Talking about that list of needful stuff

Not all that long ago, having a VHF radio aboard was considered something of unneeded luxury. Fact of the matter is, I recall quite vividly a certain British yachting magazine doing a frothing-at-the-mouth editorial about how the introduction of affordable VHF would rot the sinews of seamanship...

How times do change.

Today I can still buy a rather decent waterproof handheld VHF for quite a bit less than $100. The one we have has been working finest kind for more than a decade so I expect it will, more than likely, continue to work for at least another and will, quite probably, outlive me.

From where I sit this is money well spent because from time to time it is actually needful to listen in or ask someone a question... So it passes the need/want criteria.

For those of the VolksCruiser persuasion, a sub one hundred dollar handheld VHF is really all you'll ever actually need.

Better yet, a handheld does not require crafty holes or mounting solutions that require running wires into inaccessible places.

I'll call that a slam dunk.

Sorta/kinda touching on the whole what it costs to cruise can of worms...

Now here's something (yet another cruising rally) of zero interest to folks thinking about VolksCruisers and frugal cruising scenarios. That said, I mention it because for the fees involved to do an Atlantic circuit with this particular economic black hole, you could cruise quite comfortably or go a long way toward buying or building yourself a very nice boat!

Let's break it down...

• Eastbound Atlantic passage... $2,331 (and change).
• Portugal to Madeira... $1,481 
• Madeira/Cape Verde/Barbados passage... $3,274   
• Some pottering in the southern Caribbean... $1871 
• A bit more Caribbean and on to the US of A ... $2,650

Now, math not exactly being my strong point, I'm pretty sure that is nearly $12,000 spent on some highly intangible stuff and nannying. None of that money goes to real cruising expenses like food, fuel, or shipboard expenses. 

You know, I could do a serious lot of mischief with nearly $12,000. Fact of the matter is, I know I could easily do a comfortable year-long Atlantic circle free and clear for that kind of money and have more fun in the process than the rally folk.

 I'm pretty sure you could as well!  

It's gotta be love...

Back when we were sailing around on our Phil Bolger designed Loose Moose 2, it was not always easy...

Having an unusual boat can be somewhat problematic on a bunch of levels. You tend to spend a lot of time answering (mostly idiotic) questions, you become an unwanted center of attention, and people say hurtful things to you on a regular basis.

"That's the ugliest boat I've ever seen..."

Which, when you think about it, is a lot like meeting someone and telling them that their much loved daughter is a grotesque monster that belongs in a sideshow. On one hand, it's not going to make you a friend and, on the other, it is not going to make dad and mom love their daughter any less.

Just for the record, I've always thought that Loose Moose 2 was a ruggedly handsome boat...

Truth is, I've never had a boat I did not love and I really can't conceive of having a boat that I did not at least like a lot. That said, I've recently come to the conclusion that a lot of folks really hate their boats and it's taken me awhile to get my head around it.

Really, you have to love your boat. More so if you're going to hang out in the wild and wooly VolksCruiser world because, for better or worse, you're married to the craft and if you don't respect and love it, you're in for a world of hurt...

If it ain't broke...

I keep reading about folks who buy boats in pretty good condition and then spend thousands and thousands of dollars fixing and "improving" them.

Which brings me to an important rule for folks of the VolksCruiser persuasion...

If it ain't broke don't fix it!

The thing is, any given boat has a market value and you do yourself a disservice and economic mischief when you pour more money into a boat than it's going to be worth.

Really.

a simple, effective, and versatile rig...

An excellent article about what just might be the closest thing to a perfect VolksCruiser rig...

if it was simple everybody would be doing it...

Here's a simple boat. It's a scow and it makes quite a bit of sense...

Designed by Reuel Parker it's a lot of bang for the buck and a very comfortable floating home... What's not to like?

Everything is simple, it's easily put together, and as boats go, is not going to break the bank doing it. Parker has spec'd out mostly cheap lumberyard materials (form-ply and construction grade lumber), a simple affordable rig, and auxiliary power is provided by a simple outboard motor.

Someone with enough budget to buy the materials in one lump and two or three months to build full time would have a very nice boat when the dust settled..

Simple.

For more info on how you'd actually build such a beast Reuel Parker's "The New Cold-Molded Boatbuilding" will tell you everything you need to know...

Keeping an eye out for derelict project boats...

I just noticed that over the last couple of days someone seems to sorting out an Endeavour 32 of a semi-derelict nature that was for sale at $500... As things go, the Endeavour is not a bad boat.

Of course, a $500 boat comes with a certain amount of issues. Ya think?

In this case the mast was down and looking at it the conclusion that came to mind is a new mast/rig would be a more than prudent choice.

The engine needed replacing and what systems remained were simply dumpster fodder...

On the other hand, the hull and deck, while cosmetically NASTY,  were still in good shape.

In short, a total wreck or a hull and deck waiting to be turned back into a boat!

I was actually considering buying this boat by the way...

Something to keep in mind is that just in lead scrap value the boat was worth nearly $5000.

My thought process went something like this: Gut the interior and soda blast it before replacing the bulkheads/interior and sort out a new keel set mast step for a free standing junk or balanced lug rig.

Sort out the exterior cosmetics, build an outboard well, and fit it out for cruising then sell it for a reasonable profit. When the dust settled I expected to be out of pocket between $9-10K which, I think most would agree is not a bad total for a kick ass cruising boat in like new condition...

The problem was I just did not have the time (3-4 months of full time work) to devote to a project like that in the current time frame.

That said, I'm still keeping my eye out for a reasonable facsimile project boat...

A boat design worth studying...

Here's a design worth taking a long serious look at...

It's Tad Robert's 28-foot Future Cruiser.

It also has everything someone actually needs to go wherever they want to in safety and comfort...

Of course, not everyone wants to build their own boat but the layout and interior accommodation could be adapted to a great many "classic plastic" sailboats that can currently be bought for a couple of thousand dollars.

Something to think about.

The needful stuff for a single guy...

The other day someone asked me about what sort of boat he should be looking for in the VolksCruiser mold for a single guy to cruise on for his retirement and then added that he thought he'd need at least a 50-footer.

Yeah, that kind of threw me as well...

Which brings up the question of what exactly does a single-hander actually need in his VolksCruiser? So, as I see it, we're talking about.

• A seaworthy/safe boat
• A comfortable interior
• A workable galley
• A head with a useable shower
• Reasonable storage space
• A comfortable double berth
• A proper seaberth
• Enough space to have someone over for dinner or a few folks over for a drink

Am I missing anything?

Now, the whole idea behind the VolkCruiser concept is that it's affordable and sustainable for someone on a tight ($250-$750 per person per month) budget and that's nearly impossible to do for a single person on a 50-foot boat.

If I were single and looking for a boat to fit the criteria, I'd be focused on the 26-30 foot zone though you could go a bit bigger (to 35') if there was a pressing need that actually earned its keep. That said, even with enough tools to provide an income, there are any number of boats that would work under thirty feet.

We'll look at one tomorrow...

What $15 a day gets you...

The other day I was looking at a very nice CAL 28 for sale...

Sure, it needed a bit of work but nothing $1000 and a few weeks of part-time work wouldn't take care of. For the record, it was selling for $1500.

I mention this because there are lots of similar boats just waiting for someone to sort them out and point them towards the horizon. All you need is a little cash...

So, let's say you put fifteen dollars a day away towards your boat fund... A year later you'll have $5,475 cash money.

Welcome to the world of VolksCruiser economics.