break. But the enjoyment they provide is HUGE!

But .............. just what to you is simple? Or what things are not simple enough for your boat because hey break?

I think I had all the "non simple" things on my boat. In the last 7.5 years of full time cruising the only thing that broke enough to be a {ITA was my small inboard diesel generator. So finally just replaced it with a Honda that only needed a pull cord replaced every 6 months and the carburetor cleaned every 2 years.

So true, if your boat spends the vast majority of it's time in a marina, very little tends to wear out and break....

Although obviously if you get rid of the boat altogether and go back to living on the dirt, you will have even fewer boat repairs and maintenance to deal with.......

You Sir are a true genius!

Thank you for showing us the way to true cruising Nirvana!

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Munoz

You Sir are a true genius!
!

And you apparently ............................. aren't!

Of course you ZERO answered the question.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Munoz

Sorry but you really need to move with the times "boat repairs in exotic locations" is so Passé(Parday?).....

Cruising is all about surfing the net while in plugged into shore power for your AC these days, or at the very least using StarLink to troubleshoot your charging system/AC issues if you really want to be masochistic about it....

Yup, I must be crazy. Guess I've been doing this all wrong .

[Munoz]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

And you apparently ............................. aren't!

Of course you ZERO answered the question.

Guilty as charged, I'm just a poor miserable fool whiling away my days in a hellish south pacific anchorage with no prospect of shore power, a Marina potluck dinner or even a Mc Donald's for at least 500 NM.

Woe be me, for I have been lead astray by the 3 false prophets that are the Pardays, the Hisscocks and the Hills.......


Remember folks, there's nothing beyond the Marina entrance but damnation, ruin and boat repairs... Best throw away your anchor now least it lead you astray.......

[sailorboy1]

Typical "my way is only way" attitude

[Munoz]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

Typical "my way is only way" attitude

Au contraire mon ami!

I say:Vive la différence!

I do genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, appreciate the efforts of yourself and the OP to keep the anchorages free of yourselves by staying in marinas and fiddling with your toys or moving back onto the dirt.

Again thank you very much!

[mvweebles]

Originally Posted by Munoz

Au contraire mon ami!

I say:Vive la différence!

I do genuinely, from the bottom of my heart, appreciate the efforts of yourself and the OP to keep the anchorages free of yourselves by staying in marinas and fiddling with your toys or moving back onto the dirt.

Again thank you very much!

As the OP, I purposefully tried to note the enduring positive aspects of cruising. About how I've met hundreds of people who are having a great time and traveling all over, much of which is facilitated by modern conveniences.

But given your snarky post, I'd be reniss if I didn't mention that there are indeed a small percentage of cruisers, 100% of whom are sailors, who are arrogant and entitled jerks. Fortunately, they usually self-identify by not shaving since the 90s and sporting a scraggly ponytail; creating their own rules such as having confusing running lights (both deck and mast head for example); or make a point of yelling at anyone anchoring within a half mile of them because they havent upgraded their anchors in 30 years and therefore lay 12:1 scope to comprnsate.

Thankfully, they are being replaced by much friendlier and less judgemental sailors who are quite helpful with a pay-it-forward attitude.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Why?

The started their sailing together in like the late 1960's!

No 787's available at that time, just DC-3's!

Their boats were total beasts though being 30' or so but displacing as much as todays 40 plus foot boats.

Point of order! You must be very very young.

We had well and truly moved on from DC3s by the late 60s.
Qantas had introduced a 'round the world' service using Lockheed Super Constellations in 1957.
I first crossed the Pacific in early 1970 on a Qantas 707. Not non stop mind you. Overnight Sydney- Fiji - Tahiti , day in a beach resort near the airport then another overnight to Acapulco. Last leg was longest over water flight in the world at the time. They only flew at night cos they were still using celestial in the southern hemisphere back then.
That's it
Carry on chaps.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

Point of order! You must be very very young.
We had well and truly moved on from DC3s by the late 60s...

Indeed.
Civilian DC-3 production ended in 1943, to be replaced by the DC-4 [& Military C-54 'Skymaster'], and then the DC-6, DC-7, & DC-8, etc.

The 1960s saw the Jet-Age take hold, with all major airlines replacing their aging piston engined types, with jet airliners.
Boeing 707s [1956–1978], DC-8s [1958–1972], Convair 880s, and Vickers VC10s replaced the earlier DC7s, Stratocruisers, and Constellations, on the long-haul routes.
Boeing 727s, Caravelles, DC9s, BAC 111s, and Hawker Siddeley Tridents replaced the piston-twin types, on medium. and short-haul routes.
Then, there was the Tupolev Tu-154 trijets; and the paired multi-engined Ilyushin Il-62.