What Is Too Small ?

[cw3randall]

I am thinking about taking a sailboat to the Philippine Island, if you were going to buy a sailboat what is the smallest you would take on this type of passage? Are the older glass boats strong enough yet for such an adventure?
I welcome any advice and thank you in advance.

[doug86]

I would not try it in a McGreggor Venture 25, that is for sure.

[boatman61]

I think you'll find the older (60's, 70's) boats are tougher than the newer models.. just need to spend time getting her together unless you find a 'Gem'...
27 - 30 should do you if you do't mind basic... otherwise bigger with more space and fridge/freezer....

[tdenney]

I would try to stay above 30 feet, but I know people who are in the Pacific in 27 foot boats. That said, they are high quality small boats. One that comes to mind is a Vancouver 27. You can single hand almost anything if it is set up right. If you sail alone, comfort becomes more inportant than if you have crew.

[tager]

To set a completely arbitrary standard: I wouldn't do it in a boat lighter than 5,000 lbs unloaded.

[Rex Delay]

I was in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada some years ago when an 18', wood sailboat with two guys aboard tied up to the dock. She was from New Zealand!!!!

[perchance]

Originally Posted by Rex Delay

I was in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada some years ago when an 18', wood sailboat with two guys aboard tied up to the dock. She was from New Zealand!!!!

Jeez! and I thought the English had a lock on eccentricity.

[klubko]

Have a look here: Atom Voyages | Voyaging Around the World on the Sailboat Atom

[Rex Delay]

OK, how about Luxton and Voss on a decked over Haida Canoe, converted to sail?

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by Rex Delay

I was in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada some years ago when an 18', wood sailboat with two guys aboard tied up to the dock. She was from New Zealand!!!!

Hmmm ... Wondering if we saw the same boat. I saw something very similar in Berumda - 1976, following the tall ships race. These two guys had apparently sailed down from Boston (about a 750 mile passage) to meet the fleet, and they were going to sail back to Annapolis with them, just for the fun of it.

Wondering if the two crazy guys you met, are the same guys I met, and, if so, how old are they now? Perhaps their sons have taken up the gauntlet? : )

Truth is always stranger than fiction ...

G2L

[Rex Delay]

Originally Posted by Gone2long

Hmmm ... Wondering if we saw the same boat. I saw something very similar in Berumda - 1976, following the tall ships race. These two guys had apparently sailed down from Boston (about a 750 mile passage) to meet the fleet, and they were going to sail back to Annapolis with them, just for the fun of it.

Wondering if the two crazy guys you met, are the same guys I met, and, if so, how old are they now? Perhaps their sons have taken up the gauntlet? : )

Truth is always stranger than fiction ...

G2L

Could be? Was early to mid 70's.

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by cw3randall

I am thinking about taking a sailboat to the Philippine Island, if you were going to buy a sailboat what is the smallest you would take on this type of passage? Are the older glass boats strong enough yet for such an adventure?
I welcome any advice and thank you in advance.

What I am somewhat surprised to note on this thread is that nobody has asked you yet "from where?"

Perhaps I missed that, but, like those guys in the 18 footer, your starting point will undoubtedly have some bearing on what kind of boat you need to arrive at your destination.

Starting from Minnesota will definitely provide a few unique challenges : )

Pardon the irresitable, : )

Best regards,

G2L

[Gone2long]

Originally Posted by Rex Delay

Could be? Was early to mid 70's.

On a more serious note: We left Hamilton harbor in a 41foot Morgan, around mid June, a bit late, no doubt, but hoping to get to Annapolis well before the scheduled, 4th of July celebration. We hit an early season hurricane, encountering 22 foot seas and 70 mph winds. We got knocked down at 4am one morning and spent a number of days drifting toward Europe as we repaired the main and jib.

I've always wondered what ever happened to those guys in their tiny, 18 foot boat.

Hopefully they were smarter, and left earlier. It would be great to find that they are still "out there" somewhere, reading threads such as this and planning their next adventure.

Regards to all,

G2L

[Bash]

I'd want a waterline of at least 30', and would want at least 5,000 pounds of ballast.

[SaltyMonkey]

why? a 20 foot flicka is as good a lifeboat as anything you find on a ship.