Turning to the Dark Side

Corky

Corky

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Now don't all swear at me at once but I've been toying with the idea of a stick-and-rag thingie. As I'm planning for an early retirement in a few years I'd like to go further afield and the potentially high cost of using lots of fuel rears its ugly head. The idea of using sail power is therefore very attractive but I still like the cockpit comforts of a mobo plus the views from a mobo's saloon windows (unlike a yacht which are too high to see out from dinettes). The challenge therefore is to find a sailing boat which has a comfortable cockpit like a mobo but still has that stick thing on top. I've scoured the boat shows without success. Has anyone seen such a beastie? Ideally it would be 30-36ft. and well under £80k. What - yes I can sail - or at least used to be able to.
 
I suspect the answer is a catamaran of some sort, though I've ever experienced one myself. Otherwise, maybe a motor sailor - something like a Nauticat 33, perhaps (no cockpit, but room aft of the wheelhouse for loafing around in deckchairs) - but it would have to be second hand, and probably in need of some tlc, to meet your budget.
 
Not neccessarily, others may have had the same thoughts you know. Apart from which I find I get much more intelligent comments here - present company excepted. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
I love the idea of trying a sail boat but I have NEVER been out on one!

So how on earth does one get to where you want to be, in a reasonable amount of time, when the wind is against you?

The zig-zagging to get no-where fast against the tide would do my head in! Yes, I know they have engines!

Didn't Darth Vader(?) and the dark side fail in the end? Keep your senses, use the force, and stay with the light side - you know it makes sense..... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
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Not neccessarily, others may have had the same thoughts you know.

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I have recently carried out a thorougher review,
Had an offer on my boat
Been out sailing last year
Taken wife and daughter to look at sailing accommodation

Conclusions I came to (note didn't include retirement plans)

Sail is not that much cheaper, in fact when you look at cost per mile to take account of marina fees the cost per mile is considerably more for sail.

Sail looses a lot of space , cost per meter of usable berthing cost increases.

Sail power is not free, the more you use them the more they cost to replace/repair

sail does not attract as much interest from wives, unless you are gay don't assume your partner will want to spend hours healed over drifting around with the current.

The average cost per mile of sailing boats is far more than the average cost of a mobo per mile as the mobo covers far more miles a season, fuel is expensive but nothing compared with other running costs.
The more miles you use your boat the cheaper per mile it costs.
 
If you look at the Colvic in the 30'-36' range, you might be very pleasantly surprised.

Look in BoatsandOutboards and other brokerages and study all the photographs to get a feel of things (on any type of yacht) before commiting yourself to a drive to a marine for a 'walk on board'

For size and comfort, I recommend a Colvic (Pilothouse) 34.

Good luck. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

PS: It is only called 'the dark side' due to the shadow cast by a beautifully trimmed sail on a broad reach in a Force 4! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
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The zig-zagging to get no-where fast against the tide would do my head in! Yes, I know they have engines!


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I used to sail a lot, in my experience you play around for a bit sailing in roughly the right direction enjoying the exhilleraton of sailing etc... then when your bored of playing and getting nowhere so you start the engine /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif so unless you just enjoy being out there forever stick with a mobo.
 
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Sail looses a lot of space , cost per meter of usable berthing cost increases.


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How odd! I was aboard some really nice Princess motor vessels at LIBS ranging from 50' to 90'. The amount of real boat space given up to engine room was incredible! 25% to 30% of the aft of the vessels were pretty much lost space. Compare that to the tiny little room afforded to sail engine rooms. Sure motor vessels tend to be beamier but overall I reckon the types are on a par.

A full suit of reasonable sails for my 40' yacht cost £3400, even used frequently they can be expected to last 5 years. The first suit lasted 10 and the second about 10 again. Bet your engines cost a shed load more to replace.
 
Fair comment re engine room space /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Oh course we do spend a bit of time down their showing our mates the engines so it is usable socialising space /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

My comments were not based on 'bets' or thoughts, I actually went to the trouble to run a series of calculations.

Cost per mile for a sail boat kept in a South coast marina was considerably more than a mobo also kept in a south coast marina.

Cost per hour spent on the water was cheaper for the sail boat but they dont actually cover many miles in the direction they want.

I did post my detailed calculations, they were surprising.
 
I looked specifically at my 39ft boat and we needed 44 ft sail boat to get anywhere near the same space.
Ignoring that and just saying 30 ft costs the same.

sail boat 30ft costs £5000 average speed in direction required 3 knots
100 hours covers 300 nm = £16.66 per mile

mobo costs £5000
average 10 knots ( 5 harbour, 25 cruise) + 500 gallons fuel @ £1400 total £6400
1000 miles = £ 6.40 per mile

These are not detailed but just a rough explanation on how it works.
 
Totally agree, cost per mile is much higher but I suspect this is why different types of people run raggies from those who run mobos. The raggies just like being out there and get as much, if not more, pleaseure from the journey that the destination. Mobos test to want to get from a to b quickly and then enjoy the destination.
 
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sail boat 30ft costs £5000 average speed in direction required 3 knots
100 hours covers 300 nm = £16.66 per mile



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Rubbish, Even my 23 foot yacht averages between 4.5/5 knots and it's max hull speed is 6 knots. My figures are taken from my log over the last 2 years which included 2 trips to from Chichester to Falmouth and back. Fuel for each trip was about 80 litres. I would expect that a 30 foot yacht would easily average 5.5/6 knots on passage.

If you are on pasasge from A-B and the wind isn't right, then you motor sail, you don't have to tack.
 
Those same calcs from a Raggie perspective....

sail boat 30ft costs £5000
average speed in direction required 3 knots
100 hours covers 300 nm = £50 per hour

mobo costs £5000
average 10 knots ( 5 harbour, 25 cruise) + 500 gallons fuel @ £1400 total £6400
1000 miles = £ 64 per hour
 
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Rubbish, Even my 23 foot yacht averages between 4.5/5 knots and it's max hull speed is 6 knots. My figures are taken from my log over the last 2 years which included 2 trips to from Chichester to Falmouth and back. Fuel for each trip was about 80 litres. I would expect that a 30 foot yacht would easily average 5.5/6 knots on passage.

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We are trying to discuss SAILING /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

You cant introduce the fact that sailing boats motor everywhere ( NOT HERE ON THE MOBO forum anyway /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

My boat has a max speed in excess of 30.
we cruise between 24-26

My average speed for the year ( log divided by engine hours is 10 )

If you sailed your average speed in the direction you want to go in would be 2-3 knots
( I think )
 
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