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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Help me with a dream, South America with my boat

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rrick
Captain

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USA
261 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/02/2012 : 01:37:13

Just an idea/thought/dream that occurs occasionally, is to expatriate to a Spanish speaking country outside the tropics, ideally Argentina. Since the mission starts in America with a trailer, I'm trying for the Pros and Cons of San Diego, Corpus Cristi, TX or Florida Keys launch. Pacific weather + Cape Horn or pirates of the Caribbean is all I'm finding. Sure you'll make fun of me thinking of using a dinghy on a Magellan-esque venture, but less so than a true blue water forum. Thanks.

Molly Brown: 1967 Grand Banks 32-#34. Bronze, mahogany, teak, oak, with 120hp diesel to push all 10 tons. Currently an abuser of the bilge pump. Also... The Tall Rig Spirit: 1978, #973, Cast Fe Fin Keel on a Trailer

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Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 05:32:02

You need to find yourself a copy of "Two Against Cape horn" and then you'll be convinced NOT to go that way.

Dunno If you could coastal cruise it around the Gulf.

Edited by - on

John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 07:49:34

Well, I guess you could do it while coastal cruising but it'll take you forever coastal cruising the whole way. Not only is the C25 not a blue water boat, the tall rig would likely end up being overpowered much of the time. It's just plain the wrong boat. Sorry.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5904 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 11:48:06

I have a friend who sailed about a 25-26' S2 from Florida to the Virgin Islands and back singlehanded a couple times that I know of, probably more. For that trip, I would sail to the Bahamas, then island hop through the Bahamas down to the Turks and Caicos, then work my way past Haiti and Dom. Rep. to Puerto Rico, and then to the Virgin Islands. From there, you could continue island hopping south to Grenada. That would get you into the South American neighborhood. Once you get there, you could coastal cruise to Argentina.

The almost universal opinion among sailors is that a C25 is a poor choice of boat for the trip. Most C25s have pop tops, and a knockdown could easily tear off the top, leaving the boat completely open to filling with water in a storm. C25s are designed for coastal cruising and inland lake sailing, where they won't be subjected to storms at sea for day after day, and, within that purpose, they're a fine boat.

There happens to be a 20' boat in my marina that could be up to the trip. It's a Bruce Bingham designed Flicka. The Flicka is a small, trailerable, full-keel boat designed for bluewater sailing for two adults. The Flicka in my marina hasn't been in the water for at least 8-9 years, and I was recently told the owner bought a bigger boat years ago and lost interest in it, and has been paying storage charges on it ever since. It doesn't appear to have a trailer, and I have no idea about it's condition, but if I was serious about a trip like that, I'd inquire further about it.

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rrick
Captain

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USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 06/02/2012 : 17:04:13

Not serious at all, zombie scenario. I know this is completely the wrong boat (I mean, the inside is completely hollow with said pop-top). I was hoping to just plant myself in the center of either ocean to avoid the now zombiefied pirates and not coastal cruise. Some enjoyable private time.

Right now looks nice 400 miles ENE of Puerto Rico, 3-7 kts gusts, tall rigs call that smooth sailing. I'm slightly disappointed with NOAA's National Data Buoy Center. I was hoping for webcams and not just numbers. The deep blue isn't just limited to those with experience and Captain's training, that's why they invented satellite EPIRBS

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GaryB
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4306 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2012 : 07:48:44

Pan-American Highway?

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2012 : 08:45:47

A friend cruised on a Flicka for several years--he got tired of it's hobby-horse ride. Otherwise, a very capable little 20-footer.

Stay away from Venezuela...

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Davy J
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1511 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2012 : 13:00:38

Maybe this:

http://www.dockwise.com/page/yachttransport.html

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glivs
Admiral

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USA
836 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2012 : 18:40:59

A former colleague of mine and her husband sailed from San Diego to New Orleans via the Canal in a Pacific Seacraft 25 a few years back. Good planning...no incidents.

I would like to note that in addition to the many reasons well noted already not to undertake such a journey in a Catalina 25, there are also many less obvious issues that must be considered. The higher air and water temperatures and higher salinity of subtropical waters can affect systems very differently and often far more aggressively in comparison to coastal or fresh water systems, e.g., battery self discharge, corrosion, fouling (hull and MSD systems)...
Don't misunderstand me; dream and set your goals, but the implementation needs to be given very careful consideration.

