I been doin a lot o thinking about sailin lately, especially as my
date to go cruisin gets closer, mostly wondering why I do this. I
came up with several reasons.


1. Just cuz its fun to sail.

2. Seeing new places that can only be seen by boat is fun.

3. Companionship

4. Thrill seeking

5. An obsession with problem solving (my personal fav)

6. Choose yer own reasons.

1. Now, I have long had a larger boat (28' and before that 23') but
only recently built two 12' Minicups. For just plain sailing fun, the
Minicups beat the big boat by a mile. Given a choice, I'll sail them
over the big boat. In the past 20 yrs of sailing, I have had maybe 20
times of good sailing fun on the big boat, not a good investment if
sailing fun is the only reason.

2. Most large boats kept in the water see the same places and cannot
easily go far afield without taking a lot of time. However, the dream
is to go very far afield and this is seldom done. I am not sure the
investment has been justified. I wonder if a trailerable boat would
be better. The Minicups have already taken me several places I could
never sail in my big boat so although they are small, they have been a
great success. They cannot go to the Bahamas but thya go other
places.

3. I have always enjoyed the people I have met while cruising and the
boat nuts I have met at other times. With the two MiniCups, my kids
have enjoyed them immenseley, especially my son who can sail with his
friends and girls he meets.

4. I havent had the Minicups out in enough wind to scare me to death
so cannot compare to the big boat yet. The big boat has been a thrill
sometimes (as distinct from pure fun).

5. Both big and little boats allow for lots of problem solving.
However, the big boat allows me to excercise my real favorite,
navigation (yes, I am nuts, I like Trig.)

All this makes me wonder, are small boats more fun than big boats?
Should my next Big boat be a smaller trailerable big boat? Is the old
saying about boats being used in an amount inversely proportional to
their size true? What do y'all think?

1. Just cuz its fun to sail.
For me: making a good long run in a steady force 4 or 5, averaging 8 or
more knots for a couple of hours. Just whizzing along the waves, even
though you can do that easier in a small hobie.
2. Seeing new places that can only be seen by boat is fun.
Main reason are islands. You never go there unless by boat. Other shores
are easier to reach by plane.
3. Companionship
And loneliness! Alone at night with all other crew sleeping, in a gentle
breeze with the stars above...
4. Thrill seeking
See 1. Unless thrill is sailing in the South China sea, hoping not to be
pirated :-)
5. An obsession with problem solving (my personal fav)
As little as possible, but can be demanding and rewarding.
6. Choose yer own reasons.
Animal life! Only albatross you'll ever encounter will probably be on a
boat. Same with dolphins, whale, etc.
And one mo I forget the huge cost of running a boat very easily once
I'm under sail and I can pretend sailing is for free! ;-) And in
opposition to powerboating, it probably is.

Victor

Parallax wrote:
I been doin a lot o thinking about sailin lately, especially as my
date to go cruisin gets closer, mostly wondering why I do this. I
came up with several reasons.


1. Just cuz its fun to sail.

Yes. Big time.


2. Seeing new places that can only be seen by boat is fun.

Not sure about this... there are not many places that can "only" be seen
by boat, and there are much more cost-effective & comfortable ways to
travel.


3. Companionship

Most people have to drag along an unwilling spouse.


4. Thrill seeking

Many hours of placid enjoyment interspersed with moments of stark terror.


5. An obsession with problem solving (my personal fav)

Not for me.


6. Choose yer own reasons.

1. Now, I have long had a larger boat (28' and before that 23') but
only recently built two 12' Minicups. For just plain sailing fun, the
Minicups beat the big boat by a mile.

That's because you chose the wrong big boat. See current thread on "fast
cruising boats." If you think the Minicup is fun, what would you do with
a Finn or a Johnson 18?



2. Most large boats kept in the water see the same places and cannot
easily go far afield without taking a lot of time.

Very true.


.... I wonder if a trailerable boat would
be better. The Minicups have already taken me several places I could
never sail in my big boat so although they are small, they have been a
great success. They cannot go to the Bahamas but thya go other
places.

My wife and I cruised most of the East Coast between Cape Cod &
Savannah, a few spots on the Gulf Coast, and many of the notable inland
lakes, in a 19' trailerable. We had it for ten years and loved it. We
went much further afield, more often, than anybody we know with a big
in-water boat... including retired friends...


3. I have always enjoyed the people I have met while cruising and the
boat nuts I have met at other times. With the two MiniCups, my kids
have enjoyed them immenseley, especially my son who can sail with his
friends and girls he meets.

This is a very big plus. There are a few jerks who sail, but they're in
the minority.


4. I havent had the Minicups out in enough wind to scare me to death
so cannot compare to the big boat yet. The big boat has been a thrill
sometimes (as distinct from pure fun).

