I am looking at a 63′ 1985 aluminum hull Deerfoot. Could you tell me more about her? Thank you Bruce

Dear Steve and Linda, I’ve been in the process of looking for a used boat to spend the next number of years sailing…everything from long offshore passages to time in the Caribbean. For many years, in the late 70’s and early 80’s, I built very traditional wooden boats, sailed mostly traditional boats.

While looking at a 31′ Camper Nicholson the other day, I spied an older Freedom 33′ Cat ketch. She was really beautiful, and I remembered how fascinated I was the boats when they were first introduced. I know that you and Linda have pushed the edges of innovation in designing and sailing offshore boats. What’s your opinion of the boat as an ocean passagemaker? Thanks for your opinion and a great web site. Sincerely, Michael

Hello Steve, I am sure you will know this design as it is not unlike yours. In your opinion is this a good boat to go cruising in? What do think are its good points and bad? I am concerned that it is very narrow and may not be a stiff boat. Also is the quality and strength of construction sufficient for blue water cruising. Thanks for any help you can give me. Regards, Andrew

Dear Steve, We are building a 46ft cat for live-aboard offshore cruising and have been studying and contemplating your writings with relish…We are ready for rig quotes and have been considering single line reefing – mostly to reduce the number of lines in the cockpit. Our last cat had simple slab reefing with luff & leach lines returning to the cockpit, and it worked very well.

We are concerned about adding complications and are unsure how to do it so, & that if anything goes wrong inside the boom we can fix it easily. Most people we have asked have thought it was OK in smaller boats, but weren’t confident to recommend it for as powerful a rig as ours.

Our cat is ‘a mainsail boat’ with 75sqm main with big roach like Beowulf, and self-tacking jib.

I am wondering if you could tell us how you set up single-line reefing in Beowulf and whether you have any more information or impressions that would help us.

Best wishes with your new project. – Sandy S

Steve, I’m looking at a Hardin 45 Ketch. It has two deck stepped masts. Would you consider that a trait that would be suitable for an offshore vessel? Know anything about these vessels? Les

Steve, I have your books and have asked you a few questions in the past which you have very kindly responded to. I have a Freedom 33 cat ketch (freestanding spars). The sail area of the full battened main is about 350 sq ft and the mizzen is is around 214. Both were cut too short (about 20" from the masthead and I’m planning to replace them soon for several reasons. In talking to sailmakers and reading about laminates and triradial construction versus crosscut dacron, so far the feedback is that I can maximize the roach/sail area and performance with triradial construction and use a pentex laminate for about a 25% price increase over dacron. I would also save some weight. The downsides beyond price are apparently longevity and potential mildew. Of course this is not a racing boat and it’s not great to windward but I would like to increase windward performance if it would be noticeable. I’m wondering if you have any opinion for this size and type of boat on the trade-offs. Thanks, Alan

Steve, a local sailmaker proposed an intriguing idea for improving sail efficiency on our Freedom cat ketch. He thought that a sleeve that would imitate the effect of the old 2-ply sails would be extremely effective. He would make it out of some light cloth and it would stretch back about 2 feet back thus eliminating the inefficiency created by our telephone pole-style mast. Do you think this might be an easy way to pick up some speed? TIA for any input. Regards, Dave

Do you have a good book on singlehanding? Singlehanding a catamaran? I have my bareboat certificate, recognize that there is much I must learn before undertaking a long solo cruise, am inclined to get a cat. And go from Med across Atlantic, through Panama Canal, up Mexico coast, anchor somewhere for some months. Please advise. Thank you, Jeff P

I have bought Prologue, an original 1970 classic Sp&Spears Swan 40. I am going to sail her to Falmouth England…and then onto West Coast Scotland, Transat from Oxford Maryland. I need a suitable windvane and must, on grounds of cost, try to find one used. Have you any suggestions as to buying one? Keith F

I received Surviving the Storm for Christmas, and have found it to be a very informative and useful book. It is great that you provide specific advice on what to do in different situations. You also inspire a great deal of confidence in the boat – that most modern boats will survive if the crew is careful.

I do have a couple of questions. How do you maintain active tactics like running off or heading up into large waves when 1) you are shorthanded with a husband and wife only on board and/or 2) it is night and you can’t see the waves coming? Regards, Hank

My question is this. I feel that BEOWULF is too big for me. I don’t really want to deal with so many sails and the cost and effort to maintain, dock, haul, paint, etc. a 78-foot ketch, even if I have to go a little slower. I expect that, as in the past, you can’t help but always be thinking about how you might build a successor to your current yacht. Historically your yachts have always gotten bigger, but I was wondering if you had ever given any consideration to a new design, maybe in the 50-foot range, for those of us that are a little less aggressive in our cruising requirements than are you and Linda. A boat like the Farr 50 Pilothouse seems to have interesting design characteristics but I have not test sailed one because it doesn’t have sufficient headroom for me and I don’t want to waste their time. Because I am 6’3″ tall, and refuse to have to duck anywhere on my own boat,I require an absolute minimum of 6’6″ headroom throughout, including heads and showers. After many years of trying to find a boat in the 48-53-foot that is based on the design characteristics that you have pioneered, with an attractive pilothouse and an interior that is designed for both voyaging and live aboard, I am finally giving serious consideration to custom building a boat. I have eschewed this option until now for fear of making a mistake and owning a white elephant, which I can ill afford, but it seems that no production builder is going to build my dream boat for me while I am still young enough to use it. Whether you are interested in such project, or might suggest a couple of yacht designers whom you favor, I would appreciate your thoughts. Jeff

