That first year...

One problem most all cruisers at any budget level find is that their first year of cruising costs a lot more than they expect to spend. Sadly, I speak from experience and in our first year of full time cruising; we spent money like the proverbial drunken sailors on steroids.

It doesn't make it any better that everyone goes through it.

So where did all the money go?

For starters, marinas took a serious toll. Now, as someone who really dislikes marinas, why was I staying in them? I blame my inability to trust my initial thought process when the decision to anchor or go into a marina conflicted with the cruising guides. Cruising guides are geared for folks who mostly do marinas and anchor when there’s no other option.

Leaving a marina in the morning after paying our bill when a dozen anchored sailboats fifty yards from the marina would put me in a seriously bad mood.

Where spending money was concerned that it seemed every new place had something to buy. I’ll admit that confronted with a good deal in a chandlery, I throw the budget to the wind.

Plus, not having done proper due diligence, we were clueless on what things would or should cost in the places I was visiting. Most of the currency seemed like Monopoly money. Translating Pesetas to Francs to dollars skewed the reality of what stuff really cost. We spent too much on some things while we missed great bargains.

Another source of bleeding money is eating out, drinking, and hanging out with other cruisers. None of which is a bad thing in moderation, but keeping up with the Joneses can be a big problem when you’re on a very different budget.

The main thing to keep in mind is that cruising long term is not a vacation. You can’t spend away, knowing with the option that you can pay off the incurred debt when you get back to the real world. It’s a long haul equation.

Still, I expect, you'll overspend your first year out as it seems to be an ingrained right of passage but don't say you have not been warned.

Regarding budget and a couple of points that should have been on my list...

So, what is an affordable boat?

While the prevailing wisdom appears to be that a boat should cost everything you have and more I'll suggest a somewhat different formula...

If you can't pay cash for it and the required needful work, it's too frelling expensive.

Fairly simplistic is it not?

For those who don't quite get the concept of cash I'll just say that credit cards and future earning are not at all what I'm talking about. If that CAL 34 for $1,500. that needs $7K of material and work to put it right you'll need at least $8.5K in cash money in hand to even consider buying the boat. Better yet, let's round up that number to an even $10K because you always miss something and it's prudent to have a buffer.

In going back over my list I've realized a couple of things that, in hindsight, I appear to have missed. The first being that I'd really prefer a boat with a transom hung rudder. They're simple, easy to fix, and by adding a simple trim tab to the rudder you have an excellent and inexpensive self-steering gear that will make your life a happier thing.

Lastly, the most important point that should have been on the list was that whatever boat you buy or build is one that you should either like or love. Your relationship with your boat is a very tangible thing and if you don't have a positive bond it's going to end in tears or worse.

about displacement...

The big issue with a lot of possible VolksCruisers is that there a bit challenged where displacement is concerned. Here's an example...

One of my favorite small cruising boats is the Balboa 26 designed by Lyle Hess. It's small, shoal draft, seaworthy and has a considerable amount of room/livability for its size. The problem is that while you can shoehorn all the needful stuff into a boat with a displacement of 3,600 pounds it's just not designed to carry the needful stuff's weight. A fact which will adversely affect the boats performance. It's a displacement issue.

Now, here's another Hess design that might look familiar...

 

Hess's 26-foot Falmouth Cutter is a whole different story. While it's the same size in terms of length it's on a whole different playing field with a displacement of 12,000 pounds. Fact is, the amount of ballast in the Falmouth Cutter (3,708 pounds) is greater than the entire displacement of the Balboa 26 (3,600 pounds).  Suffice to say that the Falmouth Cutter will happily carry all your needful stuff.

The downside, and yes there's always a downside, is that the cost of a boat is mostly based on its weight/displacement which is why the boat cost differential is so great between the two boats.

Since I'm on a roll, here's another Hess design, the Balboa 27/8.2, that you might want to check out. As it's a foot longer than the Balboa 26, a few inches beamier with 1300 pounds more displacement which makes it a much better VolksCruiser choice than the Balboa 26 when all things are added up. 

 

When looking for and comparing boats it's important to factor in the displacement to the mix especially with boats in the 30-foot and under variety. My experience tells me that the Goldielocks zone for displacement on a cruising sailboat for a couple is going to be somewhere between 7,000 and 12,000 pounds. For a quick reference our CAL 34 has a displacement of 9,500 pounds and works just fine.

Next up we'll finish my check list and what I may have left out...

a question of propulsion...

Sailboat propulsion by means other than sail can be a problematic affair. Fact is, whenever I read through sailboat ads in the VolksCruiser price range there seems to be no shortage of boats for sale that don't have a working engine.

