It is all about comfort and ease-sailing big, expensive boats with lots of gadgets-making cruising as unadventurous and complicated as possible. Remember the phrase, “ Keep it simple, stupid”? The best time I had sailing was on my 27 footer to Bermuda, 4 days becalmed, navigating old style, proud of myself for coming within sight of what I was aiming for. Years later I sailed a bigger boat with most of the bells and whistles-not nearly the same level of adventure.
Bluewater boat is a misnomer. Oceans had been crossed by many types of boats. The important aspect is how to become a skilled skipper at the helm. One can have a most capable and a most equipped boat, but not have any clue about how to operate it in variety of conditions.
comfort while crossing and stand alone capability, I agree sailing is all about weather and skill. but months aboard in comfort will help. oh and a easy feedback on the helm. no wrestling.
Very helpful info i always looking for this type of info because im looking to retired and live in the islands on a sailboat thanks for taking the time to share i enjoy all series
Great Vid! Recently retired, I've been tossing around the idea of just cruising. Selling my boat for something newer & bigger. But you & others are changing my mindset that my 37' Cherubini Cutter rig (although old) checks almost all the boxes. But it will need some modern upgrades 😊
I would buy a mobile water maker,cn be taken out ,good access and also be carried somewhere to help others get some fresh water. thanks for putting this together,was very helpful.
Well I made a great choice in my girl! Shes a 1978 Endurance 35, cutter. Dual 20g water tanks. Electric Brushless 20kw Renogy 1200ah drop down drive. Diesel conversion. 50g fuel tank/formerly diesel” now gas conversion for the dinghy/generator fuel so no jug’s on deck. 🤔 my first sailboat. 🤔with a little ingenuity she will be a jewel 😉just getting started.
Solid advice! For us, Safety, Performance, and Comfort were the top 3 we were focusing on. Having owned a "comfort cruising catamaran" before, we learned a lot about what we thought would be blue water worthy, and what isnt. In the end, we chose the Catana 471 and are thrilled about it.
Really liked this video but think it could have been better with round about $ figures saying as at 2021 of essential items/upgrades, less essential items/upgrades and nice to have items/upgrades. Also install costs and if it's worth trying yourself or should only be done by the pro’s. Having said all that I don't wish to detract the fact that this was a well produced and very interesting video. Looking forward to the next.
This was a very informative video. Thank you. I’m retiring in two years and have approximately 400K to buy a sailing boat. I’m hoping I can stretch to get a 49’-54’ so we can go far. We are in SoCal but need to really research this endeavor
Was thinking about getting a lifting keel so we have more access near beaches and rivers. We are planning on living in Portugal, sailing a bit around Portugal, and maybe in the Mediterranean. Not sure if we should get a full keel our something else. We don't plan on doing an ocean crossing, just want to sail the Med. What would you recommend for size and keel type?
What do you do if your boat stops in the middle of the ocean? Also if you are crossing a bridge, is there a company that can take down the mast? or do you call up the crane and diy? Also how do you work, do you have WIFI? How did you learn how to sail and how much experience do you have or need before you go at sea alone?
just remember more horsepower does not always mean more speed. Hull speed is hull speed. If your motor is bringing your boat up to hull speed in normal conditions. Then more horsepower might not make the boat faster. Keeping you at hull speed in your fighting a force. More power normally helps with torque pushing the boat in a situation where you are fighting a force that is trying to push you in a direction you don't want to go. This can be ocean currents, waves or channel currents, tide waters ECT. This is where more HP really comes into play. Normally manufacturers will build the boat with an engine that will push her along at hull speed in normal condition but how often are we in normal condition.
"The smaller the boat, the more risk and less comfort you will have". Not so. Lin and Larry Pardy cruised over 150k miles in first a 24, and then a 26 foot engineless sailboat, both which they built themselves, designed by Lyle Hess. They are renowned in the blue water communuty as outstanding sailors. This minimalist approach might not be your style, but it is eminently doable.
Balachandra is a indian name . Are you first in anyway connected to india ... I work offshore oil field , love sailing and sea ... have been following all these good sailing channels and finally you came as a suggestion ... I like your vedios...also being from digital media background you have a decent sea knowledge ... do you have any sailing background prior ...
