Atlantic crossing

[john_morris_uk]

Yes, but size has nothing to do with it. You can’t run the washing machine at sea regardless of boat, so a little hand washing will be necessary on long passages and watermakers are easily and commonly fitted into small live-aboard cruising boats and use very little power. I have a Zen 30. Check it out, you will probably find it would be good for you and I disagree about what the vast majority enjoy. Here amongst cruisers in the Caribbean boats without a watermaker are in the minority.

I am in the Caribbean and I’ve been here several times before so I’m aware of the proliferation of water makers amongst the live aboard long term cruising community. We have an Osmosea 12 volt watermaker. 50 or 60 litres per hour for a few amps. Check it out.

Who says you can’t use a washing machine at sea. I only know a couple of sailing cruisers who have one but they both use them whilst underway. Run generator, make water, top up the batteries (if your solar and wind haven’t kept them fully charged) and put the washing machine on.

PS How many ocean passages was it? What size boat?

 

[Zing]

I am in the Caribbean and I’ve been here several times before so I’m aware of the proliferation of water makers amongst the live aboard long term cruising community. We have an Osmosea 12 volt watermaker. 50 or 60 litres per hour for a few amps. Check it out.

Who says you can’t use a washing machine at sea. I only know a couple of sailing cruisers who have one but they both use them whilst underway. Run generator, make water, top up the batteries (if your solar and wind haven’t kept them fully charged) and put the washing machine on.

PS How many ocean passages was it? What size boat?

Thanks, but I’ll leave the willy waving for others.

So why do you question the use of a watermaker without a genset when you know very well they can use hardly any power?

You can’t run a normal front loader at sea. I’ve tried, it bangs awfully. A very bad idea. The manual actually asks you to bolt the drum fixed whilst in transit. What type work at sea?

 

[Roberto]

I think the most difficult part is properly drying clothes, towels, etc rather than wash them.
Hang them while under passage, they absorb plenty of salt microparticles and never seem to really dry; dried while at anchor in tropical areas they tend to keep a sort of micro-moisture that gives a mouldy smell like clothes having been machine washed and forgot inside the drum for a couple of days (remember student's days).

 

[john_morris_uk]

Thanks, but I’ll leave the willy waving for others.

So why do you question the use of a watermaker without a genset when you know very well they can use hardly any power?

You can’t run a normal front loader at sea. I’ve tried, it bangs awfully. A very bad idea. The manual actually asks you to bolt the drum fixed whilst in transit. What type work at sea?

It’s not me willy waving about power and claiming to change clothes and shower every day. I’ll have to go next door to ask them what make washing machine they’ve got. (It’s a Westerly 43 so not a huge boat..) Another person I know with a washing machine on their yacht is currently checking in at Grenada Airport so I can’t ask him atm.

You haven’t mentioned these ocean passages yet?

 

[Stingo]

You can’t run a normal front loader at sea. I’ve tried, it bangs awfully. A very bad idea. The manual actually asks you to bolt the drum fixed whilst in transit. What type work at sea?

Agreed, because of the huge concrete counter weights. I had a top loader on my boat and running at sea with a low spin-dry speed was fine

 

[Zing]

It’s not me willy waving about power and claiming to change clothes and shower every day. I’ll have to go next door to ask them what make washing machine they’ve got. (It’s a Westerly 43 so not a huge boat..) Another person I know with a washing machine on their yacht is currently checking in at Grenada Airport so I can’t ask him atm.

You haven’t mentioned these ocean passages yet?

My apologies. I didn’t know to say I had a daily shower at sea was boastful.

 

[john_morris_uk]

My apologies. I didn’t know to say I had a daily shower at sea was boastful.

No apology necessary. We shower with fresh water regularly now we have a watermaker and a generator.

One of the popular washing machines is a Daewoo Mini. It’s a front loader wall mounted but I’m told that the drum doesn’t bang around.

 

[Frank Holden]

My experience with washing machines at sea.
Piriapolis , 2010. Big cat about five boats away .... very loud voice from it - 'How do expect me to live on a boat where the washing machine doesn't work!!!!!!'
10 minutes later skipper - kiwi - of said cat appears - spends rest of day aboard WS drinking beer.

 

[penfold]

Isn't ocean sailing fun?

It's almost like checking the forecast and weather routing for a long voyage with poor diversion options is a good idea.

"You're gonna need a bigger boat!"

A bigger boat will certainly collect more flying fish(cockpits are good at catching them, but so are deep gunwhales etc), which can then be fried and eaten.

How dirty a you get crossing an ocean?

Not very IME; there's generally enough water for the daily ration include washing the bits that smell and socks and smalls in the same water.

It can be pretty hot at times. Especially when you've decided to don oilies and then realise you need to reef pronto.

Why would anyone wear oilskins in the tropics? It's an exercise in futility, get wet then dry off, I took them with me as I didn't know any better but pretty much didn't wear them once south of Finisterre.

I appreciate your concern and logic, but you’re rather optimistic if you think you can avoid salt getting into your boat. It’s exuded naturally in your perspiration, let alone the bits of spray and general saltiness in the air that gets carried below as crew move from on deck to below.

The solution is to launder everything whenever you can. Ocean passages are only a few weeks….

All our cabin cushions are about to be laundered and all surfaces washed down with a mild vinegar solution before we lay our boat up for the hurricane season.

