HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE "VALLEY OF FIRE"??? This is my friend Jenny hiking through the most beautiful but SCARY parts of the US desert! Great video! Hit like and subscribe to her cause she's a badass! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3xclXXym-24.html
I would very much like it if you did a video with the topic of boats for the very tall sailor. I a 6'5"and I really tried to like a Pearson 36. But I found it unbearably tiny on the inside. The boat seemed large and beamy on the outside. But inside it was just a nightmare. So boats with lots of headroom video please. Something I can stand upright in. At least in portions of the boats. So maybe boats like the Coronado 35. Catalina 27 or maybe a Gulf 32 Pilothouse. Thanks.
The biggest regrets in life are the things you didn't do but could have. I bought my 1st boat for $7k, sailed the Aeolian islands from Naples Italy for three years and sold the boat for $3k. Best money I ever spent.
The biggest regret of my life is my wife who wont sail, ski or do adventure no matter how low key. 12 hours TV a day now shes retired. As we live a long way from the coast (thanks to her devious job maneuverers) I can even weekend sail.
My husband and I sailed our Bayfield 32 thousands of offshore miles throughout the Caribbean, Bahamas, and US East Coast for 12 years. We had a fantastic experience. I am now solo on a Bayfield 25 doing Coastal and Bahamas cruising☀️
I did that in a Catalina 27 after escaping life, running to the ocean to survive my stressful life. I found a sailboat for sale by harbor patrol for 4k and bought it, The next 5 years were magical as I learned to sail to Catalina Island and San Diego Ca.I cherish the memories than I made on the ocean so go for it you all.
Yep, I think that's a good size... I saw a guy setting up a Bristol 27 (narrower than your Cat I'd guess, but similar idea...) and he'd thought through what he was doing -- actually looked like he had almost too much room... even after stores aboard he seemed to rattle about in it,,,
I got my ericson 27 for 3000. best investment ever. I got on her knowing very little, 10 days later I solo'd to 2 harbors. Now i'm anchoring in empty coves. There's a lot of solid boats out there that are just ugly. If you can do the work yourself anything is possible.
Here in Sweden you can find a decent Albin Vega for 5000 USD. If you add a couple thousand dollars for the extra equipment you might want, you have a very good boat.
My old buddy sailed a grampian 30 from the lakehead (Superior) to the Carib three times lol, out the St. Lawrence, Down the Mississippi, through the intercoastal. No problem maan. Skill trumps all.
@@dennywoodford3537 There's an old saying "Have a boat, have a problem". The key is in finding joy in fixing the problems. You vessel has good bones. Solid glass work, and I never heard of osmosis blistering on Ericsson's.
I don’t always agree with you but usually. On this one you hit it right on!! Have owned 5 serious cruising boats from 28-46’. A a US Sailing instructor working for a large active school in San Francisco, I have sailed hundreds of boats and put tens of thousands of miles on my boats. So I speak with some background. The first 3 boats were right on. Also you might note that Uma has sailed a 53 yr old Pearson 36 from the tropics, all the way to Svalbard, 9 degrees from the North Pole! And no diesel! (Small electric motor with very limited range. One of my boats was an Alberg 35. I put many thousands of sea miles on it. And the W37 is more and better of the same basic boat. I have always admired the Niagara 35. Hinterholler does a nice job. Another to add is the Morgan 38 in the size and price range. And the Cal 39. Both very nice capable good sailing boats. The build quality of my Cal ll-46 was top notch. And Cals sail. It’s 52 yrs old and still crossing oceans. And yes! Go sooner than later. My wife and I quit our careers at age 45, took off and never looked back. Oh but we were at the height of our careers. Think of the MONEY you gave up: A. You can’t take it with you. And B. Think of the LIFE that we gained. My business partner is 72, still in the grind, making lots of money and I wouldn’t trade places with him for anything.
Small is good. I have a 28ft yacht. She sails well and has all I need, is cheap to maintain and easy to sail and manoeuvre. No need for big flashy boats unless you need to turn heads and show off.
