Long distance sailing in a small boat

[yachtsman_uk]

One guy I read about, sailed his Yarmouth 23 across Biscay, and then crossed the Atlantic to Brazil . . . . . single handed in a 23ft Gaff Cutter, quite a feat! You can read about his adventures on http://www.yarmouth23.co.uk/brazil.html

Anyone tried a voyage like that in a McGregor?

[Freedom77]

I have been sailing for 40+ years. I used to be involved in sellng Venture/Macs in So Cal and here in Vegas. One of the questions that would pop up as they sat in the cabin was, "How long will it take us to sail to Hawaii"? I would reply, 1. you are looking at 3-4 week minimum assuming you have the navigational skill and don't miss the Islands altogether, This was pre GPs. 2. Where will you pack enough food and water to last that long. 3. I have been on ocean races that lasted for +/- 48 hours. Do you know how small a 25 foot boat can get in that little amount of time? 4. Do you think you and your signifigant other can get along alone for 3-4 weeks at sea? 5. How would you handle a disaster at sea which are not uncommon, i.e. dismasting, rigging failure, knockdown, rogue waves or sinking?
There's no substitute for common sense. As I stated, I have been on lots of long distance races, Newport/Ensenada, 120 miles. Santa Barbara/King Harbor, 100 miles Del Rey/San Diego. 100 miles We used to sail to Catalina every year and drop anchor for a week, 25 miles. Been to Santa Cruz Island a few times, 25 miles and have been to Santa Barbara Island 50 miles in nasty weather. Spent two weeks in the San Juans in BC never much out of site of land. In short, NO, I would not embark on a long ocean voyage in a MacGregor. They are well built and dependable, I just wouldn't do it. Yarmouth is a heavy built boat and looks likes it would do okay in a heavy sea. Mad Dogs and Englishmen Fair Winds and Full Sails....

[Sumner]

... 2. Where will you pack enough food and water to last that long. 3. I have been on ocean races that lasted for +/- 48 hours. Do you know how small a 25 foot boat can get in that little amount of time? 4. Do you think you and your significant other can get along alone for 3-4 weeks at sea?.....

I think the above is quite manageable for the right couple. We usually always start a trip with over a month's worth of water, food, fuel, and waste holding capabilities and stretching that to 1 1/2 months wouldn't be that hard. We've been on the water with just the two of us for over 2 months, no problem, in fact we like the boat since we are very together there. This of course depends on the individuals. We often don't set foot on land for a couple weeks at a time and could easily go longer than that if needed. So for us the above would be a pretty easy thing to do. Now for the hard part.

....... How would you handle a disaster at sea which are not uncommon, i.e. dismasting, rigging failure, knockdown, rogue waves or sinking?
There's no substitute for common sense. As I stated, I have been on lots of long distance races, Newport/Ensenada, 120 miles. Santa Barbara/King Harbor, 100 miles Del Rey/San Diego. 100 miles We used to sail to Catalina every year and drop anchor for a week, 25 miles. Been to Santa Cruz Island a few times, 25 miles and have been to Santa Barbara Island 50 miles in nasty weather. Spent two weeks in the San Juans in BC never much out of site of land. In short, NO, I would not embark on a long ocean voyage in a MacGregor. They are well built and dependable, I just wouldn't do it. Yarmouth is a heavy built boat and looks likes it would do okay in a heavy sea. Mad Dogs and Englishmen Fair Winds and Full Sails....

We did have a minor disaster once and had to stay put for about 3 days without the means to contact anyone else. Ruth was a little shocked when she found out that we didn't have contact, but then handled that with no problem. We have also taken steps to avoid that situation again.

Saying that I wouldn't ever attempt to go offshore for an extended trip in our Mac and probably won't even do that in the 37 foot Endeavour. It is well capable, but we aren't by a long shot. We might survive, and I'm kind of a risk taker, but still like to have as much control over a situation as possible and that just isn't possible if you go to sea on an extended trip. Most people survive these trips despite themselves, but some don't.

If one was to consider a trip like this I'd read.....



