Wayne.B wrote:

The OP was talking about crossing oceans and living aboard, not
coastal cruising.

Oh, so he was. Something about the "new to boating" in the subject line
made me overlook that.

Still, Donna Lange had completed her circumnavigation in a 28 footer and she
probably didn't know any more four years ago than this fellow does now.

Finances are key to that independent lifestyle he talks about. Boats eat up
money fast as we all know only too well. Unless he has a lot of independent
income, holding down the money drain by going small might be worth more
discomfort in big seas.
--
Roger Long

Larry wrote:
"Capt. JG" wrote in
:

While I generally agree, I think you can substitute "heavily built
boat over 40 ft in length" with a good quality boat over 30 feet.
There are lots and lots of people who travel across oceans in boats
shorter than 40 ft. It's not just about the length and full keel; it's
also about having the proper equipment and reinforcing when you have
to reinforce. Of course, bigger tends to be more comfortable.



To go to England, I'd like to try one of those "heavily built" hulls
designed by Roger Long for the research fleets, myself...(c;

The Blanchard 33 that I sailed in heavy waters with in my teens had
extra weight in the keel. We weren't one of the fastest boats around,
but we sure plowed through the heavy seas pretty smoothly. Other than
getting wet, I don't recall anything unpleasant about it. Even the water
in the cockpit wasn't all that unpleasant thanks to foul weather gear.

Stephen

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Wayne.B wrote:

The OP was talking about crossing oceans and living aboard, not
coastal cruising.

Oh, so he was. Something about the "new to boating" in the subject
line made me overlook that.

Rest assured that anybody who posts to rec.boats.cruising to get advice
will NEVER cross oceans. Too stupid to ask 1) the right questions, 2)
the right people.

Still, Donna Lange had completed her circumnavigation in a 28 footer
and she probably didn't know any more four years ago than this fellow
does now.

Donna Lange at least had a clue about what constitutes a seaworthy
boat. Doesn't she sail a double ender Southern Cross? And, according to
her website, she's not done with her circumnavigation just yet
http://www.donnalange.com/statusupdate.html

Finances are key to that independent lifestyle he talks about. Boats
eat up money fast as we all know only too well. Unless he has a lot
of independent income, holding down the money drain by going small
might be worth more discomfort in big seas.

Finances are, indeed, important. But a seaworthy boat is more important.
Better to spend the farm getting a decent boat even if you have to work
your way around like old Joshua Slocum did. As for the OP. Forget about
him/her. Just another ignorant dreamer without the right stuff. That's
evident just from the ignorant questions in the short post. You can tell
a lot about a person just by how the questions, even if answered in
great detail, don't comprise a coherent body of thought or a particular
direction.

Wilbur Hubbard

On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:44:47 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Still, Donna Lange had completed her circumnavigation in a 28 footer and she
probably didn't know any more four years ago than this fellow does now.

I think our requirements go up as we get older and smarter. :-)

It's certainly true in my case. I would have probably taken off in
any thing that floated in my 20s.

"Wayne.B" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 19 Mar 2007 20:44:47 -0400, "Roger Long"
wrote:

Still, Donna Lange had completed her circumnavigation in a 28 footer
and she
probably didn't know any more four years ago than this fellow does
now.

I think our requirements go up as we get older and smarter. :-)

It's certainly true in my case. I would have probably taken off in
any thing that floated in my 20s.

It's got nothing to do with age, really. Just IQ. Look at all the idiots
of all ages who buy MacGregor 26's, for example.

Wilbur Hubbard

Wilbur Hubbard wrote:

"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Wayne.B wrote:

The OP was talking about crossing oceans and living aboard, not
coastal cruising.

Oh, so he was. Something about the "new to boating" in the subject
line made me overlook that.

Rest assured that anybody who posts to rec.boats.cruising to get advice
will NEVER cross oceans. Too stupid to ask 1) the right questions, 2)
the right people.

Still, Donna Lange had completed her circumnavigation in a 28 footer
and she probably didn't know any more four years ago than this fellow
does now.

Donna Lange at least had a clue about what constitutes a seaworthy
boat. Doesn't she sail a double ender Southern Cross? And, according to
her website, she's not done with her circumnavigation just yet
http://www.donnalange.com/statusupdate.html

Finances are key to that independent lifestyle he talks about. Boats
eat up money fast as we all know only too well. Unless he has a lot
of independent income, holding down the money drain by going small
might be worth more discomfort in big seas.

Finances are, indeed, important. But a seaworthy boat is more important.
Better to spend the farm getting a decent boat even if you have to work
your way around like old Joshua Slocum did. As for the OP. Forget about
him/her. Just another ignorant dreamer without the right stuff. That's
evident just from the ignorant questions in the short post. You can tell
a lot about a person just by how the questions, even if answered in
great detail, don't comprise a coherent body of thought or a particular
direction.

I don't think you can tell much about the person by the questions they
ask, except for how little they know. Part of the difficulty of learning
anything, no matter how smart you are, is asking the right questions.

Basically everyone who is starting to learn something is virtually
guaranteed to ask some stupid questions.

It's people who refuse to ask stupid questions who stay stupid.

Stephen

Roger Long wrote:
Capt. JG wrote:

While I generally agree, I think you can substitute "heavily built
boat over 40 ft in length" with a good quality boat over 30 feet.