I was so happy to see the Bayfield 32 on this list. I actually bought a 32c about 3 years ago for a cool 16 grand, and I’ve been slowly upgrading her since. (Mostly modernizing the electronics, no structural or engine issues otherwise.) “Stout” is a perfect descriptor. They built these babies like tanks.
Back when I was learning to design boats, I calculated the water plane needed to carry two people and supplies for three months. For an average aspect ratio this came out to be a LWL of about 30 ft. (Actually the number was 29.2 ft but I rounded it up because of the range of aspect ratios.) So for a long range cruising boat I look for a LWL of 30 to 33 ft. To my mind LWL is more important than LOA.
I agree. Moreover, designs vary greatly in their overhangs, so LWL is a good 'universal language' when comparing boats. Similarly, the common references to length here seems misplaced. It's about displacement much more than LOA.
This is one of the best episodes you have done. Every single one of the boats is appropriate for the use case. There are huge benefits to going cheap and smallish here, if you learn this lifestyle is not for you then you are not out much but the experience is invaluable either way.
I agree. I stopped watching the best boat series when he exceeded $50K because it seems very unlikely that I would ever buy anything over that price. Glad I have something to watch again.
@@liamstone3437 yep $50K is getting well out of my league... although I suppose I shouldn't say that as many boats seem to accumulate "stuff..." over time
Not bad choices, but there are quite a few smaller boats that will do the job handily. At the top of my list would be boats like the Cape Dory 30, Allied Seawind 32, Valiant 32 to name a few. If you have a bit more money your can look for a Baba 30, a Westsail 32, or even an Island Packet 31. Those are super stout boats that can get you there. Yes all of these boats are older. If you want the extra size an Allied Seawind 35 is a good choice or if you want a big interior for the size in another stout boat look at an Allied Princess 36. Of course you could also consider a Cape Dory 33, a Cape Dory 36, or if you look around a Pacific Seacraft Crealock 37.
These were all very good choices, about the only one I would add (like others have suggested) is any version of the Morgan 38. The Morgan 38s all have the advantage of being able to get in at just about any price point depending how much work you want to do to get it up to blue water cruising status. What I think is in important in this type of single handed sailing is what the boat needs to be a single handed boat. Things like a reliable autopilot and an anchor windlass. You could do a whole series on solo sailing, what it takes for a boat go out solo. There are also lots of video bloggers who are essentially solo sailors documenting their adventures in boats from a 20 foot Flicka up to a 40 foot custom steel ketch. Some people who do the solo thing have riders or companions at times that don't participate much in actual crewing, but are happy to come along for the adventure. So there are reasons and situations for a lot of different boats. You could do a whole series on solo cruising boats, but what would be informative would be to discuss what it takes to make a boat in a whole category of seaworthy vessels into a solo cruiser with the inevitable trade offs in comfort, performance and safety.
One of my favorite channels right now is called Sailing Triteia. James, Who I think may have been a pirate in a past life. ,bought an Alberg for just over $2000, Put a little love in it and he left Los Angeles and is now in New Zealand. Doesn't take a lot of money to Chase a dream. It just takes a lot of Passion. Memories and regrets, Those are the only 2 things that you take with you when you leave this life so make more memories than regrets.
I'm watching your videos every day, but this one made me a cheap guy. 😆 I'm a beginner and I'm getting a 1985 Catalina 30 for 10k. Good job Tim! Thank you for your great information ⛵️
If you need added tankage only part of the time, don't forget blivets! I think Nauta and Vetus make them. Basically a thick black bag with a filler neck on it. Rolls up flat for empty storage. Fills and conforms to all the odd size spaces. Usually grommetted around the edges so you can lash it down where you need it. Even the military use them, in sizes up to 5,000 gallons!
Used swiss military surplus water bags like this in USMC to store water in desert,super tough and makes great place to sleep(warm water bed). On board the placement can also be very low to help stability
Thank you very much for your help and insights. Soon I will be purchasing a sailboat and solo sailing. The information and know you give are very helpful. I also watch alot of other sailing videos, but there mostly about sailing and destinations. I just want to say again, thank you.
