Yes, But Are They Happy?
Particularly when we have not got out there yet, it’s easy to assume that cruising will be the best days of our lives and therefore we only need to think about the technical and financial stuff standing between us and casting the lines off.
But once we get out there we may find that cruising is a lot more stressful and a lot less fun than we thought it would be—over the years Phyllis I met a surprising number of cruisers who clearly weren’t having fun.
So here are five things to know while getting ready to go that will help make your cruises happy and fun…after all, that’s the idea.
A few small tips:
• Learn how to tie various knots. I find it quite satisfying to take a piece of rope and practice making knots while on a boring watch.
• Watch and listen to the sea and your boat, especially in the dark. It’s quite interesting how much and what you hear and see when you have to percieve real carefully.
In other words: focus on the here and now, rather than the past and future.
Hi Igor,
Both are great tips. I wrote about knots some time ago: https://www.morganscloud.com/2015/03/05/the-only-five-knots-you-need-to-know/
Another great article John.
Regarding learning to sail, I believe every cruiser should have in their on board boat library The Art and Science of Sail Trim by former North Sails CEO and multiple America’s Cup winner Tom Whidden. Hands down the best book ever written on the theory and application of sails and sail trim. A lot of my joy of cruising is being actively engaged with the trim of the boat and sails when underway.
In my cruising journey to date and since I still work on land, SCHEDULE during our time on the water is our number one joy killing demon!
Hi Bob,
Totally agree, the best book ever on sail trim. And his book on Tactics, with Gary Jobson is also in my view the best on the subject. Both books advanced my understanding and enjoyment of sailing hugely.
And I agree on schedule too.
That’s a great idea regarding any well written book on sailboat racing and I agree that Whidden’s and Jobson’s is very good. The boat to boat tactical aspects may be limited but 100% of the strategic aspect is applicable to all cruisers. I would add Dave Perry’s Winning in One Designs (excellent explanations of managing and using wind shifts and current), Sailing Smart by Buddy Melges (fantastic seat of the pants type advice), and my sentimental favorite of all time Expert Dinghy and Keelboat Racing by Paul Elvstrom (if you can find it). That book made me really want to get a 505!
Correction on Whidden’s sail trim book. It is titled THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SAILS.
The 2016 edition (most recent) is not available anywhere in any condition that I can find 🙁
UPDATE: publisher says it will be back on Amazon in a couple of weeks.
As part of the library a copy of IRPCS is a must. I would suggest the RYA version as it gives good interpretations that are relevant to yachts
No. 1 Keep the crew happy (and safe). A skipper is only as happy as their least happy crew. So, plan according to their needs, not yours and do less on deck and let them do more. In the end, it will make you happier, too…. and a better skipper.
I usually let my crew do all the parking unless they feel it particularly challenging and ask me to take over. Conning a less experienced helm is a really good skill to have – that balance between advice and silence is quite tricky. Guiding a novice into a berth gives me far more buzz than doing it myself.
Hi Clive,
I think that depends a lot on the novice. For example Phyllis simply never wanted to learn to dock the M&R 56 and that’s just fine. Pushing her to do so would only have caused unhappiness and stress for both of us. That said, she does dock the J/109. Boat size has a lot to do with this one too.
Here’s Phyllis thoughts on the matter: https://www.morganscloud.com/2005/04/18/a-prairie-woman-goes-to-sea/
Fair enough. Rule 1a. Encourage but don’t push!
Hi John,
I am not going to disagree with any of your points but, from my perspective, there is a fundamental point/question/issue which is missing. Why? Why do you want to go cruising? And where?
There is no right or wrong answer but, IMHO, a deep, critical cross examination of the question is fundamental. And the reason I state this with such conviction is that after 17 years, 263 weeks sailing, in the Mediterranean, is that I think I have made a mistake!
