Seagoing..not Narrowboats..hope you don't mind

[Bobbybass]

Hi..

 

I am considering a seagoing cruiser..rather like the one that Naughty-Cal has pictured in the photo gallery.

 

I'm NB-savvy ..but not seagoing..GRP..big engines...sea toilets...trim tabs.. etc...

 

Anyone got time...to just give me a few pointers..?

 

Sorry this isn't narrowboat subject..but I have given a lot of helpful NB advice over the years..( I hope)

 

Thanks.

 

Bob

 

[Phil Ambrose]

Hi BB, plenty of lumpy water boaters on here so just hang on and they will be along shortly. It might help if you could be a bit more specific in your questions. What sort of drive are you looking for, on shaft, stern drive or outboard? Toilet, well there are options cassette, pumpout, sea toilet or a combo of pumpout and sea toilet. It all depends on where you are going to be cruising.

Phil

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Hi ya,

Have you got a particular Make of Fast Cruiser in mind, and what would be it's Main Purpose,

Day boat,Inland Coastal, Bit of a blast on a nice day,Fishing, How many normally aboard, Do you want it Small and light enough to Trailer or will you keep it in a marina.

[Alan de Enfield]

Doing the RYA 'Day Skipper' can be useful - a lot of it is for "Rag & String" boats but a lot is useful for Power Boats - I learned a fair bit.

 

Do your VHF radio course - a MUST.

 

Being 30 miles out at sea with an engine fire is not much fun - ( a 'lost spanner' found its way onto the starter terminal and shorted it out - melted all the cable harness etc etc).

Fortunately with two engines and two independent systems once the 'fire' is out you can continue.

 

Liferaft and in-date flares, SUITABLE sized anchor and chain.

 

Learn Navigation - on a trip from North Wales to Ireland I managed to miss Dun Laoghaire and 'hit' Belfast - it was foggy.

 

Get used to buying lots of diesel - we used to do 1.25 miles per GALLON with twin 200hp Volvo's (about 50 gallons Holyhead to Isle of Man)

 

Did I mention the diesel ?

[Bobbybass]

OK...

Something a 'bit exciting'...

That I can stay on (2 of us) occasionally...

Mainly coastal cruising...Newhaven...Eastbourne..Brighton...

 

As for various drives..?...I have no idea..sgaft..?..stern...what does that mean...?

Is an outboard better...?

.and thats the sort of thing I need to know..

What are the advantages of petrol over diesel...as I have been told that economy wise there is not much between them on the sea..

Where can you use a sea toilet..?...I mean..obviously not marinas.....but do you have to be a distance from shore..?

Is it good to have 2 engines..or one big one..?

is there a better make..ie..Penta...Mercruiser etc..?

 

PS..I already have my VHF license...tah

 

Thanks...

Navigation..now that sounds a good plan...

I have VHF...

 

Pondering the engine / drive side of things...?

Edited April 12, 2014 by Bobbybass

[Alan de Enfield]

Shaft Drive is like a N/B - a log shaft connected to the egine via a gearbox

Stern Drive - from the outside looks like the lower half of an outboard 'leg' the drve goes thru the transom and is conected to the engine.

 

Personally I find outdrives / stern drives (same thing) to be more manoeverable.

 

Diesel - much easier to find and safer.

 

Two engines is twice as good as one engine - even on my 'trailer' boat I had twin outboards.

 

Outboards on a 'big boat' - very thirsty, very expensive.

 

Two main types of hull :

Displacement - (like a N/B) just pushes the water in front of it as it ploughs thru - max speed about 8 knots

Planing - the boat rides up and sits on top of the water - at times with little more than the prop in the water - cruising 20 knots 'ish (depending on set up)

 

Mercruisers are American engines - as far as i know 'older' ones were only available in Petrol ( to suit the low petrol cost US market) - they now do diesel but I dont know when they were introduced. Personally I'd go for Volvo.