I am trying to locate a contact number/E-mail/website for the Paul Luke large aluminum cowls you mention in the cruising encyclopedia. Grateful if you could assist.–Andrew

My 30′ Woods catamaran is rigged with a fully-battened roachy mainsail and a roller-furling genoa with a padded luff. The sails are probably seven to ten years old. I can’t get either sail flat, or to set well close-hauled. This is affecting my ability to point, and because much of my sailing is there-and-back weekending, I can’t avoid upwind sailing. Is re-cutting worth considering? The basic cloth seems to be fine, with little evidence of chafe. Thanks for your help, Tim Barnes

I am thinking of changing my fixed three-bladed prop for something that causes less drag. The Autoprop from Brunton’s Propellers seems very interesting. What do you know about it? P.S. Your Encyclopedia is a fantastic source of knowledge!

Steve – I am preparing to install an anchor windlass on my light displacement 43′ sloop. Primary anchor is a 45# CQR with 75′ of 3/8 HT chain + 250′ 5/8" nylon rode. Secondary anchor is a Fortress FX-37 with 25′ of 3/8 HT chain + rode. I will carry a 100# Luke storm anchor. My question is how to manage multiple anchor lines/chains with a single windlass. I would prefer a low profile vertical windlass to keep weight down and stay out of the foredeck crew’s way when racing, and am willing to live with rope/chain splice and redoing same when any splice wear starts to show. But I do not believe this will enable handling two anchor rodes? Adding a drum to the vertical windlass will handle the second rope rode, but not the chain. What do you suggest? Thank you. – Bill

Hi Steve: I’m interested in rigging a timer to my anchor light so I don’t burn it during the day when I’m away from the boat. Are you aware of any 12V timers I could put in the line to the light or another way to skin this cat? Thank you, Tom

Hi Steve, Absolutely the best investment I have made before going full time cruising is your Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. However I am hoping you can elaborate on one small statement that I keep coming back to, and it has a major bearing on the type of yachts we are looking at purchasing. As you’re aware, there are many more fibreglass boats to choose from, even in the South Pacific where steel is reasonably popular choice. Which seems to confirm your statement that "on average 1 in 12 yachts that spend more than 2 years in the South Pacific basin ends up on a reef permanently". As I am looking at the South Pacific, the Great Barrier Reef, and the archipelago of Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast – much of which is still not charted – as the areas we most wish to spend our time. I had resigned my looking to steel or aluminium yachts, however I have found a strongly built balsa cored 40′ cruising yacht that I particularly like, but I keep thinking about those reefs and rocks. Any more information you can give me or direct me to in helping me make a decision on whether to buy this yacht or keep looking would be very much appreciated. Regards, Peter

My basic question to you is in regard to my sanity along with that of my wife…We are dreaming of sailing, selling the house, sticking a chunk of money in an untouchable fund (for our eventual return in 10-15 years) and launching. But, we don’t just want to buy some fiberglass yogurt container for our trip. That would not fit our style. We want to build our yacht ourselves. I do have an engineering degree (although I have not used it) and an MBA (definitely a negative). My wife is a graphic artist with experience in interior design. Well, here is my plan. Is this do-able??????

1) Create detailed specifications and drawings of what I want. I am 50% there now after many drawings. (FYI: 55′-65′ modern aluminum hull, deck to include a classic pilot house and a sloping sheer line, modern schooner rig with marconni aft and gaff fore sail. Fore and aft cabins, bulkheads fore and aft with a water-tight, center, engine room. It should have a fin keel and a skeg hung rudder. Goal: Long-range, comfortable, easy-to-sail, high-safety factor, classic looking schooner built with modern components.)

2) Hand my plans/specs to a qualified naval architect/engineer to create the actual designs. IMPORTANT: Architect should have proven ability to produce complete “CUT” files for all Ribs, Stringers and Hull Plates. Complete hull.

3) Have these “CUT” files delivered to an Aluminum fabricator in the Austin/Houston area for CNC cutting.

4) Deliver these “puzzle” pieces to my enclosed shop for build.

5) Use certified welders (myself included), friends, family and an experienced boat-building consultant (can be remote) to assemble the hull.

