Check it out: bigoceans.com

[Parrothead]

http://www.bigoceans.com

[CapnK]

Bump. ;)

My cousin sent me an email, and he'll be meeting Nick (the sailor whose blog this is), in St. Martin (hopefully, of course). Don't worry, I will get him to take some good pictures. :)

[Lynx]

His boat is a contess 26. I tried to buy one once but could not swing it. Nice boats with hard chime.

[Marc]

I just emailed the guy, be iteresting to see if he answers back.

[nick]

Thanks for linking me guys!

Marc, thanks for the email, dutifully responded to ;)

I'm still here in Gran Canaria, patiently awaiting for items to arrive via post. Hopefully I can start my Atlantic crossing in the next week or so. Really frustrating to be sitting here twiddling my thumbs, I just want to start sailing!

nick (the guy who's blog is linked at the beginning of this thread)

[CapnK]

Welcome aboard, Nick, and a Grog for ya! ;D

It might sound funny, but I wish *I* had your problems!  :D :D :D

Hope you'll like the site, and that it'l give you some reading while you wait for the post to come through. Feel free to jump on into any of the discussion.

BTW, I think you are the first Contessa owner we've had on here, oddly enough... Those are grand boats, high on my own list of preferred small vessels. :)

[s/v Faith]

Welcome aboard Nick,

  Glad to have you onboard & look forward to hearing about your voyage.

[skylark]

Grog to yah nick, for the Portugal Canaries passage.  Best of luck on the rest of your travels as well.

So how is life living aboard a small boat?

[nick]

Cheers!

Living aboard a small boat... Well, it's not all easy, I must admit. I'm not particularly tall (just shy of six foot I believe), and the Contessa has no standing headroom. Under way, a boat of this size is great - Easy to handle, responds well to the sea, and is an excellent boat to sail. It's the bits in between, when you're simply 'living' that things can be quite uncomfortable. I've been living permanently onboard since May of last year, having spent only ten nights in a 'normal' bed since then. I'm now used to sleeping with my legs straight-out in the quarter berth, but still, boy, what I wouldn't do for a king size bed with enormous pillows!! In fact, in 'the next boat', I intend to make the entire inside of the cabin, a giant comfy bed, with lee cloths every metre ;)

...For years to come, people will say, 'why has that guy got a 48ft floating bed?'.

And only small boat sailors will know, that it was the result of too much time spent alone in a 26ft boat!

Anyway, I think the key to small boat sailing, is to not try and be too 'tough', because eventually, it will tire you, whether you're made of steel or not. In Holland I went for weeks without a stove, in Spain I suffered from severe condensation problems, being constantly wet. Luckily I got out of the northern latitudes before the deck began freezing, but nevertheless, I had several below-zero nights, forging on down the coast of Spain at 4am wondering what the heck I was doing out there, sopping wet, with two sets of wet weather gear on. Neither of them working.

I think if I had my time again, or if I had some money, I'd make the effort install a spray hood, to create a double-bed in the forepeak (for sleeping in harbour), install silly things like a radio with speakers in the cockpit, and heaven forbid, maybe even a DVD player. It's a curious thing, but loneliness only sets in once you're in port, and at least a few creature comforts make all the difference... If you can't make yourself (or don't want to) comfortable with an enormous boat, go to the effort of doing what you can to make life easier with little things.

I wouldn't give this up for the world, but I do think it's important to mention that long term small boat sailing is very difficult, yet incredibly enriching.

nick!

[CapnK]

"standing headroom" - We have a whole thread on that topic alone! lol

Like you, Nick, my first boat was a "croucher". When I got a bigger boat - all 1' 7" of it ;D - standing headroom was an essential, and Thankfully, the Ariel does have that.

Regarding berth size - I guess that's an individual thing. I sleep quite well in a 24" single. I made the v-berth into one large bed for about 4-5 months last year, and while it works and is comfortable, I didn't see it as a long-term solution for me.

Have you tried making up a bed *across* your cabin? That's what Craig and Rose on "Faith" have done with their Ariel, and I think they like it and it works well for them. I tried that, too, and it was nice, but again, for the long term, I decided I could use the space better for me.

How are you equipped for listening to tunes? Are you using a 'boom box' or an mp3 player or something? If you have an mp3 player, what about speakers? (Aha! I might know what to send with my cousin... ;D )

PS - I am going to edit the name of this thread.

