Intrigued by this surprising revelation, I decided to learn more about the type of boats that cross the ocean. I collected data from 56 boats that crossed the Pacific between 2016 and 2017 and looked at their characteristics to see how many ticked the boxes on the blue waters list. The results challenged the traditional definition of a deep-sea sailboat and reflect advances in weather forecasting and navigation. A full list of boats can be found below. Rudders come in different shapes and are attached to the hull in different ways. Most ocean-going boats have a rudder or rudder attached to the stern of the keel. These types of trains are protected in the event of an impact with an object, which means you probably won`t lose direction. Repairing your rudder in the open sea is extremely difficult and if you can`t steer, you`ll need to alert the emergency services. We also have a list of the 10 best ocean-going sailboats (we analyzed 2,000 deep-sea boats to find out!). The underwater profile of the ship is equally important.
If you`re in the middle of the ocean, you can`t risk losing your keel and capsizing. A deep-sea boat usually has an encapsulated keel because it has no chance of falling. It will likely remain restrained in an accident and sustain damage. On the other hand, a bolted keel could be torn off. Above: A beautiful example of a blue water sailboat, this 2022 Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 62 for sale on YachtWorld exemplifies the lifestyle in modern packaging. Photo by Yacht-Match International in Rosmalen, Netherlands. A good rule of thumb is that it`s probably blue water if it`s some sort of crossing. What if you wanted to invest in a multihull to go offshore? In the past, only monohull boats were considered suitable for blue water cruises. Today, however, there are a number of ships that are considered strong enough for ocean crossings. Blue water sailing is just one of many types of sailing you may want to do when traveling to the islands.
Or you might want to stick to coastal sailing. This means that you will always sail in sight of land. If you want to try blue water sailing, consider signing up for a trip with a professional. A guide knows where the best sites are and can make sure you maximize your chances of spotting amazing plants and animals! You can sail on any type of water, really: rivers, lakes, oceans. Each type of water has its own challenges and difficulties, and some are more difficult to overcome than others. Most people only sail inland or on the coast and stay well within range of the Coast Guard. Here, opinions among seafarers on the high seas will be the most diverse. While a heavy-displacement hull – especially one with a solid keel and long overhangs at each end – is likely to provide the most comfortable ride in heavy driving, it will perform relatively poorly in lighter conditions.
The easiest way is to navigate inland waters. Freshwater lakes and rivers are quite safe. There are more people who can help you, and water conditions are more predictable. Deep-sea multihulls are generally larger and more solidly built. They have steel, carbon fiber or thick fiberglass shells. For our blue water cruises, we sail on a 1973 Newport 41, classified as a racing cruiser. It is a sloop rig, has a fin keel and a non-inclined rudder. Your cabin is simple, the amenities modest and there is only one cabin. I`m sure our boat would be considered too small or too simple for many, but it fits us perfectly. Most importantly, he is solid, well-designed and an excellent sailor. One of the oldest debates in the sailing community revolves around the essential characteristics of a deep-sea boat.
After buying a boat and crossing the Pacific, we began to seriously question our definition of a blue-water sailboat, looking at 56 boats crossing the Pacific in 2016-2017 to find out what they had, what they didn`t have, and whether it made a difference in their passage. The definition of heavy displacement is anything that has a displacement-to-length ratio (DLR) of 270 – 360. The moderate displacement is between 180 and 270 and the slight displacement is less than 180. About 51% of the boats that crossed could be considered significant displacements. The remainder reflects gear types, with 27% belonging to the light travel category and 22% to the moderate travel label. The traditional consensus seems to be that the “blue water quality” of an offshore yacht boils down to six main elements. A full discussion of each feature is included below. According to many, the best blue-water sailboats have: Another resource that sailors depend on is “cruise guides.” Once printed, these guides are increasingly published as interactive digital media. They usually describe preferred anchorages and routes and provide a hand-drawn “mud map” or map of the area, as well as GPS coordinates and tips for navigating the harbour safely. Also included are comments on what can be found on land, fun activities in the area, water sources and probably a story or two of the authors` personal sailing adventures.
It is true that weather forecasts have become more sophisticated and theoretically reliable over the past decade. And yes, there is an app for that, in fact there are several and their predictions do not always match. This is especially true for open ocean forecasting, where data collection buoys and satellite information are scarce. Therefore, it is important for mariners to understand and interpret the data provided by predictive models. Although I`ve been sailing for decades, I`m still striving to improve my skills, which is why I took an extensive online weather course with Marine Weather University last year. Water storage (5L/1gal per person per day) or a watermaker Manageability is the key issue here, ideally without relying on motorized winches and other sailing handling equipment.