What are the capabilities of a 31ft yacht

[scotty123]

Suggest you ask the Bavaria owners who recently sailed their boats bought in Europe back home via Cape Horn.

Little depends on displacement and hull configuration as anybody who knows what they are talking about will tell you.

Afraid your comments only illustrate your ignorance about the capabilities of boats.

Got any details of those trips?

 

[capnsensible]

Most depends on displacement and the keel configuration. I would sail some 30 footers round the world. I wouldnt cross Dover to Calais in a Bavaria

Why not?

 

[macd]

I would sail some 30 footers round the world.

...which seems to be something else you don't know much about, judging by your curiosity elsewhere about a trip to the Azores.

 

[Tranona]

Got any details of those trips?

They were reported on the Bavariayacht forum about 18 months ago. However Australians seem to have gone quiet since, probably because they sold the boats when they got there.

It was quite popular a few years ago, buying either a ex charter or even new boat (mostly Bavarias) in the Med, cruising around for a while then sailing back down under. About 10 years ago it was also common for Med charter boats to cross the Atlantic in the autumn, sometimes as part of the ARC and return in the spring.

You will find Bavarias (and Beneteaus, Jenneaus, Hanses) built in Europe all over the world, having got there on their own bottoms.

 

[scotty123]

They were reported on the Bavariayacht forum about 18 months ago. However Australians seem to have gone quiet since, probably because they sold the boats when they got there.

It was quite popular a few years ago, buying either a ex charter or even new boat (mostly Bavarias) in the Med, cruising around for a while then sailing back down under. About 10 years ago it was also common for Med charter boats to cross the Atlantic in the autumn, sometimes as part of the ARC and return in the spring.

You will find Bavarias (and Beneteaus, Jenneaus, Hanses) built in Europe all over the world, having got there on their own bottoms.

But, were they going via Cape Horn & against the weather as you suggested, or via Panama & Pacific?

 

[Tranona]

But, were they going via Cape Horn & against the weather as you suggested, or via Panama & Pacific?

The two reported ones rounded Cape Horn east to west. Others have gone through Panama (like apnsensible has in a Bavaria). Neither routes are trivial despite what the Solent based owners of heavy long keel boats might think.

 

[capnsensible]

The two reported ones rounded Cape Horn east to west. Others have gone through Panama (like apnsensible has in a Bavaria). Neither routes are trivial despite what the Solent based owners of heavy long keel boats might think.

Doing it again soon! Leaving Lanzarote on 21st Jan weather permitting. Hope to transit canal early March. Bavaria 44. :encouragement:

 

[Tranona]

Doing it again soon! Leaving Lanzarote on 21st Jan weather permitting. Hope to transit canal early March. Bavaria 44. :encouragement:

Lucky fellow. Enjoy.

 

[capnsensible]

Thanks!

 

[doug748]

Are we all that bored that we have to resurrect a year old thread?

Yep, I think we probably are.

The OP seems to have gone. Another Scarlet Pimpernel.

Following our finest advice, his last post tells us he was planning to buy a long keel Trintella 29.

 

[Flica]

Suggest you ask the Bavaria owners who recently sailed their boats bought in Europe back home via Cape Horn.

Little depends on displacement and hull configuration as anybody who knows what they are talking about will tell you.

Afraid your comments only illustrate your ignorance about the capabilities of boats.

All is dependent on the competence of who is skippering. Boat size is (almost) irrelevant. Just that LWL is proportional to max displacement speed.

 

[webcraft]

.
I recently skippered a 311 in the Ionian - my first ever Med sailing - and we had one day hard on the wind for seven hours in a F6-7 - no problem, in fact mostly fun, a great wee boat. And we only did that because it was a delivery - otherwise we would have waited a day or two for more favourable weather.

After living on board a 27 footer for a year cruising from Scotland to the Canaries and the Azores I am very much of the opinion that it is not the size, it is what you do with it. The classic cruising advice is still the best - go small, go cheap and go now.

As for Bavarias - the previous week in the Ionian to the 311 was spent on a Bav46, which was a fantastic, steady platform - very comfortable, with a longish relatively shallow displacement fin keel. I would have been happy to take that boat pretty much anywhere.

- W

 

[Ladybirdgaffcutter]

Go small, go cheap, go now.. wise words!

 

[Jamestkirk]

Sailed my 30 footer down there for 14 years ,and no worries...someones pulling your leg

 

[Jamestkirk]

LOL and cheaper too:encouragement::encouragement:

 

[nortada]

Hi there,

I'm looking at buying a beneteau 311 clipper but have been told to be careful as sailing a 31ft yacht in the med is "a death wish".

Can you not use a 311 to cross oceans? and by oceans I'm talking the distance from mainland spain to ibiza or from the uk to france (channel crossing)?

any advice from people who have made voyages in similar sized vessels is very welcome!

thanks!

Seb

Had a Westerly Merlin 27 for 6 years, did Harwich - Ostend, Harwich - Falmouth and numerous Solent to France. Sailed all round the year (snow on the decks) and never any doubt about it's sailing capabilities.

Only reason we didn't venture to the Med because we didn't have the time.

Possibly a bit small for 2 (+guests) for extended passages. The longest stretch we did continuously on board was 2 months (in summer).

Hope this helps with your decision.

 

[Graham376]

Have seen quite a few Westerly 31s down here, Renowns, Longbows, Berwicks & Pentlands, having come across Biscay and down Portuguese west coast, heading into the Med. We bashed around the Irish Sea in out Berwick for several years, sometimes in quite nasty conditions, without any worries.