.... Bucko's. adventure....

http://lbucko.tripod.com/index.html

... where he took a Mac from Calif. down to Panama. He made it and chances are someone else could the "majority" of the time, but after one pretty terrifying night out I wouldn't want to follow in his footsteps,

Sum

Our Endeavour 37

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Our MacGregor S Pages

Mac-Venture Links

[ishmael3]

Small boat sailing? Read THE INCREDIBLE VOYAGE by Tristan Jones, His adventures on the 17 foot Sea Dart. Believe it.....or not. My Hero.

Another interesting read: WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A DRUNKEN SAILOR by My close Friend, Birney Jarvis, the original model for The Came Bronson. A former Hells Angel and motorcycle racer takes to the deep blue....

[Ixneigh]

Ok i did not need to see leaf dude.
people cross serious deep ocean in small boats all the time. Most choose traditional sea kindly and time tested designs. Read full lead keel stought hull scantlings and conseritive rigs. My h23 knock off had several atlantic crossing to the models credit. It also weighed 8000 lbs empty. The hull was bullet proof. The yacht would make it f you could.
Are any of the mac/ venturs that type of boat? No. None f them are made for the task. Could someone get lucky? Sure. Could someone of unusual skill do it? Yes. They could ptobably sail a st. Bernard across an ocean also. Could some person modify a mac until it wasent really a mac and do it? Yes.
Otherwise stay close to shore and enjoy the poor things for what they were made to for.

Oh and by deep ocean i dont mean hops to the bahamas etc. Ive seen them over there many times.

Ixneigh

[Matt19020]

Here is a link to a earlier post about topic:
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/forum/v ... =4&t=13905

[ronacarme]

Practical Boat Owner (a UK mag) Oct 2003 p44-49 in "Sou'wester Sam Heads South" recounts a Mac 26X cruise from Salcombe in UK to the Med Spanish coast. Two legs were on rivers/canals. One leg crossed a portion of the Bay of Biscay, on the bottom of which rests the centerboard.
Same X did the round trip from Lands End to the Scillies (PBO June 2003).
Have not heard of a Mac doing an Atlantic or Pacific crossing.....way beyond the reasonable expectations for Macs or similar trailerable boats IMHO.
Ron

[mastreb]

Pacific Islanders island hopped across the ocean on smaller boats, and smaller boats have done transatlantic runs. I'd say the odds are that a competent pair of sailors would make it 40% of the time with no issues, 40% of the time with at least one harrowing story, and 20% of them would never be heard from again.

So it's all about your risk tolerance.

[Benmcgov]

I agree with mastreb, if you are willing to risk it....go for it.

However....watch the weather and have a plan!

Ben

[ROAD Soldier]

Pacific Islanders island hopped across the ocean on smaller boats, and smaller boats have done transatlantic runs. I'd say the odds are that a competent pair of sailors would make it 40% of the time with no issues, 40% of the time with at least one harrowing story, and 20% of them would never be heard from again.

So it's all about your risk tolerance.

Size of the boat doesn't matter except for comfort or if you are with my admiral for more that an afternoon sail. For that you will need a 40ft plus boat to keep from killing her from all the complaining. There is a boat called the Flicka that is only 20ft and will handle as much as a 65ft MacGregor can. Now how much can you take and even more important how much can your Admiral take it you are not going solo. I am sure if I ever can afford a 50ft contour trimaran I could last a week with my Admiral before I started putting fish blood in the water to attrack sharks. Then tell my Admiral to go swimming .

[StUrrock]

One guy I read about, sailed his Yarmouth 23 across Biscay, and then crossed the Atlantic to Brazil . . . . . single handed in a 23ft Gaff Cutter, quite a feat! You can read about his adventures on http://www.yarmouth23.co.uk/brazil.html

Anyone tried a voyage like that in a McGregor?

That guy takes some beating and he seems to be enjoying himself;

Some of the beauties he has photographed are nearly as gorgeous as peaches

Sumner makes some great points particularly the fact that, whatever boat you sail, the capabilities of the skipper/crew are just as if not more important than that of the boat.