Personally I think think every one out at sea wether it be on the Great Lakes never loosing sight of land or island hopping should have at least a personal epirb they only cost a couple hundred bucks Also what’s your opinion on the Morgan Out Island I know these were made in different lengths but specially the 41’er
In 2021 I bought a 1978 Ericson 32 in Bellingham Wa. Other than kayaking lakes i had no boating experience. Let alone sailing experience. Anyway, spent a month getting me and the boat ready. One day of sea trials and then left for Alaska on the inside passage. It was great. Made it to Ketchikan Ak, sold it and took the ferry back. Of course I'm leaving out details but just proving you don't need experience. Though, i have plenty of solo adventures under my belt. Just not boating. Now i want another boat. Lol
This is one of my favourite episodes, Tim, and not just because you talk about the Niagara 35:). Our Niagara 35 has made, with previous owners, at least 3 trips to the Bahamas from Lake Ontario. We have owned her for 5 years, and I've been working hard at maintenance and upgrades, and plan to head down to the Maritime provinces this season. I have no doubt that she'll handle the trip with no more than a few problems(i don't want to jinx us!).
Maybe another factor to consider is why you want a cheap boat. The obvious reason is your budget limits you to cheap. Another reason could be that you're looking for a blank slate to make the boat you want. I don't like most of the boat layouts commercially available. I'm looking for a cheap boat because I know I want to gut and rebuilds to my spec. Solid hull, functional engine, I know I'm going to all electronics, sails and rig. In the end I need one cabin, one head, good galley, and space for a workshop area. Just a thought.
All great points. Great video. After watching this you really can go cruising on the cheap. Sometimes can get discouraged. Thanks for real world information and ideas for the common wage earner with a dream. You have sparked my cruising desires again. Thanks man !
I think the wisest thing I heard was do it now, you may not be here in 10 years. I think more people should think this way about life in general, not just sailing. Hope all is well with you and the family Tim.
Mostly good advice. I notice that in the US people are drawn to larger boats than tend to be the norm in other countries. My own personal view is that the ideal ocean cruising boat for one or two people is around the 35 foot mark and the boats mentioned here would be right for purpose. In my book ‘A Passion for Sailing’ I look at a number of other criteria which haven’t been considered here. For instance, how much anchor and chain can you realistically retrieve without an electric anchor winch? Have you practiced using a chain hook and line to a sheet winch to retrieve your anchor and so on? The bigger the yacht, the bigger/heavier the anchor and ground tackle you will need. Things work well when new but not so well after a few years.
Love this channel. You have taught me so much about boats. It's nice to see another Canadian with similar intrest. Thanks for the great content. Keep the heavy side down, but not too far down.
Being brand new to your channel, I like your opinion. But the 3 boats you show'd are all above what I'd be willing to part with on another boat. I have been looking in the 30 foot range..and am limited to whats about. But like you say..coastal day sailing..till I gain more experience, is all I wish to do..I'm lucky in the 12 miles out off the coast is blue water sailing here in Australia..My last yacht was 24 feet..and was a great weekender..but that was over 40 years ago...and if you raised an eyebrow , yes i am mid 60's now.. So river's and large lakes and esturies don't faze me as long as my motor works ok..
