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What is the smallest boat/yatcht you could safely cross the Atlantic in?
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What is the smallest boat/yatcht you could safely cross the Atlantic in?
I have always wanted to retire, sell my house and everything I own and live on a large boat/Yacht. It's been my dream to travel the world on the ocean. I would hire a professional crew and go into this w/ my brother.
Sailing is not for me. Would I be able to find a vessel capable of traveling the world for less than 4-5million or am I dreaming? I still have 10 more good working years left in me.
Couple of friends of mine got 2/3 of the way around, and it was money and needing/wanting to go back to work that stopped them, not their boat. They spent under $200 getting ready. The boat (56 foot schooner, used of course, but nice) was somewhere around $150 and they spent close to another 50 re-equipping, re-rigging and outfitting her. So yea, way less than four mill. (This was in about 1998, or '99, so would be somewhat more today, but not that much.)
Re-read the posts. IF you are thinking power, or even a motor sailer, not only will the boat cost more, but running it will be way more. Still, though, for a good trawler or similar, I would guesstimate you could get up and running in really nice style for maybe 750 or so. All these numbers are to get ready, and don't include food, expenses and fuel.
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Last edited by KeyPineSavage; 03-03-2009 at 10:29 PM.
Just wish I had 4 or 5 mil... Im not too much on going out of the USA guess sailing up and down the east coast would be as far as I could go.. Im sure you would see some amazing things being on the ocean all that time....
I think you can buy a 30,000 dollar boat and safely cross the Atlantic. It won't be luxurious, but it will get you across. The smallest boat capable of safely making the trip would probably be a 32' bluewater sailboat. Cheoy Lee, Pacific Seacraft, Shannon, Fuji, and many many more small sailboats are capable of a trip like that. I have seen the log book of a 32 Fuji that crossed the Pacific from Japan to California, then to Hong Kong and back to the US. I think a 60 footer would be enough boat to make the trip enjoyable. If you want to travel the world you might as well get a nice sailboat. It will be about the same speed as a trawler under power, it will be free to sail, and they are typically much more capable vessels. No matter what you will wish you had a bigger boat.
Video of a 37 Ketch making a pretty decent length ocean passage in the Pacific.
Sign up as a teacher/deckhand on Class a Float. Work for peanuts and sail the world with kids, Great experience. Or charter 4x in the main seas in luxury. 6 months and you will love land again and still be rich.
If you have and want to keep a wife, Go Princess Cruises.
A couple who we are friends with made a trip across in their Nordhavn 40. The trip started in southern Florida, went to Bermuda, to the Azores, and Gibraltar. It's important to note that they did the trip in a group of about 20 boats (safety in numbers), there was much preparation, and many requirements were in place to be eligible to be in the group.
There's a Nordhavn produced video of their journey as well, which is very very interesting. I believe the video is available for purchase. There's a long feature pertaining to their particular voyage in one of the Passage Maker Magazine issues too. Check this similar journey out.......
I would second the Nordhavn if you are going to get a motorsailer. Used you can be in the range of 700k to 1.4M, and they are tanks. You can even have them equipped with paravanes for stability if you wish. A group of them made the crossing from Newport to Gibralter a few years back. Smallest was a 42.
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Lets have a Sexy Party! 38 Henriques FB 2000 ~ 17 Montauk 1978
I definitely believe it is the type of boat rather than the size. You need a displacement speed trawler like a Nordhavn that is designed for ocean crossings as not just any boat is safe that far out. Boats set-up for this have double redundancies on all critical parts, very heavy hulls, smaller windows, huge tankage and manufacturer designed spare parts kits. There are other brands out there designed for blue water crossings as well but the Nordhavn is one of the few production boats designed for this. I want to do this type of cruising myself in retirement, I just haven't convinced the Admiral she wants to yet.
wife and I left florida and crossed pacific to New Zealand in 43 Nordhavn in 2007, longest passage was 2997 nm. saw 1 sailboat and 1 freighter in 20 days. couple of guys from norway had crossed atlantic in 26 ft sailboat, had a hand held gps, compass, and vhf. aux engine was 8 hp outboard. tied to us to go through panama canal. last i saw of them they were leaving tonga for asia. http://specialblend43.talkspot.com/
jim
by the way, you can get a couple really big nordhavns with 3 or 4 million, w/crew.
www.outerreefyachts.com 63 Outer Reef at 10 knots your burning on average 10 gallons for every 10 nautical miles. Build it how you want for under two million.
Length is irrelevant - they race 21' sailboats across the Atlantic (Mini Transat.) As others have noted, it is design and quality that are the real factors. Nordhavn is definitely a good call, and while you are not into sailing I would suggest investigating some of the 50/50 motorsailers that are out there such as the Nauticats as they tend to extend your range, economy, and have a nice motion at sea. Another interesting boat is the Diesel Duck by Seahorse Marine... not sure if it big enough for you, but with a budget like that you could have something constructed that could fit the bill nicely.
Years ago, the owner of Cutter "yachts" motored across the Atlantic in his one and only model, a 28' boat that was also sold as a travel trailer (8' beam, similar to the Adventure Craft recently mentioned here on THT). They installed a Volvo diesel in it and he made the trip himself.
Sadly, despite the succes of the trip, Cutter went belly up like most others in that market.
"What is the smallest boat/yatcht you could safely cross the Atlantic in?"
Remember the Titanic?
There are several magazines available. "Passagemaker" is one. Go to a local book store, glance through a few, then subscribe to the ones that cover the subject.
I suspect very few THT members have the boats you are considering.
Ohhhhh... this is FUN!!! Shopping with someone else's money... Here's a few I picked out. I would be happy to lend a hand going through the South Pacific!
What is the smallest boat/yatcht you could safely cross the Atlantic in? 
photob
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