[vinegarj]

to be alone without being lonely......probably the toughest part of solo travel/sailing (for me), especially after bashing into a slip at then end of a long haul, sleep deprived with a crowd of onlookers.  vj

[Captain Smollett]

especially after bashing into a slip at then end of a long haul, sleep deprived with a crowd of onlookers.  vj

Is there any other time you will bash into a dock except with a crowd of onlookers?

Corollary: Will there be anyone around when you make that PERFECT docking under sail alone?

[AdriftAtSea]

Yes, the seagulls will be happy to watch, and then as soon as you're finished tying up to the dock, happily poop all over your boat. :)

Is there any other time you will bash into a dock except with a crowd of onlookers?

Corollary: Will there be anyone around when you make that PERFECT docking under sail alone?

[nick]

Yes, sideways is a good idea, I had thought about it - The only problem is you basically 'disable' the interior of the boat while your bed is setup. My forepeak has two singles, they just need to be joined and I'd have a perfect bed  up the front. One day... When I have tools... And some money, I'll do it!

As for speakers - I just have an old iPod with headphones. I've been casually looking at PC speakers, especially ones with 12v transformers, so I can hardwire them.

I met a guy today who crossed in a Bristol 28, in ... 21 days. He seems to think I could get a similar crossing time if I work hard - I have a Gennaker with a 24ft luff, and will fly that during daylight hours in fair winds, so we'll see...

nick

[s/v Faith]

Yes, sideways is a good idea, I had thought about it - The only problem is you basically 'disable' the interior of the boat while your bed is setup.

  Rose and I have been living with this set up for 8 months (cruising, 9 months living aboard) and it is still working out well for us.  We have even taken to leaving the 'bed' made up on passages, and sometimes during the day.  It does hinder having anyone come below, but it really is not all that big of an issue (for us).  Both of the sette births have lee cloths, but stretching out flat across the big bed is a pretty comfortable way to get a nap off watch in all but the biggest seas.  This is probably due in part to the comfortable motion of our boat, but I am sure your Contessa would be well suited to the arrangement.  Might try to set up something temporary as an experiment?

Anyway, I think the key to small boat sailing, is to not try and be too 'tough', because eventually, it will tire you, whether you're made of steel or not. .....

I think if I had my time again, or if I had some money, I'd make the effort install a spray hood, to create a double-bed in the forepeak (for sleeping in harbour), install silly things like a radio with speakers in the cockpit, and heaven forbid, maybe even a DVD player. It's a curious thing, but loneliness only sets in once you're in port, and at least a few creature comforts make all the difference... If you can't make yourself (or don't want to) comfortable with an enormous boat, go to the effort of doing what you can to make life easier with little things.

  Good stuff...  ;)

[Godot]

Hadn't heard it mentioned, so I thought I'd bring up that Nick is a couple of weeks into his transatlantic crossing.  He's been posting two or three minutes podcasts every few days via sat phone...

http://www.bigoceans.com/category/podcast/

[CapnK]

Looks like Nick will be in the States tomorrow - way to go, Nick!  8) ;D 8)

His last comment:

2008-06-23
Comment: Eddy the eddy smashed! Wild squalls this morning. 60 miles to NY - awesome!
Lat/Long: (39.87, -72.76)

[CapnK]

Latest entry:

2008-06-24
Comment: Safely anchored in Sandy Hook Bay, NJ. Dense fog on entrance. Web access tomorrow.
Lat/Long: (40.41, -74.02)

Welcome to the States, Nick. :)

[nick]

Thanks guys!

It took me awhile to get here... But I made it, eventually ;)

I'm in Long Island Sound now, heading up to Greenport.

Having a great stay here in the US, and it's only been a week!

nick

[CapnK]

Nick, glad to have you aboard the S/V America... ;)

Reading your website this AM with coffee, saw this, and have to share it with the folks here:

Day 6

For the first time, maybe in my life, I don't want to be doing anything else: What's here, what's now, is finally enough. And it's funny, because what's around me is on the one hand, a complete void, yet this nothingness is rich in everything. As if nothing were everything, and vice versa. It's taken nearly 11,000km's and over 250 days en route for this feeling to arise, and I think it was worth every terrifying, frustrating and difficult moment (of which there were many)t. I know this won't last; it's a passing occurrence, but a worthy one no less.

Kudos, my man. :) (and Grog)