6) Select components and build-out the remainder of the yacht using friends and family. Did I mention budget…Can I get the DESIGNS with CUT files under $20K??? My hopes for the entire project cost would be in the $150K range. (tools and facilities not included) I see that you have used experienced boat yards for all of your builds. Even with your experience you choose to leave the assembly to others. So, am I attempting something that I shouldn’t? I don’t think so, but then again, I have never build a boat before…other things, but not a blue-water home for my family. Any advise, suggestions or a sanity check would be greatly appreciated. Sincere Thanks, Andy

I read the article about Beowulf in Yachting magazine and I really liked it. The approach you took when designing this boat is how it should be. I’m really interested in a different boat. I’m a young man around 30 years old, have a small construction firm. We build large residential houses. And I have a dream. I would like to sail the world for five to ten years. When I came out of the university, three of my friends and I were an inch away from buying a boat and leaving. Something happened with one of us and we didn’t go. The dream is still there. We all took jobs and started our careers and our plans were put aside. Until we read this article. What I’m interested in is why you choose aluminum and, since we are four people, is it smart to increase the sail area? I still have more technical questions but I will ask them in time. We also would like to know what kind of budget you worked with (to see if it is possible for us to want a boat like yours). Can you split it up into: Hull, rigging/sails, interior, equipment, design cost. Thanks. -Sjors

A technical question: With AT&T going out of the high seas phone business, what would you recommend for someone heading offshore for e-mail and voice transmission? My friend…is taking his Swan 47 into the Pacific and is interested in your answer, as am I (more generally). Regards, John

Love your book which we refer to regularly. We have a motorsailer with an electric fridge which is not very efficient in our hot Australian climate. We have to run the generator almost constantly. We are not big fans of gas because of the dangers associated with it. Electrolux make a dual electric/kerosene fridge which we are contemplating. Could you please share your thoughts on kerosene fridges? Many thanks, Sally Luttrell.

You mentioned in a recent article you used a pocket camera on the docks. I am an amateur photographer and interested in which camera you carry as you walk the dock and what camera equipment you use to take the other beautiful pictures as you cruise. What did you use to take the whale and Baja pictures? I would also like to say I enjoy your website and appreciate you maintaining it. Dan

Hi there, I’m a sailor from Holland and am reading Mariners Weathers Handbook. Very useful information! My question is if there is a sailing dictionary, because in the normal dictionaries most of the words I look for I can’t find. My regards, Adger H.

Could you…let me know what info should be included in a ship log, or send over an example? Lisa P.

Continuing to enjoy and absorb the Encyclopedia…that photo just inside the front cover of BEOWULF (it must be BEOWULF because of the unpainted hull) rafted up with what looks like another Deerfoot is quite striking…what is the other vessel please? Just curious…Also, would like your advice on what precautions I should take as a prospective crewman on a new 47-footer leaving NYC on 12/1 for the BVI, possibly by way of Bermuda…what would you want to know from the skipper before taking on this crew slot and before actually embarking? I already know he wants to share food expenses and I am responsible for any personal expenses…and he has already said the vessel will meet solas standards for safety by time of departure, and has said he has bluewater experience in and around the Bahamas and Puerto Rico…What other concerns would you want clearly understood before embarking?Thanks, Richard

Dear Steve, We have a 60′ steel PH cutter, mast is 76′ off the water. We have had two back to back strikes, one year apart. The first strike took out the Icom VHF, the Simrad instruments and the autopilot. Just after the new electronics was installed (I literally mean 3 days), the boat took a hit at the yard in the water. The second strike took out the VHF again, and so far, the Charles Marine Isolation transformer (it was tied to dock power at the time). No other damage has been noted, and I am convinced that the strikes were well dissipated throughout the mast and hull.

Question: If I install the pom pom at the mast head, does it reduce the efficiency of the VHF antenna also on the masthead? Also, what kind of pom pom do you suggest? The electronics technician told me he could see a burn on a bolt head at the masthead where he thought the lightning bolt jumped from the antenna and ran down the mast. As a side note: both antennas were fried and literally exploded.

Thanks a million for the website, a tremendous resource.

Am refitting a Cherubini 44 ketch (engine, tank, wiring cosmetics, etc.). At this point I would very much appreciate any info or source information regarding integral fuel (diesel) tanks. I am considering placement in the keel aft of the sealed ballast section. Is there any long term deleterious effect on the hull glass? Thanks in advance for your attention and effort. Needless to say, I have read the encyclopedia, storm tactics, SetSail info, etc. Great resources. Pete

Hi Steve: I have read, with a great deal of interest, several of your publications. Being interested in yacht design, I have learnt much from them. I am interested in the water ballast system you have installed in BEOWULF. It puzzles me that these water ballast systems use only sea water. Why not use the fuel and potable water that is already on board and move that around? BEOWULF would have some 12,000 lbs of combined fuel and water if all tankage was full. Why increase displacement by bringing on board an extra (up to) 7,000 lbs of salt water? The extra displacement will increase absolute stability, but is this necessary particularly when it is at the cost of added hull resistance? There could be separate ballast tanks to carry sea water when potable water and fuel are low. I would imagine there would be a case for the use of already on board fuel and water. Would you agree? Is there a reason you don’t do this? Also, would it make sense to install ballast tanks well aft, say in the stern, so as to adjust the fore and aft trim in heavy downwind/surfing conditions to keep the bow/cutwater out off the water to mitigate broaching tendencies? Many Thanks, Henry

You talked about an oil sipper for the engine block breather. Can you tell me more about this? I found one made by Racor. We would like to put one on our universal 32 hp. Thanks, D.M.

