Hi Linda and Steve

Thanks for a great book, we have the second edition which I brought in 1998.

I need your help?

My wife,Tina (40) and I (45) have little offshore sailing experience although we have three boats in the past, a 22, 26 and a 32 footer.

We are now thinking of going cruising for a year or more. This would entail the selling of our business , which we started 15 years ago, and the house. We have had about 25 days leave in 15 years and not more than a week at one time. We are just tried of the grind and need a change desperately.

We have 5 kids, 3, 14, 15, 19 and 21 years old of which 4 want to come with us so any boat under 45 feet is going to be tight.

My plan is to buy a boat in the States, spend three months, or as long as it takes, honing our offshore skills and then sailing the Pacific, through New Zealand then back to South Africa. The boats that we have considered are a Beneteau Oceanis 440 or Cal 46 (although most Cals are old and we have never seen one in the flesh). The budget for the boat is $90,000 with a max of $110,000 and $10,000 for improvements or gear. We cannot buy in SA because of stock and pricing problems. Simply there just aren’t any decent boats locally except overpriced Cats. Also found a strange boat on the Internet, a Macgregor 65 cruising version, long and narrow, but has a beam ratio that you recommend in your book. We have only viewed a Beneteau 440 at a local sailing school which Tina likes, I am not so sure. I spoke to one of the instructors and he stated that he would take her anywhere anytime?!

We also do not want to make trips to the States, as time won’t permit this, and it is costly.

1. What boat would you recommend within our budget? What are your feelings on the ones we have considered?

2. We have planed on a monthly cruising budget of $1,000, is this enough? Currently land based budget is about $5000 per month, $900 an school fees alone!!!

3. We plan to keep $25,000 for emergencies.

4. My wife and kids have duel passports UK and SA and I have SA only, where should we make "home base" from a registration point of view?

5. What about boat insurance?

Wish that we could afford one of your boats, even an old one.

Regards, Barry

Hi. Can you help we are looking for cruising insurance. We are at present in New Zealand and are about to set off on a world cruise in our 40ft steel yacht. But are having trouble finding cruising insurance we can afford. Can you help? Regards John

My wife and I have considered buying a catamaran and putting it into a bareboat program. This seems like an economical way to make sure that I have a boat available to me (paid off) when I retire in 5 years.

What would you recommend?

Sincerely Yours, J. Mitchell (Mitch) Patridge, Jr.

Hi SetSail! Following Steve’s lead when building our 50′ catamaran, PAPILLON, we installed sea chests to supply salt water to the watermaker, refrigerator, galley sink and head (stbd side) and genset, head, and deck wash (port). While at dock in Ft. Myers Beach (Estero River) this winter, the water from the starboard side has developed an awful stench–this despite: (a) daily turnover of the water in the sea chest through the refrigeration system (Glacier Bay), (b) cleaning of the chest itself about every 3 weeks, and (c) daily flushing of the head. The water at the sink and head are the real problems, due to sulfur smell. Have you experienced this type of problem, and what can you suggest? (The port side is rarely used and has been left filled with fresh water to delay the onset of the problem.) Thanks! – Julia P

Hi Steve, Thinking about upgrading a boat from a 12 volt system to a 12/24 volt system to handle electric windlass, electric winches, water maker, etc while still using 12 volts for electronics and lights. In your opinion, what is the best route to go? Thank you Crawford

Hi, I just received my video of BEOWULF in the S Pacific…my wife and I watched it twice, back to back, and were totally impressed with the video and of course BEOWULF.

My specific questions are equipment related:

How did you design the water ballast system and which manufacturer did you select for the pump(s) and other controls ? I own an older 60 ft steel ketch with three water tanks built into the hull. The port and starboard tanks could conceivably be converted to a ballast system. The third tank could then be used for drinking water supplied by a watermaker. What volume and therefore weight would you consider to be a minimum to use in such a system? obviously this is hull specific but I do not have any rules of thumb to use. My boat is 60,000 lb displacement. I noticed on the video that you showed a shot of a fuel/hour gauge which was easy to read. Would this be a practical retrofit and if so which manufacturer did you use? In one of your books, I don’t remember which I have several, you had a section on anti roll flopper stoppers? I was wondering how often did you use them and how effective are they?

