Firstly I'd like to say hello to all, I chose this forum because it is UK based and seeing you support the RNLI sold me on the spot. What a great initiative, well done.
I am currently living in South Africa but will be moving over to the UK in the next few months.
A little intro to myself, I have a lot of experience in canoeing and a little experience sailing a dabchick and once a small catamaran with a friend.
I'm looking at buying my first mid sized yacht but I am very new to this market and don't even know the brands at all. I've been looking at the Hunter 31 and Bavaria Cruiser 31. Perhaps I could get a little direction and suggestions for starting up. I have an affinity for water, it is so relaxing and fun to go a little fast now and then, not to mention the freedom feeling for this reason I definatly want to go sail cruiser. Your comments will be welcome.
Where in the UK will you be coming to? I'm not a very experienced sailing cruiser myself (under 2 years total sailing experience) but I do know that a lot of people say it's very much "horses for courses". For instance, if you were going to be cruising on the South East coast, you'd very much want to consider getting something bilge keeled... in fact, perhaps something bilge keeled is a good idea wherever you want to cruise. The ability to sneak far up a river, or high up a beach, and 'park' overnight, often for free, is worth a heck of a lot. Not to mention the benefit of not having to worry too much about accidentally taking the ground if you get your tide calculations wrong.
Having said that, I sold my first boat (a bilge keeled Westerly Centaur) and replaced it with a larger fin keeled Westerly Tempest... have yet to be in a situation where the benefit of a fin over a bilge has come up, but I'm sure I will one day. Obviously that benefit being that a fin keeler is a little better upwind than a bilge keeler.
Not seen the Hunter 31, but have looked at a few other Hunters. They do seem like excellent boats for the money.
No knowledge of Bavarias.
A good condition Tempest is another option for you. Excellent accommodation for a 31 footer.
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Interesting, I had to google bilge keel hehe I would like to sail on the sea, but the bilge keel is not a bad thing to keep in mind.
I've been doing some research to get my knowledge up. On the weekend I bought a sailing magazine, this helped a lot for general info and I found there are many many boat builders.
I don't quite understand the maneuver hove-to and heave-to yet tho, something like drifiting to the side? Gotta learning all this terminology
You can sail a bilge keeler at sea no problem. There's just a few degrees knocked off your ability to sail upwind, and I think the motion in the water is a little different. But we took our bilge keeled Westerly Centaur on many a successful sea journey.
"Heaving to" "hove to" all the same thing. You configure the sails and tiller/wheel of your boat so that if any speed was gained forwards due to wind in the sail, your boat would round-up into the wind. Result is a stable state pointing slightly up wind, while you drift slowly slightly down wind. The boat reduces how much it's bobbing about and tends to be facing at an angle into waves which is quite good. I've heard that heaving to is a good technique for riding out a storm provided that you have plenty of sea room downwind of you. I've only done it once or twice myself, and then just for a few minutes to try it out and see how it works. So far I've avoided being in a situation where I needed to "use" it.
Technique to heave to is as follows (I think):
1. Go as if to make a slow tack, and let the bow pass across the wind, but leave the jib sheet as it is - ie ending up on the upwind side of the boat.
2. Let off the main sheet a bit (amount required varies boat to boat).
3. Once turned across the wind and when you have little speed, push the tiller/wheel all the way so the boat is trying to turn back the way you just came, and lash it there so it can't move.
4. Put your feet up and have a cup of tea.*
* optional
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I see I see. I was reading about a technique to pick up a MOB and they mentioned the heave-to method to get your boat slowed down and drifting towards the pick up point. It makes sense now Thanks for that. Sounds a bit tricky to get the sails and rudder in the correct 'balanced' position.
I don't think it's particularly tricky - and I think it's fairly easy to do single-handed also - so in a MOB situation, if you spot someone go over the side and immediately instigate a heave-to, you will quite probably end up lying very close to the person in the water, and be drifting in their general direction. Only problem would be that you then wouldn't be able to use your boat to go pick them up if they happen to be 50m away or something. Guess you could use the dinghy - or they could swim to you. Alternative would have been to single-handed (assuming there were 2 of you aboard originally) sail back to the MOB but you'd need to be bloomin accomplished at single-handed sailing - probably really needing auto-helm. I think dropping sail and motoring back would be a good option, but the time taken to drop sail and start engine could mean you lose sight of the MOB.
All of this is why a Dan Buoy is such a good idea. As soon as they go over, chuck in the Dan Buoy, _then_ heave-to, sail or motor back to them.
Thinking it through makes you realise just how serious it would be - even on a nice day. Better solution all round - clip on!
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Clipping on would be the wiser indeed Dan Buoys are good to keep tabs on someone.
What you said about motoring back to the MOB, in this article, once you start drifting towards him/her they say you should use your engine to guide your boat to the right spot, then switch it off when you get close, for obvious safety reasons.
I've found much of your decision making is dependent on the conditions and weather.
I would like to sail on the sea, but the bilge keel is not a bad thing to keep in mind.