Hello Dashews- Got your letter about the weather book. I have a question: Can I interpret the meteorology around me with the help from this magic book of yours, WITHOUT assist from electronics like weather faxes and other fancy modernities? Is it enough with your book, thermometer (showing Celsius of course), a barometer and some bottles of nice wine? Regards from Sweden, Sigge

Hi Steve, I’ve read your Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia and Surviving the Storm ( both are fantastic) and have some questions about a particular boat I’m considering. It’s a 78 Doug Peterson design, 43′ IOR. It’s beamy (13′ 3"), 7′ 9" draft, 17,500 #’s with 9,000#’s ballast, fin keel, spade rudder. No trunk cabin or pilothouse. I read in the encyclopedia your warnings about "later" IOR boats……does this qualify? I’ve been unable to personally view the boat and can only rely on pictures, but it seems to have more in common with your designs in terms of hull shape and lines than, for instance, Neil Hunter’s Farr 40 Around Alone boat (it was for sale awhile back). Not near as shallow as the Farr. The Peterson has what appears to be a relatively fine bow/entry angle, a bit more overhang there than I’d like though. The big draw for me is the fact that it’s aluminum construction (the interior is somewhat spartan/exposed, and resembles the longitudinal and athwartships framing from your designs) and would afford me more piece of mind in terms of any changes and/or additions I would make in the future. It also appears to have more in the way of topsides than later IOR’s. I have a number of other questions, but I’ll stop for now. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Jeff

Hi Steve. Recently, we talked about a Cal46-2 as a cruising boat for a retired couple. What do you think about the CSY-44? It looks like there are more of those out there and they are priced in my price range. Sidney

I have for two years been cruising my Hylas 46, and have realized it is not the boat I need to continue cruising. I believe one of your Deerfoot series, ideally a 61 would serve me better. Do sellers go solely to brokers or do they sometimes ask if you know of a prospective purchaser? Do they often come on the market? I realize the last question is probably often asked and a generalization is difficult. If you have the time to reply I would appreciate it.–Mike Parker

I am considering the purchase of a 63′ vessel which is located in Rhode Island (I happen to live in Portland, Oregon). I am including a link to the broker’s listing for her and, if you have a moment, would appreciate your thoughts. The owner says he has been aboard BEOWULF, so you may have seen his boat, also.

Any thoughts or comments will be appreciated. What I’m looking for is a boat two people can sail. This one would take some work to get there, but it seems like it could be possible…

I have become somewhat obsessed with her, but am not sure it would be in my best interest to get involved. She seems like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…Built to a high standard, to withstand sailing in the Southern Ocean. Fast, lots of interior room to setup for live-aboard. The structural advantages of aluminum.

I’m looking for honest, direct thoughts.

Dear Steve, Thank you for taking the time to read our email. We are selling our home to buy a yacht to cruise the oceans to enjoy our time together. I’m a marine mechanic specializing in power boat refits. I have limited sailing experience and Karen has even less.

We are currently shopping for a yacht with the intentions of learning on the boat we will be cruising on. We have your books and recently purchased a video you appear in (Heavy Weather Sailing), we found it all very exciting and informative. We are planning on spending the next year or three learning and doing all the necessary courses to become competent offshore sailors.
The yachts we are looking at are mainly masthead rigs but we have come across a fractional (Farr 1104) which shows a lot of potential as a cruiser/live-on.

Although you suggest water length to be main consideration, this is the largest within our price range. I am aware of the sailing differences between fractional and masthead after reading your books, but I have no experience sailing on fractional rigs and am not sure of the difference of rig strength.

The type of yachts we are looking at are:

Duncanson 35′ Masthead
Northshore 33′ Masthead
Farr 36′ Fractional

Just once again thank you for your time and valued advice. – Alen S

Steve, I kept your 2 big books (Cruising Encyclopedia and Weather book) on the shelf, frankly afraid of them: they are so big, they intimidated meÉ So I kept reading smaller, easier to finish books for the past 3 years. Finally I gathered the courage to open your cruising encyclopedia and now I canÕt put it down: I donÕt even play spades on the computer anymore.

The fact is that I closed today on my first "big boat", is a 1989 Hylas 44, called Delta Tango, soon to be named "Alegria". I stopped working (or maybe my companyÕs business decided to slow down to the point that it stopped me) and plan to prepare to sail with her (my wife and Alegria) for the rest. Will shake down to Bermuda and BVI, afterwards going anywhere but including Alaska, Hawaii, Palmyra, Tonga, Tahiti, Western Europe, etc. I am 54, have some time to cruise, hopefully. Your book provides me with a lot of info that I intend to use to equip, improve and secure her. Your first advice in the book (donÕt start buying things and changing them around until you sailed for a while) is great advice. But hard to follow by someone like me who is always trying to improve things (and people, just ask my wife and kids!).