I would appreciate any advice you can give as we are in the middle of a retrofit/upgrade. My wife thinks that your video is going to cost us a lot of cash, but she won’t let me make an offer to purchase BEOWULF!!! Regards, John

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.

Steve, We are planning a bareboat charter in Tonga Vava’u and the first thing we are doing is choosing the time of the year we want to go. That will depend on a chart of weather in the Tonga region, including precipitation, winds and temperature. Do you know where we can get that chart? Thank you, Mary and Pablo V, Florida, USA

Hello, I’ve been reading Mariner’s Weather Weather (which I find very helpful and readable compared to several other weather books I’ve slogged thru, thanks!) and I was wondering what scale of 500mb and surface charts you recommend I study (as I try to get a hang of this theory before heading out sailing in a few years).

I’ve seen them ranging from very small areas to the world (particularly the 500 mb ones). Thanks, Glen

Dear Steve, I have a Kelly Peterson 46 with a fixed 3-blade prop. I want to change it to a feathering prop. I am intrigued by the continuously adjusting Autoprop which is supposed to match pitch to engine rpm and twist more or less flat to cut drag under sail to 85% of a fixed blade prop. I wonder what happens to the independently adjusting blades when barnacles form and they become unbalanced. Maxprop has less drag under sail but its pitch is optimized for max rpm and falls off (like fixed props) at lower engine rpm. Do you know how well these things work in the field? Any kudos or horror stories. Thanks, Carl

Dear Dashews: A quite wonderful website. The most interesting and informative I have ever come across in any field of interest. I shall certainly be buying some or all of your books. In the meantime, a word of advice, if you have time: I noted your comments about one of the Beneteau designs. First question: do you have a view as to the suitability of the Oceanis 473 for deepwater cruising? It seems to me to be quite a lot of boat for the money in this part of the world (UK) – compared for instance with the clearly excellent but extremely pricey Hallberg-Rassey equivalent. Second question: conceivably you might think single-handed offshore cruising to be inadvisable, but would the 473 lend itself to that, if suitably set up? Third question: do you rate the boom furling equipment now available? – I am thinking in particular of a New Zealand design the name of which I have forgotten but have seen in action. It seems pretty handy and of course permits a a fully-battened main with a decent roach. With kind regards and deep admiration, Neil

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

Thanks for offering the weather book. It’s an area I’ve struggled to understand well even after passing two FAA written and oral exams on the topic. Hopefully, your book will penetrate more deeply.

Since you began your cruising in a Columbia 50, a SoCal production boat I believe, I’m wondering if you have published anything that *specifically* addresses choosing a production boat for offshore sailing. I realize your Encyclopedia could, in one sense, be considered a treatise on that since it addresses ‘all things cruising and boats’, but I’m looking for something targeted more directly at this topic. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I just received the new book and video. It will take some time to read the book, but I have some comments about the video.

BEOWULF is an incredible boat; however, I must admit that it is a bit discouraging knowing that in all likelihood I will never be able to afford a boat like that. I am impressed with the thought and engineering that went into the boat, and I want to know if Steve & Linda have designed a lower priced boat, or if they recommend any boats in the $100 to $300M price range. Perhaps a used boat. My family of 5 is hoping to begin a cruising life in the next 3 years.

I am continuing to work on re-fitting my Columbia 45 with Mike Conner’s continued assistance.

We are beginning to engineer running halyards and lines back to my cockpit. I have main, jib and spinnaker halyards as well as the spinnaker topping lift halyard. My current main has one set of reef points and I intend to have two sets when I build my next main, so I am planning for two reefing lines. We would like to know whether I should plan to run these six lines back to the cockpit or if there are additional ones that should go back as well. If we run more than six, we are aware of deck organizers that stack the lines so four can run back with two on top of two.

Do you recommend for or against stacking lines with deck organizers?