Tim, Amazing Content as usual thank you 🙏. I’ve started like most on a delightful SunFish and moved up to a Chrysler Mutineer and then bought a Catalina C30 tall rig. My C30 was an early 70s boat nice and thick fiberglass. I’ve raced on board a Tartan 10 meter and done quite well. Most of my sailing was on the West coastal shore of Lake Michigan as My home port was Winthrop Harbor, IL. I have single handled my C30 many times and usually crossed the lake and ended up frequently in either Holland,MI or would head North East up to Pentwater, MI. I have sailed to Mackinac as well. I’ve taken every Coast Guard Class I could short of enlisting in the Coast Guard and yes I had a EPIRB along with Davits and a smaller Zodac tender and Outboard. Sure I had jacklines and Harnesses and all the Safety equipment one would expect and yes I always filed a sail plan with someone in my homeport. The point I’m trying to make is while I have never sailed in the Ocean and yes that is on my bucket list. Is that other than tankage even a silly production sailboat that has been maintained should be Capable of a couple of days at Sea. One could Argue that Lake Michigan can be as treacherous as anything you would see sailing to the Bahamas. So the Boats you presented in this episode in my Humble Opinion are and would be ideal for budget friendly single Handling and the occasional trips to the Bahamas. Once again you are spot on and such a wealth of knowledge. Thank you 🙏
I was originally planning on buying a sailboat years ago but decided to go the RV route and travelled the us working entertainment gigs. Now looking to get back in sailing again to cruise the Caribbean and possibly further. I've always loved the albin Vegas because those little things are tanks and inexpensive when they do pop up for sale. I've been looking at other boats like the beneteau first (I learned to sail on it) and both pearsons and Ericson's.
In my time as a professional sailmaker i have seen more people with too big a boat and no clue than you would expect. It is more important to be competent and experienced, than whatever boat you choose. Ive seen people pick up boats for ridiculous small amounts and have a lot of fun with them. Remember, people are selling you stuff you dont need.
We owned a 1993 Hunter 33.5. Bought in Chicago and sailed it to Sarnia our home base. We put about 5,000 km on it for the 6 years we owned it including 2 trips to the north channel and finally to Kingston for a few years via Welland canal. Wonderful experiences. We paid $44k I think (sold 5 years ago) and got most of the money back when we sold it. When buying we looked for the oldest boat with a modern layout including a sugar scoop, bright and spacious interior, aft cabin and full cockpit enclosure ( a must for sailing in Ontario). We loved the boat and maybe should have hung onto to it to take it down south one winter.
My Dad used to say you want a boat 35 to 40 ft or what you can handle so you have enough sail high enough not to luff or stall between waves at sea , he thought that was important to have control and that size was the best at sea , for what it's worth
Im constantly going back and forth on bigger and older or newer and smaller. Currently have a Maxi 84. A 28 footer from 79 and i definitely want a bigger boat but seeing some of the newer boats have a much better layout interiour even if they are not much longer than mine. Was looking at a Dufour classic 30 from 2000 and the boat feels soo much bigger than mine and having a head with a shower in not bigger boat is a huge plus. Then im thinking i could go for a older 35-40 footer for about the same money but everything will cost much more to replace if needed on a bigger boat and a slip in the marina costs quite a bit more for a bigger boat also.
I always bought at a cheap price the 5 sailboats that I owned but I also put a lot of elbow grease to get them in top shape , when you buy a 40 years old boat and think going down in the carrabean , you got to strip it bottom-up and repair everything and replacing things here and there might become costly. new running rigging , sails, engine, rotten bulkheads , epoxy repairs etc...etc...been there done that .
Cruising requires carrying ability. I agree with the focus on older well made boats. Lots of value for the money. Stability underfoot is important. I would suggest a minimum of 34 feet with 38 being a good size. More important than anything is to just go and not wait for your version of perfection. There is a huge learning curve ahead and your preferences will change with experience. Good videos. They are steering people in the right direction and saving some dreams being crushed by bad choices.
Size by length alone is not all one should consider I would rather be on certain full keel 27-28 footers over certain light weight 38-40 footers in heavy weather. The reason so many people say you need larger boats is they are comparing NEWER designs who’s designs are more inspired by racing yachts then the old working boats of the past. Small does not mean light and larger does not mean more seaworthy
My parents, who loved sailing, bought a Catalina 320 with the idea of cruising once retired. Long story short, their health turned and they never got to take the Catalina out of the ICW.
@@LadyKSailing Thanks. They both passed away in the last 12 months and never got to sail the island, besides charter. COVID prevented them from moving to Rome and living out their final years.
This is a topic worth more organized attention. There's a ton of online markets offering fully sailable boats for a fraction of those in your lists. Next I guess you'll potential future boat owners into the underworld of detecting neglected maintenance... Best episode this far. Go small. Think Big. Sail Now.