Edited by - on

ruachwrights
Captain

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USA
258 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2012 : 11:24:47

I say keep your dream alive. Why not spend some time beefing up your rigging, systems, and hull as the guy on Juggernaut who circumnavigated on his Catalina 27, launch from Florida and hop along the keys to the Caribbean and make your way to the Panama canal. Just take it one island at a time and save up enough cash to be able to stay for as long as it takes (or ditch!) on a given island to get the right weather window.

Before you do that though, why not go North up the ICW through Chesapeake to port hop up to NE to beautiful ME! Heck you could continue on through the St. Lawrence seaway and end up in the Great Lakes. Probably just as much an epic adventure and a little more manageable on a C25.

Vern Wright

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sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 07/12/2012 : 13:43:38

Keep dream alive.

Convert your pop top to fixed roof. If in hurry due to zombies, I suggest locking your pop top down tight and slapping MarineTex everywhere to convert it to a fixed roof. So you should buy MarineTex now.

If no zombies, get a beacon and great life raft. Get spare radios and navigation gear (iPhone works). Get spare parts for as much as you can afford and carry. Get sail repair kits.

People have sailed around in much less. Google "Super Shrimp".

Understand the risk. If you want to risk it, do it. You'll know you're still alive.

I hope to take my boat through the Bahamas one day.

Edited by - on

awetmore
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1144 Posts

Response Posted - 07/17/2012 : 09:39:00

Why would you go around Cape Horn instead of through the canal?

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9082 Posts

Response Posted - 07/17/2012 : 20:12:34

Go where you want to live (by air or land), buy a boat, and go sailing.

Alternatively, buy a blue water sailboat, a Tech-9 or AK-47, an EPIRB, and a bullet-proof life insurance policy, and see how things go around Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil (where a very famous cruiser was killed last year), and the others. A C-25 in Argentina will be about as in-place as a Renault Fuego in the USA.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 07/17/2012 20:14:11

rrick
Captain

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USA
261 Posts

Response Posted - 07/18/2012 : 02:08:38

Hey, my 89 motorhome is pretty much a Renault Speedwagon or Fuego (entirely the reason it get 15mpg but has less than 50k miles). My initial question was to get in blue water and avoid those areas. But my answer seems if using a cat 25', coastal cruising with weapons is all I can do.

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John Russell
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3444 Posts

Response Posted - 07/19/2012 : 12:41:24

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ruachwrights
 ......Before you do that though, why not go North up the ICW through Chesapeake to port hop up to NE to beautiful ME! Heck you could continue on through the St. Lawrence seaway and end up in the Great Lakes. Probably just as much an epic adventure and a little more manageable on a C25.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">I used to daydream about the Great Circle route. Starting at my home port near Cleveland, head for Chicago via Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, etc. The Chicago river to the Mississippi. South to New Orleans, around Florida and up the East coast to the canals of New York and home again.

I think I'd rather do it in a boat like Bristle's though since I'm pretty sure I'd be doing it alone.

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sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 20:46:05

i could only afford a 25' boat because I spent all the money on guns.

Edited by - sethp001 on 07/26/2012 11:47:01

sethp001
Mainsheet C-25 Tech Editor

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814 Posts

Response Posted - 07/25/2012 : 20:51:22

Last post was joke. I'd definitely want at least a shotgun and semi-automatic rifle if sailing offshore. I'm not going to outrun anyone in my C25.

I also imagine I could create a bunker out of four sheets of stainless steel connected by hinges so that they fold flat for storage but could be arranged on deck as a square to hide behind while shooting. I also think I'd like to get a U.S. military surplus helmet and uniform to don - hoping that between the uniform and bunker, the bad guys would decide to move on to an easier target.

Maybe I'd have to change tacks first so as to see the target and not shoot holes through the fore sail.

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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts

Response Posted - 07/28/2012 : 19:56:50

Maybe its just me but the idea of sailing in a place where you need a portable bunker and automatic weapons is just not appealing. I second the idea of an adventure in the good old USA.

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1316 Posts

Response Posted - 07/29/2012 : 22:15:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Maybe its just me but the idea of sailing in a place where you need a portable bunker and automatic weapons is just not appealing. I second the idea of an adventure in the good old USA.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Including... Canada from coast to coast...

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