distance sailing

[UkiDLucas]

Hi, I would like to know what's the farthest people sailed on their DaySailers and crafts of the similar size.

In particular, do people cross the Lake Michigan on regular basis?
Do people venture along the Florida Keys, or is the boat too small for that.
Since I plan to sail in both locations I wondered if hugging the shore is the only option.

I paticipated in Chicago to Mackinac race, but on a bigger boat.

I would like to circum-navigate the Great Lakes one season on a small boat that can go all the way to the beach.

Interesting link:
http://www.microcruising.com/famoussmallboats.htm

[adam aunins]

I can't help other to say that it sure sounds fun to me. That and if you havn't read the cruising articles on Bob's site you should check them out, you'll have to scroll down a ways. http://www.bobhunkins.com/mt-archives/c ... icles.html. If you do get to do some of that sailing let us know how you plan to do things. Then what worked and what didn't, and how much fun you had.

P.S. I personally would stay out of the middle of the lake. From what little I know the great lakes are just like being at sea, and among other things at sea it only takes 20 min. for a fraighter to come from beyond the horizon and run you over. So if you're by yourself, and I'm guessing you wont have radar, you can't sleep more than 20min at a time without rolling the dice.

[SaltLakeSailer]

In the book, "My Old Man and the Sea", Dan and David Hayes describe sailing to Bermuda in a 17' boat. They were accompanied by a larger boat as support (with radar, radios, etc.) Just don't pull a Bill Dunlop, the nut case from Maine who set out around the world in a nine foot sailboat and was never heard from again...

[jpclowes]

I read a story once about a guy who was circumnavigating the Great Lakes in a West Wight Potter 17, or maybe it was a Siren. I think he ended up sinking...or comming close to it in Lake Huron, and didn't make it. He survived to write an article about it. I think it was online, I'll see if I can find it.

Personally the only version of a DS would think about trying this in is the Laser-Sunfish version, because it is the only one that is self-rescuable. It has a watertight hatch over the cuddy cabin. With the wind and waves as unpredictable as they are on the Great Lakes, you are sure to capsize at some point.

A friend of mine had a Hunter 28 on Lake Erie. When she was looking for a boat, they advised her not to buy anything smaller than 26 feet. This was because that was the average distance between wavetops. Anything smaller would have an uncomfortable motion to it as it bounced into and out of the troughs. Something to think about.

Not a recomendation, just observations.

[Bob Hunkins]

There was a guy and his wife that sailed an SLI Day Sailer along the coast of Labrador in the mid '90s. They had it rigged with oars and the main had three reef points. They camped along the shore in the evenings, rowed when the winds were too light and contrary. Pretty amazing story. Sadly the boat was destroyed in Mexico a few years later.

I've sailed much more modest trips and have a few more planned. All single day sails, but I'm considering at some point in time trying to sail up the intercoastal waterway from port Isabel, TX near Mexico to Corpus Christi. It would probably take a few days since a catamaran regatta on the same course took two days.

You might consider sailing long distances along a coast line first. I have a friend that sailed north along the west coast of lake Michigan in a 19 foot cabin boat on a two day trip.

What ever you do, send an article on it into the DS Quarterly. You could get the class's cruising award.

[algonquin]

I have sailed extensively on the eastern end of Lake Ontario and into the St Lawrence Seaway on a MacGregor Venture Newport Cutter 23. Literally was beaten to death each trip by the choppiness of the waves as the prevailing winds pushed the water from west to east. It was rough on the boats rigging as well as my own.

Sailed the same boat numerous times out of Barnagate Bay NJ into the Atlantic and did some coastal cruising. The inlet was dangerous but workable and the ocean waves were more like swells rather than chop. The boat was capable and took the various coastal conditions well.

I do like a challange and a test of my skills but I would prefer coastal ocean cruising with tides any day over sailing the Great Lakes. There is a significant difference between ocean swells being the predominant wave condition and chop (large scale) on the Great lakes.

[thomas]

regarding small boat cruising, look into Webb Chiles 'almost circumnavagation' in a drascombe lugger. or Frank and Margaret Dye's experiences in a wayfarer or Frederick Fenger crossing the Atlantic in a folding kayak. What is possible depends partly on what is imagined, partly on what is attempted, and most certainly on experience, luck and fortitude. try something.
thomas

[Adrift]

Hey Uki,

Good to hear from you. I was just thinking about you. Last we heard you were going to modify your cabin and go sail the Apostles. I figured the weather in Wisconsin was pretty brisk this time of year and you'd be coming ashore some time soon. (I spent my first 22 years in Michigan, so I'm familiar with the weather.)

As for what can be done in a DS. Well, what can be done and what can comfortably be done is a whole 'nother thing. If someone is 18-25 years old, a strong swimmer, has a lot of experience, survival gear, jacklines & harness, and a rescue crew on hand I bet you could take a DS around the world.

On the other hand, things that the boat is strong enough to take may overwhelm the captain & crew. A reasonably fit person can sail in some real rough waves and strong wind for a few hours but staying braced is fatiguing. After a few hours your arms and legs will cramp up. Being able to get food and drink will be difficult at best. Dehydration will accelerate fatigue.

As the hammering and bouncing continues and the hours turn to days and you have had no sleep your judgement will fail. You will see things that are not there, you will not see things that are there. Dangerous.

The infamous "great lakes chop" can hammer a boat to pieces. (For a given wave height, the ocean is smoother than the great lakes.) On the big lakes the weather changes quickly, and by location. I've spent time on Lake Erie where in one afternoon I was becalmed, blown over, was snowed on, and wore shorts. Am I on "hidden camera"? This is unreal...

Ah, Florida. My current home. The winter sailing is nice. Just watch the weather in the summer / fall. The afternoon squalls come up mighty fast in the FL keys & in the Gulf. As another poster mentioned, being able to close up the cabin would be a big advantage. When you see one, you barely have time to secure all hatches and don a PFD before it hits.

I'd recommend going no further off shore than you can return from in an hour or two. If bad weather comes, you can duck for cover. For anything further than that offshore I would recommend a much bigger boat ... 23-26 feet minimum, (30-35 feet good), a fixed keel (you can move about while underway and not worry about rolling over and the added mass really smoothes the ride), big enough for proper padded bunks, at least some electrical (nav & anchor lights & 2 way radio & autopilot & electric bilge pump), a bimini top (sun and rain protection reduces fatigue).

The real difference between ordeal and adventure is attitude. But a hot meal, a cold drink, and a soft bunk can help attitude a whole lot.