Very serious post.... ... Cruising the Ionian a Wayfarer

[Ravi]

A ?friend? has suggested that I should park my ideas of buying a 30-32 foot yacht and cruising the Ionian in 2014 and that I should kit out my old wooden Wayfarer (or get a Drascombe) with cruising gear and a boat tent and should spend the year on that instead.

This is, of course, a lunatic idea but, worryingly, he has me half convinced.

His argument....
- Frank Dye
- £££££
- Fun

My concerns....
- I am no Frank Dye!
- Heads!
- Comfort!
(Mostly, the heads, really!)

Discuss!

 

[rustybarge]

A ?friend? has suggested that I should park my ideas of buying a 30-32 foot yacht and cruising the Ionian in 2014 and that I should kit out my old wooden Wayfarer (or get a Drascombe) with cruising gear and a boat tent and should spend the year on that instead.

This is, of course, a lunatic idea but, worryingly, he has me half convinced.

His argument....
- Frank Dye
- £££££
- Fun

My concerns....
- I am no Frank Dye!
- Heads!
- Comfort!
(Mostly, the heads, really!)

Discuss!

Didn't someone sail one from Scotland to Iceland?

 

[prv]

Didn't someone sail one from Scotland to Iceland?

Errm, yeah, that would be the Frank Dye mentioned twice in the OP's post!

He also cruised all over the place for many years after his famous book was published, including the eastern US and Canada (no, he didn't sail the boat over there!)

The OP's proposal sounds fun, and entirely doable by the right person, but a very different activity to taking a yacht.

Pete

 

[TQA]

I spent a very happy 9 weeks sailing in the Adriatic on a Jaguar 22 and would have been happy for to go on.

I don't think I would have wanted to do it in anything much smaller.

 

[DownWest]

I am sure I read an article (PBO or Watercraft) about a bloke who cruised around Greece with his daughter. Boat was a Drascombe.

 

[jordanbasset]

You could certainly do it, plenty of places to anchor and tie up, you will get in many places bigger boats could not, but not sure how comfortable it would be long term. Lots of things you will need to consider, sometimes things that are not immediately obvious, for example for us shade from the sun was important during the summer, you may wish to work out how you will do that.

 

[jimbaerselman]

One of our retiring staff members (Steve), after many years of excellent service, asked for the loan of a Wayfarer for a year from the Nidri centre of what was then Falcon Sailing. Over a year he then sailed the boat to Crete, Egypt, up the Nile, along the Levant coast, Turkey, through the Aegean, and eventually back to the Ionian. He was accompanied at various stages of the journey by several of our staff members. My daughter accompanied him up the Nile, and Laurie, who now runs one of the most polished charter operations in the Ionian (http://www.nisosyachtcharter.com/who-are-we.html) did the leg from Cyprus to Egypt.

I never asked about sewage disposal . . .

But during the summer Steve occasionally drops by the Athos Hotel bar in Nidri. While Laurie supervises his fleet on the long quay just south of Nidri. Ask them about the experience . . .

 

[Steve C Cronin]

I am sure I read an article (PBO or Watercraft) about a bloke who cruised around Greece with his daughter. Boat was a Drascombe.

Some are still doing it. We towed one into Kalamos last year and saw another in Nidri only six weeks ago.

 

[KellysEye]

A Wayfarer has sailed from the UK to Greece day sailing in the right weather, they had a canvas tent to go over the boom for sleeping at night.

 

[Fantasie 19]

A Wayfarer has sailed from the UK to Greece day sailing in the right weather, they had a canvas tent to go over the boom for sleeping at night.

I remember seeing these ages ago - there's a series of six - you might find them interesting/useful???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJr7jCyFTEQ

 

[Adrian]

I saw a couple of men "living" on a Hobicat type boat with a pop up tent on the trampoline in August in Sagiada (I think) couple of years ago, must have been unbearably hot!

 

[Ravi]

Oh no! You were all meant to tell me that his idea was crazy! Not, encourage me to do it!
Now, I find myself musing about the costs of fixing up my old Wayfarer and having it shipped out to the Med and wondering if it will all be possible with my dog!

Those Youtube videos are wonderful viewing, thanks. An amazing choice of old boat.

 

[Wansworth]

Two lads sailed from the uk via med etx to Australia.........

 

[Wino]

I built and now live and cruise on her. BUT I wish I had bought, that way I would have been able to cruise earlier,.
If you buy you have something to sell, there are far,far too many self built boats on the market and without the name of a recognised builder are worth very little, if anything and then they can become a very expensive encumbrance - storage charges never get less!
Take the advice of others - as I now wish I had - go out and find a boat you like and can afford (very rarely go together) and go sailing/cruising. You can never replace that time you will use in building, which is always far longer than you calculate.

 

[Chris_Robb]

Ken Duxbury sailed a drascombe - Lugworm, round the Aegean years ago

This is the book - still available and well worth reading as it will give you a good idea of the good and bad and dangerous bits.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lugworm-Loose-Exploring-Greece-Dinghy/dp/0720706599

 

[DownWest]

I built and now live and cruise on her. BUT I wish I had bought, that way I would have been able to cruise earlier,.
If you buy you have something to sell, there are far,far too many self built boats on the market and without the name of a recognised builder are worth very little, if anything and then they can become a very expensive encumbrance - storage charges never get less!
Take the advice of others - as I now wish I had - go out and find a boat you like and can afford (very rarely go together) and go sailing/cruising. You can never replace that time you will use in building, which is always far longer than you calculate.

You might be replying to the wrong thread.....

 

[jacaldo]

Have a look here, we met this couple on Ithica, they were having a fantastic time.
http://wayfarergreekodyssey.blogspot.co.uk/

Oh no! You were all meant to tell me that his idea was crazy! Not, encourage me to do it!
Now, I find myself musing about the costs of fixing up my old Wayfarer and having it shipped out to the Med and wondering if it will all be possible with my dog!

Those Youtube videos are wonderful viewing, thanks. An amazing choice of old boat.

 

[LittleSister]

I'm fairly sure I read an article or two in PBO some years ago about a woman sailing a Wayfarer (or perhaps Wanderer) around the Ionian.

I think you'd need a bloody good sunhat and a laidback/flexible attitude to life, but otherwise very doable and potentially huge fun.

SSR registration (minimum 16 foot LOA IIRC) might avoid some potential bureaucratic challenges.

 

[jacaldo]

Looks like they may have moved the Greek blog, I'm sure it's out there somewhere. A nice couple living in a boom tent with the odd night ashore.

 

[chinita]

If I were thirty years younger, knowing what I do now; I would do it - no question.