 

Small boats bounce a lot as they go thru the waves, a bigger boat will give a smoother ride as it can 'bridge' the waves to some extent.

I've had various sized sea boats from 15 foot (not seaworthy !!!) to 35 foot. I think the best compromise size is around 30 foot for space and comfort.

 

Fly-Bridge - some cruisers have two steering positions - in the cabin and a seperate one upstairs on the 'cabin roof'. Better visibilty & (on a nice day) very pleasant with a glass of wine and a jar of pickled eggs.

[b0atman]

big waves !

[John V]

Allan gives good advice though personally prefer displacement hull, shaft drive and dislike flying bridges, Suggest you try and get some trips crewing on different types till you work out your preference.....its a bit like cassette or pumpout

[Alan de Enfield]

 

Our last sea-going boat was a Fairline Corniche (as per above pic - not our boat)

We regularly went up the West Coast (Holyhead to Oban Via Isle of Man) or across to Ireland for the weekend.

 

The last trip coming back from the Isle of Man when the waves were breaking over the Flybridge SWMBO said NO MORE we tied up in Holyhead and she wouldnt go aboard again. Corniche sold and First N/B purchased.

 

I've had Displacement (and semi-displacement boats) but when you are going to Ireland (for the weekend) and its 60 miles + I'd rather get there in 2.5 hours than 10 hours.

Edited April 12, 2014 by Alan de Enfield

[bizzard]

Kwells or barley sugar might be useful and a pair of sea legs from a boot sale.

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Yep,it's all about trying NOT to meet that big snotty green one head on at speed.

I don't go looking for such weather or seas, but have bee caught out in some 'Uncomfortable' stuff.

But being a Displacement boat, With a white Knuckle Speed of 8kts, So no chance of out running it, I just tend to-

Stop, Put the Bow into the weather (ish), Put Eng in Troll, Engage the Auto Pilot, Raise the Riding Sail, Reach for my Flask of Coffee, Sit back in the Helm Seat and wait.

 

One thing is for sure, There will be more NO go days, Than Go days, the Smaller the boat is.

[Charles]

But I thought you already had a Pershing 80....?

[Ray T]

Might be a good idea to learn COLREGS as well.

 

http://www.dft.gov.uk/mca/msn_1781-2.pdf

[bigcol]

Yep I had a corniche big boat for a 31 ft, 2 cabin layout, worst thing was, it was twin petrol with out drives. eek

So much you had to be on the fly bridge getting it on the plane. Lol

That boat like most of the corniches were best on shafts. The boat was to big for stern drives

But with lump seas, good handling. Good days around Poole harbour

 

Still sell for good money but for the size. Good nice solid boat

 

Col

Edited April 12, 2014 by bigcol

[Alan de Enfield]

This is a 23 foot Fairline we had (on a trailer but a bit heavy) shows the single stern-drive / outdrive / leg

 

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

But I thought you already had a Pershing 80....?

Hi ya,

? ..What's that.?.

[bigcol]

A boat that none of us can afford!!

 

We couldn't even afford the diesel, to start it up, let alone the bikini clad women that drape every where!

 

Boat porn

 

Col.

Edited April 12, 2014 by bigcol

[Charles]

Well, you might get one for a tad under £3 million...

[Paul's Nulife4-2]

Well, you might get one for a tad under £3 million...

Oh,,That's why I don't know what one of those are,!.

[davidc]

If you going to dream I want a pershing 115

 

http://www.pershing-yacht.com/en-us/model/videogallery.aspx?idBm=9&idM=14&mv=PUB&sez=models_1

[Nightwatch]

That's a bit nice. Don't think my clothes will suit it though.

[davidc]

I don't have a bikini clad girl ether But that's what's great about dreaming

[john6767]

OK that is one serious boat, I want one.

[Nightwatch]

A bikini clad girl would be good!!

 

Is the boss watching?

[mattlad]

Don't forget semi-displacement.......