Sailing trip

Allen_McClung · January 27, 2007, 6:03pm

Posted by Allen McClung (amcclung@…>)

Hello Everybody,

For Christmas, my wife gave me a 5-day sailing/learning trip on a 40-
foot boat out of Key Biscayne, Fla. The boat sails around Biscayne Bay
for a day or so, and then heads south to the Keys. There is one
instructor and two students. A buddy of mine is going with me. The
question I have is, given my age—let’s say 60—the instructor of the
school suggested that we take the 40’ Manta Catamaran. He didn’t say it
like, “You too old to take the keel boats,” but he said the cat was
considerably less work than the others. The other boats are 1) Hunter
305, and 2) a 44-ft. Island Packet. I’m a fit, and so is my buddy, but
I’m not looking forward to working much harder than I do with my F-21.
This is supposed to be fun. So my question is should stick to a keel
boat or does it really matter. The course offers a U.S. Merchant Marine
license which you can present some day you want to rent a boat in Maine
to sail down the coast. Comments, please?

Allen McClung

Nick_Marino · January 27, 2007, 7:20pm

Posted by Nick Marino (blueraven1@…>)

I could not find what a Hunter 305 looks like but found a description
of sailing a Hunter 306:

The Hunter 306 is perhaps the best vessel to use when learning how to
sail. She has a large cockpit, stable sailing characteristics, and is
easy to dock.
A 10’9" beam boasts a spacious salon, as well as two private
staterooms, one forward and one aft, a large head, a full-size
galley, and even a nav station for charting your course! Eight
opening hatches and ports provide plenty of light and the headroom is
fantastic.
The large beam also gives the Captain and crew plenty of room in the
cockpit. Deep, angles coamings make any passage a safe and
comfortable one. The cockpit table and folding leaves makes
entertaining easy. Two integral stern rails seats give the guests the
best seats in the house!
Standard features include Rack and Pinion Steering, Lewmar self-
tailing winches, a Furlex headsail furling, the B&R backstayless rig
which Hunter is known for, and a Yanmar 18HP inboard diesel.

I think you and your friend (and instructor if needed) could handle
it.

Good luck,
Nick

In freedom21@yahoogroups.com, “Allen McClung” <amcclung@…> wrote:

Hello Everybody,

For Christmas, my wife gave me a 5-day sailing/learning trip on a
40-
foot boat out of Key Biscayne, Fla. The boat sails around Biscayne
Bay
for a day or so, and then heads south to the Keys. There is one
instructor and two students. A buddy of mine is going with me. The
question I have is, given my age—let’s say 60—the instructor of the
school suggested that we take the 40’ Manta Catamaran. He didn’t
say it
like, “You too old to take the keel boats,” but he said the cat was
considerably less work than the others. The other boats are 1)
Hunter
305, and 2) a 44-ft. Island Packet. I’m a fit, and so is my buddy,
but
I’m not looking forward to working much harder than I do with my F-

This is supposed to be fun. So my question is should stick to a
keel
boat or does it really matter. The course offers a U.S. Merchant
Marine
license which you can present some day you want to rent a boat in
Maine
to sail down the coast. Comments, please?

Allen McClung

Max_Lent · January 27, 2007, 7:39pm

Posted by Max Lent (maxlent@…>)

If I were invited, hint, I would select the largest single hull
offered. I hate it when commercial establishments exercise this kind
of age descrimination. Many people older than you and even me have
sailed around the world single handed.

The bigger the boat you select, the stronger you will be when you
return. Don’t worry about the young instructors, they will cope with
someone who has greater wisdom, common sense, and experience. If
things get bad when you are off shore, you can always strap the
instructors to their bunks and have a fine sail.

Max

Sean_Mulligan · January 27, 2007, 9:13pm

Posted by Sean Mulligan (quadmulligan@…>)

Great trip!
I would lean towards the Hunter as it would give best “education.” The cat could
be lots of fun: it is fast and can more easily deal with the shallow water where
you are heading. The IP is the boat I would want to be in during an offshore
passage in heavy weather. But its full-keel, heavy design is not ideal for the
Keys.

Enjoy! Sean

[amcclung@…] wrote:
Hello Everybody,

For Christmas, my wife gave me a 5-day sailing/learning trip on a 40-
foot boat out of Key Biscayne, Fla. The boat sails around Biscayne Bay
for a day or so, and then heads south to the Keys. There is one
instructor and two students. A buddy of mine is going with me. The
question I have is, given my agelet’s say 60the instructor of the
school suggested that we take the 40’ Manta Catamaran. He didn’t say it
like, “You too old to take the keel boats,” but he said the cat was
considerably less work than the others. The other boats are 1) Hunter
305, and 2) a 44-ft. Island Packet. I’m a fit, and so is my buddy, but
I’m not looking forward to working much harder than I do with my F-21.
This is supposed to be fun. So my question is should stick to a keel
boat or does it really matter. The course offers a U.S. Merchant Marine
license which you can present some day you want to rent a boat in Maine
to sail down the coast. Comments, please?

Allen McClung

Allen_McClung · January 27, 2007, 9:53pm

Posted by Allen McClung (amcclung@…>)

Max,

I’m now looking at an outfit called Blue Water Sailing School out of
Ft. Laugerdale. www.bwss.com. They take four students. We plan to leave
February 26th. Come on down.

Allen

— In freedom21@yahoogroups.com, “Max Lent” <maxlent@…> wrote:

If I were invited, hint, I would select the largest single hull
offered. I hate it when commercial establishments exercise this kind
of age descrimination. Many people older than you and even me have
sailed around the world single handed.

