Sailing around the world on a budget

[Sea Change]

for those using autohelms 4-5 or more hours in every twenty four was a regular thing.

I'd like to think that's no longer the case. Solar and battery technology has moved on so far that there is almost no reason to burn fossil fuels to generate electricity on anything other the smallest boats in the least sunny places.

 

[dunedin]

I'd like to think that's no longer the case. Solar and battery technology has moved on so far that there is almost no reason to burn fossil fuels to generate electricity on anything other the smallest boats in the least sunny places.

Absolutely.
Plus not cheap either, but a Watt&Sea hydro generator is a very efficient way to generate power in any boat that has a reasonable turn of speed (albeit not in the small boat / economy market as best in boats that can easily do 6-8 knots in a breeze). Should easily power the autopilot and a lot more.

 

[Frank Holden]

In my experience you would need rather a lot of solar to keep all the systems that people seem to want - including autopilot - functioning. A few overcast days - they do happen - and you will want an alternate source of amps.

My primary source 'on passage' is my aqua4aerogen. 5 knots = 5 amps 24 hours a day.
But I lead a simple life, Fridge but no freezer, no watermaker, no starlink.
And I have a windvane, aux rudder type totally independent of main helm.

 

[Frank Holden]

Those Watt&Sea are a hell of a price.
I reckon anyone with marginally more skill than me could take this trimmer as a starting point.
Find out what they are using as a flexible drive shaft. Replace alloy tube with s/s. Fit railmount where handle is. Fit web in the bend to strengthen the tube. Fit propellor on the bottom. Fit generator on the top.
Job done.
Don't clap - just pay me royalties.

 

[Sea Change]

In my experience you would need rather a lot of solar to keep all the systems that people seem to want - including autopilot - functioning.

It comes down to boat size, really.
We managed to squeeze 1200w of solar on to a 39ft boat. We built a rigid bimini from secondhand rooftop type panels. Never failed to keep up with all loads.
We now have 1350w on a 47ft. Charging peaks at over 60A during the middle of the day. We simply do not have to think about power, it's effectively free and unlimited.

It's all a far cry from the budget end of the spectrum which is what this thread is supposed to be about. Not that the solar panels are expensive, but having a big enough boat to fit them on is...

 

[steve yates]

Again, each to their own - but you would very much be in the minority of ocean crossers.
I can’t immediately find the results of the surveys for more recent years, but even 15 years ago according to the ARC survey only 32 boats reported having wind vanes, versus 182 boats with autopilots.
And the satisfaction rating of the autopilots, even then with 2 generation older versions (and by the comments still many wheel pilots, which are much less effective) was much higher than the satisfaction rating with wind vanes - see page 2 https://windpilot.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/ARC-survey-pt-1.pdf

Yes autopilots are reliant on electricity. But most ocean crossing boats have at least 3 probably 4 largely independent sources of power generation - alternator, generator, solar and hydro. Loss of all power wasn’t mentioned as one of the experienced failures.
And if key systems failed, it would be relatively simple to connect one power supply (eg hydro) to a single battery and power the autopilot from that. More options than if the vane structure failed, which happened to a couple of boats on our ARC (they switched to electronic autopilot).

And most could ultimately hand steer if necessary,

No ARC boats went without a liferaft.

By its very nature that survey would have a lot of confirmation bias. Its the arc! The mentality of participants towards ocean sailing will be somewhat different towards those doing it on their own. ( not knocking participants but most probably are tending towards the herd mentality ) You could probably buy a used windvane for the entry fee? I suspect a survey of similar size but of independent crossers would have quite different results. For a start, you probably are not even allowed to participate in the arc without a liferaft, so you would expect 100% to have liferafts, and serviced ones to boot Of course they could hand steer, most, if not all boats are crewed. I did say one major reason for considering it essential, for me, was I would be singlehanded.

