Bermuda - sailboat ?

[Bertramp]

In the luck (or lack there of, I'm still in the office at 10:00PM) of the draw, I drew the task of traveling to Bermuda for work for a 1 - 3 week stint (return date not yet firmed up).
Gas here is $1.60 a litre or approx $6.40 a gallon (hence the mopeds). Beautiful place, except I would have to become a sailor !!
But then, Hatteras did make a few sailboats !!
Also ... the power boats that I see here .... how expensive is it to ship 'em here or do folks lug a bunch of 50gal drums ?

 

[SeaEric]

A friend of mine with a 1977 48' LRC (which he has since stretched to 53') has been to Bermuda on his boat. He left the Chesapeake at Cape Charles and made a straight shot to Bermuda, and then back.

 

[jim rosenthal]

It's about 650-700 nautical miles, took about three or four days. (in an LRC). That boat holds enough fuel to do it, any of us would have to carry drums and refuel at sea. Think I'll just fly....

 

[Genesis]

I'd almost make it at hull speed

 

[Capt K]

This ain't horseshoes, Karl...

 

[Genesis]

Oh c'mon! If I did it right I could get into the gulf stream and might hit the island while drifting once I ran out of fuel!

 

[Bertramp]

but really ..... short of an LRC, what do you need to get out here ? ...... and fueling up for the trip back is twice the expense of your worst summer fuel nightmare.

 

[Liquid Asset]

What about Shipping the boat, is that a realistic option?

 

[MicroKap]

A friend of ours from the Shrewsbury Power Squadron in NJ took their trawler to Bermuda once. They said that the ride was uneventful and the island is beautiful, however, once you're there, Bermuda is very strict on any boat movements around the island for safety reasons. Inside the reef, it may be 2-3 footers, but outside the reef, it may be 12-15 footers. So, once you arrive, the boat more or less stays put.

As far as the island is concerned, it's fantastic. I've been there about a dozen times. There's plenty to see and do and there are too many good restaurants to list. The people are great and if you go at the right time, the sales in the stores are very good. I'd rather fly and get there quicker anyway. It's only about a 2 hour flight from Newark International Airport.

Larry K.
1980 60' Sportfish
Monmouth Beach, NJ

 

[labrador]

Larry, I agree with you it's a great island and this June will be my 11th sailboat race to Bermuda from Newport. Having said that I would not even consider taking a powerboat (Hat or not) on that trip unless it was 80' or longer. Have been in some real nasty stuff in the stream with 15 to 20 seas 50 kts and square waves that launch you in all directions at once. If I'm going I want at least 8' of lead down there keeping the boat from turning over. 90 degrees is all I ever want to see (not really) and have been there on several occations. Don't ever want to see that on my Hat as it might not come back up.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

there is a trip for a sailboat, not a Hat for sure. We race long distance races on the great lakes. I have been in conditions that I was glad I was on a sailboat. They sure can be wet and uncomfortable though. A friend of mine sailed the last Bermuda race on Trader. He had lots of horror stories as they lost both their mast and the engine. Long and ugly story.

 

[labrador]

We went by Trader after she lost her stick. Understand that she didn't have enough diesel to get to Bermuda and a cruise ship stopped to give her some which ended up tainted and they had to jury rig a sail with the pole.I was on the plane home before they even got to Bermuda. Raced against the new Trader up in LI sound this past fall. Real nice TP52 that went by us doing 20 kts in 30kts of breeze on a tight chute reach.Now thats a boat!!! Maybe my friend will pick up one for us to race on. Used only about a 1/2 mil.

 

[Genesis]

20kts in a 30kt wind?! That's a HOT sailboat!

 

[labrador]

You would not believe the new boats. Check out the Volvo ocean race boats, they are capable of doing 35plus kts and in light winds generate their own apparent winds and can go faster than the actual windspeed just like cats however theyre monohulls. Roy Disney's Pyewacket an 80 footer actually had to slow down going to bermuda in the stream because they thought they were going break up the boat. Slow down from 25kts to20kts in 10footers with no back to them. They look like sportfishers on the radar.

 

[Walter P]

I remember that Hatteras built 3 or 4 65' Motorsailors around 1983-4. Back then I would have loved to have one but they were kind of pricey for me.

Does anyone know where they might have gone? I haven't seen any for sale and I have been looking in the ads.

My recollection was that they were 12 -14K boats. What a great alternative to $3.00 gal diesel @ 40 -50 GPH for a 65 footer, and best of all it's still a Hatteras. Bermuda should be well within it's capability.

Walt

 

[jim rosenthal]

Some of the folks from Passagemaker did the trip to Bermuda on a 30' Willard trawler- a NEW boat, this was essentially the maiden voyage, which was brave to say the least. Long trip at 7 kts, but done without much difficulty. I am not sure what the point was, except that you CAN make passages over blue water in small boats. And arrive with cabin fever, never wanting to step on a small boat again....I still think I'd rather fly, or go on a much larger boat. Doesn't all that water look pretty much the same out there?

 

[Beckytek]

Also a Great Harbor 37.

 

[Capt K]

Yeah, I'm a diehard. Been on boats since I was two years old. I still go the distance for "real" vacations by plane, etc. I have nothing to prove. It's PLEAURE boating, as far as I'm concerned. Been there, done that, as far as the macho bad weather stuff and long distance stuff. However, an occaisional delivery up the East Coast DOES get me excited now and then.

K

 

[Genesis]

I'd do Bermuda on a Nordhav'n over 40'. No qualms about it at all....

 

[Maynard Rupp]

I made my living as a pilot and I can relate many incidents where I would look down at a frothing ocean and some poor sole in a boat. I have always said that crossing oceans is what airplanes are made for.