I called Hood and they prepared an estimate on a Vektron Main, reacher, stay sail and storm main. Initially I thought on getting the main (full batten, 5 of them), to go over the back stay, then I chicken out, now I am back on the first idea, making it elliptical, overlapping the back stay by some 8 inches. If it chafes, I guess I can cut it down to regular size. This is not a particulary fast boat, so I need all the sail I can get. I talked to the riggers at Nance & Ubderwood to build the baby stay and runners. Thank you for any advice you can give me. Regards, Pablo

Dear Steve and Linda: Cate and I were arguing last night about sailing w/o a main. She thinks that it can damage the rig. My not-so-engineering mind didn’t think so provided there was plenty of backstay support. Saw a few illustrations in Surviving the Storm where boats were sailing w/o a main. What do you think?

We recently finished a circumnavigation and currently have our boat in Mexico for needed upgrades. We are looking at replacing the dodger as well as the bimini and main sail cover. I would like to know if their have been any advances in regards to fabric and materials. Here’s my question: With regard to dodger windows, I do not want to end up with the plastic that turns yellow after a couple of years. We early on had clear plastic that seemed to last long but it could not be rolled, which is fine. Do you know what this "clear plastic glass" is called and any sources to check into? We really would like to get good quality dodger windows that will hold up and not turn yellow Also, I would love to have white mainsail cover and bimini, but I am very nervous about the dirt and grime and keeping them clean. Are there any new (sunbrella type) fabrics that will be UV resistant as well as easy to wash and clean? – Cynthia

Dear Mr. Dashew, I have owned a copy of your original Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia for several years and refer to it constantly. I have grown to respect your perspective and advice, and follow it most of the time. The best advice you have given that I followed was regarding the WH Autopilot. We have a Westsail 43 (beam 13′, WL 33.3′, displacement 18 tons, full keel, tall rig) and have run off in 40+ knot winds and quartering seas for six days and never touched the helm. I have been very interested in your philosophy about sail design and am in need of new sails. I would appreciate your advice about A full batten, large roach main sail for my boat. I fear that this kind of sail on my boat may be like putting a Ferrari engine in a tractor. We currently have a no-batten main and have had good luck with it especially when reefing off the wind. Due to our tall rig we must reef early. I fear this may be a problem with a full batten large roach main. I have considered putting a tacking reef in this type of sail so that in short tacking situations I could reef in order for the roach to clear the backstay. I am sure that you are very busy, but I would really like to have your opinion on this subject.

Thanks for a great publication. Sincerely, Ron G., Baja, Mexico

Hi: Some time ago, I purchased your book Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia. Recently I have been searching in it for a reference for heaving to or laying to. I can find none. Here is my problem: I am having difficulty in getting my 48 ft Mayflower ketch to heave to or lay to the wind. I tried placing the headsail to windward, the main amidship, and the rudder hard to leeward. It does not work. I have placed the main to windward, the mizzen amidships, and the rudder hard to leeward. This causes the boat to head about 120° apparent. Placing the full mizzen amid ship with about a yard of main amidship results in movement from about 0° to 90°. The movement without the main is slightly more violent. I would appreciate any ideas that you could give me on how to solve this problem in all kinds of weather, but of course, heavy weather is the condition that bothers me the most. Thank you, John.

Hi, My wife and I are looking at buying a 65′ steel hull motorsailor that is not finished. By that I mean all that’s there is a complete hull with two engine rooms. If we buy we will most likely put in Perkins 135 hp engines as that is the design called for. My question today is about steering. The boat weighs at full load 96000 lbs. The rudder is a big one – 16’x14’x6′ and weighs 500 lbs. I know very little about hydraulic steering but that seems to be what most of the shipyard managers whom I’ve talked to suggest. Which make would you recommend as being able to add to it, if and when the situation arises? And which has a back-up in case of power loss? Or which could work on batteries vs engine power? And where can I find this information written down (on the page or the web)? Thanks, Rod and Lucy

Re: your article in Cruising World some editions ago concerning crossing a harbour bar. As a last advice there could be the option of using a drogue from the stern for stabilizing reasons (I also use a drogue as a steering device).

What do you think about this? The first one who mentioned this method was Captain Voss in 1901 (in “The Venturesome Voyages Of Captain Voss). Best Wishes Yours, Jens

I noticed that your boats keep getting bigger and bigger. What do you consider the best minimum size for cruising? My dream is to sail down the coast of California to Mexico, Panama Canal, Caribbean, and then Greece, Italy, France, and England. Thanks for writing what looks like a wonderful book. Sincerely yours, Sal

Hi ya: For years we have lusted after your boats (Wiroa was one) but couldn’t afford them. Our own boat Gungha (Alan Buchanan design in steel, round slack bilge’s and overhangs) was getting too small. We owned her and lived on board for 21 years.