Can you give a recommendation on which lines/halyards you most strongly recommend running back to the cockpit? Thank you for your input. – Eric

My rigging includes a baby stay that is attached just under the 1st spreader. My mast has 54 foot “I” and two spreaders. This is the first boat I have had with a baby stay, so I am not sure why with this rigging I need one. I would like to take it off for more forward deck room. What are the trade offs? And when would I most likey need the baby stay?

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

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.

Steve & Linda: What would be your recommendation on offshore aux. steering? We have a Beneteau 40CC with hydraulic steering. We have an Autohelm ST6000+ autopilot integrated into our chart plotter and GPS with Seatalk. We have solar panels, wind generator, two alternators (a large one dedicated to the house and a small 50 amp. One to the engine), and four 8D gels. Being that we have a center cockpit and hydraulic steering, a windvane does not seem to be the answer. To engage the windvane we would need to go below and put the hydraulics in the bypass mode and run the vane off of the emergency tiller. This does not seem safe.

Another thought would be to put an aux. rudder type vane and just center lock the wheel. Being that we have fixed davits and a scoop/swim platform stern, that is not attractive either. My thinking is a back-up ST6000+ unit. Am I being dumb? My second remark is more of a comment on your Seamanship book.

First off let me say the book, as all the others, are fantastic. My wife and I were a little shocked by the photo of your very young children high up in the spreaders at their ages with no tethers. As a farm boy I was climbing everything as a young child. As a result of a fall, I suffered a broken leg before I was two. This was done on solid ground, not a pitching boat. I know children are monkeys but I question its place in your Seamanship book. Thanks again and we are looking forward to any new works you produce. You guys are our role models.

Hello Steve. First off thanks for writing the Encyclopedia. It was a driving force in getting my wife and I to buy a boat and sail the West Coast from Vancouver to Mexico.

We are now looking to move up in size from our Roberts 44 to potentially an Irwin 52. These boats are rare on the West Coast and abundant on the Southeast Coast. They have 2 keel configs – one has a centerboard and shoal draft of 5’6", and the other is a fixed keel with a draft of 7 feet. I have no experience with big boats with centerboards, and would value your opinion on their merit when going to windward? What do you think of Irwins?

Thanks a bundle, Tony

We are flying to Florida this week to look at a couple of boats. We currently own a ’95 Caliber 40 that we have prepared for offshore cruising. Your Encyclopedia and the 2 hour Offshore video have been very helpful in those preparations. Now that we have our 6,000 sq foot home for sale we have decided that a 40 footer may be a bit small for permanent liveaboard for two people, Just the two of us have lived in this monster house for 18 years. We plan to live on our new boat until I am 64 or 65. I just turned 52 and my wife is 44 years old.

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 familiar with your suggested method of towing a regular inflatable by running lines from eyes on transom, forward and down through the lifting handle. Now I have just bought a new RIB and wondered how you recommend towing one of these babies! It has a D-ring glassed in the bow, near the waterline. Would this be the best place to tow from??

Thanks so much for your response!–Rodd

We have purchased a Stevens 47 and the stern Danforth anchor has all webbing rode stowed on a reel. Do you have any knowledge of the adequacy of this rode? How does it stand up to UV? It has been coiled for probably years and never used as far as I can tell. – George

Hello Steve and Linda…again my compliments on the Encyclopedia…it is most helpful…Just having difficulty understanding how to rig the shock absorber described on p40 for the chain anchor rode: how do you “tie” the nylon line to the chain…seems like it would slip with any kind of load…does it take a special knot? What about feeding the line through a selected link, say halfway down the chain such that both ends of the line then secure on deck? Wouldn’t this have the same effect as your tied rig without then having to secure the line on the chain twice? thanks mucho, Richard

Hi Steve, What do you use for deck fills on an aluminum deck? Are the Marelon fills a good choice, or aluminum (Wilcox-Crittenden) welded on? Could I just weld in pipe with threaded ends and put a cap on the outside (keeps the opening off the deck)? Also, would you let bails for halyard/reef blocks through the deck and weld top and bottom, or do you think there’s enough strength in a fillet weld to hold it on the deck? Best, Alex

Recently a builder of fiberglass boats said that aluminum as a hull material is way inferior to fiberglass because:

1. Aluminum suffers from fatigue–the older the boat the greater chance for structure failure. 2. Aluminum boats are prone to failure by stress corrosion and weld corrosion.