Hi Maverick, thanks for checking us out! Balachandra is sanskrit for the crescent moon. We're not Indian but i read the religious texts for inspiration. Sailed in high school then again with my own small daysailor and took lessons before racing for 2 years then bought Balachandra and the rest is history :P
You can make a log raft capable of crossing an ocean. The tricky part is will the log raft keep your safe in nasty weather. So...crossing an ocean isn't the key factor.
You are absolutely incorrect about putting a massively large horsepower engine in your boat. Your boat speed is limited by you waterline length and maximum diameter prop you can fit. That will determine your shaft horsepower. You then add the power requirements to drive any items attached to your engine such as alternator and water pumps. That data will then determine your maximum brake horsepower. Any engine above that is simply wasted power.
Thanks for sharing this, no one has explained it like this to me before but it makes good sense. I'm sure production boat designers recomend motor, prop and shaft sizes based on solid engineering math... at least i hope so
Man you need to chill, extra horsepower is not a bad thing 🙁if you get caught in a bad storm even at anchor you can use your engine to keep from dragging anchor.Also you don’t want to run your engine at near max rpm .I don’t think he said to get a oversized engine,obviously you’re not experienced about sailing and not a naval architect so don’t critique these very experienced two.Suggestion….. just watch and learn.But the biggest thing I can suggest is don’t comment 😂😂
@@markbuskens6070 Everything I said was spot on and nothing you stated changes those physical limitations. However I do understand your desperate need to silence those who challenge your ignorance.
@@markleyg your reply showed who is uninformed,my reply was not disrespectful to you.Guess you’ve never been on an underpowered sailboat when you need it.
@@markbuskens6070 Really? Telling someone to shut up just because you disagree with them is not disrespectful? You obviously have no idea what the concept of respect is.
Nice video. Are you guys living full time on the boat or you have a home in Canada too? If you don’t have a home in Canada , I would be interested to see how you did it, because I was looking for that kind of setup for years, but everybody I asked, had a permanent residence on land. Thanks for the info. Cheers mate.
I obviously got it right, I've got a '13 steel hard chine Van De Stadt S34' with the taller 7/8 fractional performance rig, hard dodger, radar, solar arch with 2 rigid panels(400w) 3KW inverter, 315Ah house bank, AIS class B transponder with antenna splitter, SSB with automatic antenna tuner, Scanmar pelagic tiller pilot and a second redundant autopilot, 5 GPS units, EPIRB, new 9" MFD plotter, two tablets with navionics, 2 inflatables and a mariner 5HP outboard, 20 ton electric windlass with foot controls and cockpit remote, 33HP vetus, large watertight head/sail locker/wet storage in V berth with separate bilge valve, 3 burner gimballed stove and oven, fridge and freezer, pressurised hot and cold water, 350L water in 2 SS tanks, 180L diesel, furling headsail, carver continuous furling reaching spinnaker, removable dyneema baby stay and hank on storm staysail. 8 metric tons dry weight and upward of 12 kn hull speed, clocked 16.8 boat speed surfing downwind with the bag. Only things I don't have are a liferaft and self steering vane (hydrovane on order) absolutely everything is less than 8 years old. She's ice rated built to Lloyd's register ocean class A ocean going specifications and is in essence a high latitude capable mini expedition yacht. I'm not going to mention price but it was under 30K.
Thanks for the listing! Am pondering steel, but I'm so new to this world, I don't even know my wants much less my needs - other than I believe my desire to be on the water all over the world will stick... Sounds like you got quit the deal on your boat and the speeds are really impressive!
Multihulls are great, totally different in capability than monohulls, and unless you REALLY look around, most are designed for weekend charter and not crossing oceans. To get any serious cargo capacity you have to size up significantly as well. And they cost more to haul and to dock. You have to sail them by the numbers, Otherwise a squall can break rigging instantly. If they have a big, low saloon, chances are she'll pound mercilessly upwind, or into heavy chop. But..they don't roll or heel. They Sail fast off the wind. They have living space above deck and they have acres of deck space. They are unsinkable. The dinghy often has a place behind the cockpit. There is sometimes a lowering back deck for boarding. They are just different. Not better. Not worse.
