small boats for offshore

[anne]

Just curious --<br />what are the characteristics of a small boat (less than 25-30 ft) that would be appropriate for offshore use?<br /><br />what are some examples?<br /><br />thanks,<br />anne

 

[Navigator]

Re: small boats for offshore

Anne,<br />Some basic Characteristics are:<br />1) Deep "V" bow with high sides and chines to keep the spray down when you are running in rough seas<br />2) Multiple engines running off of separate fuel tanks<br />3) All fiberglass construction (no wood whatsoever!)<br />4) Stainless Everything Grap Rails, Cleats, fittings, etc..<br />5) Good Electronics (VHF Radio, GPS, EPIRB to start with, and dont skimp for the cheapest!!)<br />6) Dual if not triple batteries running multiple "HIGH Capacity" bilge pumps.<br />7) Some sort of Cover, whether a bimini Top, a T-Top or some sort of cabin to get out of the sun<br />8) Basic boat accessories:<br /> Offshore Life Jackets<br /> A supply of fresh water<br /> Plenty of anchor line with multiple anchors including a sea anchor<br /> Spare fuses, batteries and other maintenance items<br />9) Lastly, a Coast Guard course on off shore boating.<br /><br />The world changes once you loose sight of land. If you're not careful, the ocean will turn on you and you will feel just how insignificant you actually are. With proper training, and a little common sense she can be your best friend and give you many wonderful memories.<br />It's a wonderful feeling to be out deep where the water turns a clear dark blue....<br /><br />Enjoy.<br />Nav

 

[Navigator]

Re: small boats for offshore

Sorry,<br />One more thing, Small boats, such as those in the 18-23 ft range do not belong off shore. Period! They are just too small to give an acceptable safety margin.<br /> If you feel you must, however, it would be best for you to look at those boats that can take the beating and come back in one piece, i.e. Boston Whaler. Because of their construction and unsinkability they are a top choice for what you are loooking for. But of course a well equipted Whaler will cost you twice what a similarilly equiped say Proline for example. Is it worth the cost? Absolutely!<br /><br />Can you put a price on safety?<br /><br />Nav

<br /><br />Sorry to ramble, but I've seen a lot of people way off shore in boats I wouldn't even cross the bay with!!!! I guess common sense isnt so common anymore

 

[JB]

Re: small boats for offshore

Nav is spot on, Anne. That is an unforgiving environment out there. There may be other boats that are acceptable when operated by seasoned offshoremen, but nothing exceeds a Boston Whaler's safety margin. <br /><br />The only point on which I slightly disagree with Navigator is that I would be willing to take any offshore Whaler (They have different designs for inshore and offshore) offshore, and they come as small as my 17' Montauk. A much more suitable boat would be the Outrage series, which runs from 17' to 27' and costs up to about what a nice house in the country costs. Try Whalers.com.<br /><br />Red sky at night. . . . <br />JB

 

[anne]

Re: small boats for offshore

Wow, this is cool -- thank you all for all the info. I was just asking out of casual interest... although someday I'd like a boat that really is offshore-capable. I have a lot to learn for that, though, and y'all are pointing me towards what I need to find out.<br />The Boston Whaler site makes me drool -- but just about any boat can do that to me!<br /><br />Here's a cool, but kinda scary story (that I didn't realize was scary at the time -- that's the scariest part!).<br /><br />About 5 years ago I took a vacation camping in the FL keys. I had been snorkeling out at Looe Key the year before (it is _beautiful_!!!) but had done that off a state park concession boat. That was ok, except the concession boat folks would tell you when to get in / when to get out... I thought then that I would LOVE to be able to go out there myself and get to spend as much time as I wanted in a given spot...<br /><br />So, that next trip we rented a 21 ft center console boat from the marina at the Sugarloaf KOA campground. The lady in charge of the marina gave me some chart copies and gave me the compass heading for Looe Key. We were sooo excited to be taking a boat out on the ocean alone! And it worked out ok, thank *** ! It was really an exhiliarating feeling getting out beyond where you can see land -- scary in a way (if only I'd really known what all could have gone wrong, I'd of REALLY been scared!). I got kinda nervous for the middle part of the trip where I was heading out into what looked like open ocean (gee, I guess cuz it was!) and couldn't see land behind me... But followed the compass heading, and was so thrilled when I started to see a crowd of boats off in the distance -- we'd done it! We made it to Looe Key! Thankfully there were mooring bouys free, and picking one up wasn't too hard. We got to snorkel as long as we wanted without worrying about someone calling us back to the boat. It was fantastic!!!<br /><br />Getting back to the dock was interesting. I'm accustomed to boating on inland relatively sheltered waters -- I'd never been offshore. I had the compass so heading back to shore worked out. But from that far out... shore all looked the same!!! It took a while to pick the correct channel to take in to get back to the right dock (!!!)<br /><br />I loved it, I really really (really!) loved it. I want to do more of that. I now realize that I need to know a lot more before I try something like that again. I need better skills for navigating rough seas (there was just about 2 foot chop that day, otherwise the marina lady wouldn't have allowed me to go), I need to know more about reading ocean bottom and judging depths, and I'd sure need to know more in more depth about the area I was going out into.<br />But man, that was great -- it was way, way, way cool!

