Moving aboard soon

[CruiseN]

Thank you for welcome message and access to forum.
I just signed to buy a marina berth and soon (a year or 2 or 3) plan is to find a monohull ketch with long keel and protected rudder to fit into berth and use as home.
Maximum dimensions are 13.5 x4.25 metres.
Ketch is ideal to me but doesn't matter if a single mast is her. Long keel too but I'll be seeking used market and a flatter plane skeg hung rudder would do too. Whichever fits the coordination to purchase will be home.
I'd rather long because of ride on pick and love of the lumpy stuff.
Afterwards, plan is to go somewhere and spend not much. Avoid hugs from Kracken, enjoy the natives out there.

[LittleWing77]

Welcome Aboard, Cruise!

Might I suggest that you update your profile with your location? That way, if anyone sees a potential ketch for you in their area, they can get in touch.

Plus, it's just more useful in elliciting relevant replies on the Forum generally.

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

[tkeithlu]

Ours is a trawler, and was very comfortable to live on for 2 1/2 years. Full keel? I've lost count of the number of times I have been thankful that the prop and rudder are protected, and a grounding does not mean more than having scrapped barnacles off the bottom of the rudder foot. But then, I don't need to be concerned with upwind performance. It sounds like (ketch, full keel) you are open to compromising upwind performannce for comfort and protection. I hope that you find the right boat for you.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by CruiseN

plan is to find a monohull ketch with long keel and protected rudder to fit into berth and use as home.

you learn that from some 20-30 year old boat book?

either way good luck

[SeaStory]

Have you maneuvered a full keel or skeg hung rudder in tight quarters?

Have you looked into how depth will affect the cruising grounds available to you?

[CruiseN]

Originally Posted by SeaStory

Have you maneuvered a full keel or skeg hung rudder in tight quarters?

Have you looked into how depth will affect the cruising grounds available to you?

Yes.. I skippered a Dragon. Made port without engine everytime.
I prefer a heeled plane than a modern missile because they're agility when wind has strength.
Plus sides being bulk room; space and weight.
Our Southern Ocean is our planets only continuous fetch ocean. I'm sure she grows well.

Like that song 'Country Road'
Blue mountains, younger than our trees.

Yachthub has loads of vessels that I'm interested in. Steel, wood, glass. Ketch, Schooner.

Depth is my loss.. we have beautiful 360degree protected shallows around here but I'd rather bury a nose than stress a plane if caught out in the beyond fun stuff and long v nicer on anchor.

I think long keels can point okay..
Ketch just easier to balance with use of smaller cloths and essentially a spare mast if one goes under and doesn't show up.
Although.. studying barometer and sexton to avoid harse uses of eye.

Hoping, fair wind, wave and tide everyday aye.

Thanks kindly.
Wishing you best flows too.
CruiseN

[CruiseN]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Welcome Aboard, Cruise!

Might I suggest that you update your profile with your location? That way, if anyone sees a potential ketch for you in their area, they can get in touch.

Plus, it's just more useful in elliciting relevant replies on the Forum generally.

Fair winds,
LittleWing77

Thankyou Little Wing..

I'm in no rush with buying.. pretty much towards lazy..
Just setting up stage.. it'll be a day tripping mobile home berthed near work for a few years to begin with. I'll be happy with Watt ever combination, some friends use tapered edge keels providing traction for a plane hull but I never found the point in slap, slow, accelerate, go faster, slap. Suits some, maybe most. They'd outrun a front a lot faster.
Ketch a hope thing. I've never sailed a ketch. Plenty of schooners crossing oceans .

Fair tides,
CruiseN

[Orin]

Welcome aboard CruiseN!!
I hope you find what you’re looking for! Having raced a lot and spent a lot of time on heavy boats as well - it’s a different thing. From the sounds of it, I assume you’re not from the standard measurement end of the world.

We purchased a heavy modified full keel boat and aren’t looking back. I’ve had plenty of race boats and been on plenty of full keeled boats to know they’re not as fun. That said there is such a thing as too much fun when sailing. The wife and I want to be comfortable with our kids aboard not to be thrilled by the sailing.

[CruiseN]

Originally Posted by Orin

Welcome aboard CruiseN!!
I hope you find what you’re looking for! Having raced a lot and spent a lot of time on heavy boats as well - it’s a different thing. From the sounds of it, I assume you’re not from the standard measurement end of the world.

We purchased a heavy modified full keel boat and aren’t looking back. I’ve had plenty of race boats and been on plenty of full keeled boats to know they’re not as fun. That said there is such a thing as too much fun when sailing. The wife and I want to be comfortable with our kids aboard not to be thrilled by the sailing.

Thanks sir.

I don't see heavy and slow as a fun loss though.
Surviving a catch out in beyond strong winds can be a need of quick find to tension hands on the lines, whereas good old slow will achieve a higher average flow.
Making miles comfortably with large swell agility.

I like the appeal of our Southern Ocean. They were going to construct an oil rig pretty much smack bang in the middle of our Whales playground but I believe they decided against building a rig now.
Let the whales sing songs whilst rolling along.
Not much further : LoL, is Antarctica. That has to be lumpy; an endless fetch.
I hate cold, probably won't go that far, maybe 150km out to shelves ledge someday, from Adelaide that'd be 300km .
24hours at 7 knots.

Seals and sea lions hunt there. They swim consistent for 5 days. If vessel has a stepped stern, might be able to chat with someone aye..