The bigger the boat you select, the stronger you will be when you
return. Don’t worry about the young instructors, they will cope with
someone who has greater wisdom, common sense, and experience. If
things get bad when you are off shore, you can always strap the
instructors to their bunks and have a fine sail.

Max

Patrick_Weaver · January 27, 2007, 11:12pm

Posted by Patrick Weaver (patrick@…>)

At the
risk of getting flamed, I say go with the cat. There is one risk: after sailing
on a cat you’ll fall in love. Then you’ll be stuck in two-times
hell: two times the cost for the boat (at minimum), two times the cost for a
slip if you’re over a 16’ beam, forget trailing the boat home,
etc., etc. The alternative is a small trailerable multi but they are still
incredibly expensive. On the up side, your wife may actually sail with you,
your drinks won’t tip over, you’ll be able to go further in a day,
and with their shoal draft you’ll open up a lot places you can’t
touch in a monohull.

I am 52 and fit enough to windsurf, but I
don’t miss crawling around on a pitching foredeck or bracing myself in
the head just to take a pee.

There are a lot of monohulls in the 22-25
foot range. There are far fewer small multis and they start at $30K—minimum.
Forewarned is forearmed.

Patrick

-----Original Message-----
From: freedom21@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:freedom21@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
Of Allen McClung
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2007
1:04 PM
To: freedom21@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [freedom21] Sailing trip

Hello Everybody,

For Christmas, my wife gave me a 5-day sailing/learning trip on a 40-
foot boat out of Key Biscayne, Fla. The boat sails around Biscayne Bay
for a day or so, and then heads south to the Keys. There is one
instructor and two students. A buddy of mine is going with me. The
question I have is, given my age—let’s say 60—the instructor of the

school suggested that we take the 40’ Manta Catamaran. He didn’t say it
like, “You too old to take the keel boats,” but he said the cat was
considerably less work than the others. The other boats are 1) Hunter
305, and 2) a 44-ft. Island Packet. I’m a fit, and so is my buddy, but
I’m not looking forward to working much harder than I do with my F-21.
This is supposed to be fun. So my question is should stick to a keel
boat or does it really matter. The course offers a U.S. Merchant Marine
license which you can present some day you want to rent a boat in Maine
to sail down the coast. Comments, please?

Allen McClung

\

Max_Lent · January 28, 2007, 4:39pm

Posted by Max Lent (maxlent@…>)

Patrick,

I couldn’t agree with you more. However, if you move up to a motor
cruiser, life gets even easier. You don’t have to mess with those
bloody sails. Your spouse will like this boat even more. Cruise
ships are even better because you don’t have to steer.

It really is a matter of what you want out of your experience. There
are a couple of cats on eBay right now. One is a racing trimaran. I
read a book a while back about three guys who were sailing north of
Australia in a trimaran. The boat fliped in a storm and they lived
for three months in upside down boat. The reason they went with the
Trimaran was that it was nearly impossible to flip. They never
talked to each other again when they returned home.

Everyone has to make their own choice about what boat they sail, but
that choice should not be made because someone tells you that you are
too old, a woman, too young, or too inexperienced. In fact, your
decision should never be made on the basis of someone evaluating you.

What I suggested was what I would do if I were presented with a
similar choice. That does not mean that my choice would be right for
everyone else.

Max

Bob_Tuttle · January 28, 2007, 6:01pm

Posted by Bob Tuttle (tuttlejr24@…>)

Go with keel boat. Otherwise you will not be improving your skills on
your vessel. Using the Cat is another learning experience; you either
want or not.

60! You are still young.

I sold my F21 and do miss her. My teeth are now quite long and do not
justify keeping a boat anymore.

— In freedom21@yahoogroups.com, “Allen McClung” <amcclung@…> wrote:

A buddy of mine is going with me. The
question I have is, given my age—let’s say 60—the instructor of the

Patrick_Weaver · January 29, 2007, 6:02am

Posted by Patrick Weaver (patrick@…>)

Max,

Please don’t think I was negating
your response. Actually, I didn’t read yours until after I sent mine. When
I did, much of what you wrote resonated with me. Our different responses are
symbolic of what I love about sailing: the infinite variety of solutions and
potential problems involved in getting from point A to B in a vessel driven by
the wind.

I went the motor cruiser route for a
while, launching windsurfers from the stern. I’m not sure that it makes life
easier; it’s just a different set of issues—especially when you’re
going through fuel in gallons per hour! And that was 20 years ago running a
single diesel at a buck a gallon.

I’ve decided that for me:

the smaller the boat, the
more likely it is to get used,
trailerable is better,
wind is a cheap source of
power, and
that when you need the
other kind of power, there is nothing as reliable as a modern, small outboard.

My choice of two or three hulls has
definitely been because I wanted my children and wife to get involved. I grew
up on a 30’ sloop that drew close to 6 feet. My mother hated running
aground. We kids didn’t like that we could never anchor close to shore to
swim. I have also found that I like the places where the water meets the shore;
the estuaries, the tidal flats, the small lagoons. I like it even better when
there is an onshore breeze and no bugs. For us, 18” of draft, a steady platform,
and 20 knots on a beam reach (not that you’ll get that on a Manta cat)
are all reasons to go with a multi.

As far as shipmates not speaking to one
another after three months on an upside down tri, I just read a book about an
author who traveled the English, Irish, and Scottish coasts on a large monohull.
Even without any out-of-the-ordinary hardships he and his good friend/captain
ended up not speaking for quite some time. J

Fair winds,