[C38] Blue Water Sailing

[1derful@comcast]

Thanks
I am thinking much shorter cruise.
To LA
Always within 12 miles of coast

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------ Original Message ------

From: Pierre Patino
To: Steve Smolinske
Sent: March 10, 2021 at 4:12 PM
Subject: Re: [C38] Blue Water Sailing

There have already been many great responses regarding rigging. It's been my experience that the recommendations of the Coast Guard are usually right on point.

Our C38 is also in San Francisco. However, we sail it quite often and 20-30kts of wind (and more) are pretty much guaranteed all summer and much of spring and fall. It's very rare that we can sail mid-summer without having to reef the main. I replaced our standing rigging 10 years ago (cost = $6500 at the time) upon the recommendation of a surveyor even though nothing was visibly obvious. He also stated that it should be done about every 10 years which means I'm on borrowed time.

However, we're strictly day-sailors. Every time I'm asked "do you plan to go for a long cruise" (insert Hawaii, Baja, San Diego, Farallones etc.) I always say "when I find an extra $20K".
Why? Because I'm always thinking of the worst case. I need better foul-weather gear, EPIRBs, parachute/sea anchor, stormsail, liferaft, radar, a working stove, AIS, extra fuel tanks, extra batteries and so on. I know some people think that's too much and I'm thinking I might need more than $20K.

And yes I know that Hawaii is not exactly a "long cruise".....

In any case, it's all about risk management for me. I also have a little 18-ft catamaran and it dismasted in heavy winds once because I waited too long between rigging replacements. Luckily I was able to radio for help and got towed back to port. That's the best case scenario...

On Tue, Mar 9, 2021 at 8:11 AM <1derful at comcast.net (mailto:1derful at comcast.net)> wrote:
> Rigging and thru haul question
>
> Blue Eyes has lived in SF Bay and her skipper wants to go South to Oxnard about 500 miles.
>
> I haven't done that so I found a pilot that will do it. He visited my boat yesterday and asked when was the last time standing rigging was replaced. I have owned boat for 15 years and haven't replaced. He said that it should be replaced every 12 years.
>
> The recommendation seems arbitrary to me. I rarely raise the main because I sail with a girl friend and usually motor or let out the self furling jib so the standing rigging hasn't stressed. Should I replace?
> He says it would cost about $10,000 which is ridiculous to spend on a boat which may be worth $25,000.
>
> Next he noticed rust around the thru hull fitting for the water intake to engine. Does boat need to be hauled to fix? It doesn't seem to be leaking but since it was rusted he said that it must be.
>
> He declared Blue Eyes "unfit for sea travel."
> He seems like a Boy Scout to me.......life is a risk.
> I don't want to be stupid but the chance of Blue Eyes dismasting from San Francisco to Los Angeles and the crew drowning seems negligible. This skipper only takes Bristol boats.
>
> Questions are:
> 1. replace standing rigging
> 2. repair thru-hull fitting.
>
> Patrick
>
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