On Sat, 17 Jan 2009 08:36:00 -0700, slide
wrote:

Bruce In Bangkok wrote:
For those that yearn to go a'boating in small boats see:


For those sitting in a small boat, believing that "Your Boat" is too
small to go a'cruising the 19 ft. circumnavigator and Jester should
show you the errors in your way of thinking..

Who was it that said, "you have nothing to fear but fear itself"?
FDR said that.

I don't think it's fear but comfort. The difference between what CW
calls a mid sized cruiser (45 feet) and a pocket cruiser (34 feet or so)
is the larger boat has more land oriented comforts. Once you get to full
sized cruisers you get everything from land right up to a washing
machine for clothes.

The first fully founded boat I ever saw for short handing long distance
was a 27' Albin Vega. It changed my world's view of what one can do on
the ocean and directly led to me and my late wife living aboard and
sailing about for 6 years on a 32' boat.

Later, after she died, I took off alone on a 42' boat finding the
handling to be much more difficult (especially landing at a dock with a
current) and the extra features such as refer, freezer, hot / cold
pressure, 120 afloat (!!) and so forth to be as much an annoyance as a
pleasure. I will admit that a hot fresh water shower on the anchor after
a passage is one of life's enormous luxuries, but the rest of it? I'm
really not sure.

I am sure that folks will NOT give up land life's comforts to sail
today, however.

Your comments about "calls a mid sized cruiser (45 feet)" is
interesting. Only a few years ago a mid-sized cruiser seen here was
about 30 - 35 feet long. Now, as you say, 40 ft., and I see many boats
not that are 40+ feet.

Richer folks? I don't know.

On the other hand I know a number of people who are still sailing
their 30-some foot boats complete with freezers and fridges - albeit
engine driven compressors. But no hot water over her in the tropics
:-)

But my post was aimed at all the people that somehow think that their
boat is "too small" to go a'cruising. It ain't!
Cheers,

Bruce
(bruceinbangkokatgmaildotcom)