Looking forward to this. Boats and sails seem to blend coordination of lovely rides well

Yes.. kids here too. (Mates that do the chores; kids . LoL)

[Orin]

I look at having wind to sail in as fun. The more wind the more fun... right up until the point that it’s not fun anymore. Hence my saying too much fun. That threshold is much higher with our heavier boats. We went out in 30-35 knots winds the other day (wife wasn’t aboard) and still managed to have a mostly good time out there. That certainly would have been harrowing in my ultimate 20. A really stiff coastal race boat wouldn’t have minded that, being the sea state was well... still flat. There’s no fetch here practically... however it would have taken a lot more skill to keep a race boat safe with just 2 people in those conditions. Anyway, it was fun.... except the docking bit. Lost reverse. Turned out ok with no damage to the boat, but was a little too exciting for my taste (stressful).

Seems like a real cool place to be though! Somewhat near you, Tasmania is on my bucket list there. Part of the reason we got a blue water and heavy boat was with the sort of wind and sea-states you have down in that region.

If you ask me, I’d say it’s a smart move having a ketch for wind the wind comes up ‘round there.

[CruiseN]

Thanks Orin,
I think I agree with you.

Different tastes exist, yes.

I'm a while away from an actual vessel, yet in todays market if my funds were ready id be looking at the Duncansun 43 ketch or the Swanson 42 sloop.
Way I see it is with a bit of practice, sloop would balance helm and in event of steerage loss can steer. I know my friends mate steered his racing hull cruiser into port. Tacking etc without tiller. She's a sloop. I'm not that fluent. Ketch would be quicker to learn IMO. Easier to handle having smaller sails.
I'm guessing particular boats above will sell before I'm cashed up. Plenty come and go often.

I managed to secure a protected yet really easy wide channel berth with dominant wind favourable to berthing vessel with. Pretty lucky that in future, a phone call would enable a shore mate to line berth but generally easy going and would rather take kayak out if no mates wanna go hooning.
Once outside the heads, should be okay solo (preference is sharing load with mates though).

Swanson has a beautiful below water line. Looks like a vessel that'd balance cleated sheets and hold course in lumpy conditions, spilling wind to relieve excessive torque and continuously finding nose upon tuned heading.
I've heard Duncansun 42s had inherent rudder problems and are prone to breakage. IDK if news old, guessing most would have been modified by now. Seeing skeg as advantage of hidden floating debris such as containers, dead whales, etc plus a protected leading edge of the tapered rudder. Surely much stress would be relieved from knots in water. Looks a lot faster in flat waters. Thing I like is ketch plus transom folds down into a swimming platform. I'd rather the Swanson though. Almost half the price too. Just looks like a sea boat in my eyes; quick when wind's heavy.

I'm dreaming a while longer.. getting there.
Just bought AGMs for land house batteries. Was disgusted with lithium ion recycling seeing our government handed most of the to be recycled batteries off to poorer countries which land filled and now leach into our oceans. Lithium a much better battery and cost about same when understanding only 50% usage of AGM to ensure longevity hence buy twice as much which is probably 4x weight yet basically all recycled.

Looking forward to taking dad out. We used to cruise for months each year. He always wanted a bilge keel Duncansun 40 ketch. LoL, ground her on ebb tide, eat well upright, flood and go. LoL

I've only heard about your Great lakes. I'm guessing steep waves although short fetched. I know big ships have sunk there. I like that tragic yet beautiful song, ' the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.'

We are very obedient with weather too.

[CruiseN]

Originally Posted by Orin

I look at having wind to sail in as fun. The more wind the more fun... right up until the point that it’s not fun anymore. Hence my saying too much fun. That threshold is much higher with our heavier boats. We went out in 30-35 knots winds the other day (wife wasn’t aboard) and still managed to have a mostly good time out there. That certainly would have been harrowing in my ultimate 20. A really stiff coastal race boat wouldn’t have minded that, being the sea state was well... still flat. There’s no fetch here practically... however it would have taken a lot more skill to keep a race boat safe with just 2 people in those conditions. Anyway, it was fun.... except the docking bit. Lost reverse. Turned out ok with no damage to the boat, but was a little too exciting for my taste (stressful).

Seems like a real cool place to be though! Somewhat near you, Tasmania is on my bucket list there. Part of the reason we got a blue water and heavy boat was with the sort of wind and sea-states you have down in that region.

If you ask me, I’d say it’s a smart move having a ketch for wind the wind comes up ‘round there.

Orin.
I wish you the best with a southern coast journey down here. Ocean is very clean down our way..
I've never seen cyclone nor hurricane, I don't understand central systems.
Picture is from 2018 news media. A lightning front.
In local Adelaide maritime museum is a wall display from the 1960s. No one saw it coming and a beautiful day became a complete loss of a dinghy crew and dinghy. Taken to sea, never seen again.

Down this way we get the most beautiful weather but every few years or more , the system slips and **** hits the fan. Goes from glass to severe beatings really quick without much warning.
I haven't sailed a while but when we did, we'd study weather every half hour. Forecasting would be reporting expect perfect boating weather, big high pressure system, all is grand. But a tiny low would be of a tiny percentage chance of torquing such eye. Like a planetary gear system, if eyes engaged, half hour weather reports would report such, by then it was run for Lee because visual remains still beauty.
I don't know Tasmania. South Australia has a gorgeous ABC Radio transmission on AM band broadcasting from Mt Lofty. Amplified Modulation carries well. Our mast was our antenna, connected via a stay. Every half hour on the half hour and hour ABC will play the same old jingle bells that proceeds a decent local weather report.
I don't know other states but I'd ask when I'm to venture.
Nice, free, quality. Saved our arses plenty of times.

ABC Radio. I like it . Range of sight from mast tip to mountain top down south. 100s of kms.