Abandoned ships that don't sink
Don't roll over or sink!
Bob Austin
Reply:
This thread is clearly full of important advice, and as my wife and I are in
the planning stages of an extended cruise, I am reading it with interest.
We have been cruising in our 40' Defever Passagemaker for 6 years here in
Southcentral Alaska. This water is not for sissies but if you watch the
weather closely, it is a joy. We have averaged 300 hours annually on the
boat, which doesn't sound like much but our season is woefully short.
Our plan is to sell our Defever, travel to Florida next year and buy a
capable power boat, and take 4 years to bring her back to Alaska.
Presently, our very preliminary route is Key West - Isla Mujeres - Belize -
Rio Dulce - Honduras Bay Islands - Providencia - Panama - Canal Transit -
West Coast to Alaska. I obviously have more penciled in than this (and much
more to be penciled in) but I just wanted to lay out the overall picture.
We anticipate departing on this adventure in November, 2008. We also intend
to leave the boat from time to time to return home to Alaska for various
reasons, but expect to spend at least 8 months on the boat each year. Also,
we recognize that we may find the "perfect" boat somewhere other than
Florida.
I know there are challenges, several long legs, inevitable current and wind
considerations, etc. I have also read enough Mike Maurice postings to know
that the trip up the U.S. west coast will require patience, good weather,
good planning and good execution. In fact, those four elements will be an
indispensable part of our decision making throughout the trip.
As our planning advances, I expect that, like Scott Bulger, I will solicit
opinions from this group as specific topics rise to the top of our list (and
thank you Scott, for many of the questions you have asked).
But at this point, and getting back to what I snipped from Bob Austin's
post, my question is this: as we move into our boat shopping phase, how can
we identify a vessel that's up to the task? I'm assuming that the well
known brands like Nordhavn and Krogen fit the bill, but frankly with our
budget we can only reach the lower end of that price range, used. So we are
considering other more affordable boats from Defever and others, generally
from 42' to 49'. Can some brand-specific generalizations (or cautions) be
made, or is a more specific approach the only way - i.e. asking very
specific questions about stability and center of gravity, about which I have
lots of information from the various T&T list archives and other sources?
Of course, draft is also an issue in many of the areas we intend to visit,
particularly in the western Caribbean. Every boat is a compromise, right?
So what sayeth the list? If this was your trip, what boat would you take,
and why? And to the extent it lets you make more specific recommendations,
please email me for our boat purchase budget - I don't want to disclose it
in a public forum.
Mark Lindsey
40' Defever Passagemaker
Seward, Alaska
Our plan is to sell our Defever 38, travel to
Florida next year and buy a capable power boat,
and take 4 years to bring her back to Alaska.
I was on a friend's Willard 40 this past November for
the Baja-Ha-Ha. We were one of 4 powerboats, one of
the other three was a Defever 38, a slightly smaller
version of your boat (tri-cabin trawler). The owner
and his wife were from Alameda (San Francisco), but I
seem to recall they'd been up in the PNW at some point
too. They were in their early 60's I'd guess, and
traveled with an adult friend for crew. They seemed
pretty comfortable on that boat - basically the same
itinerary that you are contemplating, just in reverse.
The owner had spent a couple years doing a lot of work
on the boat - rebedded every window, installed
batteries, alternators, SSB/Pactor modem for wx,
watermaker, new electronics, etc. It's not the boat
they would have selected for the trip (they'd have
liked a pilothouse for the long passages), but its the
boat they owned when they decided to make the trip,
and they succumbed to the advice of the great sailing
magazine Latitude 38: "don't wait for the boat you
want, take the boat you own." I think he was a
teacher, and she was a nurse and they retired slightly
young.
I think weather risks can be reliably mitigated along
this route through patience, planning, and prudence.
I'd select a boat as much on its ability to suit my
needs at anchor as underway. Let's face it: you'll be
gone for 4-years - 8-months a year, about a 1000 days
on the boat. The last delivery I did through the
Panama Canal (California to Florida) accumulated 500
engine hours - roughly 20 sea-days, or 2% of the time.
Peter
www.SeaSkills.com
I posted a private note to Mark ref some of our personal experiences and
finished the post with these general comments:
On our last trip South from Long Beach CA. we traveled with a Defever 40,
which went on to circumnavigate South America and back up the coast. We
have taken boats from Cabo up the West Coast which include 29 foot to 45
foot racing sailboats, a Cal 46 and a Force 50, The advantage that you will
have is that although there are possiblities of 50 to 60 knots of winds--any
more than that would be unusual. You will have the options of sitting and
waiting for better weather. With our racing boats and working, we had to get
back to work with a time frame.
We cruised the Western Caribbean with 5.75 foot draft and 6 1/2 foot draft.
The deeper draft would have been difficult to get into the Rio Dulce--but 5
1/2 foot was not a problem. If you want to cruise the more remote areas of
the Bahamas, the least draft the better, but with 4 to 5 feet you will be
able to get into almost everywhere. The Eastern Caribbean should be no
problem for motor vessels of this size. While you are on the East Coast, it
would be a good idea to cruise the Bahamas, then consider the Eastern
Caribbean. If Cuba opens up, the South shore of Cuba is some of the best
cruising in the Caribbean.
In the Western Caribbean I would include San Andres Island, consider Boca
Del Toro, Panama and
definately the San Blas Islands. Consider multiple stops as you head North
from Balboa Panama. All of this coast is excellent cruising. Local
politics may vary from what they are currently--You should be able to get
updates on the local ports in Central America on Ham and SSB radio as you
go. Have the charts for all of the ports.
I also have a philosophy of looking at weather and conditions ahead to where
you are going, as well as where you are starting. Many times you will have
a few hours of moderately rough conditions, but as you work you way along
the coast, conditions may moderate. For example Point Conception. I know
people who have sat in Coho for weeks (not a comfortable anchorage) waiting
for a break--instead if it looks reasonable, put up with 50 knots and 15
foot seas for a few hours and get it over. One wants to attempt to
round the headlands at the quietest time of the day--which is usually in the
early morning hours. You will also time leaving ports and arriving by the
state of tide and the bars on the West Coast. You need to have fuel to go
to an alternate port if it is dangerous at the one you have selected.
A good general understanding of the weather, (for example read Steve
Dashew's book, as well Pacific Northwest weather by George Miller), I prefer
to have some
way of recieving weather fax, and both voice and text weather forcasts, as
well as SSB/ham radio and VHF
Stepping down from the Nordhavn in price, you have the Defever 44 (we know
of several who have made this trip with ease) and the Defever 49--probably
the 45 also. The Hatteras long Range Cruisers are way up on my list. Ocean
Alexander makes some nice boats which could do the trip--but one of the
problems with many boats, is that they don't have the range. However, with
the current situation, there are fuel stops every 500 miles or so, so it is
not as critical as it was 20 years ago, when there was a war in Central
America.
Another issue is climate control. In our motor sailors and racing
sailboats, we had no air conditioning, but did have diesel fired heaters. We
had very good ventillation and fans but no air conditioning on our voyaging
sailboats.
After being residents of florida for about 14 years (we purchased property
when we were still sailing the PNW), we find that we require air
conditioning. The reason is that when anchoring in coves or going to the
marinas, where there was little natural breeze in the evenings. Thus most
likely a boat you buy in Florida will be air conditioned, but may not have
an adequate heating system.
For the trip up the West Coast, I would want a farily high bow, enough power
to push against the prevailing Northwesterlies and seas, plus a pilot house
or good protected enclosed steering station. The flying bridge, which is
almost essential in the tropics, is not as desirable as you head up the West
coast.
Regards,
Bob Austin