Which is hardly surprising considering most folks I know tend to have expensive ongoing problems with their engines of one form or another. With the cost of fixing an engine these days it makes more sense to sell the boat at a lower price than try and fix or replace the engine.

Just for the record I really don't enjoy working with internal combustion engines especially in the cramped spaces they're shoehorned into.

Electric propulsion is an attractive option but you do have to jump through some hoops in the whole power storage and generation matrix that makes my head hurt.

The cheapest and in my opinion best VolksCruiser solution is a small outboard engine. The 6HP longshaft on "So It Goes" has enough oomph to get us in or out of a marina or anchorage and get us to where we want to go if there's zero wind as long as we're not in a hurry. Better yet, outboards are fairly easy to work on when needed and they're a lot more affordable than the other options.

Over at Atom Voyages James Baldwin has the go-to solution for getting past most of the issues and stigma involved when installing an outboard on a VolksCruiserish sized sailboat.

the comfort factor...

It's funny how many times I've heard the term 'comfort' when folks explain to me why they need a boat bigger than they need and more expensive than they can afford. 

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” —Will Rogers

Now, don't get me wrong, but comfort is a very important part of choosing a boat to cruise in and one would be stupid to choose a craft that did not offer a needful level of comfort. The problem arises when the definition of comfort is tied to cost, size and the ability to carry a lot of stuff rather than actual needs.

My needs for comfort on a boat are pretty simple...

• A comfortable bed,
• A workable galley.
• A dining area large enough to feed four in comfort.
• A couple of places to sit and read.
• A place where I can play guitar.
  

Luckily for me a great number of boats meet those requirements quite easily in the thirty four foot and under zone. More importantly, I know from experience that a bigger or more expensive boat would not make living on a boat any more comfortable than a suitable 28-footer.

Sure, a bigger boat might have an extra head and a couple more beds but how does that add to my comfort?

I saw this the other day and it makes all kinds of sense.

The best place to start is working out just what your real comfort requirements are. A comfort audit if you will.

in search of a simple rig...

Sailboat rigs are a problematic conundrum where VolksCruisers are concerned. For starters, most rigs on classic plastic boats have rigs that have evolved from designs for racing. They’re over-complicated, prone to failure, and expensive, which is not the sort of rig you want when voyaging on a budget.

Adapting rigs to be simpler, more affordable, and less expensive is no simple task, which may cause an extended stay in a room with padded walls. While it can be done, the easier route is where you build a new rig.

While there are many varied rigs to consider, I’ll just mention four.

The various permutations of the lug rig are a good place to start. In particular, I’ll opine that the balanced lug rig is a great voyaging rig. It’s as simple as you can get and uses hardly any hardware. On our Bolger Jessie Cooper, it only needed two lines (halyard and sheet), required no winches and only one block. The sail was powerful, easily pushing Loose Moose above hull speed. Better yet, the entire rig was repairable with materials available anywhere.

Then there’s the junk rig, which is really just a balanced lug with a lot of battens and cordage added to the equation. It’s not as powerful as the balanced lug, but it’s easier to reef, which is the principal attraction for most of the junk aficionados I know.

The gaff rig is more complicated than the various lug rigs, but it’s a simple and powerful low stress rig based on old-tech that has a lot of advantages.

Last, I’ll throw the Simplicity rig into the hat. It’s simple, powerful, and even looks like what people actually expect a modern sailboat rig to look like. It’s what we have on “So It Goes” and it makes sense in the world of evolved rig designs of the simple sort..

 

The big issue with simple voyaging rigs is that they seldom exist on boats that are for sale. If you want one, you’ll have to build it yourself.

Of course, if you’re like me and cheap, you’ll find the idea of either hassling with the sale of the existing rig or throwing the rig away to be counter-productive to your mental health. Which is why, for me at least, the perfect boat to buy is one unencumbered by rig and rigging.

The thing is, any of the aforementioned rigs are easy to build, won’t cost a lot of money compared to “modern” mast/sails, and they are easier to maintain in the long haul. They’re also less prone to failure, which makes all the difference in the world.

A quick thought on performance...

Talking about performance where cruising boats are concerned is somewhat problematic at best. Most folks' first thought when the subject of performance is breached, immediately think in terms of speed and going fast. However, speed is not the only way to think of performance.

Obviously, a cruising boat needs to be able to get from one place to another in a timely manner. While I certainly second that it doesn't require getting to one's destination at full tilt boogie speeds. 

Full tilt boogie equals stuff breaking.

So, where does performance come in?

A well designed hull is easy to push through the water and does not require a a big rig to achieve hull speed.

A smaller rig is less expensive, produces less wear and tear on the boat, and is less likely to fail. Which, from where I'm sitting, is a very good thing.

More on VolksCruiserish rigs up next...

So what condition is it in...

