I was just doing some brainstormin' and started thinking about Hawaii. I've been a few times on business and thought it might be interesting to buy a small sailboat out there.

It would seem like a nice way to spend a year or so sailing the islands and then sell the boat and move on.

But info is pretty scarce. I haven't been able to find cruising references online, so I was wondering if anyone had any first hand info regarding weather, anchoring, odd regulations, etc.

Thanks, and happy sailing!

Thanks for the tips, I've been making progress.

I got a new motor which should marginally increase my manouverability. I've also gotten better at line handling.

Practice, practice, practice... I'll just have to do much more sailing!

Finally got the boat in the water, had a great day out. Got to do some sailing and found the boat to be very well behaved, checked out all the systems and there are a few things to tweak, of course.

I'll be paying close attention to ways to make docking easier single handed. The friend that I recruited as deck ape had never been sailing before, he's a car guy and an adherant of the "speed is good" philosophy so I was a bit concerned with his tolerance.

It was only after about two hours sailing at 2-3 knots that he asked "So... if you pull on one of those ropes, will it go faster"

Happy Sailing to all!
Pete

I intend to wear one whenever I venture out offshore. I'd feel really dumb watching my boat sail happily off towards Spain without me.

In my little corner of the ICW I can always wade ashore as long as I can dog paddle the 20 feet out of the channel.

Happy and safe sailign everyone,
Pete

Am I wrong in my assumption that the harness's primary goal is to keep me from going overboard? I just figured that the tethers were short enough.

As a single handed sailor I don't relish the idea of trying to climb hand over hand up the webbing and then haul myself back onto a sailboat moving at 5 knots.

I'd also be interested to hear actual experiences with this.

(edited to add)

I just did a search for Sailing Tether Towing Test and came up with this among others...
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/learning-sail-articles/18834-safety-harnesses-tethers.html
Their results were similar to hat I found in other tests online. Not very comforting.

I hope it's ok to post a link to there.

Pete

...down through the French canals and onto South America and beyond...after many years of constant planning and failing to actually do it I'm moving onbard this coming weekend, giving up my job next week and taking off the following

Welcome aboard, you're a few years ahead of me but It's also my plan to cruise the canals of Europe for a few years.

I hope you'll keep us posted or keep a blog, etc. I'd love to hear your experiences.

Pete

Thanks, it's good to hear feedback from someone who's built both. I'll add B&B to my list for consideration.

pete

CLC Boats has some beautiful designs that I've been keeping in mind. At 57" nested, this one might be over your limits but it meets your other requirements.

http://www.clcboats.com/shop/boats/wooden-sailboat-kits/eastport-nesting-dinghy.html

Pete

An interseting concept. From my point of view, it would be more useful to have a three month rental term available. That's all the time a non-EU person can spend in the EU without jumping through the visa hoops.

Would sticking to outboard motors simplify things? I like the idea of keeping it "small boat" and simple. I would assume you'd have to outfit the boat with the basic safety gear, of course. Additional gear that a traveller would not necessarily bring with them could be offered for rent.

Another option would be to have someone purchase a boat and then donate it to the charity. The charity would provide the basic maintenance for the boat and would have it available for its use for nine months. The donor would be able to use the boat for three months of the year.

Stephan Knopf does something similar with motorcycles out of Heidelberg, Germany although his is a commercial operation. In addition to bike storage and rentals, he offers a comprehensive package of short term health and accident insurance, roadside assistance and emergency coverage, etc. He rents luggage, gps's, cell phones, and protective gear as well. www.knopftours.com

Pete

It was so long ago that I can't remember. I've been a lurker here for years but just joined because... I bought a boat!

She's a 1972 Kenner Kittiwake 23 footer. A Carl Alberg inspired design and we all know how beautiful those are. I'll be sailing her in the Daytona Beach, FL area staying in the river mostly until I get some experience. Before this my only sailing experience was a 14 foot Hobie cat in high school and 28 days on the USS Nassau (I was just cargo).

The site matches my philosophy of "living small" and I've already learned a ton and been entertained by your exploits. So, I've got the "small boat" thing, now I have to work my way up to the "long distance".

Pete