[Rhodes22-list] Ocean Sailing

[Grayson/Ena Lynn]

> ...if he'd had a dime more he would have bought bigger...

For less than a dime more he could have bought a LOT bigger.  We started out shopping for a Flicka and ended up sailing an R22.  No doubt, Flicka's a lovely little boat, but there is nothing in its class on the water, new or used, that costs more per ton of displacement.

On the other hand, there is still a flock of under-30-footers that can and have done circumnavigations, even in the hands of teen-agers; Tania Aebi in Varuna and Robin Lee Graham in Dove come to mind.

How about a new thread discussing the industrial strength mods required to build a passage-making R22?  (The "new 22" ?)   Politics is getting old.

<G>



----- Original Message ----- 
From: <eric.charles.newburger at census.gov>
To: "Richard Smith" <sailnut at worldnet.att.net>; "The Rhodes 22 mail list" <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
Sent: Friday, September 10, 2004 10:14 AM
Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list] Ocean Sailing


> 
> About three years ago I met a fellow who single-handed from California to
> French Polynesia and back on a Flika (if I am remembering the name
> correctly).  I asked him a few questions and read his book.  He survived,
> and took pride in his accomplishment.   But he did not have a good time out
> there.
> 
> This was a 20 foot boat designed for blue water passages and built by
> Pacific Seacraft---thick hull, much heavier ballast than a Rhodes and more
> stable, lots of storage spaces and a tiny cockpit--this boat was basically
> a barrel with a sail attached.  It looked neat, and worked, and his wife
> flew out to meet him, and--during their island hopping--they had a grand
> time.  Overall, he loved the trip.
> 
> However, he was quite clear on two points....
> 1.  He got the crap beaten out of him on the blue water crossings.  Even in
> heavy boat for it's size, 20 feet just didn't provide a lot of protection
> from ocean wave action.  He was a middle aged guy and felt every bruise for
> a good while, and if he'd had a dime more he would have bought bigger.
> 2.  Amidst the safety gear and repair gear and spare sails and the rest of
> the stuff the boat had to have, he had a tough time storing enough food and
> water for himself on the long passages.  Had his wife gone along for the
> blue water trips, they would have had to ration pretty tightly.  They could
> have done it, but again, his message was that even a little bigger would
> have been more comfortable.
> 
> I would like to conclude my lecture by leaving you with the following
> thought about proper boat size for blue water.....
> Good gracious, man!  Even the Pardeys have moved into a 30 footer!
> 
> Thank you, and good morning,
> 
> Eric Newburger
>