Last year we were lucky to change boats and boat designs. The new boat is a Birdsall 60. She really is the boat of our dreams. Heaps of space, stable and fast-as. I can’t think of anything about the layout or performance of the boat that I could criticize. We have just made our first offshore passage from NZ to Tonga with heavy weather and she went like the clappers. So no problem there. There is however a problem of lingering doubt vis-à-vis the design.

I have been used to the deep draft and 45% ballast ratio of Gungha (nice and rolly). I always knew that if she was capsized she’d snap back upright in moments. I know you’re probably familiar with the Birdsall designs, as they resemble your own in some aspects. This yacht is 63′ on deck, 60′ at the waterline. She has a 14’10” beam which is carried aft but certainly not forward (very narrow there) and she has a 6′ draft.

The yacht is single chine steel with a long (about 17′ fore and aft) fin keel and a skeg-supported spade rudder. The hull of the yacht draws a little over 2′ with the keel making up the rest of the draft. The yacht is double-bottomed fully with welded in tanks, which hold a total of 800 gallons of fluids. The deck plate and all construction techniques have concentrated all the weight as low as possible. The yacht has a center cockpit and trunk cabin with considerable buoyancy.

My problem is this. The yacht is adequately stiff even in hard conditions but…she only has 4 tons of ballast. Her total shipyard weight is 27 tons. What do you think of that and her ability to be tipped over????? We have sailed over 60,000 miles and prior to that I was a commercial fisherman in Alaska…Am I getting paranoid in my old age?

Thanks and cheers, Mike

Dear Dan, I am looking at sails for extended cruising. I wonder if you have any experience/views on Hydra-net from Dimension polyant. Your book has been very helpful already and will be coming sailing to help with repairs! Yours sincerely, Bruce C

What kind of prop do you use on BEOWULF and is it a feathering prop or folding? I know that you do motor sail and I wonder how you came to the size and pitch that you needed for the boat. I also liked the Bermuda story about the weather, you made a very good move by moving to a new location, it could have been a bad situation had you not moved. Good Sailing, Gary H

Dear Steve Dashew, Many thanks for the fine web postings on the new powerboat. I have a question regarding your anchoring setup. How do you maintain the strength of the G7 chain through your shackle attachment to the Bruce? Do you have ACCO install an oversized link and use, say, a 5/8" shackle? Or do you have a source for high-test shackles? I am building a 19m powercat designed by Malcolm Tennant to be launched early ’06. See you in Patagonia! Thank you, Bill

Hi Steve, My name is Ethan Smith. I’ve got the Ovni 36 “Eyoni” across the basin from Beowulf. We spoke briefly before I bought it. I was fortunate enough to receive both the Encyclopedia and Surviving the Storm for Xmas. Yea me. Both a hugely informative and exceptionally well done, my complements. In your anchoring section in the Encyclopedia, you mention moving to high test and a smaller link and making up the difference (or some of it) in anchor weight & rode length. I’m in the process of redesigning the anchoring system on Eyoni and want to know, in your opinion, if 1/4 HT (G-4) is adequate in terms of swl and breaking strength (schedule 70 better?) for a cruising setup for Eyoni? She is of moderate windage and has a design displacement of 12,500 lbs. The boat currently has 200′ of 3/8 PC with is less than ideal. I had initially leaned towards 5/16 BBB or HT – do I sacrifice much by giving up the higher ultimate breaking strength of the (non-HT) larger links? We made it to San Miguel Is. for the first time on our recent 9 day holiday cruise. It was warm and flat as a lake! Thanks for your time and expertise. Hope to see you on the water soon. Sincerely, Ethan

Hi Steve Any suggestions for a leaky goit deck hatch (the one under the vang)…thinking of putting some wet suit neoprene in the gasket…Very annoying, Phil

Greetings to you from Vanuatu…We are leaving Paradise in December to return to NZ to find a boat to go cruising for the next three to five years. All going well, we will do a circumnavigation. We are interested in steel boats and I was wondering if you could recommend the best book I could read on steel construction techniques–with a view particularity to proven or recognized standards. Also, do you know of a good steel surveyor in Auckland who could give us an opinion on one boat in particular that we are interested in at present. The reason I ask is because we have had several opinions so far and they are all conflicting!!! Many thanks for your help. Keep up the good work! Gary

We cruised the Pacific for 5 years from LA to NZ, Japan & Aleutians with a standard s/s frame & Sunbrella soft dodger. Our boat is center cockpit, glass construction.

I’m looking for suggestions on materials and approach to getting a hard dodger built–and looking less ugly than most. A friend used 1/8″ ply with glass & epoxy on his s/s dodger frame but this core bends in only 1 direction and is hard to form-fit. I’m wondering if aluminum is a better choice.