Based on your research and experience, these statements seem to misrepresent scientific fact. In your book, Offshore Cruising, your thoughts are very clear about the superiority of aluminum for cruising boats. We would be interested in your prospective on items 1& 2 and what the best welding process is for aluminum hulls. Thanks, John and Ruth

I have followed your work now for severaI years always admiring the quality of your projects. I have a question for Steve Dashew. I am in the process of designing and building a 50′ aluminum boat. I would very much appreciate Steve’s input on suitable builders that he could recommend to me. I am exploring a new Empacher-designed centerboard sloop and want the best traditional wood finished interior I can manage. I have contacted Kantor Yachts in Canada, Topper Hermansen in Florida and Garcia aluminum in France. I am not quite satisfied yet with the finish work at any of these yards. I would consider any location here in the US, abroad or NZ. I have long admired Dashew designs, both for his keen aesthetics as well as his practicality and I would trust absolutely his suggestions.

Any help would be enormously appreciated. A list of suggestions of good builders, whom he has used, would be a wonderful start. Thanks kindly, James

I have planned to get new cushions and mattress for our boat before casting off, but we are running out of time. Have you done upholstery projects in Latin America or Caribbean? If so what is availability of quality foams, and other materials? Are you satisfied with quality of workmanship? Can you recommend anyone in particular? Thank you in advance for any information or advice. – Gregory

My husband and I read articles on your site regularly. We have a 41-foot sailboat on a lake in New Mexico. Our plan is to retire in 3 years to go cruising. We have done extensive work on the boat to get her ready. I have looked everywhere for a deep, somewhat narrow double sink for the galley. I have seen these sinks on bareboat charter boats but have not been able to locate any. I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me. Thank you. Linda M

Dear Setsail, Would you know of a class we could take to be competent crew members of a sailing boat? We will be sailing with friends this June and would like to pick up a sailing course before going. We are in the Chicago and Michigan City, Indiana vicinity. Thanks, Cindy and Paul

My wife and I are readers of all your books, and recent acquirer’s of the MaxSea software (still in set-up). My question is about leaving a boat in the Caribbean for two months in the winter. We are planning to sail from New England (home) to islands in early November 02′. We then need to leave the boat until mid January, at which point we’ll do a six month sabbatical on the boat. Do you have any thoughts on where, or with whom we should leave the boat for that “holiday” period? I have considered both dockside, or hauled out, and was thinking of the BVI, or Antigua. Thanks for your thoughts. Best regards, John

Do you know of any good websites that do recruiting for the marine industry? I’m looking to change careers. Have been in Business Development in the technology market. Avid sailor. Thanks, Tom

Dear Steve and Linda, I did not see my question in your FAQ list, but I am sure that it is a perennial.

The question is what tactics have cruisers devised to economize on the potentially enormous cost of charts, no matter whether electronic or hard copy. Charts for the East Coast (US) are fine, for parts of Europe, but when one adds together all the places that one may visit, the ports that one should keep in mind for emergencies, much less to visit; the no. and cost quickly becomes enormous. So my question, what do people do to keep the cost within reasonable bounds? Many thanks, James and Kate

What would you used to clean a greasy electric motor body with so that it is clean enough to paint? CRC, acetone, ammonia, 3M adhesive cleaner??? – Phil

I wonder if you have any opinion on electric propulsion? I am considering re-powering with a Solomon system. I have a 30hp Westerbeke diesel at this point. I am cruising full time with lots of hours at anchor. Comparing prices, diesel/electric, is a definite apples/oranges situation, with the result being that I may decide based on my dislike of the internal combustion engine. Certainly would appreciate your reaction to the this concept used in a cruising sailboat. Ross

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

Dear Steve, I have just read your analysis of the Queens Birthday Storm 1994. First of all, I’d like to thank you for your efforts in producing such detailed analysis – they are a wonderful education for relative novices like myself. I do have a question you may be able to help me with.