After a lifetime of racing inshore and offshore, dinghies and then keel boats, mainly Australia and SE Asia regattas, I (we) decided in 2006 to start cruising in the Med. Skipping the details, for us sailing was “ a pleasurable means of transport from one experience to the next”. It wasn’t about the sail per se; if there was no wind we rarely moved. Too much wind and we sheltered. But it was always the anticipation of “where next”. History, culture, geography, people, old friends, new acquaintances. Almost 27,000nm, 10 countries and 1000;s of ports and anchorages and hundreds of new friends.
Again, skipping the details, we are now in SE Asia. We decided that before we got too old, we should explore this side of the world. We didn’t ask ourselves why! None of the factors which you mention apply/have changed. However, “ a pleasurable means of transport from one experience to the next” is not the same in SEA, FOR US, as it was in the Med.
Conclusion: Before cruising clearly, honestly, comprehensively, define why you want to cruise and where!
PS For the many, many SEA cruisers who love the region please don’t take offense. It’s a personal perspective, like preferring Cab Sav to Shiraz!!
Hi John,
What a great comment, and I totally agree, as well as admire your all too rare ability to self analyze in such a clear way. I wrote something in the same vein some gears ago: https://www.morganscloud.com/2016/03/19/going-cruising-being-realistic-about-you-4-tips/
Hi John,
An excellent article; I expected nothing less! And many other comments are entirely relevant. But there is one point missing, or it’s there and I am missing it? It’s the psychological attitude to what you are doing which is most important and makes all the difference. For example, I used to row. This involved getting up at 0430hrs and, during winter months, often rowing in the rain and cold. Why? Because I loved rowing; it didn’t seem a big deal to get up at that god forsaken hour.
Another part of the psychology is our risk perception and risk acceptance. Zip on the former and limitless on the latter is a guaranteed recipe for a disaster at some stage. Conversely, a high level of perception and low tolerance is going to be a stressful nightmare. And these behavioural attributes aren’t cast in bronze. 20 years ago going up a 30m mast in the Southern Ocean to run a new halyard was, before I went up, an acceptable risk. Today I think twice about it when the boat is in a marina – and our current mast is only 27m!!
All of the trials and tribulations, so accurately identified by you John and others, which characterise cruising are reality. It’s how you handle them that makes the difference. I’m no fan of sorting out a blocked head, but treated as “just one of those things” and on success, celebrated with a cold one, is a totally different situation than viewing it as an end of the world crisis.
Simplistically, as long as the fundamental reason for cruising is making you happy and fulfilled, attitude, a modicum of experience and a generous helping of luck will get you through. As long as you are enjoying it most of the time!!
Hi John,
All good points, well put. You will find many of them explored in detail in other chapters in this Online Book: https://www.morganscloud.com/category/rants-and-musings/online-book-cruising/
We try to live by “It’s not about the destination but the journey” to keep our cruising enjoyable.
The biggest frustration for Owen (age 6) aboard the boat is that there is often not much for him to do. He’s not yet strong enough, coordinated enough, or experienced enough to be useful at the helm or on sail trim. He’ll happily help out with washing the deck and hoisting the flags, though.
The biggest satisfaction for Julia (age 10) is that, since she has now completed her CanBoat PCOC and her CanSail Level 1, she can take the helm and have a real say in planning and executing the voyage. Including getting the boat on and off the dock.
Most people don’t like being bored and useless. They’re a lot happier if they have an active role in what’s going on.
Hi Matt,
I can remember going through the same stages with my daughter. The whole thing got a lot more fun for when she was old enough for me to teach her to navigate, and better yet when she could stand a watch alone.
Something I would add is the “Make Tea” approach. I read about a guy that crossed the Sahara in a Land Rover with his wife and they had an approach to laugh at the small issues and “Make Tea” with the big ones (e.g. they were driving and their rear wheel came off and actually passed them… they made tea that day). When big things happened they would pull over and make tea… Regroup and decide what to do .
In a boat you can’t just pull over but I think the attitude still applies. We try to not make a big deal out of small things and the big things we try to slow down as much as possible and figure it out. We actually say “make tea” as a reminder to lighten up and sometimes actually “make tea”.