Great discussion, thank you! Always Enjoy the perspective, whether or not my personal picks are the same. Obviously tgere are those out there looking for a similar discussion with a different budget range. Keep it up… please!
One of the biggest roomiest boats is one that I owned back in the 90's ; is an Irwin 34 Citation. HUGE interior and good sailing boat Irwin 31 and 34 are the newer version and also huge roomy and good sailing boat, priced right too NOW all we need to accomplish is to REDUCE THESE DAMN EXPENSIVE BOAT SLIPS ! I paid $75 a month for my 40 footer !
It also depends where and how you are going to sail. I just got my first boat for solo raicing/cruising. It's terrifying and exciting at the same time.
For solo sailing i've chosen Bostrøm 31mk2. Small, but seaworthy, and still A lass after 40 years. Not popular in North America, but in Scandinavia there is a lot of them. It's not that comfortable, but for one, two people enough for budget cruise.
That 12v Engel fridge/freezer that's on the Alberg is worth it's weight in gold. Absolute TOP of the class, even as old as they are, for 12v fridges. Quiet, built like a tank, incredibly well insulated so it doesn't cycle often, and sips power. I had one on my old boat that I rehabbed from near oblivion (PO left beer on ice until it wasn't ice and all the beers exploded inside), and I kept it with me when I sold my boat. It will be coming with me on the next boat I buy for sure.
Thanks for good and straight to the point informative videos. We are now in the process of leaving land and buy my first sail boat to live in full time.
I love this video. You are a man after my own heart. This is the key question. Why does everything need to be ultra plus plus? Less is sometimes just as good. After all, what is the goal? To show how rich you are in a fancy boat? or is the goal to go sailing? I thing reevaluating the priorities is excellent thinking. Than you.
Sometime in the 1980s there was a scandal where a Bayfield dealer scammed the company out of significant $$$ and took off south...or am I misremembering?
@jamesstuart3346 A group of guys took over the original Bayfield boats and went bankrupt. There were a lot of boat company collapses back then. The original owner continued as North Castle Marine and did well. Even made a nice cruising trawler. He's passed, but I think the son still carries on a business mostly doing restoration and repair.
I agree, with the inception. A heavy blue water boat, if a storm rolls in you will fair through it. In a lighter more nimble boat, you may have the ability to get out of the way faster or avoid it. At that point its on you the sailor, and what is your comfort zone.
Funny coincidence. I was JUST looking at the Alberg. I'm moving to Loreto, Mexico this summer and am wanting to buy a boat somewhere in the Sea of Cortez or further south on the Mexican mainland. La Paz always seems to have a nice selection of boats across all price ranges and boat types.
Another well-informed video, Tim. Even with decades of sailing, I always learn a little something new. I agree with you regarding safety gear and considering risk and exposure. General aviation struggles with this, and a number of costly mandates has driven up the cost dramatically and driven many out of light GA. Ocean crossing and island hopping are not the same for risk or exposure.
Forget which year in the 70’s but at some point then when fiberglass was new they were really overbuilding them and i think looking for something before that year (whatever it is) is a good idea.
Hugo the "sailing frenchman" bought a 26 ft Ecume de mer for the symbolic price of a beer (5 euros maybe) , then he prepared the boat and sailed the mediterranean sea, then crossed the atlantic and wandered in the caribbean with . I also know a man who sailed around the world for 8 years or so with this boat. All is possible
Thank you for doing what you do. Your insight is appreciated. I don't know of any other YT channel putting out the knowledge like you do. Keep it up. Started with a Tanzer 22 and just put a deposit on a Hughes 40.Wish I had found this lifestyle 25 years ago. Cheers.
This is getting a lot closer to what a lot of us are looking for, but a lot of us are looking at retiring and going solo sailing. In retirement, cheaper isn't as important as maintaining a comfortable lifestyle, and these would be more geared toward people who are younger and haven't collected a lifetime of "stuff" that still has to be in our homes. I've been trying to find a listing of different boats and the characteristics of each (keel size, number of cabins, number of heads, etc) but haven't found one yet. Yachtworld used to let you search that way, but those filters are all gone now.
