serious about boating..

This isn't a camper topic but I know there are many members who are serious boaters too...this is for them to peruse and dream about..

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/adastra-super-yacht-one-kind-aquatic-marvel-161218204.html

I hope I didn't overstep my membership rules.

George

[quote author=Icemaker]I hope I didn't overstep my membership rules.[/quote]

Not at all George.

Now if You are really serious about boating check out www.nordhavn.com read "voyage of Egret" I've been following the Flanders adventure for years, that will inspire anyone to travel. Talk about "boondocking" They spent a year cruising the canals of Southern Chilie, they traveled 600 nautical miles without seeing a house. Some great reading and inspiring too.

If You love Boating and live in Your RV fulltime be prepared to change your world if You click on the link above, It's My dream to one day, after we've had enough of camping and travelling the highways, with traffic and people, the Inland places. We cash out and get an N43, that Boat would at home on any water. And can go Anywhere You wish, from Lake Erie to Pittsburg, Panama to Fiji, London to Rome, You name it.

kennyshark said:

Now if You are really serious about boating check out www.nordhavn.com read "voyage of Egret" I've been following the Flanders adventure for years, that will inspire anyone to travel. Talk about "boondocking" They spent a year cruising the canals of Southern Chilie, they traveled 600 nautical miles without seeing a house. Some great reading and inspiring too.

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Just finished a book about a guy that traveled 15,000 miles, most of it in a 12 foot boat. He started in Canada down rivers through the US into the gulf by ship from Alabama across to Panama and then back in the 12' boat down to Columbia across South America and back up through the Carribean to Florida.

That's a seriously ugly piece of jetsam. As a lifetime boater, if it pulled into the dock next to me I'd leave. Can you imagine the problems finding a dock that it could fit at? Can you imagine the problems getting to the customs dock? Loading groceries? I suppose if you're hiring someone to do all that for you then that's their problem, but I'm kind of a do it yourself guy.

Now the Nordhaven is much better. There is a used 49' down the dock from us right now, asking price $1,295,000.00. Not in my price range and too large for the type of boating I like. Plus they've had a crew of three people buffing and waxing the exterior for 3 days now, perhaps they'll finish with one more day.

I enjoy being able to take my 40' trawler out by myself to go where I want, when I want. Much over 40' and there are too many variables to make it easy to do by yourself.

Ken

It is an interesting vessel! My college roommate will be looking it up to put in his ugly boat scrapbook.  I personally like a sportfisherman with a carolina flare.

kennyshark said:

If You love Boating and live in Your RV fulltime be prepared to change your world if You click on the link above, It's My dream to one day, after we've had enough of camping and travelling the highways, with traffic and people, the Inland places. We cash out and get an N43, that Boat would at home on any water. And can go Anywhere You wish, from Lake Erie to Pittsburg, Panama to Fiji, London to Rome, You name it.

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I love sailing and my big dream is to one day have a sailboat and island-hop in the Carribean for a few years. I've been looking for a boat and drove to Lake Ouachita twice to check one out, but did not buy it. Instead I wound up with a Sunfish. Won't be sailing the 7 seas in that thing. LOL!!

As my Mom and Stepdad used to say...TMB


Thatsa Mah Boat!

wgb1 said:

I love sailing and my big dream is to one day have a sailboat and island-hop in the Carribean for a few years. I've been looking for a boat and drove to Lake Ouachita twice to check one out, but did not buy it. Instead I wound up with a Sunfish. Won't be sailing the 7 seas in that thing. LOL!!

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Don't give up on that dream!

wgb1 said:

I love sailing and my big dream is to one day have a sailboat and island-hop in the Carribean for a few years. I've been looking for a boat and drove to Lake Ouachita twice to check one out, but did not buy it. Instead I wound up with a Sunfish. Won't be sailing the 7 seas in that thing. LOL!!

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I second don't give up on the dream!  It's my dream too.    I'm currently fixing up an old 40 foot sailboat.  I've got a long way to go until I feel she's seaworthy, but she's a tough old boat.  One day, I hope to fulfill my dream if island hopping, most likely the south pacific.  Each little project I get done on her, I'm that much closer. 

FWIW, sailing, imo, is the way to go.  No need for power, just use the wind!  God's creation. 

I hope this link works, its a blog from "Oso Blanco" a Nordhavn cruising from Figi to New Zealand...http://osoblanco64.blogspot.com/2010/11/southern-cross.html

I too would Love to sail, but the reality is out at sea you spend alot of time chasing the wind or motoring, the N56 Motor Sailor would be My choice but, to cruise the "Great Loop" and inland cruising too its just not practical, the N43 would be perfect for our needs, the Great Lakes in the Summer and South in Winter, Panama Canal, West Coast, Belize, Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, San Juan Islands to Glacier Bay.....just think where You can go from there. Russia, Asia or back South to Hawaii then across the Pacific to Midway, Guam, Fiji......New Zealand is where I would really Love to go......of all the places all the World Cruisers talk about is South Island, New Zealand, I have to check it out.

kennyshark said:

I too would Love to sail, but the reality is out at sea you spend a lot of time chasing the wind or motoring, the N56 Motor Sailor would be My choice but, to cruise the "Great Loop" and inland cruising too its just not practical, the N43 would be perfect for our needs, the Great Lakes in the Summer and South in Winter, Panama Canal, West Coast, Belize, Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, San Juan Islands to Glacier Bay

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firehose said:

FWIW, sailing, imo, is the way to go.  No need for power, just use the wind!  God's creation.