Also, when we purchased our RV (not a boat but similar approach) I talked to my wife about the first year and that most likely we would have issues (some big and some small), and plan for them as part of our first year. We had issues (some small and some big) and we would camp close to the dealer/mechanic, etc. and tried to make it fun. After the first year its been very reliable and we were glad we planned to address those issues right away and in a fun way. We met a lot of people in the RV community that didn’t go in eyes open and had all kinds of issues that derailed their plans, and some cases they just gave up.
John you have written about this type of prep in your articles about prepping for going offshore and I think it is vital for people to understand that to increase happiness and chance of success get the crew and boat and anything else worked out before a big trip. The mental aspect and attitude is critical.
Hi Kevin,
I love your “make tea” both literally (big tea drinker) and metaphorically. Such good advice.
Such a great suggestion. I heard an insight recently that on a boat one’s “fight or flight” response to tricky situations is limited to “fight”. This in turn translates to a perceived need for immediate action. “Making tea” is an excellent way to combat this. Thanks for sharing!
Hi John,
An excellent article: shows much wisdom and experience.
I wrote an article on “Cruising as a life Style”: (https://issuu.com/cruisingclub/docs/2021_voyages_medres) where I list a series of “Gottas” such as “You gotta like, or learn to like, living in small spaces” as ingredients for successful cruising.
Others:
You gotta like intimacy: close quarters are a given.
You gotta like what I term “partnering up”: little in land-based life prepares you for the amount of inter-dependence that cruising demands.
You gotta tolerate nearly every activity being significantly more difficult than it was on shore.
You gotta get comfortable living with some degree of risk and get good at risk-assessment as you will get lots of practice in this realm.
You gotta like new things: every anchorage, marina, town is different.
You gotta like–well, at least be amused by or at worst tolerate–making mistakes.
You gotta tolerate re-inventing the wheel. When cruising, we needed to find 30+ new supermarkets a year and inside that market find where the sugar and tea etc. are shelved and whether they have the yogurt we prefer.
Ensure that you and your partner are on the same (or similar) page as regards to the goal(s) wished for while cruising: lots of talking.
And, learn to flabbergast your land-based friends by sharing such intimate details of your on-board life such as: “Every dish, glass, pot and pan for every meal has been washed by hand with a minimal use of water for most of the last 20 years.”
The more competent the least skilled sailor is the happier the couple is likely to be cruising.
And I could add a handful more “Gottas” if the couple is “burning bridges” and committing the boat being their home for the foreseeable future.
Enough, My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
Practice cruising before you cruise. Take a course. Read a book. Take a captained boat charter. Bareboat charter. Vacations with cruising friends on their boats. Cruise in the company of others. Multiweek cruises on your own boat.
Learn to fix things. The outboard motor. The leaky dingy. The torn sail. The 12V wiring. The halyard up the mast. The plugged head discharge. The hard to turn winch. The damned electronics. The string in the bilge pump impeller. The carbon filled exhaust elbow. The leaking fuel tank. The split water hose. The failed fridge. The broken alternator belt. The leaking port and hatch. The air locked diesel.
Hi William,
Good list, thanks.
“…….Would not say shit if they had a mouthful.” That’s funny, I’m stealing it.
Nice article. Agree. Thanks.
Hi Ralph,
I can’t claim originality, I learned it from Phyllis and I think it comes from Newfoundland, like so many great expressions.
Not sure what your problem with OpenCPN is. It’s a well designed piece of software that doesn’t have a particularly steep learning curve. Plus it doesn’t have device restrictions, won’t delete your charts, doesn’t have a subscription model,betc.
Hi Jordan,
Perhaps I was not clear enough, I have no problem at all with OpenCPN, I only suggested that it’s use was a tell (just one of several) that the user is a nerd and might be way more comfortable with tech than the listener, and that the said listener should keep that in mind. If I still had the M&R 56, which is well set up for computer based navigation, I might easily be using OpenCPN myself by now…but then I’m a nerd. That said it would have to prove itself first against Time Zero, which is a tough task.