Sorry mate but if you're going into retirement, you have loads more videos to choose from, like lady Ks videos that start at 10k and add 10k more each time. This is obviously what he was intending for the younger, more budget restricted people out there, so maybe this just isn't the right video for ya 🤷♂️ Hell of a lot more people don't have over 20k if even that to splash. When you're in any other group above that, it is a hell of a lot easier to choose and not buy a cess pit of money that doesn't even sail. Check some more of lady ks videos and I'm sure if you read the title you will find some more relatable videos useful to your scenario buddy.
Also, I have found that at least for RU-vid searches, using "singlehanding" instead of "solo" can help to find information and opinions on that kind of lifestyle and boats that fit it (instead of someones solo sailing journey). Also searching by the size of the boat, as surely you aren't going to need over 50 feet of boat for solo sailing? Plus you'd have a hard time sailing it unless it had all the expensive gear. If that's the case then most of the videos talking about boats good for that purpose seem to be between the 30 to 45 foot margin. I would suggest writing the important requirements down and then looking for the boat that fits the bill rather than looking for someone to point at one that may have what you want 👍
@@liamandrewwoyen3454 I've been watching all of his videos since Lake Erie. Still waiting for that one on solo capable, circumnavigation oriented, that are comfortable for living aboard. Wasn't meaning anything insulting, but the last 2 videos have come right up to the border, without quite hitting the sweet spot. Oh so close and still so far away...
@@svdoinitright7519 I'm british and probably coming off like a d*ck 😅 I understand, have you looked at hunters by any chance? They may fit the bill for interior at the least but for the quality of circumnavigation do you mean the desk space and equipment it comes with?
@@liamandrewwoyen3454 No worries! By circumnavigation quality, I mean safe in blue water by yourself. Maybe not full keel, but extended length keel, skeg hung rudder, high bulwarks to keep you in the boat, heavy enough to weather storms, heavy rigging, predominately the safety aspects of blue water. I'm thinking of setting up an online database of boat features (keel design, staterooms, transom types, etc) to help people select the features thy want and find boats that match their needs. I'm just not sure of how to populate it without allowing others to enter the data, then we open up to interpretation issues.
Solo over 9000nm on the east coast USA for last 6 years. Sold the 35' Beneteau and went... Smaller. Way more fun. Less is more. I had to make modifications to this Tartan 28, like adding a shower. But no pressure water or water heater. This is more fun and cost less than 1/3 what I paid for last season. That Niagara 35 though.... Hmm....
I haven't read the comments, but I will at the end. I had a mid vid thought. I want a quality boat that is livable on anchor. I can get there slowly...I want a cadillac, yeah it's whatever, not a racer, not too plastic, but comfortable to stay in on for days in nowhere cay
These are some great boats but sadly I'm more in the Vega or Macwester 27 range financially :). These would be great second boats, the first one was gorgeous. I think 32 foot is a nice size too for the budget constrained sailor. It's a nice amount of space compared to a 27 footer but not quite large enough to fall into the price category of 35+ foot boats. There's some nice Skandinavian boats in that range that aren't too expensive with large production runs. Like Comfort 30 for instance. Edit ah the last boat is just like that. Maybe a touch nicer but one that needs a fair amoubt of companionship with an angle grinder might be up my alley.
Here are the absolute best budget cruising sailboats...that also happen to be blue water proven sailboats.. Do you have to put work in on these boats? You certainly will have to apply elbow grease and most likely change out the Atomic 4 for a diesel due to the smell of those engines. 1. Allied Seawind/Seawind II 2. Alberg 30 3. Grampian 31(1st version 1960's). These are absolutely the very best budget blue water cruising sailboats.. There are many, many, 1960's and early 1970's blue water cruising sailboats that are available, that have been neglected,that can be upgraded.
@@dennywoodford3537 Yep, same here, on a 74 Tartan34 Classic. SC to Staniel Cay and back, atomic 4 didn't skip a beat, plus it's quiet, smooth running, and very easy to repair and maintain. Under rated.