Regular cleaning/washing of surfaces inside doesn't use much fresh water and keeps salt levels down too.

 

[john_morris_uk]

It's almost like checking the forecast and weather routing for a long voyage with poor diversion options is a good idea.

A bigger boat will certainly collect more flying fish(cockpits are good at catching them, but so are deep gunwhales etc), which can then be fried and eaten.

Why would anyone wear oilskins in the tropics? It's an exercise in futility, get wet then dry off, I took them with me as I didn't know any better but pretty much didn't wear them once south of Finisterre.

Regular cleaning/washing of surfaces inside doesn't use much fresh water and keeps salt levels down too.

Most of the flying fish we’ve had on board recently were nearer to ‘whitebait’ size than filleting and frying size.

I agree 100% re oilskins. Anywhere near the tropics you just get wet and then you dry off when the sun comes out half an hour later.

Regular cleaning.. I have theory that there’s several watersheds in sailing where you realise that first you can actually prepare a meal at sea, then you realise you can wash up and put everything away, and the final stage is when you realise you can actually clean things and service and repair things at sea.

 

[Stingo]

...I have theory that there’s several watersheds in sailing where you realise that...

You finally realise that cruising is all about performance at anchor, then you buy a catamaran.

 

[38mess]

I think Delos has a front loader

 

[capnsensible]

You finally realise that cruising is all about performance at anchor, then you buy a catamaran.

When I helped my oppo deliver this:

Launched boats - Sunreef 74 Calmao - Sunreef Yachts

From St Lucia to Barcelona, I just dropped off my dhobey by the washing machine and our hostess with the mostess, now married to my oppo, dealt with it. I was close to getting fed up with steaks and ice cream, but we ran out after 2 weeks.

Two generators, two watermakers, showers out the ying yang, bbq for the fish we caught, 400+ movies on big screenin each cabin. Sigh.

Had more fun though with Mrs S on our 4 crossings on our Moody 33.

Out of all the others, the big cat was the only one with a watermaker. Useful but for me, a luxury not a necessity. But oim not fussy....

 

[t21]

I’m at 32N 40w (700nm from land) and smaller-than-standard front-load washing machine runs fine.

 

[Stingo]

When I helped my oppo deliver this:

Launched boats - Sunreef 74 Calmao - Sunreef Yachts

From St Lucia to Barcelona, I just dropped off my dhobey by the washing machine and our hostess with the mostess, now married to my oppo, dealt with it. I was close to getting fed up with steaks and ice cream, but we ran out after 2 weeks.

Two generators, two watermakers, showers out the ying yang, bbq for the fish we caught, 400+ movies on big screenin each cabin. Sigh.

Had more fun though with Mrs S on our 4 crossings on our Moody 33.

Out of all the others, the big cat was the only one with a watermaker. Useful but for me, a luxury not a necessity. But oim not fussy....

An extreme example. A better comparison would be comparing to an AWC

 

[geem]

I’m wondering how many ocean passages you’ve done? Presumably only in larger boats with lots of mod cons. Showering and changing every day involves lots of fresh water and presumably a washing machine on board?

Good luck to you but it’s not the sort of sailing and ocean passages that the vast majority of sailors enjoy.

We have a 44ft mono. On Atlantic passages we shower everyday. Saves salty and smelly bed sheets. In 2004/05 we did an Atlantic crossing in a Prout Snowgoose 37. A tiny watermaker but still showered regularly on passage.
On the current 44ft mono we removed the washing machine. Most washing machines seem to be tiny with small load capacity. We didn't want one onboard. We found that a spinner that turns at 2400rpm far more useful. We do our laundry in two big builder buckets in the cockpit every couple of weeks. We can do a lot of laundry efficiently if we are anchored somewhere remote.
We often go to the launderette/ laundry if there is one nearby.
We still have no desire for a washing machine here in the Tropics

 

[john_morris_uk]

You finally realise that cruising is all about performance at anchor, then you buy a catamaran.

If only someone could invent a boat that sails as well as a monohull on passage but transforms to the comfort and all round view from the saloon of a cat when at anchor.

We see a lot of cats motoring everywhere or gritting their teeth and counting their fillings as the bridge deck slams.

I agree that you spend more time at anchor than sailing but everything is a compromise. There’s also one’s personal budget… A decent cat is multiple times the cost of our Serendipity.

 

[geem]

If only someone could invent a boat that sails as well as a monohull on passage but transforms to the comfort and all round view from the saloon of a cat when at anchor.

We see a lot of cats motoring everywhere or gritting their teeth and counting their fillings as the bridge deck slams.

I agree that you spend more time at anchor than sailing but everything is a compromise. There’s also one’s personal budget… A decent cat is multiple times the cost of our Serendipity.

We find for just two of us onboard we have plenty of space and luxury. When we have friends come and stay it feels a bit crowded. We didn't buy the boat for our friends so we are happy that for 99% of the time the boat is perfect for us.

 

[capnsensible]

An extreme example. A better comparison would be comparing to an AWC

The post was for fun.

 

[geem]

You finally realise that cruising is all about performance at anchor, then you buy a catamaran.

Had one. Performance under sail means you're a motorboat too often. I really enjoy sailing. Unless it's an Outremer or Balance cat I would be disappointed. The floating charter barges that Leopard and Lagoon sell do nothing for me.