I’m kinda interested who the intended audience for this advice is. Judging from the comments here your subscribers are highly technical. Cruisers I’ve known have been highly technical — including you.
The fact that there’s so much problem solving (technical and otherwise) is what draws many of us to sailing.
Moreover, unless you follow LF Herrishoff’s advice and limit your systems to a coal stove and a ceder bucket in thehead you are necessarily going to have to be a semi-competent mechanic, technician, plumber and electrician to maintain any cruising boat.
I genuinely respect those who can understand and apply advanced technology, making it look easy. Although otherwise pretty highly qualified, I’m not in that cadre. I’ve tried hard to come to terms with OpenCPN and numerous other great programs and systems on my boat but I usually come away scratching my head and getting splinters in my fingers. I want systems of proven robustness that to the user appear simple and ‘just work’. I still want them to be as clever and powerful as can be, but I don’t really care about how they do it, especially as the technology behind them gets ever more advanced. The ‘TimeZero’ charts are a great example of that.
Perhaps there’s a similarity with cars. Jeremy Clarkson of ‘Top Gear’ and ‘Grand Tour’ fame was asked why he never reviewed the mechanics of any vehicle he tested, so he said he do so straight away. He lifted up the hood of something like a BMW next to him saying “Engine? – yup, its got one” and slammed the hood back down again before walking away. I’m afraid that’s how I and I suspect some others regard technology on our boats. Sure, we’d be at a disadvantage if something went tits-up in the middle of the Pacific but at all other times there’s usually a techy at hand. Or a replacement for something that’s just been float-tested in a hissy fit.
Hi Iain,
Good on you for being so self aware and not giving in to the idea that you must follow the nerds.
One other thought for you: don’t assume because you are not comfortable with say OpenCPN you don’t have the innate talents to be a really good boat tech. (Not saying you are feeling that way, but these days many non nerds do). The two are not correlated.
Probably the ultimate example is my friend Wilson who hates messing with electrical and electronic systems and so keeps his boat super simple, and yet built his own wooden boat from a pile of planks, which he has cruised extensively. Said boat is always beautifully maintained from truck to keel and even now, over 20 years after launch, does not leak a drop, even when Wilson sailed against the wind east to west across the Atlantic. Wilson has many skills that I, a nerd, don’t even aspire to acquiring.
Another example would be our own Colin Speedie who hates “electrickery” as he calls it, but can rebuild just about any mechanical device including engines. Again, Colin has skills I only dream of. You can read about his skills here: https://www.morganscloud.com/author/colin/
Hi Jordan,
Interesting question and premise, but you are basing it on the assumption that there is a positive correlation between interest in, and skill around, advanced electronic and electrical systems and general boat maintenance skills. I don’t see that correlation out there among the many cruisers I know or in many of the people who comment here, in fact I think the general correlation (with some exceptions) might be negative in that being overly interested in the nerdy stuff can distract us for the less fun but vital stuff like head maintenance or setting up the rig right. Here’s a good example of when I (a fellow nerd) made just that mistake: https://www.morganscloud.com/2011/03/24/priorities-in-offshore-boat-preparation-part-1/
The other thing to be aware of is that at any given time there are about 200 members who comment here regularly, out of over 5000 members, so it’s a mistake to draw too many conclusions from the comments, because that ignores the silent majority.
I love OpenCPN. I use it for teaching electronic navigation. I use it for planning passages to places I may never see. I think it’s among the best all-around solutions out there. But I also recognize that the people who use it regularly and who proselytize about it tend to be nerds, like me. And regular non-nerds need to be very careful about taking advice from nerds, because – if given the chance – many of us will quickly get into spending $4000 worth of billable hours getting $4000 worth of hardware to automate a task that takes 32 seconds and is performed once a week. And most people simply don’t need, want, or enjoy that.