That's when the real fun starts.


5. Both big and little boats allow for lots of problem solving.
However, the big boat allows me to excercise my real favorite,
navigation (yes, I am nuts, I like Trig.)

Don't know if that's nuts, it's an unusual taste. I like to work things
out on paper just because that way I am independent and I *know* it's right.


All this makes me wonder, are small boats more fun than big boats?

Heck yeah. Small boats are (usually) more responsive and give more
feedback. Greater sensation of what the boat is doing. Also the risks
are much lower (usually).

Should my next Big boat be a smaller trailerable big boat? Is the old
saying about boats being used in an amount inversely proportional to
their size true?

Most often that's true because the owner is busy working to make
payments. Sometimes it's not true... when I was a kid, one of the
biggest yachts in our club was a Cal 40 owned by a retired codger who
sat on it all day... he did not like to singlehand but he & I would take
the boat out. We got to be quite good friends.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Every few months on rec.climbing there is a thread about "Why do we climb?"
I even remember something similar on rec.woodworking.

Short answer for all is that we enjoy the challenge, and occasionally the
thrill of accomplishment.

(Parallax) wrote in message . com...
All this makes me wonder, are small boats more fun than big boats?
Should my next Big boat be a smaller trailerable big boat? Is the old
saying about boats being used in an amount inversely proportional to
their size true? What do y'all think?

I don't think its the size; I think, for a boat in a slip, it is the
distance from your doorstep to the boat. For a trailerable, its the
distance from home to the water you want to sail. You likely use the
12ft'ers like I use my kayak, I can drag it with me anywhere, put in
anywhere there is a bank wide enough to step on, and I can be underway
in about 15 minutes. My 18ft trailerable sailboat, on the other
hand, requires towing to a ramp, at least 30 minutes of setup time,
and another 30 minutes to launch, park the car, yada yada; so its not
trivial.

The biggest restriction I think hangs on the fact that while one is
attached to a shore job, making a 10 day sail is limited to paid
vacation days, and thats the reason I don't own a big (32ft+ is big to
me) boat. Once seperated from the shore job, you can leave whenever,
and as long as you've got some frugal bones in you, you can enjoy
sailing serious distances and not eat to much into your reserve funds.
(Long distance to me would be Galveston to the Keys.)

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 11:50:32 +0200, A-MAze
wrote:

1. Just cuz its fun to sail.
For me: making a good long run in a steady force 4 or 5, averaging 8 or
more knots for a couple of hours. Just whizzing along the waves, even
though you can do that easier in a small hobie.

Indeed, that is why we have kept a boat (J36) for the last 15 seasons
that lacks most of the cruising amenities one might expect in that
length. It somewhat recalls the 5-0-5 we started sailing in 40 years
ago, but doesn't capsize and throw us in the water. :-)

2. Seeing new places that can only be seen by boat is fun.
Main reason are islands. You never go there unless by boat. Other shores
are easier to reach by plane.

Many of our favorite anchorages on the Maine coast are only accessible
with one's own (or bareboat) boat. But there are other lovely
anchorages barred to us by draft. I think sometimes of a drop-keel
trailer sailer, but none of them sail like the J.

3. Companionship
And loneliness! Alone at night with all other crew sleeping, in a gentle
breeze with the stars above...

Both. crossing the Gulf under a clear sky, and actually seeing the sky
turning around Polaris.

4. Thrill seeking
See 1. Unless thrill is sailing in the South China sea, hoping not to be
pirated :-)
5. An obsession with problem solving (my personal fav)
As little as possible, but can be demanding and rewarding.
6. Choose yer own reasons.
Animal life! Only albatross you'll ever encounter will probably be on a
boat. Same with dolphins, whale, etc.



Quite so. Sailing the Gulf of Maine through 25 years we have seen
yellow-footed albatross, many whales and dolphins, an enormous Great
White Shark, and, perhaps oddest of all, a Blue-throated Hummingbird.
The latter at anchor near Roque Island.




Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

On Wed, 20 Oct 2004 07:57:59 -0400, DSK wrote:

3. Companionship

Most people have to drag along an unwilling spouse.




Not me, I am glad to say. Barbara was the one who suggested the J36,
and she still loves it, 15 years later.

She retires next April, and we will spend the next 5 or 6 months
aboard, bumbling east whenever the weather is agreeable; staying put
when it isn't.

No long voyages, but Gulf of Maine for sure and Cabot Strait if we get
that far.





Rodney Myrvaagnes NYC J36 Gjo/a

"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message ...
I experience peace when I am tuned into the rhythms of the wind, water, sun,
moon and tides. The ocean is a place where I often feel very small and
insignificant, and there is something enlightening about that experience. I
also love the adventure and romance of the sea. These are the reasons I
sail.