I agree with your position that the best way to avoid bad weather is to get out of the way – by staying in shelter or sailing fast in a direction which avoids the storm track.

Avoiding the storm track has to rely on knowing which way the storm/low pressure system is likely to be moving. These days, with all the communication aids to obtaining recent surface charts obviously has made this vastly easier than it was 10 or 20 years ago.

However there may well be occasions when you have lost communication and you know, either from before your weather fax went down, or from increasing wind and the barometer going down, that there is potential for bad weather.

You can simply find in which direction the low lies and work out the quadrant you are in.

However, my question is, how reliably can you estimate the potential storm track if you are no longer getting comms? The latitude you are sailing in and in which ocean obviously has a strong bearing as most lows are likely to track NE, E or SE if you are below 25/30 degrees South. Is this true, or can you be more accurate than NE/E/SE, and how?

Cyclones can and do seem to go W – possibly more frequently than they track NE/E/SE? Why is this? And will tropical lows do the same?

There is probably a lot more to this than I realize, but I would be greatly interested in any comments you might have and how if possible can you predict the track.

Best regards, Peter P.S. I have purchased Practical Seamanship – love it, so also just ordered the Cruising Encyclopedia.

Hi–I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction to find general season / wind / current / climate information for sailing in the red sea on your site. I had a good look round, but could only discover the present conditions there, as opposed to information to help me plan a trip there. Is there another site/source of information I should use instead? Many thanks, Francis P. from the United Kingdom

We are due to leave Mexico at the beginning of April and spend the season sailing the Pacific Islands. From our reading and research we are unsure which weather and fax stations provide the best information for which areas. Is there is a source for this information or can you make recommendations? In addition we have heard that New Zealand and Fiji are newly co- operating on producing forecasts for cruisers and would like to know if this is correct, where the results are broadcast from, the schedules and the channels used for faxes and forecasts. Many thanks Dudley and Philippa

Steve, I was fortunate to have sailed with you and Linda in Ventura a number of years ago and got to back your boat into the slip easily due to the max-prop. I need to decide between a max-prop and a controllable pitch prop. It seems that the max-prop might have the advantage in backing where the cpp shines due to ease of adjustment underway. Which do you prefer and why? Robert

DEAR STEVE, I’VE BEEN LOOKING AT SOME HANS CHRISTIAN MARK 2 CUTTERS, AND HAVE COME ACROSS A VESSEL 21 YEARS OLD, REFITTED WITH NEW RIGGING AND ELECTRIC’S PLUS RADAR ETC. IN 2001, THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. (VERBAL! BUT INVENTORY PLUS SURVEY IN 2001 ON ITS WAY.) SHE WAS BUILT FOR THE PRESENT OWNER. THE PRICE IS WITHIN MY RANGE BUT SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN MANY OF HER STABLE OF THE SAME VINTAGE. INFORMATION LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THAT SHE’S IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ( A NEW SURVEY WOULD BE FIRST ON THE LIST). I’VE GONE THROUGH THE Q & A AND SO ON BUT NO MENTION OF HANS CHRISTIAN’S. YOUR ENCYCLOPEDIA PLUS CD IS ON ITS WAY AND THERE SHALL PROBABLY BE SOMETHING IN IT. HOWEVER YOUR OPINION IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND I CAN’T WAIT. I’M SURE YOU’VE COME ACROSS THEM IN YOUR TRAVELS. THEIR A RARITY IN OZ, MAINLY DUE TO THEIR COST (OZ SHOULD’VE STAYED ON THE GOLD STANDARD ! AYN RAND WAS RIGHT !) PLUS THE FACT THAT ONLY 900 HAVE BEEN BUILT SINCE THE COMPANY’S FORMATION IN 1980. MY QUESTION IS IN 2 PARTS. (1) WHAT DO YOU THINK OF HANS CHRISTIANS ? (2) SHE IS IN THE NORTH-WEST AND I’D LIKE TO HIRE A SKIPPER TO DELIVER HER TO SYDNEY AND TRAVEL MYSELF AS SUPER CARGO. I’D NO DOUBT LEARN SOMETHING AND MAY EVEN BE OF ASSISTANCE. (MY HEALTH IS STILL VERY IFFY). WHAT WOULD THE CHARGE FOR A PROFESSIONAL TO DO A JOB LIKE THIS ? A MEDIAN FIGURE ? EVEN A BALL PARK FIGURE! WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE SOME IDEA. HOPE YOU’VE TIME TO HELP ME WITH THIS AS I’VE ALWAYS LOVED THE OLD WORLD CHARM OF THESE BOATS. CHARM DOESN’T FLOAT ! REGARDS TO YOU, ANTONY M

