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Old 12-31-2012, 08:48 AM   #1
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Long Distance Cruising

I recently got hold of a small book called “Nordlys Around the World”.
A small self printed book from Jim & Nancy Murphy, who in 1998 did a 5 year circumnavigation in a 52 ft timber motor cruiser.
They had the boat built in Brisbane and for a shakedown cruise went round the top to Fremantle for the first defence of the Americas Cup and back. A fair sort of cruise in anybody’s language.
After that ,said what do we do next, answer “go to the Med” so they did.
After that, across the Atlantic to South America up the Coast into the Great Lakes down the inter Coastal waterway, thru Panama Canal up the West Coast to the top part of Canada/Alaska and then back down to California across the Pacific and home.
Quite awe inspiring for me.
The vessel is a typical wooden motor cruiser as found on the Queensland coast here in Australia.
Specs
Length: 16.2 mts
Beam: 5 mts
Draught: 1.8 mts
Displacement: 32 Tonnes
Engine: Gardner 6 LXB

This is no special designed off shore cruiser and this couple took off in 1998 (before GPS) and did the whole bit.
Just shows that it can be done and doesn’t require millions of dollars.
They did 52,000 nautical miles, 7968 engine hours and burnt 96000 lts of diesel.
In this time they slipped the boat 7 times but never had any engine trouble, some refrigeration problems and suffered some weather damage to the wheel house in the Bahamas.
To view a photo of boats similar to Nordlys , go to the following web site and check the photos of either Flemingo or Waverley
The new owner is a member of the forum.

http://www.millarsphoto.com.au/demo/category/36

The book is not in print but I am in the process of scaning it so as to have a copy.
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Old 12-31-2012, 08:58 AM   #2
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Old 12-31-2012, 08:23 PM   #3
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Some times simple is better and not having others saying it can not be done or you need this. There was a time when boating did not require all the fancy expensive stuff.
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Old 01-01-2013, 12:28 PM   #4
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It still doesn't require it, although we like it around for peace of mind. All that stuff might not help us make good decisions or save our asses if the decision we make is the wrong one.
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Old 01-01-2013, 12:42 PM   #5
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Just a note on GPS, the first satellite went up in 1989 and the system was fully operational in 1994. By order of Ronald Reagan it was freely available for civilian use. "Selective Availability" which degraded accuracy, was turned off in 2000 by order of Bill Clinton. Prior to GPS we had Loran in much of the Northern Hemisphere......

Global Positioning System - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Old 01-01-2013, 02:52 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil Fill View Post
Some times simple is better and not having others saying it can not be done or you need this....
Your right! We recently met this Swiss couple who had just crossed the Atlantic. When they were crossing the Med the boat was a little rolly so they stopped and added the paravanes. He built the boat (38') in their backyard; aluminum construction, without ballast. They plan on doing a circumnavigation. Single diesel, no propane, a simple boat. I wish we had more time together and that there wasn't a language barrier.
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Old 01-01-2013, 03:21 PM   #7
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Sweet!......Amateur Backyard Boat Builders rule.
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Old 01-01-2013, 04:47 PM   #8
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Tad,
Your right.
We had the old satellite navigators before the GPS. These were not overly relible and you could only get a fix every couple of hours or so.
We had them on some of the tankers I was sailing on at the time.
I got my first computer based GPS chart plotter in 94 whilst I was still building my boat and took it to sea on one of our tankers to trial it.
Havn't looked back.
Jim didn't have any of this and if you look the boat it wouldn't be classed as "Ocean capable" by todays standards.
Cheers
Benn
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Old 01-01-2013, 05:17 PM   #9
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Ed Gillette took this concept to its logical end after pondering what the Mount Everest of sea kayaking would be, by sea kayaking solo 2200 miles from California to Hawaii, navigating (well before GPS) by sextant.

