Solo cruising

[Tsimitpo]

<table><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:bottom;">Solo cruising
</td><td>Reply*Quote**Edit Post

</td></tr><tr><td style="width:100%;" colspan="2"></td></tr><tr><td style="width:100%;" colspan="2">

I am 70, solo, fit and settled in a house after a lifetime of ocean yacht racing and power boat cruising. I play golf and have a good life with many friends. I feel I am part of the small community where I live. However, I recently discovered that I had the feeling that my life was"mouldering" away. I started idly looking at boats and the Forums. I then stumbled on the Kadey Krogen website, where I fell in love again. I find I am now seriously considering selling out, buying a boat like a Krogen 42' and going cruising solo. I can't afford to do this without selling out.

Unfortunately, there are no Krogens (or any other similar small displacement boats) here in Australia, I would be looking at buying a boat in the USA and cruising it home. A major undertaking but not insurmountable from where I see it.

Once here, we have superb waterways on the Aussie East Coast and Barrier Reef to cruise and they are not crowded. In fact, finding company in most of them would be unusual. We also have the Pacific islands not too far away to cruise. There is a cruising fraternity on the coast, mainly based on "Going North" to Queensland and the Barrier Reef for the winter, mostly yachties.

My problem is, I sold my last boat 10 years ago because my marriage of 30 years had broken up and I needed the money. I am now on the horns of a dilemna as to whether to take the step and sell out and go or just stay with the comfortable life I have. Are there other solo cruisers out there who have been thru this paradigm shift around my age and who can advise me how they handled the transition and how they find cruising alone now?



<table style="width:100%;" cellspacing="2" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="gensmall">Attachments</td></tr><tr><td class="gensmall" style="padding-left:25px;">*</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2"><a>

</a>
View image
</td></tr></tbody></table>__________________Doug Winn
</td></tr></tbody></table>

 

[Tidahapah]

Doug,
If you are going to cruise the coast and head off shore to the Pacific islands or up to indo there are plenty of boats available in Aus to fit the bill.
I am a fan of the Australian Trawler(prawn trawler) conversion or purpose built pleasure boat.
Sturdy and capable and many have done these same overseas runs.
Any thing up to 50' is solo able in my opinion and 45' is a nice size for one up.
There are also a couple of blog sites of these boats cruising off shore.
Mind you the US market is not a bad place to buy older boats compared to Aus due to the size of the market.
I will try and find some of the above mentioned blog sites and post them.

http://cruisingunderpower.fastmail.net/



-- Edited by Tidahapah on Sunday 13th of November 2011 02:10:12 AM


-- Edited by Tidahapah on Sunday 13th of November 2011 02:11:17 AM

 

[Tsimitpo]

Many thanks for those comments Benn and for the link to MV Lifeline. Sue's articles on setting up Lifeline are a great help. I was in Tassie recently and noted a few lovely looking cray boats there. A good line of thought. Your boat certainly seems to be a similar type to Lifeline but probably from a Brisbane background?

I rather like the separate pilot house of the Krogen designs and was made aware of this feature by Beebe in his book. There is a very similar design from Benford featured in the book that even has full standing headroom in the engine room of a 44 footer! I have searched the internet and haven't been able to find a version of this boat, although his firm offers plans for it. But I'm too old to build from scratch. I am quite surprised at the relatively low price of boats in the US and 42' Krogens 1984-6 models around US$150,000 I can afford. Mind you, our strong dollar helps.

As a matter of interest, you may like to look at a boat I saw in NZ recently, MV Fair Lady, also featured in Beebe. I nearly did a loop when I spotted it at the marina in Wellington and contacted the owner to find it is for sale. Too big and too dear for me but a great boat. It is detailed in http://www.nzboatsales.com/listings/william-garden-heavy-displacement-launch.aspx The owner told me it was brought to NZ on its bottom. Has an interesting history.

Thanks again for your interest and will keep in touch,

Regards,

Doug

 

[Tidahapah]

Doug,
Look at the Nordhavn site ther are a couple of older 46s for sale at reasonable money and would be a great solo cruising boat.

 

[FF]

I am not sure the Krogen was built for ocean travel.

They are nice , but I wonder about tankage , scantlings etc.

I(f your only interest in ocean travel is to get the boat home, I would look closer to home.

That said many rag bagers have done circumnavigations and seen 35K or less , from good planning.

 

[Phil Fill]

For single solo cruising you need to be close to the bathroom, galley, engine room and easy quick access to the dock. Its not really the size as once you get over 40 ft, 90% of the maneuvering/docking is at the helm.* I usually have/request someone at the dock to toss and secure the lines.*
*
When away for the dock usually 100% of the responsibility is mine as my wife and most of our guest are of little help.* The best feature for a solo boat is an auto pilot and GPS/electronic charts.* The auto pilot sand charts do not have to connected.* Going 6 to 10 knots most of the legs are long runs of san hour or more before having to change course.* A remote control for the auto pilot is nice so you are not stuck at/behind the helm.* I want wander 25 ft and many time I can sit out on the front deck.* ******
*
We sell equipment work wide, so I am frequently the craters and dock.* There are a lot of older boats and car being shipped from the US to many parts of the word, since the US dollar has decline in value and prices are depressed.* I use DHL as our freight forwarder as they handle picking up the equipment from the plant to deliver to the customer door.*
*

I have priced shipping the Eagle Down to Mexico, its costs a little more than on its bottom, but saves a lot of wear and tear on the boat.* After my wife and I cruise Alaska/Canada, we would like to move to warmer climate and a cheaper place to live south of the boarder.* The Eagle is 58 ft long, 14 ft beam and 40+ ton. The closer the boat can be the max 39 ft long, 8 ft wide, and 8 ft high which is a standard container size the cheaper and easier shipping it would be.****

 

[capt jerry]

when mi sold my eagle it went to austrailier* and it was 28000 on a ship as deck load plus the Ins. which i think it was 3.000$* and a few $ for some other things

 

[Baker]

I will echo what FF said. A KK42 would be a little iffy in open ocean travel. They are great boats. But I would not consider them passage makers. They would be perfectly suited for what you want to do once you get it to Aus. LIke someone recommended, if you really like that boat, have it shipped down under. I think Dockwise Transport is the folks that specialize in that stuff. I know when we are in the "dream phase" certain hurdles must be cleared before it can become a reality. This may be one of them. I guarantee you that these folks are very familiar with your plight and the DO have the answer...for a nominal sum of money of course. But if it is within the confines of your budget, then the dream can get closer to being real.

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

 

[Keith]

Krogen 42s can make passages. Their weak spot is the windows, especially the saloon windows. Large and only 1/4" safety glass. Either A. use a very good weather router, and/or B. Make sure you have storm plates to cover the windows.

 

[FF]

The closer the boat can be the max 39 ft long, 8 ft wide, and 8 ft high which is a standard container size the cheaper and easier shipping it would be.

The OUTSIDE dimensions of the std container box , can NOT be used to side the contents.

A beam closer to 7ft 6 inches is required.

 

[Tidahapah]

Doug,
Have a look at the Huon pine aft wheel house cruiser that i have just posted details of in the Classified section.
If you require more details contact Kevin him self.
He is an ex professional fisherman and frig mechanic and the boat has been really well looked after.