I’m obsessive in monitoring the used boat market, especially where inexpensive VolksCruiserish candidates are concerned. I find the used market insane and trying to make sense of it is an ongoing conundrum that is entertaining.

One thing I’ve learned so far is there is zero rhyme or reason where the cost of boats is concerned. The best description I can come up with is that it’s bat-shit crazy.

However, armed with a bit of knowledge, we can use the current situation to our advantage.

Face it, it’s really all about the condition of the boat.

A lot of cheap boats are in terrible condition. If one look tells you to look elsewhere, look for another boat.

There are many cheap boats which are ready to go, that you can take out for a sail, and mostly everything works. I say mostly because I’ve yet to find a boat anywhere where everything works.

Most cheap boats will fall somewhere between these examples. It’s up up to you to make sense of what condition they’re in.

Things I look for in a boat are cleanliness, lack of clutter, workable systems, and upkeep. Since most sailboats are built well, you’re mostly looking for problems from previous owners rather than faults in the construction.

To be honest, I’d much prefer a boat stripped of owner improvements or a gutted interior, providing it was clean, and I don’t have to pull stuff out of the boat to fix stuff.

So, here are my thoughts on grading condition…

I’ll give the boat a 10 if it’s floating, has a dry bilge, is clean, and most everything appears to work. This includes being able to take the boat for a sail and if there’s a motor, it works.

A boat gets a 9 or lower for everything on my list that where it falls short. So a boat that is not clean, has a wet bilge, and the electricity does not work, would get a 7. The trick is to be ruthless and have a firm low number (in my case “5”) which is when you go look at another boat.

Obviously, a project boat is a whole different kettle of fish. I’ll be doing a series on how to cope with a project, but as there are so many boats that are close to turnkey for small money, I’d advise an affordable boat that is in a working condition.

The deep dark secret about classic plastic...

Most production boats from the 60's,70's, and 80's are really well built.

One of the worst jobs I ever had was cutting up hurricane boats leftover from Hurricane Marilyn. The job entailed being dropped off on a beach with a chainsaw, a can of gas, and other tools of destruction so I could salvage any worthwhile gear before cutting the sucker up into small enough pieces to take to landfill.

To say it was a horrible job would be a gross understatement.

On the upside, cutting up a dozens of boats that had wound up on the beach or rocks taught me a great number of things about how boats are built, what works, and what doesn't.

For instance, about half of the boats I cut up were missing their bow cleats or/and their windlasses. The reason these boats had come to this terrible fate was simply that their cleats and windlasses did not have adequate backing pads and, at some point during the hurricane, they simply pulled out of the deck leaving the boat at the mercy of wind and wave.

Another thing I learned is that most fiberglass boats are actually really well built. Sure they all have minor flaws, but when you look at how almost all fiberglass boats hold up to something as powerful as a hurricane or a chainsaw, you really have to admire the overall quality of construction.

It's not just hurricanes or a demented guy on the beach with a chainsaw either. Most fiberglass boats hold up very well confronted with decades of ownership by idiots who do stuff to their boat that would bring tears to the eyes of anyone who knows how a boat should be treated. That spongy deck on a Columbia 26 MK2 has zero to do with how Columbia put the boat together; it has everything to do with how a previous owner installed something on the deck and did not do it properly. You'd be surprised at how many stanchion bases, blocks, and other assorted deck gear are mounted without any sort of bedding compound. It never was a factory issue but but some idiot afterwards who did the damage.

Which is not to say that some boats don't have factory/design issues. Luckily for us, any factory or design issues of classic plastic boats are already well known and there are a plethora of fixes in existence to sort them out. A couple of hours checking with the boat's class organization will give you all the information you need. If you can't find a class association there's always the internet but avoid forums like the plague as that's where all the practitioners of previous owner fuckery tend to hang out.

Most of the issues on a 30, 40, or 50-year old boat are going to be simple wear and tear or previous owner butchery. Either of which is almost always a simple case of looking at the boat and using your various senses of sight, touch, smell, and hearing.

Which brings us around to what I think defines a well built boat as simply one that looks well built. Before I look at a boat I always try and find a brochure of the design to see how it's supposed to look. If 30/40/50 years later it still looks like the brochure, albeit somewhat worn and tired, you've found yourself a well built boat.

More on what passes for reasonable condition next...

On the subject of shoal draft...

So, working through the checklist we come to shoal draft...

The first Loose Moose drew all of a foot when the dagger board was up and Loose Moose 2 drew just 18 inches. Both boats taught me an awful lot about why real shoal draft makes sense where a VolksCruiser is concerned.

For starters, it allows you to get into places that other boats can't which opens up a myriad number of possible anchorages that others simply can't get into. This goes a long way into being able to find a spot  to anchor in places that are either problematic or simply too crowded to anchor safely.