Almost forgot…
Robert Pirsig wrote an illuminating piece on the subject back in 1977, but still as relevant as ever.
“…then it follows that those who see sailing as an escape from reality have got their understanding of both sailing and reality completely backwards. Sailing is not an escape but a return to and a confrontation of a reality from which modern civilization is itself an escape.”
https://www.original.moq.org/forum/Pirsig/cruisingblues.html
OMG, PERFECT!!
Hi Igor,
Great quote and a wonderful article that I just read with much head nodding. I had no idea that Pirsig was a cruiser too. Thanks.
Hi John and all,
An absolutely wonderful short piece of writing that illuminates the relationship of sailing to life is: “First You Have to Row a Little Boat: Reflections on Life & Living” by Richard Bode.
Enjoy, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
If you enjoyed Zen and the AOMM try his semi-autobiographical next novel “Lila: An Inquiry into Morals” where the motorbike trip is swapped for a sail down the Hudson River.
Indeed. There have been recent articles in the UK press on causes of general stress in society. The articles focus that there is almost no experience of nature or the natural environment amongst significant segments of society. It is called “nature deficit” and is strongly linked to increased stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Disconnecting from natural environments deprives people of vital restorative experiences like sunlight, natural sounds, and fractal patterns that calm the brain, leading to higher stress levels and poorer mental health outcomes. Some would claim this to be “woke” but I would disagree. Decades ago, I sailed as first mate on a sail training yacht that was crewed by the long term unemployed, and recovering heroin, alcohol addicts. The transition over 10 days that the people experienced when onboard was significant, not just through team work and responsibility, but because of the natural environment and the role it played on how they saw themselves within society.
Personally speaking, for me it has always been about the environment, coastal, or ocean, experiencing the vistas, weather, marine or land animals, flora and fauna. There is a wonder to be experienced, that never tires and which is the “reality”.
Great article, especially the nerdy, technology and YouTube stuff. I particularly found John Boardman’s comment, posted above, interesting and it struck a chord with me.
Hi Alastair and all,
The most gratifying aspect of sailing, for me, is when I believe that a sail, long or short, has brought me as close as possible to being “at one” with what Mother Nature has offered me to work with. When my decisions for the boat have seamlessly meshed with the wind, the waves, etc. An incredibly good feeling transcending my ability with words to convey.
Similarly, some of my worst moments occurred when I paid little or no attention to what Mother Nature was telling me: when I bull’ed ahead with my own agenda. I was fortunate in that there occurred no damage to boat or people and provided me only with a substantial learning experience.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
Ps. There have also been reports recently in the press documenting how beneficial being in nature is for everyone, but especially for those who may be struggling or suffering.
Hi Alastair,
Great comment and one I completely agree with. There is nothing that improves our mental health more than getting out in a boat and/or “in the nature” as our Norwegian friends are want to say. As you say, reality is out there, our modern world is unreality and an environment that our brains are not properly wired for.
And thanks for the kind words.
A thought provoking read – thanks for posting the Prisig essay.
Hi John,
Your topic reminded me of an ancient Cruising World article that is probably lost in my “archives” somewhere. I couldn’t locate it so I put a similar question to “Grok”, on what range of emotions cruising sailors experience, how much of the time.
I found the response, which will vary with the individual, and how they define “cruising” to be pretty interesting:
“ breaking down the emotional pie of full-time sailboat cruising life. I’ve aimed for a realistic split that adds up to 100%, factoring in the highs, lows, and in-betweens:
Negative Emotions (65%)
Positive Emotions (35%)
For me, the key to voyaging happiness, is being a “sailing junkie”, hooked on the magic interaction of boat, wind and water, I’m not much of a water borne tourist. I think I can shift the “boredom factor” down to about 10% by a commitment to optimize sailing performance. The other thing is simplicity. If I can’t fix it myself, direct someone else on how to fix it, or screw in the replacement myself, I probably don’t have it on board.
Best regards,
Rich
Hi Rich,
I would probably quibble about some of AI’s conclusions, for example 10% terror/fear is way too high, at least if we know what we are doing, but that does not alter my total agreement with your last paragraph.
