Shackelton's crossing from Antartica pretty much sets the discussion for what can be done. Having many miles under my keel as well as enough ASA courses the folks will rent me boats up to around 50ft., I say again that experience and preparation are the key, informed by what life can furnish you or what you prefer. I currently sail 18ft. and have gone many places where some shake their heads at me. (Or worse). Just try to understand your limits and you'll probably be OK. Please don't try the things folks advise against if you don't understand why they say those things.
15’ is just about max these days…but with many wonderful choices!!…SCAMP, P15, M15, SF Pelican, C14, + many home built treasures!!! PS…they actually get sailed too!!!
I guess Sir Francis Chichester’s 53ft Gipsy Moth IV wasn’t big enough to carry all of his necessary liquids because one of my favorite sailing quotes is his response to the question of when his spirits were at their lowest ebb and he replied, “When the gin gave out.”
I am a merchant mariner. I captain vessels 260' long. I also am in charge of the officers and crews of five such vessels. I also run an in-company training program which uses both a steel 65'-long training boat, and a 17' wood sail-and-oar boat. I am awash in keeping all these boats running in the merchant trade, or training for such work. All operated by merchant mariners. And it is a lot of work, and enormous amounts of money, and endless dealing with officialdom. So, my own personal boat is a 21' Sea Pearl. Not perfect for the PNW, but chosen especially because one or two days a year are sufficient for maintenance. I don't want to have to think about yet another boat on my time-off, or divert a stream of cash to upkeep and berthing. While other people are painting, or fixing the engine, or calling in a guy to do those things, I sail, or row, or motor about. Much of the expense of boat keeping is really expense to maintain a man's ego, or burnish the polish on one's self-image.
Great stuff, George! Would be fun to hear more of your thoughts on the required skills, differences in handling, state of mind, and other details on comparing the captaining of the smallest vessels to the largest ones.
Being healthy and fit at 50 has never been rare. Median life span is about the same now as it was historically… there have always been old sailors. Most of the increase in average or mean life span is from reduced infant mortality.
Years ago I found myself very frustrated. It seemed that I couldn't get out and do the things I wanted to. I was frustrated because I had done many things in years past. As I thought it over from end to end I realized that times or stages of life had indeed changed, but that the only issue now is the same as it was back then. Priorities. The things I did in years past had been bumped up to a higher priority, and thus they were done. So... we only need to figure if it is right, or possible to... put Josh's Com-pac 23 cruise higher on the list! When I read the article/trip report, I/we will get the answer
I owned Pacific Seacraft 31, a Colvin Gazelle schooner (42ft on deck, not counting the 8 foot bowsprit), a Tartan 34C 1977. I owned the Colvin the shortest amount of time - she was not conducive to the small harbors around Lake Michigan, with limited to no good anchorages on the western shoreline where I lived. I sold the Tartan last summer - great boat. But the amount of work getting her in and out of the water each year was getting to be too much. Teak work (rails, cockpit, etc sanded two coats of varnish), bottom paint, buffing the still good gelcoat hull and waxing, lubing the feathering propeller, lubricating the through hull joints, flushing the fresh water system, tuning the rig, bending the sails and then sorting out and loading all the regular gear. And there are more tasks to take her out in the fall.
I'm buying a 15ft dinghy next week - a true sail and oar boat. She will live in my garage and only come out to play when the weather is nice and I have time for a relaxing sail. No other work needed other than a little attention to paint and varnish as needed (plus the fun stuff of fiddling around with rigging).
Modern huge yachts are driven by joysticks. In an older era, the yachtsman (inevitably a *man*) was a respected Member of the Yacht Club, and other club Members willingly and joyfully accepted unpaid "Corinthian" positions as crew on the prestigious vessel.
We traded up from a 26 to a 36 foot sailboat 20 years ago, after sailing the 26 for many years . We still feel like our 35 footer is big, and that's probably mostly due to that earlier experience.
Seaworthy and comfortable small cruising boats as a class didn’t exist back when those rules of thumb were written. A 15 foot boat used to imply an open dingy with fixed sail area, not, like a Montgomery 15, a self bailing boat with a watertight cabin, comfortable sleeping accommodations, and the ability to reef and point upwind in heavy weather.
Your article underline something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. I think my grandfather was significantly tougher than I am. Maybe with a small boat generation.
Rusty, you're a man after my own heart. Having sold my gaff Flicka, I find myself quite sad. Now, I can't afford another Flicka. BUT, I do own a Bill Healey 24' Bahamian style sloop. Biggest small boat I've ever owned. BUT, she's wood construction. Maintaining the wood on this 40 year old boat is a chore. A labor of love but time consuming. I'd rather be sailing my frp Flicka..!. I also tow my Sunfish behind my VW camper. And, then the kayak,
My simple boat rule is: The pleasure of a boat is inversely proportionate to its size and cost.
Duncan Thomson
Good point.