When we were in Lanzarote, we were anchored in an area so shallow that the harbor boat who'd come and collect anchoring fees could not reach us, so we never had to pay. Which is no bad thing as, if you anchor in places that others can't, the powers that be tend to forget you're there.

One of the things I don't like about our current boat is it draws five feet. We've had no shortage of folks anchoring on top of us and all the brouhaha that involves. We never had boats dragging down on us in the middle of the night when we were anchored in three feet of water.

Then there's the ability to beach or dry out. Which can make basic boat work a lot easier or be a real life saver. Sure I can replace a seacock while afloat but it's a lot easier and safer if you're bottom is on sand and the seacock is above the water when beached. Of course you can do the same with our current boat but that entails beaching legs and a reasonable tidal range.

Lastly, as far as I'm concerned, a well designed shoal draft sailboat is going to be less prone to capsize because there is less structure on the bottom that can catch and trip a hull which is, more often than not, a very big contributing factor in capsize situations. On the internal vs external ballast argument, I'll just point you to my clown friend as an example of the basic physics of things.

Next on the list is what "well built" actually means in a VolksCruiser...

In the big enough zone...

How big is it? It's a question I hear all the time regarding boats. When I answer giving it's displacement people tend to look at me as if I'm speaking a foreign language.

Most people, when confronted with the task of choosing a boat think in terms of length, Which, considering that a lot of a boats costs are measured in length, makes a certain amount of sense. If you stop in a marina, haul out, or pay your yearly boat tax you're charged by the foot. So, length is an important number in the grand scheme of things but it is not the best number to focus on when you're choosing a VolksCruiser.

If anything, beam is a bigger factor but hardly ever brought up. Throw in waterline length and displacement you'll have a much better idea of what sort of boat you're talking about. For instance, a 30-foot boat with a beam of ten-feet is going to have a lot more volume than a 30-foot boat with eight-feet of beam.

Given the choice between a 30-foot boat and a 28-foot boat with the same displacement and waterline length I'd choose the 28-footer every time.

a quick checklist...

I'm pretty sure that all of us have a quick list of things desired in a VolksCruiser and mine runs something like this...

• Somewhere between 26 to 36 foot
  
• Shoal draft
• Well built 
• Reasonable condition
• Good performance
  
• Simple or no rig
• Sensible and comfortable interior
• Outboard propulsion
• Enough displacement to live on
• Reasonably priced
  

Pretty simple really. 

Offhand, I'd be very interested in seeing what your lists looks like.

Tomorrow I'll expand on what those check points mean in greater detail...

Everyone is on a budget...

 I'll say that again...

Everyone is on a budget.

That guy in the beat up old Morgan Out Island, that attractive couple on the million-dollar condomaran, and the owner of the 180-foot megayacht coming through the Simpson Bay bridge, all share a common link that they're all on a budget.

Want to know something interesting? I'd bet serious money that each of those examples is not just on a budget but they are all over-extended and spending more than is sustainable with their current financial situation. 

It's just the nature of the beast in that we all want that little bit more than we can afford.

Don't think so?

Let's take a look at that guy on the Morgan 41 Out Island. He's a single guy on a finite income with some savings, a moderate retirement income and social security. He chose the 41-footer because he felt he needed the space but sometimes regrets that he did not buy a 33-footer for a lot less as the repairs and fitting out cost him a considerable chunk of his savings. He knows he should really do a haulout and antifoul but the cost of most boatyards are now beyond what he can afford. As an aside, most of the extra space that was so important has never actually been used.

The attractive couple on the condomaran made the decision that they really deserved the best of everything. Their choice of boat was akin to branding and would show everyone that they were well off and a leader of trends. Admittedly they were surprised at the costs involved turning their already expensive cat into a work of art and fashion statement. Luckily, they found that they could do mundane tasks on their boat and film them, setting up an income stream that both helped pay their bills and scratched their desire to be the center of attention. The problem came when they found that no one was really interested in watching them cruise but their main appeal was that people enjoyed watching them spend money on expensive gear/improvements. While it still brings in money, they are now dependent on companies giving them gear to install and begging for funds from followers. Their current plans are to buy an even bigger boat to refit, along with another boob job to better illustrate the best way to outfit a condomaran.

As far as the owner of the megayacht goes, he needs to charter his yacht more than he uses it just to cover the upkeep. A situation he feels is beneath him. Now that his bank accounts have been frozen and he's had to sell a Picasso drawing to fill up on fuel so he can get his boat to a country without extradition treaties, his boat is slipping into stealth mode to avoid being locked to a dock.

Meanwhile, there are those folks just about everywhere with affordable boats living within their means quite successfully because they were honest about what they could afford and worked up a budget that reflected it.