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

Hello–My wife and I just sold a 41′ Cheoy Lee and we are looking for another boat (bigger). Somewhere around 50′- my wife wants a large owner’s stateroom. We also plan lots of offshore passagemaking. But our max to spend is around $150,000 so we can’t afford a Sundeer or any of the other boats you have built. But do you have any suggestions on a good safe offshore boat for us? Bill

Hi Steve, I recently broke my mast on my 41 foot sloop and I am in a quandary in what to do. A new mast is pretty expensive and I am trying to avoid getting a new mast.

Some people have suggested that I sleeve and rivet the mast together (splice). I am not convinced if this method would have long-term advantages.

My mast broke right around the 1st spreaders with a relatively clean cut. It was a fractional rig. The aluminum mast is about 54 feet long. Do you think that a repair would be wise if done properly or would it be prudent to get a new mast if the budget permits? Thanks, Joey

Hi Steve and Linda, Thanks for all of the excellent books and tapes on you adventures. They have been a great help. I have noticed the winglets on airplane wings over the last few years. Has any one tried making a “plate” at the top of the mast, maybe using carbon fiber as a frame covered with sail cloth, to form a device which would reduce the vortexes created by a headsail & main combination? If if would work with a plate on each side of the mast, to tending would be needed during tacking or gybing. Asked my sailmaker about it but he deals with racers more than cruisers, so he is not too interested in the idea. Since you seem to be interested in making cruisers go faster with less effort, thought this idea might be for you. Thanks for thinking about it. Crawford

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

I currently have a six man Switlick offshore life raft. My boat is in West Palm Beach Florida and I would like to find a reliable inspection station to inspect and service my life raft in preparation for an offshore passage. Can you recommend any stations that do this in that area?

Hello and thank you for reading this. On two previous transatlantic passages I used a Plastimo belt driven wheel unit in the cockpit as a backup to my primary Robertson autopilot. The unit worked well. It was purchased in 1989 and has been discontinued. I am departing shortly for a long passage and would like to know the best alternative on the market today. The steering on our 48′ custom built Al Mason Ketch is hydraulic. I want the strongest, most reliable unit available. This will be mounted in the cockpit as a backup to the primary autopilot. Thanks for any assistance, Steve

Hello and thank you,

Over ten years ago I read of Sundeer 64′ and bought the video and watched it over and over again. I dreamed my wife and I were owners of such a boat thousands of times. Being just regular people, a police officer and stay-at-home mom, we’ll never likely have the means for such an acquisition. Now I see Beowulf and am THUNDER STRUCK. I think if GOD The Father, Son and Holy Spirit decide to sail a human-made vessel, it will be Beowulf. It is as close to perfect as mere mortals can produce. You MAY do a newer sailing design in future days, and it MAY be different here and there, but I can not imagine it could be better. Please continue your work of supplying the able people with such fine boats. We dreamers can always use more "fuel". And those with the financial means to become owners of your creations will be very well satisfied with their fine decisions to do just that. {Three-hundred miles per day…it almost seems to defy the laws of physics.}

With gratitude, encouragement and best regards,
John M

P.S. Hello again, I forgot to ask, I thought you two were steadfast REAR COCKPITTERS! What made you put Beowulf’s cockpit in the CENTER? Cordially, John

I love your design concepts of fast cruising sailboats designed to be handled by a couple. I have a few questions that, if you have the time, I would love to get answered.

