Wayne B. wrote

I owned a Cal-34 for many years.


Hello from a fellow Cal owner. I have a Cal 25, but even though Dave
and Jaja Martin sailed theirs (heavily modified) around the world, I
don't think I'll be attempting the same feat I belong to a list of
Cal owners, and when asked which Cal they would consider for extended
offshore cruising, most votes came in for the Cal 34 (medium size) and
the Cal 40 or 46 (larger size).

Weak points are the deck stepped mast, the wood supporting
column below decks, the chainplates, mast, spreaders, and
the fibreglass keel shell.

I actually prefer a deck stepped mast, but I think you are referring
to the wood below, right? Yes, my ideal boat would be a fiberglass
shell and I would re-build the interior completely. I'm not quite
ready to build my own hull, but there's this guy Glenn Ashmore who is
building his own from scratch (www.rutuonline.com). He is something of
a hero to me.

There are very few sailboats under 45 feet on which I'd want
to spend more than a day or two in offshore conditions.

Just out of curiosity, which "small" boats make your short list, and
why?

Thanks,

Bob Whitaker
"Free Spirit"


Wayne.B wrote in message . ..
On 12 Mar 2004 14:19:34 -0800, (Frank Maier) wrote:

Heard great things of Cal
34's.

====================================

I owned a Cal-34 for many years. We cruised and raced it for
thousands of miles and had a great time.. It's very roomy for its
size and genre and is very fast off the wind, especially on a breezy
spinnaker reach. With an inexpensive tiller autopilot it can be
easily sailed by one or two people. Those are the major good points
other than being relatively easy to work on.

On the down side, the boats are getting old and need to be carefully
surveyed for structural issues. Weak points are the deck stepped
mast, the wood supporting column below decks, the chainplates, mast,
spreaders, and the fibreglass keel shell. Many older boats have
addressed some of these issues out of necessity, others have been
lucky, and more still have lurking issues as do most 30+ year old
boats. Most have either been repowered already or are badly in need
of it. Diesel is the way to go for serious cruising.

People have crossed oceans in Cal-34s but it's real strength is as a
coastal cruiser, preferably down wind. There are very few sailboats
under 45 feet on which I'd want to spend more than a day or two in
offshore conditions.

On 19 Mar 2004 01:31:02 -0800, (Bob Whitaker)
wrote:

Just out of curiosity, which "small" boats make your short list, and
why?

==================================================

There's no substitute for length and displacement if you want to be
even halfway comfortable offshore. If you like the old Cal's, I'd
probably pick the 40.

There's no substitute for length ... if you want to be
even halfway comfortable offshore.

unless, of course, you have to change out a 600 square foot mainsail or 800
foot genoa in building sea and wind conditions.

unless, of course, your back is wrenched from hauling up the 45# anchor and
300# of chain by hand because the windlass battery crapped out.

unless, of course, you are short of bux and worrying because you spent the wad
on a BIG boat.

There's no substitute for length ... if you want to be
even halfway comfortable offshore.


JAXAshby wrote:
unless, of course, you have to change out a 600 square foot mainsail or 800
foot genoa in building sea and wind conditions.

That's when skill & forethought, and having the proper equipment in the
first place, come into play.

unless, of course, your back is wrenched from hauling up the 45# anchor and
300# of chain by hand because the windlass battery crapped out.

That's when proper design, installation, and preventative maintenanc
come into play.


unless, of course, you are short of bux and worrying because you spent the wad
on a BIG boat.

Whatsamatta Jax, you hate everybody that can afford a bigger & nicer
boat than you?

Clearly you don't think ahead enough to realize that many of these types
of problems can be avoided by thinking ahead. But that doesn't mean it
applies to everybody.

DSK

dougies, who found himself too old and weak to continue to sail his Nimrod 19
on the bay gives advice on offshore sailing thusly:

There's no substitute for length ... if you want to be
even halfway comfortable offshore.


JAXAshby wrote:
unless, of course, you have to change out a 600 square foot mainsail or 800
foot genoa in building sea and wind conditions.

That's when skill & forethought, and having the proper equipment in the
first place, come into play.

unless, of course, your back is wrenched from hauling up the 45# anchor and
300# of chain by hand because the windlass battery crapped out.

That's when proper design, installation, and preventative maintenanc
come into play.


unless, of course, you are short of bux and worrying because you spent the
wad
on a BIG boat.

Whatsamatta Jax, you hate everybody that can afford a bigger & nicer
boat than you?

Clearly you don't think ahead enough to realize that many of these types
of problems can be avoided by thinking ahead. But that doesn't mean it
applies to everybody.

DSK

JAXAshby wrote:
dougies, who found himself too old and weak to continue to sail his Nimrod 19
on the bay gives advice on offshore sailing thusly:

That's odd, if I were too old and weak to sail a small cruising boat I
probably wouldn't be doing this

http://www.johnson18.org/

Jax, meet fact. Fact, meet Jax. Now try and stay acquainted, y'hear?

DSK

On 19 Mar 2004 15:38:47 GMT, (JAXAshby) wrote:

unless, of course, you are short of bux and worrying because you spent the wad
on a BIG boat.

================================================== ====

I have no problem with small boats but no one should ever be misled
into believing that they are adequate offshore cruisers. There's no
question that people can, and do, go offshore in small boats. That
doesn't mean it's a comfortable sail however. It's more like spending
a week in a washing machine unless you are blessed with fair weather
and down wind conditions.

There's no
question that people can, and do, go offshore in small boats. That
doesn't mean it's a comfortable sail however. It's more like spending
a week in a washing machine unless you are blessed with fair weather
and down wind conditions.


Depends on the boat. Our Orion 27 (made by Pacific Seacraft) is pretty
comfortable in rough conditions. It can keep up with bigger boats (about 35 to
40 feet) both into and downwind in those rough conditions too.

I am defining rough conditions as over 25 knots.


Dick

and compare that boat to some litewait 36 foot thing made in by Great White
Hunters in Florida.

the Orion is much better.

There's no
question that people can, and do, go offshore in small boats. That
doesn't mean it's a comfortable sail however. It's more like spending
a week in a washing machine unless you are blessed with fair weather
and down wind conditions.


Depends on the boat. Our Orion 27 (made by Pacific Seacraft) is pretty
comfortable in rough conditions. It can keep up with bigger boats (about 35
to
40 feet) both into and downwind in those rough conditions too.

I am defining rough conditions as over 25 knots.


Dick

In article ,
ake (Dick) wrote:

There's no
question that people can, and do, go offshore in small boats. That
doesn't mean it's a comfortable sail however. It's more like spending
a week in a washing machine unless you are blessed with fair weather
and down wind conditions.


Depends on the boat. Our Orion 27 (made by Pacific Seacraft) is pretty
comfortable in rough conditions. It can keep up with bigger boats (about 35 to
40 feet) both into and downwind in those rough conditions too.

I am defining rough conditions as over 25 knots.


Dick



I had a friend who owned a Hans Christian 43 footer. She was at home in rough
seas and 25+ knots.

Hans also made a 33 footer, I believe.

--
³Freedom Is a Light for Which Many Have Died in Darkness³

- Tomb of the unknown - American Revolution