About to turn from the Dark Side..

Would a Cat be a viable option for the Med ?
It can get up an estuary and through canals, plenty of light, shade and space, space for lots of solar panels, stable platform, the only downside that I can see is higher marina costs, but if you anchor a lot that cost is lowered.

PS Stingo went from keel to cat.
 
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There are hundreds and hundreds of people sailing/motoring the Med, what we all need to remember is that age has sausage all to do with strength or fitness. Electric winches anyone?

Now then, I'm pretty good at flying kites - perhaps I should offer advice to an astronaut..
 
Thanks everyone for insights .... Bit of thread drift at one stage ..I guess Rusty barge has a firmly held view!!! For the record the boss and I are 57, she has been making noises about electric winches. My (small ) MOBO uses about £30 of fuel an hour ( jersey prices ...88p litre) at 20 kt cruise, great for day trips . the inboard and out drive maintenence is not cheap. It is clear from MOBO forum we are doing this on the cheap compared with many others.. We quite fancied trip down through French canals but the collective response says go for it on the outside. Thanks too to ray at cloud 7 fro a very comprehensive PM. Spotted Bavaria ocean 38 at same price which I see several people have recommended for long term long distance cruising.
 
Bathdave said:
Spotted Bavaria ocean 38 at same price which I see several people have recommended for long term long distance cruising.
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That is a seriously good boat for the job - although still too much draft for canals. Was my first choice when I bought my boat, but too expensive and not suited as a charter boat. If I were buying again to do what you plan it would be top of my list.
 
Just a couple if comments, canal-wise.
  • At 1.8m draft the craft is at the limit of what's possible to 'get through' Channel to Med. But folk do do it, albeit with some problems along the way.
  • Stepping/restepping the mast is quite possible, quite normal in fact for yachts going through the canals.
Going through the French inland waterways is a great experience in its own right. IMHO, but I would say that!
 
rustybarge said:
Most saildrives die from lack of use........corrosion in the bores.
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Rusty, you can be a love, but you do have some daft ideas. How's your Isle of Man registration going...the one that would have simplified everything by costing you a fortune?
For what it's worth, saildrives don't have bores (although they might if you owned one): they're transmissions.
 
rustybarge said:
Just guessing that's a motor-sailor
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Yes, the only one HR ever made and much more sailor than motor.

the reason it doesn't heel is because it can only tack through 80deg.......(or more)
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Your ignorance about sailing is only exceeded by your arrogance in pontificating about it.

SOG.....1 kt to windward!
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No, my SOG to my destination was what I said it was, 5.7 knots. I was able to lay my required course with the SW wind as shown below with the red track line.

Stage04.jpg
 
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sailaboutvic said:
I delivered a yacht back on 2008 thought the canal and she had a draft of 1.5 and in one part of the canal system the Canal de Bourgogne we plough the bottom quite a bit of the way , thought I must say it was oct so maybe that was the reasons .
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The Canal de Bourgogne route is not to be recommended if one's boat is anywhere near the draft limit, which is 1.4m for that canal so no wonder you were 'ploughing' !
Most reliable route would be the 'Champagne' Marne one, maximum boat draft 1.8m, less being safer.
 
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