How far would you go in a Horizon?

Y

yachtorion

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 Oct 2009
Messages
1,025
Visit site
I bought my Horizon 26 for Coastal sailing and that's what I'll be doing with her - perhaps with the occasional trip to Ireland once I get to know her well and I've got my hand back in with night sailing after a few years absence.

But I'm curious - assuming a reasonably competent skipper and crew - how far would folks go in a Horizon?

Would they risk getting caught out doing something like a 2/3 day North Sea crossing?

Or would they only ever take the boat on coastal hops so they can run for cover?
 
How far you go is more a function of your capability rather than the boat. With intelligent use of weather forecasting there is really little excuse for getting "caught out" around the UK. You have to recognise that our changeable weather can limit how far you go if you want to avoid bad weather, but you will give up way before your boat gets to its limit. People regularly do long distance cruising in boats of that size.
 
yachtailsa said:
I bought my Horizon 26 for Coastal sailing and that's what I'll be doing with her - perhaps with the occasional trip to Ireland once I get to know her well and I've got my hand back in with night sailing after a few years absence.

But I'm curious - assuming a reasonably competent skipper and crew - how far would folks go in a Horizon?

Would they risk getting caught out doing something like a 2/3 day North Sea crossing?

Or would they only ever take the boat on coastal hops so they can run for cover?
Click to expand...

check out The Jester Challenge forum. Newport Rhode Island in Tomahawk 25
 
Hi Tranona,

Definitely good advice - and I did read of a (I think US) study which suggested a modern GRP yacht would probably survive pretty much anything if shut up tight and on a drogue. Crew 100% the limiting factor.

In my old Hurley 22 I wouldn't have been too worried about being caught out in a 7... under rolled Genoa she would have been fine. I had her out in reasonable winds a few times and she was well balanced and would even tack fine in that configuration. But the Hurley has a reputation for great sea keeping and I don't know about the Horizon.

I'm wondering if people feel the boat is more limited than others?

It's certainly much lighter built than the Hurley - though having spent a lot of time crawling all over both I think also rather more intelligently built with cleverer use of different types of glass cloth etc. Not surprising for a more modern boat.
 
Last edited:
sailorman said:
check out The Jester Challenge forum. Newport Rhode Island in Tomahawk 25
Click to expand...

I might just do the Jester one day - when I'm a lot more experienced. Though I have been told if I ever try to do that I'll be doing it as a single person (not just in the singlehanded sense).
 
I would echo all that has been said here bit would add as a fellow small boat sailor that you must accept a slower cruising speed than most boats out there.
You will be travelling at 4kts whilst most others are doing 5 or 6.

This means you must allow for this in passage planning and avoiding bad weather.
 
There is much truth in the old adage "It's not the ships, it's the men who sail them".

That being said, there are some affordable modern boats (no need to mention names) that I would not like to be on when offshore; doors that cannot be opened when they are heeled do not impress me favourably. I have seen some awful weather in my previous boat, a sedate Centaur that I had for fourteen years. Not for one moment did I have any doubts about her. My present boat, a Centurion 32, is even older (1973) and is a much better build. So far I have only had F7 maximum and she was quite happy. Once I am through with the rigging and the spare rudder I shall not have any qualms if I meet worse conditions. Mostly I sail single-handed.

Check the particular boat very thoroughly and ask yourself continually how you can make her more capable. How does she handle under trisail and storm jib? Emergency steering? Tender or stiff? Layout on deck? Interior handholds? A never-ending list. No two boats are alike. Only you can assess whether the upgrade is/is not worthwhile or viable. Good luck with whatever you decide and may you have Fair Winds whenever you need them!

p.s. My sailing is mostly in the Mediterranean where the seas can be quite wild for a given wind; the F7 that I mentioned is not the same as an F7 in an open sea like the Atlantic.
 
Last edited:
> Horizon 26 ... People regularly do long distance cruising in boats of that size.

Very few of them simply because long distance you need lots of provisions, spares, tools, water and diesel cans etc. To put it into context our boat weighed 12 tons but 14 tons with all the cruising kit.The smallest boat we saw was a 32 foot Swedish boat with a very nice young couple on board who were obviously prepared to cut down on everything which I guess you do at that age. With a boat that size I would coast hop watching the weather.
 
KellysEye said:
> Horizon 26 ... People regularly do long distance cruising in boats of that size.

Very few of them simply because long distance you need lots of provisions, spares, tools, water and diesel cans etc. To put it into context our boat weighed 12 tons but 14 tons with all the cruising kit.The smallest boat we saw was a 32 foot Swedish boat with a very nice young couple on board who were obviously prepared to cut down on everything which I guess you do at that age. With a boat that size I would coast hop watching the weather.
Click to expand...

Have sailed across the Atlantic 4 times comfortably on our Moody 33. But we didn't find it necessary to carry around a vast amount of junk...... :)

Oh, happily sailed across the English Channel on a Spring 25.
 
KellysEye said:
> Horizon 26 ... People regularly do long distance cruising in boats of that size.

Very few of them simply because long distance you need lots of provisions, spares, tools, water and diesel cans etc. To put it into context our boat weighed 12 tons but 14 tons with all the cruising kit.The smallest boat we saw was a 32 foot Swedish boat with a very nice young couple on board who were obviously prepared to cut down on everything which I guess you do at that age. With a boat that size I would coast hop watching the weather.
Click to expand...

We met a nice Spanish singlehander called Pedro in the Pacific on our travels (c 1997). He made it all the way round (almost) in a (lightweight) Fortuna 30 (I think that's what it was - small anyway & like a BenJen).

Didn't have any problems on the coconut run and he was no spring chicken back then. Ended up on a reef in Khor Nawarat in the Red Sea but that was only because he stinted on the charts.

You can do it in most boats IMO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Other threads that may be of interest

geem
Cat A ocean standard need full revision
15 16 17
Replies
325
Views
6K
Lucky Duck
Lucky Duck
cyberkryten
We finally bought a boat - Merry Fisher 895s2
2 3
Replies
41
Views
2K
Cathy*
C

Share this page

Top