Tiny Ocean Sail Boats

[barrow_matt]

I was having a look around the net for micro sailing boat records and there are a number of sub-10ft boats that have crossed the Atlantic.

This was a good site I found: http://www.microcruising.com/famoussmallboats.htm

I was just wondering about the design considerations for such a boat. Some of the times look quite impressive so I assume they are heavily over-sheeted? A heavy keel would be needed for stability? That boat would have to carry the sailor plus 100 litres of drinking water?

I'm intrigued by these tiny boats and there capability.

[souljour2000]

You should check out this fellow's site...he knows a things or two probably about micro-cruiser design...and about sailing blue water .

http://www.yrvind.com/

[BATAAN]

By saying 'over-sheeted' do you mean over-rigged? The sheet is a line that controls the aft lower corner of a sail, not the sail itself. Only the insane cross oceans in 10 footers, but it has been done. The main problems being the extreme motion and finding room and displacement to carry enough food and water. In a tiny boat, weather that others barely notice can seriously slow the small boat up and create dangerous conditions. The link souljour2000 sent shows a man with serious sanity problems if he thinks he can circumnavigate south of the capes non-stop in a 10 footer. If he succeeds, I'll be the first to say I was wrong. I personally knew Bernard Moitessier and he gave me some very striking descriptions of the weather involved south of the capes and how his 39' heavy steel boat JOSHUA got thrashed, knocked down and thrown about like a toothpick for week after week.

[barrow_matt]

Interesting link, quite a lot of theory in there regarding micro cruiser design. Looking at his photo/video he has previously had to abandon an attempt to round Cape Horn in his 20' boat Bris I albeit in the 70's.

By over-sheeted I did mean sail area, the way a mini 650 does for example.

The more I look at pictures it seems many have internal ballast rather than a deep keel and not particularly heavy. This is more like the ocean rowing boat concept which although 20'+ cross the oceans in lightweight boats with very little draught.

Gerry Spiess boat seems to be about as small as you can go whilst still looking like a boat rather than a pod, interesting comments here about the boat being pushed completely under water by large waves. http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailin...ankeegirl1.htm

[Velsia]

I agree you would have to be a it mad to want to roam the oceans on something which basically drifts instead of sails.

The only saving grace is that the "pod" concept you mention rather is like a corked bottle. As long as the pod was water tight and strong enough to be submerged under a few metres of water when a wave breaks on her. The problem is being bashed around inside the thing and finding somewhere to eject the vomit from.

[BATAAN]

Originally Posted by Velsia

I agree you would have to be a it mad to want to roam the oceans on something which basically drifts instead of sails.

The only saving grace is that the "pod" concept you mention rather is like a corked bottle. As long as the pod was water tight and strong enough to be submerged under a few metres of water when a wave breaks on her. The problem is being bashed around inside the thing and finding somewhere to eject the vomit from.

LMAO. Ahem, yes, the vomit is just too true. From my 50 years of Pacific ocean experience I see no problem in a boat much like LA LIBERDADE in concept as being a very practical, very small, by which I mean under 40', cheap, extremely seaworthy design of sharpie/dory type, but a copy of neither.
She was 35' x 7' x 3', a very manageable size both in building and sailing.
Her light 3-masted junk rig shrugged off losing a mast. The captain soon had it repaired and on their way.
All her ballast is inside, and if loaded down will probably do 20 degrees to windward when properly trimmed, but Slocum, being a square rig captain was quite content with this and made it from Brazil to the US just fine with his family for crew.
These boats are light with little grip on the water, so are good at staying out of the way of breaking waves. They just seem to slide out of danger over and over again. Given a tight deck and small tight cockpit, you could conceivably (shudder) do what they guy with the 10 footer proposes if you had a solar powered watermaker to reduce tankage and increase food storage.

[CatBuilder]

I suffer from restless legs. While I can see the problems with puking in them, they terrify me for other reasons!

[barrow_matt]

It does appear that these micro cruisers are little more than floating pods targeting just 2 knots rather than defying typical sailing performance the way a mini 650 does for its size for example.

That's an attractive boat Bataan, i've read Roger Taylors book Mingming, the art of minimal ocean sailing where he has done some serious ocean passages in a 21' junk rigged Coribee.

[BATAAN]

Old Josh Slocum knew his seagoing and boat-building business, and in this case it was "stuck on the beach after a shipwreck and building a way home out of driftwood and salvage".
His skilled design sense made something long, lean, fairly fast, and big enough and seaworthy enough to do the job.
The bottom was ironwood for strength and ballast, the planking cedar, the cabin top was canvas over a light frame, so with the obviously light and low rig gave a stiff and good-sailing vessel for the trip.
For a very good read, try the story of his last command, a ship that represented all he owned and her wrecking, and the ultimate end of the voyage of his beautiful AQUIDNECK, then building this boat to take his family home: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Voyage_of_the_Liberdade
What a sailor, designer and builder he was.
In Russian there is a phrase, "Из черт, я хочу сделать шоколад."
Which means, "Out of s**t, I make chocolate."

[Dirteater]

you start thinking about a boat and where you want to go ...
and what's gonna work to get there ...
that's what got me started in this mess

and on my journey I pick up a book that had a very
profound affect in my life. It's about the history of boats 20' or less,
that have crossed oceans. (no motors). My jaw dropped several times
reading this. It's starts in 63 a.d. to goes to present. (historical if you will,but better than that). needless to say I thought it worth mentioning here.
A speck on the sea by William H. Longyard.

now. having read that book ...
It takes someone other than I,
well wishes
DE

[ExileMoon]

Some were successful, others failed. This case illustrates the success of those ships have sailed across the ocean may be, but does not prove that they are suitable for voyage.

However, I think the 16-foot boats and larger ships more, did not much different. Depending on design. A fully enclosed cabin boat with an open deck of the ship than the more able to adapt to inclement weather.

For the single voyage, the larger the space ship is only bigger. This is for those who have "fear of enclosed spaces" for people who help to maintain mental ease. Smaller but more robust and more boat easy to drive.

Of course, the small boat is difficult to carry enough supplies(Such as food and water). This limits the range. In addition, the ship is too small (for example, unable to stand, let alone a proper walk) will make your body produce discomfort in the long voyage.

For the creation of records is concerned, some people can tolerate them. But for general navigation, it is difficult to accept.

[ExileMoon]

Originally Posted by barrow_matt

Some of the times look quite impressive so I assume they are heavily over-sheeted? A heavy keel would be needed for stability? That boat would have to carry the sailor plus 100 litres of drinking water?

I'm intrigued by these tiny boats and there capability.

Some of these boats are not heavy keel. They are not fast sailing boat, not a large area of high mast and sail, so it is not necessary require heavy keel.

But others, designed to contain a large fan mounted, so using a heavy keel.

There's a boat designed retractable keel, which is mainly used in shallow water navigation, and easily dragged on the beach. In addition, the harsh wind and waves down the ship's keel to increase stability.