simplesharp
03.06.2021 19:05:28
⚓︎ Readymade window hatches that can be put in place should a window break. [links]
See full version: What makes a boat seaworthy
⚓︎ Readymade window hatches that can be put in place should a window break. [links]
There is also a whole list of to do’s while getting a boat ready to sail around the world, but these are things you could make or do on any boat, whereas the above are critical to the construction and buying of a boat. here
But to pull off a successful venture across any ocean you don’t just need a seaworthy boat, you also need to be seaworthy yourself.
⚓︎ Back up gear and supplies to repair and maintain your boat while sailing or in remote places. [links]
⚓︎ Good charts and backups. [links]
Most boats in between put all their reliance on keeping the water on the outside to start with. In other words, many would go straight to the bottom if a single 2-inch transducer came loose. Fortunately, the reality is that relatively few boats do sink due to flooding from a hole below the waterline. And if an unsinkable hull is breached and you lose power, under the worst-case scenario you’ll be waiting for a tow in a very large life raft. here
If your boat is floating at the dock with no one on board, you know it has enough buoyancy under those benign conditions. But what about when it’s loaded with fuel, water, passengers and gear? And what happens when you load the boat up with a cockpit full of fish, then take a wave over the side and have 6 inches of water on deck? Well, what happens depends on your boat’s stability and something called reserve buoyancy.
For me, the question to ask first is, What sort of damage would it take to sink this boat? A boat has to displace its own weight in water in order to float, and the obvious way to do that is to keep the ocean on the outside. But boatbuilders also play a role, filling the area between the hull and deck liner with enough foam or dividing it into enough small compartments to still displace its own weight if the hull is damaged. more
That’s why adding a tuna tower or hardtop, or replacing old, heavy diesels with new lighter ones, or even just burning fuel will make a boat less stable. Keep this in mind when modifying your boat in any way. You can have a naval architect determine your boat’s stability if you’re in doubt — particularly if you’re adding a tower — or at the very least check with the builder. Read the tea leaves: If the boat hesitates before rolling back to an even keel, or just feels sluggish or has a longer roll period than feels right, get it checked out.
Most boats 20 feet and longer have neither compartmentation nor sufficient foam to keep them from sinking — the Coast Guard only requires boats smaller than 20 feet to have level flotation when swamped — but some fishing boats like Grady-White, Key West, Sailfish and Boston Whaler do. (Making a boat “unsinkable” adds cost and weight, which affects performance, and takes up space.) The funny thing is, it is often boats smaller than 20 feet and ships more than 100 feet (or so) that are hard to sink, as they use lots of foam and compartmentation, respectively. here
That’s why adding a tuna tower or hardtop, or replacing old, heavy diesels with new lighter ones, or even just burning fuel will make a boat less stable. Keep this in mind when modifying your boat in any way. You can have a naval architect determine your boat’s stability if you’re in doubt — particularly if you’re adding a tower — or at the very least check with the builder. Read the tea leaves: If the boat hesitates before rolling back to an even keel, or just feels sluggish or has a longer roll period than feels right, get it checked out.
Stability refers to the natural tendency of a hull to return to an even keel after an upsetting moment is applied — like a wave or gust of wind or an on-board weight shift. In normal (undamaged) conditions, boats develop a righting arm when heeled, created by two forces pushing in opposite directions, separated by distance. These two forces are gravity (pushing down) and buoyancy (pushing up). The higher the boat’s center of gravity, the less energy there is to right the boat. here
Most boats 20 feet and longer have neither compartmentation nor sufficient foam to keep them from sinking — the Coast Guard only requires boats smaller than 20 feet to have level flotation when swamped — but some fishing boats like Grady-White, Key West, Sailfish and Boston Whaler do. (Making a boat “unsinkable” adds cost and weight, which affects performance, and takes up space.) The funny thing is, it is often boats smaller than 20 feet and ships more than 100 feet (or so) that are hard to sink, as they use lots of foam and compartmentation, respectively. here
For me, the question to ask first is, What sort of damage would it take to sink this boat? A boat has to displace its own weight in water in order to float, and the obvious way to do that is to keep the ocean on the outside. But boatbuilders also play a role, filling the area between the hull and deck liner with enough foam or dividing it into enough small compartments to still displace its own weight if the hull is damaged. more
It helps to know, when understanding stability, that the center of gravity moves toward a weight addition and away from a weight subtraction. In other words, add weight above the CG — it’s a little above the level of the top of the engines in many inboard planing boats — and it becomes less stable. Or remove weight below the CG, and the same thing happens — stability diminishes. [links]
If your boat is floating at the dock with no one on board, you know it has enough buoyancy under those benign conditions. But what about when it’s loaded with fuel, water, passengers and gear? And what happens when you load the boat up with a cockpit full of fish, then take a wave over the side and have 6 inches of water on deck? Well, what happens depends on your boat’s stability and something called reserve buoyancy.
I currently have an 18' aluminum boat that I love. I love it because it is cheaper than hell to tow and run. I have gone down as far as the 425 from mission bay and totaled over 100 miles on a trip. What I don't like are the low side rails and I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it out in anything less than "nice" weather. My plan is to sell this boat and then buy a good sea worthy boat that can get me to San Clemente Island (maybe tanner?) My budget is 20k or less
So my question is:
What is a good sea worthy boat that is capable of going to San Clemente Island and back?
What features of a boat make it sea worthy? Is it high rails, self bailing decks, unsinkable like boston whalers, center console, cuddy cabins, etc, brand
If I did want to go with a center console which would you recommend?
and if I wanted to go with a cuddy cabin style which would you recommend?
[links]