I’d like an opening in the front but nothing hinged–more like a removable panel that can be swapped with a panel of standard dodger window material. Zippers can leak under pressure–so a zippered panel might not be the answer? Any suggestions appreciated.

Dear Steve: I have just read your article in Practical Sailor’s latest issue regarding gear info after 38000 miles. In it you said you had a problem with your SGC 2000 HF radio and the Pactor II modem in trying to send e-mail. I own a 2 year old SGC 2000 with the new “Powertalk” remote head which I bought because it was supposed to be better for clear data transmission in poor conditions. You stated that the radio drifted off frequency (which obviously would mess up data transmission). Is this a problem with all models of SGC 2000 radios or a problem specific to your radio and/or model? I am just getting ready to purchase a Pactor II modem and get my radio set up for e-mail as my wife and I are preparing for a 2 year cruise on our Saga 43 from Maine to the Caribbean and then to the Azores and the Med. This problem with the SGC 2000 concerns me!! Should I sell it and get an ICOM 710 like everyone else?! Thanks for your comments, Frank

Hi, have enjoyed reading your books. Was wondering what kind of bedding you use for circumnavigation taking in all the elements? Also, what kind of storage containers do you recommend for rice, flour, sugar etc…that last and keep things fresh? Thanks for the info…Jim

Hello, Because I am changing the interior of my wooden Van de Stadt Pacific sailing vessel I have to make several choices. Therefore I am happy with the Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia because it is based on experience and that is what I need. It is my intention to install a hot water heating system and in the encyclopedia is mentioned a Teledyne system what would be a better system in comparison with Webasto, which I know well. Is it possible to send me an e-mail adress from Teledyne because I like to know more about the system.I was not succesful in finding Teledyne on the internet, and I am sure you can help me. Thank you very much in advance. Greetings, Paul

I’m retiring and thinking of sailing. I’m a Alaskan sailor all my life…but im thinking of US- VI or South Florida. I’ve fished all my life off boats that make so much noise you can’t think. A catamarn sounds like my kind of boat. What do you think? Can a guy figure on living free at $30,000 a year? I have no bills and no wife nor kids. At 56 it’s time to get a tan. Any commments? – Jim

My dream has been to make a passage across the Atlantic and some extended cruising. Over the years this has been out of the realm of possibility because, well, I couldn’t afford more than a used sunfish (hard to sleep on and no head). Well, now I have been given a Tylercraft T26 it’s a fairly heavy 26′ 2" 4-foot draft iron keel boat. It was built in 1975 and the standing rigging was replaced 7-8 years ago. In the electronics dept it’s well equipped (radar etc.). I’m going to have to rework the cabin and have looked at improving it’s seaworthiness ( decreasing cockpit volume increasing scupper volume etc.) Do you have any thoughts on a boat of this size and blue water sailing with the caveat that I would carefully plan routes, seasons, to pick the best times and latitudes to travel? Thanks! Nathan F.

Hello Next year I am sailing to Cape Horn on a Bristol Pilot Cutter. I am currently reading the second edition of your brilliant book Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia–it is providing me with so much information and inspiration. Thank you. However I would love to get hold of the first edition of this excellent book–do you have any for sale or any idea how I could do this? I would really appreciate your advice on this. Thanks again for writing the book. love Emma M

Dear sailing friends, Steve and Linda, My family lived and cruised aboard the S/V White Cloud for many years. We were involved in a marine business and basically the most enjoyable years we can remember.

My son is completing the rebuilding of a West Sail 32 here in Fairbanks and plans to rejoin the sailing life in a couple more years. My daughter also is trying to rejoin however she has home schooled her 6 children in the Bush of Alaska and now two of the 6 are in a high school and honor students.

This request is for her use: Which one of your books will specifically address family concerns that a mother and father of 6 share, i.e., inoculations requirements, money exchanges, children’s education, activities and in general, home and family activities. Obviously, from her present experience years of bush living and successful home schooling, she already has most of the skills. She desires the confidence ( and her husband) from people That we from the sailing/cruising community, recognize as being successful.

So you have a rather long winded thing in way of background. Her (Cara) 36th birthday is fast approaching and hopefully you may have a word or two as a suggestion for me to purchase.

Sincerely with thanks, Paul C. (former Skipper S/V White Cloud from Juneau)

PS: I’m redoing an old Tartan 27T to trailer to the warmer climites for winters in retirement

1. Piracy during our trip. As I mentioned we will have 2 small children and I'm not sure what to expect or what the best plan is to avoid problems.

2. Harley. How do we best prepare for bringing a pet into foreign countries?

3. Your opinion on cruising rallies to hook up with throughout our voyage? That's it for now. Cheers, Tom

Hi there. We are currently assisting friends to ready their vessel on which we are crewing for the passage from New Zealand to Fiji. We are installing an ICOM 710 SSB, however, as the yacht is of aluminum construction we have run into the interesting question of how to safely earth the radio. We have had a variety of suggestions made to us but would be keen for your advice. Looking forward to hearing from you. Many thanks, Jan

Do you have any experience or knowledge about using Ericson Safety Pumps for damage control? I’ve searched through your books and only found engine-mounted pumps. The Ericson is a prop shaft-mounted pump that runs dry until it contacts water. I would like to know if there are obvious downside factors to using such a system. Thanks, Frank M

I live in Alaska and have been doing a fair amount of work on refitting our 20 year old fiberglass cutter. Electrical, mechanical etc. I purchased new set of tools dedicated to the boat so it means keeping the tools on the boat.