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Kennyshark, I somewhat agree with your statement about the lack of wind.  There are areas where light winds are more prevalent (and flukey such as in the ITCZ) and areas where the wind blows with more regularity (such as the Trade Wind belts).  In over 25 years of cruising and 85,000 sea miles I had more calm days than I had days with winds over 25 knots (not counting the times I was at anchor or in a marina). 

Sailors can still sail in light airs.  Your boat is your biggest asset here.  You need a boat that will function well in light airs and yet be rugged enough to handle heavy air (with many vessels it is a trade off).  But the biggest turnoff for some folks is having to beat to windward, as you would do from Florida to the Caribbean.  A lot of people don't enjoy the strain that sailing to windward puts on vessel and crew. 

Which brings us to the core of the matter...it doesn't matter what the wind strength is, or from what direction it blows, it is the sailor's heart that makes the difference.  The sailor will sail (firehose knows this).  The voyager will sail.  The yachtsman will turn on the motor and motorsail.  There is no dishonor in this, it's just that there are different kinds of boaters just as there are different kinds of people.  If you're in a hurry it's best not to be on a sailboat.  With sailing (like RVing) the voyage is far more important than the destination. Remember the adage that quite often the difference between an ordeal and an adventure is attitude.

In the end, all that really matters is to get a boat and get out on the water and enjoy yourself.

kennyshark said:

I too would Love to sail, but the reality is out at sea you spend alot of time chasing the wind or motoring, the N56 Motor Sailor would be My choice but, to cruise the "Great Loop" and inland cruising too its just not practical, the N43 would be perfect for our needs, the Great Lakes in the Summer and South in Winter, Panama Canal, West Coast, Belize, Mexico, California, Oregon, Washington, San Juan Islands to Glacier Bay.....just think where You can go from there. Russia, Asia or back South to Hawaii then across the Pacific to Midway, Guam, Fiji......New Zealand is where I would really Love to go......of all the places all the World Cruisers talk about is South Island, New Zealand, I have to check it out.

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There is just something about sailing that really tugs at me. For me, I think it seems to be the most gratifying and rewarding experience that life can offer. Even something as small as a Sunfish or Hobie cat can really instill a sense of freedom not experienced otherwise. As Lucas stated, there is absolutely nothing wrong with motorsailing or motoring either. It certainly has it's advantages in many ways. As far as the Great Loop, I would absolutely love doing that trip and you are correct in that it not practical in a sailboat. Just too much of the route can not be done sailing. Even with that, the Great Loop would be an awesome experience.

I agree with everyone, I've sailed a 35' Coronado Ketch on the Great Lakes, and My Parents had a 30' Steel Clipper on Lake Erie, it was a heavy power boat, great for the Great Lakes. I'd Love to sail everywhere but at 50+ I think the power boat would be the best for travelling, a single John Deere lugger running at 1400 rpm is just so economical and you can plan your routes alot more accurately missing the big weather systems. The N43 has a mast that lowers, more bridge clearance and She weighs 60,000 lbs, with active stabilizers this boat can take on some pretty serious weather. But Sailing on the right boat in the right conditions just can't be beat.

Then there's the rest of us, happy to toodle around a COE lake somewhere in our 17' Lowe with a 50 hp Merc.  Now where was that crappie hole we found last year?

I hear Ya, right now it's a 20' Suntracker Party Barge with a 25hp Merc. towed behind the 1984 Shasta M/H, I'm working My way up to the N43, hopefully for retirement 8)

I think one of the neatest things about sailing, is without the vibrations of a running motor, it puts you very close to nature and sea life.  I've had a 20+ foot killer whale come check me out one time, surfaced about 10 feet from the boat, rolled over slowly and he looked right at us.  There were 2 females several hundred feet away.  Even a 40 foot sailboat looks small next to one of those beasts. 

We also one time sailed right through a pod of pygmy sperm whales.  Must have been a dozen of them.  As we silently sailed through, they surfaced all around the boat, just feet away.  That was amazing.  I really like how the dolphins sometimes follow the boat.  They tend to play, one by one they take off and swim as fast as they can right towards the stern of the boat.  At the last second they dive under amidst the swirling wake.  They did this for hours one time, and it never lost the feeling of awe you get.

Molaker said:

Then there's the rest of us, happy to toodle around a COE lake somewhere in our 17' Lowe with a 50 hp Merc.  Now where was that crappie hole we found last year?

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Love crappie fishing although I have not been in a number of years now. I used to fish Lake Fork in NE Texas for crappie sometimes catching over 200 (before a limit was imposed). Talking about good eating!