If I only have an afternoon then I love to sail a dinghy. It puts me in
closer contact with the wind and water than I would experience on a big
boat.

But there is a special feeling I can only get by being at sea for one or
more days, and that requires a big boat. I can't really put my finger on
it. But there's a frame of mind I get into when time is measured in watch
cycles and changes in the wind and sea rather than my work day schedule.

My questions about boat size vs amount of fun are not to be considered
rhetorical. I am actually asking for advice. After my cruise to the
Bahamas on my 28' monohull, I have been planning to build a 32'
trailerable trimaran. I will be able to sail my S2 until the tri is
finished so there is no delayed gratification. However, the fun of
sailing the MiniCups has me wondering if maybe a 32' tri is too big
and cumbersome. Would maybe a 27' trailer-tri be better and more fun?
What is the break point where hassle exceeds fun? I was formerly
considering a Kurt Hughes design but then decided that if I spend all
this time, I might as well simply buy the folding parts from Farrier
and build one of his; my reasoning being that the folding system will
make set-up and breakdown easier. Any advice on boat size vs fun for
a tri?

While reading rec.boats.cruising, I noticed
(Parallax) felt compelled to write:

My questions about boat size vs amount of fun are not to be considered
rhetorical. I am actually asking for advice. After my cruise to the
Bahamas on my 28' monohull, I have been planning to build a 32'
trailerable trimaran. I will be able to sail my S2 until the tri is
finished so there is no delayed gratification. However, the fun of
sailing the MiniCups has me wondering if maybe a 32' tri is too big
and cumbersome. Would maybe a 27' trailer-tri be better and more fun?
What is the break point where hassle exceeds fun? I was formerly
considering a Kurt Hughes design but then decided that if I spend all
this time, I might as well simply buy the folding parts from Farrier
and build one of his; my reasoning being that the folding system will
make set-up and breakdown easier. Any advice on boat size vs fun for
a tri?

The difference as far as I can tell between the F32 and 27-8 is (other
than quite a few bucks) cruising capability. The 32 is designed as an
offshore capable long distance boat, and the smaller boat is really
not designed to carry a big cruising payload or cross Oceans.

As you don't appear to be interested in offshore passagemaking, I'd
suggest the smaller boat, and maybe spending some of the money saved
on the hulls for some good 'go-faster' bits and pieces.

I've got a 33' offshore Farrier which doesn't fold, as I can hang it
off the pontoon out the back of my house. At a bit over 26' wide, it
can be an adrenaline rush all of it's own getting it up some fairly
tight seaways to get in and out from home on a busy weekend :-/

Funny, I almost replied suggesting a trailerable tri in response to
your initial post. I am sure you would be pretty satisfied with it in
regard to items 1, 4 and 5 on your original list.

Cheers,
Ian

Don't know where you'd like to trailer-to, but........have you
considered just gettin' a tractor-trailer rig that'll haul what you've
got, forgetting building anything, haul it to wherever....and resume
sailing, now.

I got one from Ebay for $5K, including trailer and hydraulic hoist.

You don't need any other credentials since it'd not be a commercial rig,
rather your personal vehicle + you can get one with a sleeper, nay, even
double; so, you could 'camp out' on the way.

If you don't like it, sell it.

Good fortune,
Courtney


Parallax wrote:

"Brien Alkire" wrote in message ...

I experience peace when I am tuned into the rhythms of the wind, water, sun,
moon and tides. The ocean is a place where I often feel very small and
insignificant, and there is something enlightening about that experience. I
also love the adventure and romance of the sea. These are the reasons I
sail.

If I only have an afternoon then I love to sail a dinghy. It puts me in
closer contact with the wind and water than I would experience on a big
boat.

But there is a special feeling I can only get by being at sea for one or
more days, and that requires a big boat. I can't really put my finger on
it. But there's a frame of mind I get into when time is measured in watch
cycles and changes in the wind and sea rather than my work day schedule.


My questions about boat size vs amount of fun are not to be considered
rhetorical. I am actually asking for advice. After my cruise to the
Bahamas on my 28' monohull, I have been planning to build a 32'
trailerable trimaran. I will be able to sail my S2 until the tri is
finished so there is no delayed gratification. However, the fun of
sailing the MiniCups has me wondering if maybe a 32' tri is too big
and cumbersome. Would maybe a 27' trailer-tri be better and more fun?
What is the break point where hassle exceeds fun? I was formerly
considering a Kurt Hughes design but then decided that if I spend all
this time, I might as well simply buy the folding parts from Farrier
and build one of his; my reasoning being that the folding system will
make set-up and breakdown easier. Any advice on boat size vs fun for
a tri?



--
s/v Mutiny
Rhodes Bounty II
lying Oriental, NC
WDB5619