| The issue of crossing big oceans in small boats | | | | long distance cruises selected boats that were |
| becomes a very intriguing question. I refer to vessels in | | | | extremely heavily built and were generally not very |
| the 34 to 50 foot range as small. | | | | fast, often unresponsive in certain conditions. Tactics |
| Time and time again I receive emails with regard to the | | | | on these boats were somewhat different than the |
| capability of various vessels built by different | | | | engineered boats in today's market. These older era |
| manufacturers and the ability of those same products | | | | boats would be forced to heave to or lay a hull in |
| to cross large oceans. The reality is there simply is no | | | | extreme conditions. The crew would close everything |
| single good answer. | | | | up and go below and wait it out. Sometimes this was |
| Some people's sailing habits are really more of an | | | | successful, sometimes it wasn't. |
| issue than the vessel they are sailing on. Are you a | | | | Fortunately the world of engineering has changed a lot |
| conservative sailor or a hell bent for leather go fast | | | | in respect to the heavier built boats of yesteryear. |
| racer? Pushing boats hard offshore is fine for racers | | | | Today's boats are lighter, faster, and stronger than we |
| with bank accounts loaded by corporate sponsors but | | | | have ever seen before. But of course this calls for |
| when it comes to cruising on your own vessel | | | | more active tactics on the crews behalf. |
| hap-hazard sailing skills and poor seamanship will | | | | We sailed across the Pacific in 2004 and prior to that |
| drastically deflate your budget in a hurry as well as | | | | crossing I had studied and read everything I could with |
| have a negative effect on the safety factor. | | | | regard to Ocean passages. |
| It is apparent there are a lot of boats that are built that | | | | Time and time again I read that you should never go |
| have no right in attempting long distance offshore | | | | off shore in a multi hull catamaran or trimaran as they |
| voyages. And needless to say that most | | | | are too dangerous. We sailed into Hiva Oa in the |
| manufactures do not build these vessels with that | | | | Marquises only to see a large number of catamarans |
| intent. Truth being, offshore boats are not mainstream | | | | that had made the same crossing we had just |
| volume in their market and so why should they | | | | completed, sitting and waiting comfortably in the |
| address that kind of a build? As a result a lot of these | | | | anchorage as we arrived. I was dumbfounded! How |
| vessels are simply just not up to the task at hand. | | | | did they get here? I wondered. They successfully |
| That task of course is long term ocean crossings. | | | | crossed the same ocean we did and they made the |
| That's not to say they haven't done it. The problem is | | | | trip unscathed and most of them did it much faster |
| influenced by many factors. The integrity of the yacht | | | | than we did. |
| to start with, from the hull laminate structure, keel bolts, | | | | The only thing I can state with some certainty is that |
| and the mast and rigging, to the weather windows that | | | | the amount of wear and tear and fatigue on any |
| any particular boat and crew has had available to do a | | | | vessel out here cruising and crossing vast areas of |
| long crossing in. | | | | bluewater far exceeds the general average of most |
| From experience we can state we have had | | | | boats at home. As an estimate, I would claim that one |
| crossings that with every wave we were kept | | | | year cruising and crossing oceans is probably equal to |
| wondering what might break, not because of the type | | | | the wear and tear of ten years use of a boat in most |
| of boat, but because of how severe the sea state | | | | home dock coastal cruising areas. This brings us back |
| was. We have also had crossings that were so | | | | to maintenance issue again. |
| mundane that boredom had become a more stressful | | | | And also, keep in mind that the faster boats don't need |
| factor on our mental health than dangerous sea | | | | to look for as long a weather window to get |
| conditions. | | | | somewhere as the heavier boats. This lessens the |
| We feel our personal success to date is maintenance | | | | exposure time that they have at sea. Often some of |
| related. We don't leave things open to chance. Before | | | | the very large fast boats have the ability to stay well |
| every crossing we do complete inspections of every | | | | ahead of weather systems that are going to run over |
| critical fitting from under the keel to the top of the | | | | top of slower boats. So it begs the question can my |
| mast with the intention of finding the weak link in the | | | | boat cross oceans? |
| chain before it breaks, and that's not to say we | | | | Well it would appear that it becomes a matrix of crew |
| haven't had to deal with issues that developed in spite | | | | skills, the understanding of meteorology and resulting |
| of our policy. And having said that even in some | | | | effects, vessel integrity, speed, safety and |
| extreme conditions we never had any doubt in our | | | | preventative maintenance and mostly a lot of common |
| yachts ability to take the abuse. | | | | sense. |
| It's been said before, "hope for the best and plan for | | | | Do your homework and see if you can find owners of |
| the worst." In other words a strongly built boat can | | | | similar vessels that have logged some major |
| withstand a lot, and in most instances the boat can | | | | passages an sea miles, learn from them. They may be |
| take more than the crew can. Even if the vessel | | | | able to shed light on weaknesses and strengths of |
| never needs to deal with bad or dangerous conditions | | | | those models. Ask people that you know out there |
| at least you have some level of confidence and | | | | cruising as to what boats they see in remote |
| protection. | | | | anchorages! If there are specific models that never |
| One of the biggest lessons in yachting history can be | | | | seem to be around there may be a good reason. And |
| learned from the Fastnet tragedy, many sailors died in | | | | it might not be that they are rare! Common sense, the |
| storm conditions by abandoning perfectly fine boats | | | | ability to research and build knowledge will help you |
| and getting into life rafts, only for rescue teams to find | | | | select the boat that suits your personality as well as |
| many of the distressed vessels to be floating safely, | | | | needs. The internet is an amazing source of |
| completely crewless for days, after the storm. This | | | | information but always seek real advice from |
| speaks of perception and ability to cope. | | | | experienced cruisers they can tell you what works |
| It used to be that people that were going offshore on | | | | and what won't. |