"Most people think large vessels are the most seaworthy ones. But this is not always true. Survival at sea depends on preparation, experience, and prudence -- not on the size of your boat." (Ed Gillette)

Here's his article about it;

Marblehead Magazine Ed Gillette: California to Hawaii
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:05 PM   #10
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All he needed for navigation was a little compass and to watch the jet trails going to Hawaii. Very doubtful you could get a meaningful sight from a kayak.
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Old 01-01-2013, 08:07 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tidahapah View Post
I recently got hold of a small book called “Nordlys Around the World”.
A small self printed book from Jim & Nancy Murphy, who in 1998 did a 5 year circumnavigation in a 52 ft timber motor cruiser.
They had the boat built in Brisbane and for a shakedown cruise went round the top to Fremantle for the first defence of the Americas Cup and back. A fair sort of cruise in anybody’s language.
After that ,said what do we do next, answer “go to the Med” so they did.
After that, across the Atlantic to South America up the Coast into the Great Lakes down the inter Coastal waterway, thru Panama Canal up the West Coast to the top part of Canada/Alaska and then back down to California across the Pacific and home.
Quite awe inspiring for me.
The vessel is a typical wooden motor cruiser as found on the Queensland coast here in Australia.
Specs
Length: 16.2 mts
Beam: 5 mts
Draught: 1.8 mts
Displacement: 32 Tonnes
Engine: Gardner 6 LXB

This is no special designed off shore cruiser and this couple took off in 1998 (before GPS) and did the whole bit.
Just shows that it can be done and doesn’t require millions of dollars.
They did 52,000 nautical miles, 7968 engine hours and burnt 96000 lts of diesel.
In this time they slipped the boat 7 times but never had any engine trouble, some refrigeration problems and suffered some weather damage to the wheel house in the Bahamas.
To view a photo of boats similar to Nordlys , go to the following web site and check the photos of either Flemingo or Waverley
The new owner is a member of the forum.

http://www.millarsphoto.com.au/demo/category/36

The book is not in print but I am in the process of scaning it so as to have a copy.

Always great to hear about those willing to defy convention and live the life less traveled. A business friend, Brian Calvert, left Seattle several years ago to do just that....he's taken his 48' Selene from the Pacific Northwest to California, then on to Mazatlan, and across the Pacific to French Polynesia. He's been as far south as Sydney, and as far north as Thailand.

https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&...58,270&t=h&z=2

Map: As of July 2011, the next leg of the...

Home: Furthur Adventure FURTHUR ADVENTURE...

We plan to do some long range cruising aboard Pau Hana in the coming years, and seeing that a Nordhavn is not required only adds to our excitement!
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Old 01-01-2013, 10:09 PM   #12
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Very doubtful you could get a meaningful sight from a kayak.
Meaningful enough, as he did manage (in 63 days) to get there.
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Old 01-02-2013, 01:29 AM   #13
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Who says he didn't just get there following airplane trails? Have you ever used a sextant?
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Old 01-02-2013, 01:30 AM   #14
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Peter,
I saw Brian in Mooloolaba when he was here last year.
He was tied up at the finger accross from me before he headed north.
Cheers
Benn
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Old 01-02-2013, 06:23 AM   #15
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Who says he didn't just get there following airplane trails? Have you ever used a sextant?
It's one thing to be a nay-sayer before the fact, but afterwards?!!?

I'd guess he used every nuance available to find those small scattering of dots in the Pacific, sextant and 'sky scars' (as I call them) included.
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Old 01-02-2013, 08:46 PM   #16
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It's one thing to be a nay-sayer before the fact, but afterwards?!!?

I'd guess he used every nuance available to find those small scattering of dots in the Pacific, sextant and 'sky scars' (as I call them) included.
Again, have you ever used a sextant? This is a yes or no question.
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Old 01-02-2013, 10:27 PM   #17
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Again, have you ever used a sextant? This is a yes or no question.
No, but what has that got to do with your level of proficiency, or Ed Gillette's skill which you seem to be disputing?
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Old 01-03-2013, 10:53 PM   #18
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Because if you had, you'd understand my statement. You argue from a point of no knowledge or experience. I'm done. Those of you who DO have experience with sextants will know what I mean.
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Old 01-03-2013, 11:43 PM   #19
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Not that any of that has anything to do with taking a motor boat around the world.
I wouldn't be trusting any sights I took with a sextant from a kayak, I think I would be just using the stars and jet trails and compass.
Cheers
Benn
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Old 01-04-2013, 12:00 AM   #20
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You argue from a point of no knowledge or experience.
Well, that there's the problem because I wasn't looking for an argument, just giving a link to an article about "Long Distance Cruising" in a small boat. If you're looking for an argument, give Ed a call
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