Cross an ocean in a dinghy?

[stonedpirate]

Hello,

As some of you know, i am still obsessed with ocean crossings in a small boat.

I read "Alone Across the Atlantic" by Gerry Spiess who crossed the atlantic in a homemade, ply 10' boat.

Anyway, I have made heaps of stitch and glue designs for hulls and it got me thinking if it wouldnt be better to just buy a hull.

Serge testa did a circumnavigation in a 12' aluminium yacht and it looked similar to the average runabout dinghy.



Would converting a typical aluminium dinghy to a cabin with a sail and ballasted keel produce a boat that i'm after?

Are these hulls made weaker for inshore work? Or would the withstand a fair beating?

What kind of dinghies should i be looking at if any?

Does metal thickness and support structures etc make a huge difference when it comes to aliminium?

Thanks for any advice

[Paul Kotzebue]

Originally Posted by stonedpirate

Does metal thickness and support structures etc make a huge difference when it comes to aliminium?

Yes, it does.

[alan white]

I think I'd like to try a hit or two of that stuff, s.p....

[stonedpirate]

I'll smuggle some over.

No one will suspect a dinghy..

[lewisboats]

That hull is designed for motor boating...planing if you will. You planning on using an outboard to cross the ocean?

[lewisboats]

Would converting a typical aluminium dinghy to a cabin with a sail and ballasted keel produce a boat that i'm after?

Not just no but He!! NO!
A boat must be specifically designed for it's main purpose...and THAT ain't it!

I think I'd like to try a hit or two of that stuff, s.p....

If you want to share though...I'm game...seems like REALLY good stuff!!!

[stonedpirate]

lol

What difference would it make as a diceplacement hull when max hull speed is only like 3 knots at that length.

And i'm sure it travels quite nicely at 3knots with the outboard attached.

This thing went around the world:



Makes my dinghy look like a luxury cruiser

[Steve W]

Actually that Australis looks like a proper little yacht,at least much more so than any of the other Stunt type boat ive seen. I think John Wellsford in NZ has a design for a boat that might suit your purpose,also Jim Betts in the US.
Steve.

[stonedpirate]

Thanks Steve.

Believe it or not i actually contacted both of them recently.

Jim Betts said he no longer sells plans for his small yacht because liability insurance is too steep. And Johns boat its 2 feet to big to set the record.

10 feet max.

I wish i was a welder. Or a naval architect

[rasorinc]

You will need the finest radio in the world and double the total weight in flotation. Where are you going to keep 100 gallons of water??

[stonedpirate]

Radio? For boredom?

I was going to use fresh water for ballast.

Not 100 gallons though.

200 liters.

[RHP]

You are clearly incurable, however in terms of ocean crossings in dingies, many enthusiasts would recommend the Wayfarer dingy for trips across the north sea etc.. http://www.wayfarer.org.uk/

Also the Wanderer http://www.wanderer.org.uk/

Past that look at the dingy cruising club website http://www.dca.uk.com/links.htm

I like the Baycruiser and Searaider from Swallow Boats http://www.swallowboats.co.uk/

however I see no merit in slipping down to pygmie sized vessels to cross large oceans.

[tom28571]

I think you should just get on with it and show the rest of us pessimistic malcontents and fussbudgets how an adventurer gets things done. The rest of us just don't have the cajones required for the job.

One place to start would be to contact some of the like minded souls that were contemplating participating in the "Round in 10" race last year. Several 10' LOA circumnavigating boats were designed and some were either built or started construction. You could probably pick up one of these cheap. In the end they decided that they were not crazy enough to pull it off. You may be better better qualified in that most demanding and crucial characteristic for such an undertaking than they.

[hoytedow]

As you use your fresh water ballast, which has less mass than saline, what will you use to replace it?

[stonedpirate]

however I see no merit in slipping down to pygmie sized vessels to cross large oceans.

I understand the critisism. But people said the same about 40 footers and 30 footers not long ago when pleasure cruising started up.

In those days they said only ships can cross safely.

Ships sink, 30 footers sink and so do 10 footers.

Alot of people see no merit risking your life in a yacht race that whole crews die in each year, or risking it sailing to the caribbean.

Its not about size. Sailing is risky, if you dont want to die, stay home.