 

[steve yates]

By its very nature that survey would have a lot of confirmation bias. Its the arc! The mentality of participants towards ocean sailing will be somewhat different towards those doing it on their own. ( not knocking participants but most probably are tending towards the herd mentality ) You could probably buy a used windvane for the entry fee? I suspect a survey of similar size but of independent crossers would have quite different results. For a start, you probably are not even allowed to participate in the arc without a liferaft, so you would expect 100% to have liferafts, and serviced ones to boot

Of course they could hand steer, most, if not all boats are crewed. I did say one major reason for considering it essential, for me, was I would be singlehanded.

 

[john_morris_uk]

By its very nature that survey would have a lot of confirmation bias. It’s the arc! The mentality of participants towards ocean sailing will be somewhat different towards those doing it on their own. ( not knocking participants but most probably are tending towards the herd mentality ) You could probably buy a used windvane for the entry fee? I suspect a survey of similar size but of independent crossers would have quite different results. For a start, you probably are not even allowed to participate in the arc without a liferaft, so you would expect 100% to have liferafts, and serviced ones to boot Of course they could hand steer, most, if not all boats are crewed. I did say one major reason for considering it essential, for me, was I would be singlehanded.

Yes fully serviced life raft is demanded. Also a satellite phone or SSB HF set up with a modem etc. There’s an extensive list and boats are inspected for compliance.

I’ve often wondered how they’d stop you sailing if you didn’t comply..

 

[Sea Change]

I’ve often wondered how they’d stop you sailing if you didn’t comply..

They wouldn't give you a flag the size of a double bed duvet, and then how do you tell all the other boats that you did the ARC?

 

[capnsensible]

Nice to read that posters are returning to the OP question about budget crossings.

I'm in a fortunate position to have done a lot of ocean sailing on a variety of yachts. Plus we live in a place that's stacked with cruisers from late September to mid November.

I now see a lot of solar......on the bigger yachts. Not so much wind generators as mebbe 10 years ago.

But there are an awful lot of budget cruisers who don't have sooper dooper autopilots, or expensive watt&sea type stuff. Or watermakers, latest chart plotters, radar, freezers, latest and greatest batteries, yadda yadda. But they are the ones, lots with some kind of windvane, getting out there and doing it.

It's always gonna be a bit of a risk going with no back up charging for the batteries as engines do fail. Someone mentioned up thread that they've never heard of anyone with a problem. Well I know two. A friend of mine returning to Gib from Antigua on his Jeneau 45.2 suffered from a solenoid failure on the starter motor. No back up. Incidents, I took it over east west twice in previous years. Anyway, no electric for over a week. He did have a freezer and had to ditch all the food. Hand steering. No lighting below deck. No nav lights. Nada. Daily fix of the handheld GPS....plus he's adept with a sextant. Sailed in to anchor off Horta, dinghy ashore to clear I then off to MAYS to order new one. An adventure!

Second person? Me. Was delivering a Warrior something back too from Antigua.....had taken it over the previous November but the owners wife changed his mind. A few days or so from Horta, part of the engine exhaust split. Managed a jury repair but didn't trust it. So hand steering again, etc. Ran the engine to dock in Horta and then off to....MAYS.

I see lots and lots of brand new boats setting off from here loaded with gadgets too. I'm sure the crews have a great time. But what sea stories do they have to tell??

 

[BobnLesley]

It comes down to boat size, really...

It's all a far cry from the budget end of the spectrum which is what this thread is supposed to be about. Not that the solar panels are expensive, but having a big enough boat to fit them on is...

This
I would concede that I am not au-fait with the latest top of the range hi-tech battery or indeed auto helm technology either, but people looking to cruise 'on a budget' are unlikely to be utilising them. Your comment on boat size is very relevant too: Beyond the limitation on solar panel space those towed water-turbine generators seemed well liked when installed on larger/'fast' boats, but not the smaller ones; like wind powered generators, they are expensive and don't give much output until they are spinning fast.

 

[dunedin]

Yes fully serviced life raft is demanded. Also a satellite phone or SSB HF set up with a modem etc. There’s an extensive list and boats are inspected for compliance.

I’ve often wondered how they’d stop you sailing if you didn’t comply..