I agree – I could relate if terror/fear were broadened to include “anxiety” – knowing that an unexpected challenge might crop up at a really awkward time! Collectively the category might be worth the 10%. Anyway, it’s just an invitation to play with the percentages.
A washer/dryer makes cruising so much easier! We finally succumbed on our recent J160 refit. The washer is quick, and energy/water efficient. With mostly tech clothes, hanging to dry works fine, and if no sun, the dryer only needs 30 minutes. The washer mostly runs from the inverter. If we need the dryer, we do that cycle while the generator is running.
Between Luddite and nerd-level gadgetry is a world of reasonable comfort that can work fine.
Hi Peter,
Sure, an argument of “easier” can be made for any gadget. But it still adds a lot of complications, which should not ignored. If we just use easier as the selection criteria without taking the complications into account there is no end to it.
Also, let’s not forget that a J/160 is a bigger boat than most AAC readers will be aspiring to, with huge volume, so that makes having all the support stuff easier. It’s also worth keeping in mind that a J/160 as a cruising boat indicates a larger budget than most, which changes things too.
Bottom line the way I see it: each of us must measure all of this against our own situation, not just say, for example, “washing machine required” without really thinking about it. And finally, I even wrote “have a washing machine if that’s what you really want”. Point being this is not about washing machines, but rather showing some restraint in gadgetry and not trying to duplicate a house. I stick by that.
Hi Peter, John and all,
There can be an un-intended down side for a cruiser to being too self-sufficient.
With regard to washer-driers on board: In many parts of the world, after anchoring and getting settled, our first foray into the community was usually, in remote places with few facilities, an exploration to ask who does laundry and who bakes bread. This was usually a great way to start to get acquainted with a community.
This usually resulted in a wander around town as we got lost and asked directions and, with a little luck and open-ness, met a few people. This wandering and inquiry also conveyed, I believe, an interest in the community and a willingness to become a (small) part of the community while visiting. Self-sufficiency can lead to isolation.
Another good intro to a community was having children or being in trouble in some way. Children just open doors wherever you go, but our cruising with young children was deep in the past. And, we were fortunate to not endure serious breakdowns in remote areas, but, in some strange way, we were jealous of the cruiser who suffered a serious engine breakdown that got him involved with local mechanics and those locals with machine shops, knowledge, and the like. Within a few days he and his family were a part of the community, sharing meals, and socializing in a way that was hard to generate otherwise.
Size of boats matter also: It was my observation that the bigger/fancier the boat, the more isolated: this went especially for large power vessels.
Most of the last 20 years, we have lived on our 40-foot boat and I think, over that time, there were 2 occasions where we resorted to hand- washing small clothes.
Random thoughts, My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy
Hi Dick,
I totally agree: https://www.morganscloud.com/2012/10/11/hermitage-newfoundland/
I contrast this to the guide job I did on a superyacht where we were totally self-sufficient. Huge freezers so we did not even buy food locally…and we never met anyone local either.
Good article, John. But it seems to have invited a few holier than thou comments.
Each to their own. There are many ways to skin a cat. My feeling is that the most important step is to get out there and go. Everything follows from that.
We all have met people in the harbours and marinas of the world who know far more than we will ever do about boats and sailing but have lost their nerve or their way or maybe never even had them regardless of how amazingly fearless they had been in their land based lives. Far more courageous people than I could ever aspire to be.
Whenever people try to mystify sailing in my presence I always say “no it’s very simple, when you want to go you pull the sails up. When you want to stop you pull the sails down.” A slight simplification. You learn along the way. (To be fair I had the privilege of crewing on other peoples RORC boats as a teenager which helped). Nevertheless you learn as you go. And hopefully no one dies coming to rescue you – or even chips a fingernail while doing so.