I second that. Bigger is more comfortable when you don't have to do
anything like handle sails or dock. Once your butt leaves the seat,
bigger is more strain, more work, more expense, higher probability of
hurting yourself.

I went from a 32 foot simple boat to singlehanding a heavy 42 foot one
with every system you can imagine. Docking the 42 in a current such as
in Charleston City Marina was a heck of a chore and worrisome too.

If I do it again, it'll be back to simple and smaller. It wasn't like
the 42 was pleasant in a storm AND single handed reefing of a 450 foot
mainsail wasn't for the faint of heart.

-paul

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 20:56:07 +0000, Larry wrote:


Peter, you don't need a boat. There are PLENTY of boats to play
with/on/out of sitting on docks all over. Unless you just HAVE to have a
family cruiser to take the kids out on, something none of the yachties
want on their boats I know, spending all that cash on boats and upkeep is
unnecessary. If you want to cruise around in some really nice yachts,
you need a pleasant captain who, like my friend, would love to have
someone he can trust to get her ready-for-sea...and pilot her most of the
time...so he can enjoy his guests and family...rather than being strapped
to the wheel all the time. I don't have that kind of money. I like my
position aboard.....

NOTHING beats taking the CAPTAIN'S VISA card to West Marine on a Saturday
morning for a "few parts and replenishment spares".....(c;

Larry

Hi Larry,
Agreed if going sailing is all you wish to do. Personally, what I like
most about owning my own boat is the wonderful sense of freedom it
affords me. I can go where I want to, when I want to; dollars and
weather and the the bloody pirates and such scum aside.

After years of working to pay mortgages, raising children etc, I love
the freedom of looking out of my office window on a difficult day
(when I work) and thinking. Well, if I don't want to do this there is
simply nothing to stop me just raising the anchor and going somewhere
else. I am not answerable to anyone apart from wife (for the time
being anyway) friends and the obligation to the current work
contract/sense of professional responsibility.

cheers
Peter

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 23:13:36 -0400, "Leanne" wrote:


"Don White" wrote in message
...

My memory is weak... what do you sail these days?
My mini-cruiser.. http://sailquest.com/market/models/spipe.htm

Here is a sister ship in the PNW http://fog-northamerica.org/puffin.html

Leanne

Compared to Australian and New Zealand prices (from memory) that is
one cheap little boat. I have met a couple of boats of about that size
that have crossed oceans. Nice yacht.
\
cheers
peter

"Dan Best" wrote in message
...
Wilbur Hubbard wrote:
Rest assured that anybody who posts to rec.boats.cruising to get
advice will NEVER cross oceans. Too stupid to ask 1) the right
questions, 2) the right people.

It's unfortunate that you posted such a stupid, irrelevant response.
It completely discredited anything else of worth you might have said.

As far as a response to the original poster's questions, we all have
our opinions based on more or less experience. I happen to think that
my Tayana 37, a moderately heavy displacement cutter makes a great
compromise between the comforts (and costs) of a larger boat and the
tight quarters & uncomfortable motions of a smaller and less expensive
boat for the live-aboard, ocean crossing cruiser. I've done
deliveries of larger boats, but never lived aboard them. I have lived
aboard both my previous 30' coastal cruiser as well as the Tayana for
extended periods and the difference in comfort that the 7 extra feet
of overall length and 14,000 extra lb.s of displacement makes is huge.

Dan Best

The Tayana 37 is a fine voyaging boat. But, don't credit all her great
seakeeping characteristics solely upon her displacement. It's more a
matter of a good overall design. Usually good vessels have a respected
naval architect who draws the lines and integrates the package. Check
out this comparison between a Southern Cross 31 and a Tayana 37.

Performance Comparison

LOA Southern Cross 31 31 Tayana 37 Cutter
36.67

LWL Southern Cross 31 25 Tayana 37 Cutter 31

Beam Southern Cross 31 9.5 Tayana 37 Cutter
11.5

Displacement Southern Cross 31 13600 Tayana 37 Cutter 22500

Sail Area Southern Cross 31 447 Tayana 37 Cutter 861

Capsize Ratio Southern Cross 31 1.59 Tayana 37 Cutter 1.63

Hull Speed Southern Cross 31 6.7 Tayana 37 Cutter 7.46

SA/Disp Southern Cross 31 12.55 Tayana 37 Cutter 17.28

Disp/LWL Southern Cross 31 389 Tayana 37 Cutter 337

LWL/BeamSouthern Cross 31 2.63 Tayana 37 Cutter 2.7

Motion Comfort Southern Cross 31 38.8 Tayana 37 Cutter 40.78

Pounds/InchSouthern Cross 31 849 Tayana 37 Cutter 1274

Note in particular the motion comfort, capsize ratio and hull speeds.
Not as much difference as one would think. One thing of note is the
SA/Disp ratio which shows the Tayana with her cutter rig carries more
sail. But who carries both head sails on a cutter in anything but light
winds? Another thing that's not included is price. Probably for half the
cost of a Tayana 37 one can buy a Southern Cross 31. If one is
interested in economical and comfortable cruising, the Southern Cross is
the better compromise. But if money is no object then the Tayana wins.

Wilbur Hubbard