I have read your design paper for BEOWULF and it looks like a terrific boat. How is the water ballast working out and do you ever worry about having all that ballast on the wrong side in the event of an accidental jibe? What do you think of the use of carbon fiber, particularly in masts? And have you considered the use of a free-standing mast? What do you think of the Fox 50 concept of converting an Around Alone Open 50 design to an ultra-fast cruising boat? I think they were to be built by TPI and Lyman Morse, although after the initial hoo-ha I have not heard anything about them. They seem to take your concepts a step farther, but perhaps too far.

Thanks, Pete

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

Please tell me the maximum feet of trimaran a single sailor can handle. Thanks.

Hello, have a HR46 (40,000 pounds) with 75Lbs CQR; would you replace it with a heavier Bruce or Delta? Will sail to French Polynesia next year…Thanks for your advice, Giorgio

Hi Steve and Linda- First, I wanted to thank you for a wonderfully written and very helpful book. Glad I ordered it and have recommended it to others (including my father who will be ordering a copy for the library he runs at a technical college). Anyway, on page 50 you discuss different anchor chain washdown and cleaning systems to prevent and minimize the junk collected in the chain pipe. Have you considered using compressed air instead of water? It has the benefit of both cleaning and mostly drying the chain in one step. Downside is that it is more noisy than water. While I haven’t tried it in a marine setting, I use this technique very often for cleaning/drying my 1/2″ logging chains on land as I reel them in and stuff them back in their storage drums. It does a remarkable job and my chains last much longer than they used to. I’ve found that anything over 80 lbs does the trick nicely removing the thick mud I build up. Just a thought. – Jeff

Dear Steve, I have bought Your Cruising Encyclopedia & Mariners Weather Handbook from Captain Watt’s in London. I can only say they are a great life work’s to make a boat owner’s life easier with the right kind of knowledge – thank you. Also I met the owners of Condor while they were in Sydney Australia a few years ago – Skip and his wife. What a lovely couple and boat they had built in NZ to your philosophy and design.

I own a 50′ ex BOC open class yacht build in 1986 called Skoiern IV. She is built from aluminum. Because of the problems of toxicity today’s available anti-fouling are not effective without the tin content. I’m considering using a UK product called Copper Shield, using first a coating of epoxy as a primer to protect the hull, then apply the Copper Shield, which is a copper-rich anti-fouling that does not require redoing for ten years plus. My fear is the risk of using copper on an aluminum boat – is it safe? The company said yes it is. Since I would like to solve this problem once and for all, I’m inclined to try it. but I don’t want to find religion with a holy boat…I look forward to your comment, as I will need to redo the boat’s bottom soon. Kind Regards, and keep up the good work. – John

Dear Sir, We plan to build an aluminum catamaran (sail) 47′, with round, relatively narrow (4′) hulls. We have several good alu-motorboat builders in the region–however no catamaran built here except the Osram IV which is a chaine hull. One builder would like to build the boat, if I would roll him the plates, one hullside 4x12x 8 1/4 or 3/16–He is welding nice motorboat hulls, nice seams etc… but how do I form the plates? I found one large rolling machine, but it’s outside and the rolls are very, very rusty … and what about the next step to get the compounded curve? I read about the English wheel, but that’s good only for steel, because the tracks are on the outside. The necessary (local) expansions of the prerolled aluminum sheet are pretty small, because of the narrow width of the hulls, I even can calculate it, but how to expand the metal???? Thanks for any advice, Christian

Dear Steve, I enjoy reading your books. I am curious as to the manufacturer or builder and model year of Intermezzo, the 50′ ketch you once owned. She looks very familiar. Was she a production boat or a "one off"? Who was the manufacturer/builder and what year was she built? Thank you, Rick

Do you have any recommendation for a notebook that will stand up to marine use? Thanks, Lawrence

