Not much to Tell

[wolverine]

Arrived home from church and saw the river was alive with sailboats.  Reporting 8mph winds building to 15.  I set about filling a cooler and preparing for what I thought would be a great sail.  (I always prepare to spend the night aboard when heading out)  I sailed out of the creek and under the bridge to witness the sailboats motoring in.  No wind to speak of.  I wish I had brought a kayak.  I could have anchored and played in the river.

[CapnK]

The Lyin' Weather Weasels strike again! :D

[wolverine]

Well, just as I posted here the wind returned.  That usaully happens when I decide to open a drink or grab a sandwich.  All the other boats headed to the harbor and me and 1 other had the river to ourselves.  On the way in, I sailed through all the moored boats.  Looks like the 2nd wave of snowbirds are headed south.

[CapnK]

Looks like the 2nd wave of snowbirds are headed south.

Easily. We have two here tonight over 90', also been scads of smaller trawlers and sailboats.

Interestingly, a couple on a Bristol 33 are here until the AM. Been cruising since 1974, started on the west coast w/a 21' boat, went S, came thru the Canal, met the Pardeys around '99. They've had bigger than now, and smaller. I asked them - given the choice - for long term - 25' Ariel, or 36' Islander?
Their reply was instantaneous, and exactly the same - Islander.

I'm still processing that.

[Norman]

CapnK, they  have a bias, they are looking from a crew of 2 point of experience.  That allows handling in tight places with much more ease.  They have been a single 4 handed octopus for years, so tied together that they think as one, and move mostly without orders.  After 800 hours flying cross country with me, my wife was very much in tune with all around her, and took care of most items without any request.

Obviously, too, they are genuine full time cruisers, with a source of income that does not require time in a harbor with good internet access.

As a solo sailor, the load on you will at times be much higher than on them.  Comfort in the harbor, and on the hook, is where the Islander will be fine, but reefing under stress, that is the time the Islander will put you down.  Is there any reefing that is not under stress, except if you do it before casting off or raising the anchor?

[Tim]

As a solo sailor, the load on you will at times be much higher than on them.  Comfort in the harbor, and on the hook, is where the Islander will be fine, but reefing under stress, that is the time the Islander will put you down.  Is there any reefing that is not under stress, except if you do it before casting off or raising the anchor?

I think what Norman is saying is, you need to add a crew member that has hands not paws.

[CapnK]

Norman and Tim, you both raise good points, and I've been pondering them since you posted.

Having help aboard would make a big difference. If not the biggest... But I'd rate it 'unlikely' at best that 2 more hands get added to the manifest anytime in the near or middle future. :)

I think the Islander would actually be more comfortable at sea as well as anchor, purely due to physics - it being near 3X the mass of an Ariel. There are many times I have been on her and not noticing any movement, only to look out and see Katie and Sundancer (to a slighty lesser degree) bouncing around like a pup just let out of a cage. A week or two ago, I was watching YT with James on Triteia, he was anchored in an atoll in the Tuamotus, and the fetch there was enough that he was uncomfortable to the point that he decided to move his A-30 to a better spot.
This might be the one thing bigger boats without a doubt have going for them - all that mass.

AFA sail handling, with a chunk o' money which I do not have ;D , I would look in to converting the I-36 to a junk rigged ketch.
I don't buy lotto tickets, so that is even less likely than the Swedish Bikini Team becoming crew...
A much cheaper alternative would be to go to a cutter rig, use the staysail alone in storms and for maneuvering in tight quarters.
Slocum, while admittedly a MUCH better captain than I will ever be, at only a few years younger than I am, managed the Spray by himself, using all that old, less efficient, heavier gear sails and tackle. She was to the I36, as it is to Katie - 18 long tons/36K lbs displacement. So, if you are willing to do the work, ....

And that's right where "Small and Simple" start kicking ass. :)

(As an aside, I just looked it up, the Roberts designed 38' Spray has a Comfort Ratio of over 46. lol That's twice again the Ariel, and nearly twice the I-36. Only 1.5X the A-30... ;) )