Just love Bucko's adventures

[StUrrock]

Practical Boat Owner (a UK mag) Oct 2003 p44-49 in "Sou'wester Sam Heads South" recounts a Mac 26X cruise from Salcombe in UK to the Med Spanish coast. Two legs were on rivers/canals. One leg crossed a portion of the Bay of Biscay, on the bottom of which rests the centerboard.
Same X did the round trip from Lands End to the Scillies (PBO June 2003).

Would love to get hold of a copy of that article, sounds a great story.

[ROAD Soldier]

Practical Boat Owner (a UK mag) Oct 2003 p44-49 in "Sou'wester Sam Heads South" recounts a Mac 26X cruise from Salcombe in UK to the Med Spanish coast. Two legs were on rivers/canals. One leg crossed a portion of the Bay of Biscay, on the bottom of which rests the centerboard.
Same X did the round trip from Lands End to the Scillies (PBO June 2003).

Would love to get hold of a copy of that article, sounds a great story.

Yep those pictures are much better to look at than some old guy with a large leaf over his junk .

[Divecoz]

Is there a point to all this? How many sailboats and owners ever spend so much a 7 days on the water, more than 300 miles from shore? How about just 100 miles from shore? How about just a day ( 24 Hours) a hundred miles from Land..? Its time consuming and costly to say the least..to make a Trans Atlantic Crossing.. This boat like lots of others is just not meant to do that.. and 99% of those that could.. will never do it... It may be "everyone's" Dream to do it, but very very few will ever make the voyage.. I spent less than about 3 hours total on two separate trips within sight of land fighting two different BAD Storms , and nothing like I could well experience in the open ocean.. to convince me .... It's Not My Cup of Tea....
I have received in the last couple years 2 phone calls about , Sailboats For Sale.... Cheap.. Both because sailors had not made it nearly as far as they had planned and Wanted.....OUT! One sat in Cozumel for 6 months.. the other in Belize City, Belize.. Each time, the owners were just glad to still be alive and JUST .... wanted to Go Home... and NOT on that @#$%^&*( boat.. I am still just the owner of a 26 M.. Not My Cup of Tea and I know it...
Might My M someday make it too the Bahamas? Maybe...???Maybe , if this house sells before someone moves me into an Assisted Living Home..
Why would I ever sell my M that does EVERYTHING.. I want it to do for a boat that does little of what want it to do on the chance that I might.........
doubtfully.... ever make a Blue Water Voyage..
I sat and talked with an Old Guy... In Port Charlotte Florida.. I stopped because his canal front home( sailboat water no bridges) and his were both for sale..... Spotting my Illinois plates he thought he had a live one.. I explained I just stopped because I too own a Macgregor.. He was Happy to kill some time talking about Florida and Sailing.. In 15 years and sailing a couple times a week and lots of longer trips too boot.. He never sailed farther North than Sarasota.. Never farther South than Everglades City.. though he mentioned they trailered down to the Keys several times.. He.. Never made it to the Bahamas. But he assured me , he was never at a loss for new places to sail and "explore".... I have put up with a lot of TRASH TALK...from big boat owners , who have never gone farther than I have and Never sailed through worse storms than I have .. hummm IMHO let them talk.. thats all.. it ever is..

[ROAD Soldier]

I
I have received in the last couple years 2 phone calls about , Sailboats For Sale.... Cheap.. Both because sailors had not made it nearly as far as they had planned and Wanted.....OUT! One sat in Cozumel for 6 months.. the other in Belize City, Belize.. Each time, the owners were just glad to still be alive and JUST .... wanted to Go Home... and NOT on that @#$%^&*( boat.. I am still just the owner of a 26 M.. Not My Cup of Tea and I know it...
.

This is where if you are a certified captain you can make a lot of money sailing their boat back for them. I talked to one captain and he told between people getting in over their heads or waiting to long in life to accomplish their dreams resulting in a medical emergency makes up the majority of his business.