Yes but if isolated it’s an easily fixed problem. Depends on the boat. There are plenty of older boats solid as the day they were built also. And many Newer boats some that had million dollar price tags when new that have had keel failure. Does that mean we should avoid all new bolted keels? No it’s just an inspection point soft decks are easy to spot.
My "older boat" was a Glander Cay 23. It's decks had a plywood core (no issues.) the problem with this little cruiser was a common one that I have noticed on the smaller boats: It was outfitted as if it was much larger. What I mean by that is all the topside weight composed of pulpits and stanchions, not to mention the 1/4" 1x19 standing rigging going all the way to the masthead. I corrected these problems, added 500lbs of ballast, and noticed that the vessel was then stiff in a breeze. @@mfournier12
Great format for this learning. I also watch @CaptainQYachtHunter who goes through older boats, but he discusses a boat one-at-a-time - which makes it very hard to understand where the boat sits in the grand scheme of things - for value, for blue water, for cheapness, for liveaboard, for social, Caribbean cruising, and so on.
great stuff. I would like to hear more substantial data on hull structure and condition. But I guess we can't know much just by browsing ads. Also, might have mentioned how great of a starter boats are these. But all in all- great insight. A lot of stuff beginners wouldn't figure out themselves.
Smashed the like and subscribed! Excellent combination of real-world information spiked with legit orientation. If you spat the bane of public speaking, I uh, well, uh I must have uh, uh, uh, just uh, missed it. I'm looking for a "good" solo boat for the Great Loop. After seeing your video, I think I could purchase one of the boats covered within, do a modest amount of upgrading, contract a seasoned sail boater for one-on-one instruction for a month or so. While saving half of what I would have to pay for a comparable pocket cruiser.
Having a small diesel tank may be a problem for the sailer who spends most of their time with one sail up and the engine running all the time because their boat sails like a pig. Ona a well designed sailing vessel the engine is not a necessity but a luxury 20 gallons could get you out to sea, across the Atlantic and in port and still have fuel left to motor in to a protected harbor when you get there. IF you plan your crossing to avoid the doldrums and invested in a good sail inventory that keeps you sailing even when the breeze is 4 knots. If you try to keep that one size fits all cruising Genoa on a roller furler from luffing (because it’s made of heavy Dacron so it can hold up when it’s blowing 30knots ) ya probably will get frustrated and turn on the engine. But a light weight drifter (made of light weight nylon) might keep you moving and engine off. Yes fresh water is a concern but add another holding tank. And no one said you had to make the whole trip nonstop. Except for crossing the oceans directly on the trade routes there are less conventional ways. I sailed the North Atlantic when I lived in Maine and met many a sailer from the UK that took the Northern route (I like to call it the Viking route.). Boats as small as 27 ft have circumnavigated more then once. Some engineless. So GO small go now is still doable. (Ya most of those didn’t have life rafts ether) what they had was seamanship.
You need a power machine with a walking foot, not a "borrowed sewing machine" to sew sunbrella, and sewing experience on power machines. Home sewing machines do not have enough power to use 69 Nylon or Dacron thread, which is what you need for sunbrella
Nice video, thanks. Hopefully I'll get some time on the water this summer, now that my Bristol 27 has most of the important repairs done. All the repairs will never be done ;-)
If I would live in the states I probably would look for a pacific seacraft Flicka 20 or Dana 24. 37ft for solo cruising that's a lot of boat too repair, maintain and pay. I'm from Europe so I choose a Vega 27 good alternative would be a Marieholm 26.
Amazing how the price for older boats have dropped , the Bayfield is tough , i heard a 25 ft on lake champlain rolled completely over in a squall came back up and kept sailing , the main an jib were up .
Reason most sailors defend their choices are that they know most are luxury, you don't need much to do it safely, biggest and cheapest improvement you can do are the captain's skills, you don't need all the expensive equipment if only you make sure the boat keeps sailing and you stay onboard.