@@AndyKopac Wharrams work with windvanes. And multihulls with deep dagger boards go to weather just fine. To be honest, I hate going to weather. I'd much rather take longer on a reach if I can get away with it.
@@timothyblazer1749 Good point. Not all monohulls go to weather either. I don’t mind going to weather, but I have a staysail ketch and keep my center of effort low when going to weather so we don’t heel much. I once sailed to weather with a windvane nonstop singlehanded from Panama to SF using the clipper route off shore. Steady 20-25 knot winds I was flat and happy, seas were flat too. Took me 64 days. Was one of the best sailing I’ve ever done. I’d never do a Baja bash after doing it. I’m not crazy about following quarter seas either, but you plan your routes best you can with what you got and play the hand your dealt.
@@AndyKopac yeah...staysail ketch is the way to go crossing oceans. In my dotage, I've also come to seriously appreciate full keel boats, like Colin Archer used to build :-) Those can lope along to weather forever!
@@timothyblazer1749 I go no place fast, everywhere slow though. My happy place is 5-7 knots, but a multihull cranks. I grew up with a Hobie 14. Had it through college.
what is the best engine inboard or outboard for you sail boat? salt water eats at metal so having a outboard motor that can be raised from the sea would be better than a inboard with the prop exposed to salt water all the time.??
Howdy I am very interested in sailing from Florida to the coribean what would be a good starter boat .. N maybe eventually crossing .... I'm new I currently have 10 k thanks I love your content ... 😊
I thought ICW mast height limit is around 65 feet? Also I think your C&C 44 mast height is considerably more than 47 feet, my much smaller C&C 30-2 mast is 46 feet.
I would not go to Australia or New Zealand, or anywhere south of the Solomon Islands with anything smaller than a 50-foot boat, saltwater crocs are too dangerous to small boats and have overturned and killed the crews of small fishing boats. They can reach 30 to 50 feet long and have overturned 30-foot boats before.
If the average prospective boater waited to find a boat with the perfect parameters and all of these features(or to add them later), they would either 1.) never be able to afford the boat, or 2.) be a Captain "NoGo" and sit at the dock sweating out improvements/repairs and never go sailing. Go soon . . . go small . . . ever hear of a guy named Matt Rutherford?
Thanks, it was really useful video. What brand boat do you recommend for live board sailing? We are now looking for Dufour 36cc or 39 cc. What's your opinion? Thanks in advance.
If you're brand shopping you're looking for a fiberglass factory boat. There's lots of great boats that make the cut but if you want a factory boat to take you places you'll need over 37' and lots of storage. They are almost all designed for charter. Jenneau, beneteau, moody, c&c, sun oddesy, swan etc. All have boats that can be cruised. Hunter have a rep for being "casual" boats but some of the big ones are cruisers. Don't shy away from an aluminum or steel boat just because NA is obsessed with fiberglass. Hope this helps.
@@SailingBalachandra what are you thinking about HRs and if so what ones, more the older ones like a 43 MkII or 45 or the new 44 or 50? They all are known for sail able short hand
We rarely use our radar partially becsuse it's an old analog one that eats our batteries, and also because we just never "think" we need it and follow charts. AIS is essential for travelling offshore and especially at night. We get dissapointed when we see a sailboat that does not show up on our AIS... however we only receive, no transmit haha
@@SailingBalachandra AIS is fantastic however when sailing in certain regions of the world , it is common to encounter illegal fishing vessels that run dark whereby radar can be life saving !!! Areas such as southeast asia , west of Argentina as well as west of Africa are such areas !!! Also my reason for "receive only" AIS is piracy in those areas not to mention Somalia !!!
Most folks plan to buy a boat, cross oceans, and cruise extensively and indefinitely. Most folks and most boats never will, but instead, will spend their days and nights in marinas with occasional trips up and down the coast. Even dedicated cruisers are really only "at sea" for about 10% of the time. Therefore, buying a "true blue water vessel" is a colossal waste of money and only pandering to unrealistic sailing fantasies. It also will adversley affect comfort at the dock as well as wrangling "the ship" in and out of the slip. Do you really need that big bowsprit spear or huge fuel tanks? What about built-jn ice boxes in the galley instead of a working refrigerator? Wake up, you're dreaming.