A SetSailor sent in an excellent idea for making velcro work for headliner panels:

I read in PS May issue that your boat has a 24 volt system. Please let me know where one can easily buy 24 volt light blubs and fixtures. I’m having poor luck here in Northern Cal finding a source. Also, any good ideas for the best way to go for an interior heating system. Propane, diesel, etc. and best btus? Thanks, Mike

Dear Steve, I approach you as a new cruiser seeking contact with other young cruisers, particularly women. I am 34 years old and while I have enjoyed the contact with the many retirees we’ve met and have learned greatly from their age and wisdom, I feel somewhat isolated by my comparative youth.

I have found it quite challenging adjusting to this new lifestyle and feel the books I’d read didn’t prepare me for the emotional challenges I would be facing. I would greatly appreciate any direction you could offer with regards to contacting others in a similar position.

My partner and I are hoping to return to the UK eventually, we are currently sailing the Sea of Cortez. Sincerely, Gemma L

Steve, when entering the Marquasas, if you have a sealable customs/gun locker, will they let you keep a gun on board, rather than confiscating it?

Linda & Steve, Love your site…We’re planning a 1 to 1.5yr cruise, starting next year. No definite destinations yet except East Coast of US & the Caribbean Islands.

I have not been able to find any info on handling finances while cruising. Budgets for cruising, yes, but none on how efficient mail forwarding is, paying bills for land homes, how to arrange to get money while cruising, cashing checks in foreign countries, etc.

Do any of your books cover mail & finances while cruising? Any sources of info covering these subjects would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Claire

I am in the process of outfitting and taking classes in everything I can get my hands on (Safety at Sea, Mahina Expeditions, Coastal Navigation, Amateur Radio, Scuba, Celestial Nav, Diesel Maintenance & Repair, Intro to Radar, and so on) and am curious to get your take on medical training and the need for it. Specifically, I am contemplating an EMT course which is 120 hours and not cheap, but it does cover quite a bit that is practical on the water and a lot of stuff that will never likely come up. That all said, in reading your encyclopedia, it did not seem that those who you feature were necessarily caught up in courses and certification. Some of the courses I have and am taking are not necessary to all departing, but where do you stand on the medical training issue?

Thanks and I’ll see you out there! Mike

Hi Steve, I need to get a hard drive for my boat, a 52′ sloop. My question is what kind of specs do I need to know that the hard drives will keep working if I get into a really pounding sea. I’d like to have 40 Gigs of storage.

This is not the kind of question I’d expect a boat builder to know about, but can you send me on to someone who might have more information about this? Many Thanks, Mac

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 am interested in your experience with paddle wheel versus propeller-driven generators. Also in the deployment of forward-facing propellers similar to the Aquair submersible. How have they been mounted and what kick-up mechanisms have worked? Thanks for your input. I continue to enjoy the Encyclopedia.–Clint Clemens

Steve, My question relates to how the sea and land temperatures influence wind patterns. If the sea temperature is warmer than the adjacent land, then what type of flow can I expect? This specifically relates to So. Calif. waters and down towards Ensenada. Thanks, John

Good day! I was wondering if you would be able to refer me to an online source for understanding weather in the Caribbean–rainy season and dry season, and what exactly triggers the onset of each. Any direction you could give would be much appreciated! Thanks, Tim

Steve: I’m installing a tube for storing charts. Looking at West Marine it appears the small dimension of “large charts” is no greater than 36″. Does this reflect your experience? I have room for a tube up to 60″ but don’t want to end up with charts lost down a ridiculously long tube. Thanks, Chip

In your very valuable Encyclopedia (looking forward to read the heavy weather issue) you briefly mentioned a way to generate DC power with a MAXPROP or AUTOPROP. Is there any description available on this setup? My boat is a Gerard Dijkstra designed 77 ft centerboard shooner (steel, 60 tons) and a MAXPROP is fitted but I am thinking of changing to AUTOPROP (only for performance when maneuvering). Is it possible to do the same trick with this prop? I hope you find the time for an answer. Best regards, Paul

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