 

[Navigator]

Re: small boats for offshore

JB,<br />I too would take a small Whaler offshore, and have before... But I wouldn't want to give anyone the wrong impression.

<br /><br />Even a Whaler in the hands of an "Wreckless Idiot" can end up in disaster. It's not going to sink, but if it gets swamped you still have a problem...<br /><br />Nav

 

[mbb]

Re: small boats for offshore

Actually, there are no small boats that belong offshore. Small boats with open bows and planing hulls are not intended to cope with heavy weather. They are fair weather boats only, and hundreds of small (25')boats founder/capsize/sink every year, in GOOD conditions. Gunnels and transom that are 25" above waterline just arent enough. Real offshore capability begins about with a 30' wide beam sportfisherman, but no one can afford one so we make do with our 25' CC's. The sea conditions can simply turn too fast out there, and so we limit our long offshore adventures to the times of yr when the weather is stable and we have a high pressure system in place for a couple days.<br /><br />That said, there are "comfortable" limits to conditions in which certain sizes of small craft can operate, but that is only under power, and many many sinkings occur when power is lost. It only takes a steep wave of ht equal to the boats beam to capsize it. For most small boats thats about 8', and you have a certain percentage of waves that size (~5%) even in a 4' sea, which most 25ft boats can usually handle comfortably, when running under power. Bottom line is, a small boat without power that drifts abeam is in serious trouble. Had one sink down here last fall when anchoring, the unknowledgable operator cut the engine to drift to set the anchor instead of backing down on it. It capsized in a moderate sea. The captain has as much to do with seakeeping ability as the boat. But I admit Im as guilty as anyone else tempting fate.

 

[skiffer]

Re: small boats for offshore

Depends on the boat and the skipper. Webb Childs crossed the pacific solo in an 18' open boat. Tanya Ebbi (sp?) sailed alone around the world in a 26'. Years ago some nut sailed a 12' from Massachusetts to England, solo. He was a retired publisher as I recall, looking for some adventure.

 

[snapperbait]

Re: small boats for offshore

Just how far "offshore" from our home port are we talking here? 2 miles, 10 miles, 75 miles?<br /><br />A general idea of the boats "intended" uses might help too... (fishing, diving, ect.)

 

[Boatist]

Re: small boats for offshore

Anne<br />I guess I disagree with most here. I would say any V or modified V hull over 14 foot including a 14 foot open bow Aluminum. You see all depends on the water you are going to and the Weather. Yes if your fishing the Bearing sea in alaska 200 miles off shore your need a 80 by 24 wide at least.<br /><br />I fish off the California coast North of San Francisco in summer and fall in a 21 foot Creastliner runabout. My boat has been out in seas 10 foot every 7 seconds and had no problem. If seas are over 8 feet or less than 8 seconds we do not launch but instead do something other than boating. In seas 5 foot every 10 sec we always see 16 foot aluminum open boats out and having no problem. Lots of boater here and very supprising how few People they loose.<br /><br />Bottom line Current weather and forcast more important than the size of the boat. If you plan to go 30 miles or more off shore then you need a larger boat to carry enough fuel and for possible rapid weather change.<br /><br />I do agree need two motors, a radio, compass, GPS, anchor and sea anchor and all the Coast Guard saftey gear. A bilge pump or bucket a good idea also.<br /><br />I have taken 3 Coast Guard aux classes and 2 US Power squardon classes. One question I ask in first Coast Guard class is "How big a boat is needed to go out when Small Craft Flag is flying." Answer Probably 16 to 18 feet. How much experience you have also affects when you go out. If seas are 2 foot every 20 ocean is like a big lake. Spring, Summer, and Fall out here seas average 4 feet every 10 seconds to 9 feet every 7 seconds. Of-course are a few better or worse. NOAA has lot of weather Buoys out here that will give you sea condition out 12 miles and again out 50 miles. They report these conditions every 2 hours. They give you Wave height in feet, Period in seconds, Wind Speed and direction, Sea surrface temp, Wave steepness. This is brocast on the weather channels.

 

[FlyBoyMark]

Re: small boats for offshore

Boatist has it rite.....You must me thoroughly educated about the sea and your boat....size is only relative to conditions and skill of the captain. I equated this to aviation also as I am a pilot also. I would not hesitate to cross 600 miles of water in my airplane, but this has to be a qualified act of planning with a degree of skill behind it as in a small craft out at sea...Be aware of your environment at ALL TIMES....

 

[mattttt25]

Re: small boats for offshore

i'll also throw out the best running and most stable small boat out there- a power cat. although i think they're ugly and would never buy one, you can't beat it offshore. that's why they hold the bemuda challenge record and other deep-v boats won't even try.