What happens when an ignoramus pontificates? Many thank him while others cheer him on. One thing I know: it's a lot easier to look at a RU-vid video than learn--really learn--about a topic.
There was so many "however..." and "but" interjections that I felt like no point was really made and I ended up confused. Pretty much every point felt like he was conflicting himself.
No i mean dodgy construction by legit boat builders. New Production yachts cut a lot of corners. We hear and see some nasty botched boat installs on brand new yachts. It's disturbing given the cost of new yachts
Good video for sure, but you say a lot of stuff for granted. Most of your viewers are going to have no clue what you are talking about with all the lingo you used. All the various terms for all the different sails, 100%, 150%, 90% sails or whatever, all the terms related to the dingy.... I am just going to strap it on there somewhere; I don't need a specific spot for it or fancy mounts. All the different lines and brackets/winches you mentioned....galley, berth....huh? Those of us that are looking for our first boat, have no idea what any of that is. Just use normal terms. "Main sail", "front sail", "bedroom", "bathroom" etc. Otherwise we are just spending hours with a dictionary trying to figure out what you are even talking about. There just is no need for all those fancy terms. We're newbies, not seasoned sailers. Just as important I'd the numbers. like the height of the sail. The ICW, huh? Well, how tall can the master be then? Didn't mention it, but I saw it in the above comments. How much water storage should it be able to transport? You mention storage, but don't give any rough numbers. Same goes for fuel. How big a fuel or water tank do I need to get to the virgin islands from Florida? Or Bermuda from the Carolinas? Or anything related to that. Again, good video, but it was more frustrating then helpful for me because of so much sailing jargon and lack of specifics on important things.
There is another time bow thrusters come in handy...fuel docks. It isn’t only how often you may need it either. Maintaining control of your boat is critical and your responsibility. Damage to your boat or to a multi $million dollar neighboring boat(s) can be only a gust of wind away. That said you can get by w/o one, as you mentioned... Enjoyed your video, Ciao’
@@SailingBalachandra Bur you’re doing the right thing. You got the boat you could afford & got out there sailing. Boats survived, well mostly & with less concern for cosmetics, for 1000’s of tears w/o bow thrusters. Cheers
About 30 years ago I was lookin through a "SAIL" magazine that listed all of the solo circumnavigation sailboats with statistics. I calculated the average length of all those sailboats and it came out to 37 feet (overall length). I decided that would be a good minimum length for a long distance sailboat. Reading lots of reviews of sailboats in the 35 to 45 foot range the one that stood out at that time was a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37 as an excellent cruising sailboat. They still make them in North Carolina and there are lots of used ones for sale!
My own research, though not as exhaustive as what you're describing, came to essentially the same conclusion - 38 feet seems like about the right size for a combination of both comfort, price, and sea-worthiness. Now I just have to figure out what kind of keel I want.
@@eventhisidistaken Having done 2 transatlantic and one pacific crossing, I'd make a priority list you want to tick when getting the right boat for you. First and foremost is safety. Make sure in the worst case you can make the boat watertight, as in lock doors windows and hatches so they can't be breached. Next is a combination 'you' and the boat. Make sure you can reef down the mainsail (and the foresail too) in little time and in the worst conditions. If you can't, make changes so you can. My last voyage was on a 40 footer. I practised (like an athlete) until I could reef the main in less than a minute (in port). That enabled me to do this within say 2-3min in a real situation. Be sure to have 3 reef points and all the fittings in good quality and size. ... Only then comes other things such as shaft seal, engine, etcetc. BTW I'd make sure you can get yourself out of trouble with sails only if needed.
i guess im randomly asking but does anyone know of a method to log back into an Instagram account?? I somehow lost the password. I love any assistance you can offer me!
@Sage Cade thanks so much for your reply. I found the site thru google and Im trying it out now. Seems to take a while so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.
12 volt chest freezers instead of the built in and always run on ECO mode. A CB radio and a long antenna. A small four cycle air cooled outboard motor. A sextant and a cheap GPS. 12 volt brushless fans. All LED lights instead of tungsten. I intend to use a small air cooled diesel for electric and propulsion. It disperses very little dry heat and sips fuel. Leaky fuel and water tanks don't cut it.
