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From: Peter Pisciotta (no email)
Date: Sun May 07 2006 - 18:01:11 EDT
> Ok, so you're telling us that the risk of spending 3 days in 20'
> seas on a powerboat is "mechanical failure" and on a sailboat
> it's "personal injury". I don't think so.
My opinion is that sailboats have a higher risk profile than an
offshore-capable trawler of similar length. The foredeck of any boat
is a dangerous place - add-in deck clutter, flying stuff like sheets
and jib-clews, and you start to understand the source of my opinion.
The less time you spend outside of the cockpit or pilothouse, the
less likely you are to be injured or lost at sea. Sailing is more
physical and interactive which has its pluses and minuses.
Before switching careers last year, I spent the previous 5 years as a
professional delivery captain (www.seaskills.com) on the Pacific
Coast based out of San Francisco. In each of those years, I did
around 18,000 offshore miles, most of which on trawler yachts, but a
healthy percentage on sailboats too (probably 10,000 miles or so
total). My experience was that sailboats are less comfortable, have
poorer visibility, are more exposed, and often require crew make a
trip to the foredeck to clear rigging, shorten sail, unjam something,
or lord knows what, all on a heeled deck. I have made more forays to
the foredeck of a sailboat on a single delivery than all trawler
deliveries combined. And it never happens in calm weather. People
don't generally fall off trawlers whereas COB incidents on sailboats
are not unheard of (think swinging boom, whipping clews, etc). Add-in
fatigue and exposure, and the chances of injury are higher on a
sailboat, especially when sailing short handed.
On the other hand, trawlers have high, protected bows that are
generally drier than a sailboat. Sailboats are generally slower and
more exposed to weather systems, and less maneuverable when crossing
a bar/running an inlet. Instrumentation aboard a sailboat is not
generally as visible (radar may be down below without a repeater at
the helm), and a whole host of other small items that add-up to a
increased risk profile. Contrast that to an ergonomically friendlymfy
pilothouse with adjustable helm chair aboard a stabilized trawler
with all instruments within easy reach.
I will fully admit that if funds are really short and crossing oceans
is the itinerary, there's no way to economicallly cruise a powerboat.
But a new Valiant 42 or Island Packet 45 is about the same price as a
new Nordhavn 40. At the higher end of the market, there's parity.
Heck, look at Steve & Linda Dashew's newest offering: a powerboat.
Look, I realize this is a sail-oriented list, and this may be heresy
(or off-topic - please let me know). But there are some really cool
options out there, and more are coming. Personally, I'm not sold on
crossing oceans in a small powerboat - the loss of main propulsion
scares the hell out of me. But that's the only reason I'd possibly
chose a sailboat over a powerboat.
Peter
Willard 36 Trawler
San Francisco
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