Where I do wholeheartedly agree is that one should start with less and from there work out what more one really needs. This will not only save you a fortune in time and money both before you leave but also in maintaining questionable equipment when you are out there. My first four boats didn’t have pressure water. The fourth one had a freezer which broke down a quarter of the way across the Atlantic. We didn’t notice for a few days because we were still on fresh food. Have you ever smelled six day defrosted chicken in the tropics ? A few plastic bags may have added to global marine pollution that day. About which I am really very very sorry.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for the kind words.
I can’t say I like your “holier than thou” clarification of others comments. While I certainly don’t agree with all of said comments, they are all interesting and thought provoking. Please see our comment guide lines: https://www.morganscloud.com/2013/11/10/aac-comment-guide-lines/ #1
I agree that that at some point we have to just go, but on the other hand those of us like you and I who were fortunate enough to get offshore experience with others early on through racing should not forget that that’s not an option for many people and therefore I think it can be a mistake to oversimplify offshore sailing, because it can discourage people who are finding it anything but simple, or encourage them to go before mastering basic skills like sailing well and docking.
Hi John
Apologies for the ill thought phrase.
Good list
You missed a big one for your list-Get a power boat. Not being a smartass, but more about transitioning if sailing becomes miserable. This could be age related, weather/comfort related etc. I engage in Trawler Forum on a regular basis and reference AAC all the time (thank you). Many articles are applicable for my needs. Not to make your head any bigger, but your the only boat site I pay for. The transition to trawlers seems like a natural progression based on all the sailors joining the forum.
Hi Curtis,
Sure, that’s an option. I explored the transition and design issues in depth in several articles some years ago: https://www.morganscloud.com/category/boat-design-selection/series-better-offshore-motor-boats/
That said, I found the state of trawler design very disappointing, particularly in the area of efficiency.
Since then Nordhavn have come out with a boat I quite like: https://nordhavn.com/nordhavn-yacht-models/n41/
Still a bit short and grossly over powered, but a step in the right direction.
Hi John,
Followed the link and had a read. Not getting any younger and there won’t be another cruising yacht for us. Except perhaps a sailing dinghy that I could keep on the N41 boat deck. Love that they resisted the temptation to have a flybridge.
Interested in your comment about the N41 being over engined. It has two naturally aspirated, Beta 75hp engines as standard and the boat is 19 tonnes! We have a single 55hp in our 14.5 metre, 12 tonne yacht that is just perfect.
There is a quite detailed sea trial pdf document on the N41 page to open. It seems this was conducted with both engines running (“props”), and validates your concern to some extent.
But if the boat runs fine on one engine, then mightn’t the engine be in the right part of the performance curve at cruise revs? With her long keel configuration, any reason why it couldn’t run efficiently on one engine?
Just curious, hopefully not something I need to worry about for at least 10 years.
Hi Rob,
I agree that twin Beta 75 hp is not too bad, but keep in mind that we downsized our engine on the M&R 56 to 85 hp and we could not use all of that and that is a 25 ton boat (full load) dragging a mast and keel, so I think two Beta 50s would be about right
And the current spec shows two 115 hp Nanni for a total of 230 which is way over the top. I expect Nordhavn know this but had to go up the the Nannis because that’s what the market wanted even though I’m pretty sure the boat could not efficiently use more than about 80 hp total before hitting hull speed, even in a seaway.
The Nanni is also turbo charged and intercooled, which makes no sense on that boat. Added complications for no good purpose.
Hi Again Rob,
The one engine thing is interesting, but I think even a 50 hp beta would drive her at close to hull speed, although because we would be dragging the other prop, I’m pretty sure it would be more efficient to run both at lower rpm, assuming the engines were downsized.
Hi John, agreed. Perhaps a case for fitting feathering Maxprops? Efficient for single engine running, easy operation, simple for reliability and longevity (ours is 20 years old and still perfect after its recent strip down and service). Plus predictable handling in reverse.
Hi Rob,
Maxprops do solve the shut down engine drag issue, but they are also a big hit to motoring efficiency due to the flat blades so that’s not the way I would go.