Shackelton's crossing from Antartica pretty much sets the discussion for what can be done. Having many miles under my keel as well as enough ASA courses the folks will rent me boats up to around 50ft., I say again that experience and preparation are the key, informed by what life can furnish you or what you prefer. I currently sail 18ft. and have gone many places where some shake their heads at me. (Or worse). Just try to understand your limits and you'll probably be OK. Please don't try the things folks advise against if you don't understand why they say those things.
15’ is just about max these days…but with many wonderful choices!!…SCAMP, P15, M15, SF Pelican, C14, + many home built treasures!!! PS…they actually get sailed too!!!
I guess Sir Francis Chichester’s 53ft Gipsy Moth IV wasn’t big enough to carry all of his necessary liquids because one of my favorite sailing quotes is his response to the question of when his spirits were at their lowest ebb and he replied, “When the gin gave out.”
I am a merchant mariner. I captain vessels 260' long. I also am in charge of the officers and crews of five such vessels. I also run an in-company training program which uses both a steel 65'-long training boat, and a 17' wood sail-and-oar boat. I am awash in keeping all these boats running in the merchant trade, or training for such work. All operated by merchant mariners. And it is a lot of work, and enormous amounts of money, and endless dealing with officialdom. So, my own personal boat is a 21' Sea Pearl. Not perfect for the PNW, but chosen especially because one or two days a year are sufficient for maintenance. I don't want to have to think about yet another boat on my time-off, or divert a stream of cash to upkeep and berthing. While other people are painting, or fixing the engine, or calling in a guy to do those things, I sail, or row, or motor about. Much of the expense of boat keeping is really expense to maintain a man's ego, or burnish the polish on one's self-image.
Great stuff, George! Would be fun to hear more of your thoughts on the required skills, differences in handling, state of mind, and other details on comparing the captaining of the smallest vessels to the largest ones.
When that foot/age thing was written… 40 was really old. 53 was ancient.
Being healthy and fit at 50 has never been rare. Median life span is about the same now as it was historically… there have always been old sailors. Most of the increase in average or mean life span is from reduced infant mortality.
Years ago I found myself very frustrated. It seemed that I couldn't get out and do the things I wanted to. I was frustrated because I had done many things in years past. As I thought it over from end to end I realized that times or stages of life had indeed changed, but that the only issue now is the same as it was back then. Priorities. The things I did in years past had been bumped up to a higher priority, and thus they were done. So... we only need to figure if it is right, or possible to... put Josh's Com-pac 23 cruise higher on the list! When I read the article/trip report, I/we will get the answer
I owned Pacific Seacraft 31, a Colvin Gazelle schooner (42ft on deck, not counting the 8 foot bowsprit), a Tartan 34C 1977. I owned the Colvin the shortest amount of time - she was not conducive to the small harbors around Lake Michigan, with limited to no good anchorages on the western shoreline where I lived. I sold the Tartan last summer - great boat. But the amount of work getting her in and out of the water each year was getting to be too much. Teak work (rails, cockpit, etc sanded two coats of varnish), bottom paint, buffing the still good gelcoat hull and waxing, lubing the feathering propeller, lubricating the through hull joints, flushing the fresh water system, tuning the rig, bending the sails and then sorting out and loading all the regular gear. And there are more tasks to take her out in the fall.
I'm buying a 15ft dinghy next week - a true sail and oar boat. She will live in my garage and only come out to play when the weather is nice and I have time for a relaxing sail. No other work needed other than a little attention to paint and varnish as needed (plus the fun stuff of fiddling around with rigging).
Well food for taught.....way past 65 and master (about 80% of the time) of a West Wight Potter 19. Previously of a Siren 17, a Potter 15......
Modern huge yachts are driven by joysticks. In an older era, the yachtsman (inevitably a *man*) was a respected Member of the Yacht Club, and other club Members willingly and joyfully accepted unpaid "Corinthian" positions as crew on the prestigious vessel.
We traded up from a 26 to a 36 foot sailboat 20 years ago, after sailing the 26 for many years . We still feel like our 35 footer is big, and that's probably mostly due to that earlier experience.
Seaworthy and comfortable small cruising boats as a class didn’t exist back when those rules of thumb were written. A 15 foot boat used to imply an open dingy with fixed sail area, not, like a Montgomery 15, a self bailing boat with a watertight cabin, comfortable sleeping accommodations, and the ability to reef and point upwind in heavy weather.
Your article underline something I’ve been thinking about quite a bit lately. I think my grandfather was significantly tougher than I am. Maybe with a small boat generation.
Rusty, you're a man after my own heart. Having sold my gaff Flicka, I find myself quite sad. Now, I can't afford another Flicka. BUT, I do own a Bill Healey 24' Bahamian style sloop. Biggest small boat I've ever owned. BUT, she's wood construction. Maintaining the wood on this 40 year old boat is a chore. A labor of love but time consuming. I'd rather be sailing my frp Flicka..!. I also tow my Sunfish behind my VW camper. And, then the kayak,