The ARC wouldn’t ”stop you sailing” if not compliant with the equipment rules. You would just be not part of the ARC - of which, as you know, there is a huge alternative fleet of n-ARC boats crossing at a similar time.
I would agree that few in the “minimum budget” camp would choose to do the ARC. But equally it is extremely rare to find an owner who did the ARC who doesn’t recommend doing the ARC to their friends who have transatlantic aspirations. No connection other than a previous participant.

 

[RunAgroundHard]

... hi-tech battery ... auto helm technology ..., but people looking to cruise 'on a budget' are unlikely to be utilising them. ...

If anything, modern tech is making small boat sailing lower costs and more affordable: plotters, coms, power generation all now offer more bang for your buck than a few years ago through lower prices, smaller sizes.

On a small boat like a Rival 32, cost around £15k, checks and repairs to go across an ocean will not be significant compared to a +40' boat. Upgrades to electrics battery storage would very likely favour lithium over lead acid and lower costs, also solar on guard rails is very low cost and efficient and finally auto helms are pennies on this size of boat.

In fact, I think, modern tech, makes low cost boats more likely to be used. To a degree we see that in some of the Youtube videos.

 

[Blueboatman]

There was an old solo bloke with an old, rebuilt wooden boat who sailed round the world with neither electricity nor self steering.
He wrote about it too I think. So it paid its way

It’s lovely when you have a boat that will sail itself reliably on an ocean heading using sail trim only but it is far rarer to have one that will go downwind unassisted!

Myself I have seen far too many expensive beautifully equipped boats sadly wrecked by hurricanes and ‘ oh just dump them all in there and get out’ charter catamarans dragged together into one sordid oily corner of an overcrowded hurricane hole.

IMO: A cheap, shallow draft, small boat has a far better storm chance of tucking safely away up some creek ‘far from the madding crowd’ or being plonked on a trailer and driven inland a bit.

 

[Sea Change]

If you want to circumnavigate on a budget, get a boat big enough to fit a meaningful amount of solar, and get lithium batteries and a freezer.
None of these things are fancy or expensive these days. And they will save you money in the long run.

(a single 500w solar panel is yours for about £60; lithium batteries now cost the same as lead acid but last much longer; an Alipcool or similar freezer is ~£200.)

 

[dunedin]

There was an old solo bloke with an old, rebuilt wooden boat who sailed round the world with neither electricity nor self steering.
He wrote about it too I think. So it paid its way

….

Slocum?

 

[Blueboatman]

Slocum?

Too easy.

The Interesting thing to me ( which Scocum may have surmised) was that the lines of the Spray enabled it to run fair and true day after day without touching the helm , iirc.

 

[Supertramp]

Too easy.

The Interesting thing to me ( which Scocum may have surmised) was that the lines of the Spray enabled it to run fair and true day after day without touching the helm , iirc.

And a flexible rig that let him adjust the centre of effort and keep the rudder central.

 

[Wansworth]

Yes fully serviced life raft is demanded. Also a satellite phone or SSB HF set up with a modem etc. There’s an extensive list and boats are inspected for compliance.

I’ve often wondered how they’d stop you sailing if you didn’t comply..

There should be a form that you can be filled in in triplicate that states you won’t want rescueing…..why are authorities so keen on sailors having all the gear yet in other areas of life they don’t see to value life that much……underfinanced health service,bad road surface condition……

 

[veshengro]

Speaking of power requirements..
Antigua on my travels. The small yacht off to starboard was 22 (ish) foot marine ply, hand built. He was singlehanded out of Shoreham, West Sussex. He'd been in the Med for, I think he said 5 years.
I pulled his leg about his power generation. He had the 2 wind Gennys on view and his cabin top was covered in solar panels. But he stripped it all and stowed it below when at sea until arrival in Port or anchorage when he rigged it all and got on the computer to update his travels and continue writing his book of his adventures. I told him I could hear his boat humming like a Power Station..

I had an Aerogen wind Genny and 30 Watt sun panel on my Gaffer, but I only needed power for a VHF, navigation lights and a fixed Garmin GPS,