My problem some of my tools are starting to show signs of tarnish ( early rust ) I use them quite a bit. And put them away after every project. Do you recommend something to keep them from rusting. Wd40? Thanks for attending to this “basic” question.–Mark

I have a Powersurvivor 80 II. On board I go well at 13 liters per hour. I was thinking of upgrading. Do you have any recommendations? I have a 3.5kw inverter (trace) run 230v 50hz and 24 vdc.

Good Morning Steve and Linda: I try to read everything that either of you write and have ALL of the books. However, in sailing TIMING is everything as you know. Vicki and I have a 1998 Valiant 42 built for us in Texas. We have dear friends, Joe and Pam Harris from Durham. They have the Sundeer 60. We are to meet them in Crete in the Fall of 2003.

WHEN SHOULD I LEAVE FOR CRETE AND WHAT IS THE BEST ROUTE? I’m retiring in June of 2003 and will have a lot of time to get there. This might be a good article to look into as I’m probably not the only one to run across this problem. Any books that you recommend will be read. Thanks and keep up the good work–GURU–you’ve never let me down. Roy

Gooday–Looking for a web site dedicated to info on offshore sailing. I am a novice thinking of sailing Victoria, Canada to Mexico then across the Pacific to New Zealand with all the stops. Need to to know the right time of year and all that stuff. Please respond. Regards, Gaz.

Hi, I have an oceangoing motor yacht designed for ocean crossing and heavy coastal work. The weather routing techniques we would use are different from the techniques a sailing yacht would use. For example, we would tend to motor through the middle of a high for calm seas and light winds, rather than try to pick a path around with the strong and steady prevailing winds abaft the beam. How useful is the Mariner’s Weather Handbook for me? I don’t want to pay out that kind of money for a book, only to find that it is predominantly aimed only at sailing yachts. Thanks for giving me your honest view.

I recently looked at a 1972 Hardin Force 50 to purchase. She has seen considerable blue water and appears to be a comfortable liveaboard. Some cosmetic work is needed, along with new sails. While I intend to have a complete survey done, I want to learn what I can about the vessel construction and/or design before jumping in. There doesn’t seem to be much info out there–can you help me? Thanks.

I HAVE NARROWED MY SEARCH…CAL 2-46, CAROFF GALAPAGOS 50 STEEL KETCH, GARDEN PORPOISE 50 OR WELLINGTON 47. I AM GOING TO CRUISE THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR 2-3 YEARS. ALL CAN BE OUTFITTED TO GO FOR ABOUT THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT. I LIKE THE LOOKS OF THE WELLINGTON,BUT HAVEN’T A CLUE AS I HAVE NEVER SEEN ONE. I WILL INSTALL MAXSEA-YACHT. PLEASE TELL ME ABOUT WELLINGTON YACHTS AS I CAN’T FIND THEM ON THE INTERNET. ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW YOUR CHOICE OF THE FOUR BOATS GIVEN THAT THEY ARE EQUAL IN ELECTRONICS, SAILS ETC. THANK YOU GARY

A quick review of your recommended cruising boats was interesting, but I was surprised to see the absence of the Tayana 42, 48, 52, and 55. I mention this as many brokers have said they are desirable, well-built cruising boats with reasonable pricing. While the designers encompass Harris(42) , Perry(48&52) and unknown(55), your comments are appreciated. I’m sure you have come across these boats. I omitted the Perry designed 37 Tayana as it has a bowsprit. Thank you, David

Hi, After reading your observations about cats for offshore cruising we have started to rethink the one-year Pacific cruise we have been planning for our family (three adults, two children 11-13 ) starting next July. Any views on a Macgregor 65 as an alternative to a 40ft cat? Being UK sailors we haven’t come across these boats over here. Are they as fast and as tough as their supporters claim? Any comments will be very much appreciated. Thanks for a great site. Hugh & Deb

Hello, In your rigs and rigging section, you mention using the Profurl 4000 free flying furler. Can that furler be set tight enough to work for use up wind sail?

Don Street, in his valuable book The Ocean Sailing Yacht, mentions his using a similar unit some years ago for both jib and staysail and using them upwind, downwind, whatever. High luff tension is vital, of course. I don’t see why these couldn’t be used for all headsails, providing the safety of being able to get the sail down and also being able to easily change sails. Leaving the headstay would provide the backup system for a hanked-on sail. The century-old Wykeham-Martin design still works well for gaff riggers. Can the new flying furlers fill the role for Bermudan rigs?

Thanks, Donal