path: root/saved-articles/so you want to sail around the world.txt

---
title: So You Want To Sail Around The World
date: 2008-08-30T20:37:58Z
source: http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/index.htm#sails now: https://web.archive.org/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/index.htm
tags: guide, nature, ocean, research, sailing, travel

---

 The Dream
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So you want to sail around the world? Or sail to fabulous Tahiti? Or to
the glamorous West Indies? Do you dream of following puffy cottonballs
of tradewind clouds for day after day over seas of unbelievable colors
with the wind always astern and always just right for reeling off 100 or
more miles a day? Would you like to pit your wit and stamina against the
sea, and emerge triumphant and yet strangely humble before the mighty
forces previously raging? Do you dream of snug, palm-lined anchorages
where you can fall of the boat, swim ashore and bask on white coral
sands? All of this can be yours as seen by the long voyages taken but
people of all backgrounds and training in a surprising variety of small
boats.

I, too, had these dreams and they burned with enough fire to enable me
to realize them. Recently, I completed a circumnavigation of the world,
largely singlehanded, in *Apogee*, a 30 foot SEAWIND ketch. An average
sailor before starting, I had dreamed and saved enough to buy and outfit
*Apogee* with a bit left over for the voyage. *Apogee* followed the
usual tradewind route around the world, and the voyage was unusual in
only two respects. *Apogee* is the first fiberglass boat to sail around
the world, although I had no idea that this would be the case when I
started. In addition, *Apogee* is one of the few yachts that has the
very dubious distinction of being attacked by a school of whales.

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, 700 miles from the nearest land,
*Apogee* was sailing herself comfortably under twin jibs. I was just
finishing the dishes - doing them in the cockpit as usual. I had gone
below to fetch a dishtowel when I heard a tremendous bang, and *Apogee*
shuddered from keel to masthead. What, I wondered, could be out here so
far from land? Looking in the wake after mounting the cockpit, I saw a
dark shape in the water astern. My first though was that it was a
massive tree trunk, but then the shape moved and I saw that it was a
whale! Before this really had time to sink in, there was another
shuddering bang - sounding drumlike with the reverberations in the
fiberglass - and only then did it become frighteningly obvious that
*Apogee* was being attacked by a school of whales.

What could I possibly do? Was there any way to drive them away? I had no
gun and only one small fish spear that would only antagonize them, I
suspected. Soapy dish water, oil, detergent - was there anything I could
pur into the water to deter them? Should I prepare to abandon ship?

These thoughts ran through my mind as I stood in the cockpit too
frightened to go below, watching three or four whales swimming abreast
of *Apogee*. And as I watched, steaming through the seas came a dozen
more bearing down on *Apogee* like torpedoes, until the water all around
was filled with fins and blunt noses poking out to see what kind of
creature *Apogee* was. I could have scratched the backs of the nearest
ones.

Again a terrific reverberating bang, and I thought about the layers of
fiberglass which were taking the beating -- perhaps it could stand
several bashings, but what if 20 or so of the brutes decided to line up
and bang away at the same spot on the hull like machine gun bullets --
what then?

I retained sufficient presence of mind to estimate their length as
slightly more than one-half of *Apogee's*, small perhaps as whales go,
but sufficiently massive to prevent me from going below to rummage my
camera out of its locker. After looking around at the whales (would they
be kind to a defenseless life raft and dinghy?) and they looking at me
with their pigs' eyes for perhaps 20 minutes or so, they gave up to my
utmost relief and gratitude. When finally certain that the school was no
longer following, I went below to see if there was any damage.
Everything seemed OK. *Apogee* brought me safely through another crisis!

After thinking it over, I suspect that the first encounter happened when
*Apogee* hit a sleeping whale, because it seemed to be stunned and
rolling with a motion unusual in whales, when I first sighted it a boat
length behind. There is no doubt that the other two were deliberate
rammings. The limited reference material aboard suggested that the
whales were either false killer whales or pilot whales.

This is the type of ocurrence that I hope all yachts can avoid, but it
made a vivid impression on me which will always be filed along with the
other pleasant memories of the trip. To help others so that they may
share in these more pleasant experiences, I offer some notes and
comments on my voyage, some observations and preferences born of that
voyage, and most of all, encouragement to try it yourself!

What kinds of people make long-distance voyagers? Uniting them all is
love of the sea, sailing and adventure. Herculean strength is not
necessary as shown by the singlehanded voyages undertaken and completed
by women. A certain determination and stamina count for more than
strength alone. Handiness with tools is a help since much of the
maintenance of the boat must be done by the crew. But most important is
the *will* to do it. With this, you can learn the techniques of boat
handling, upkeep, navigation, and the myriad other areas where nobody's
expertise is complete.

My own prior experience was not unusual among the members of the
cruising community. Never having set foot on a sailboat until ten years
before starting out, I gained cruising experience on other people's
boats as well as on two of my own before *Apogee*. When I left Virginia
in June 1963 bound for the Virgin Islands, I had never been offshore
overnight, or even offshore by myself, or even taken a sight in
"earnest." Now 5 years, 40,000 miles and nearly 400 anchorages later, I
feel that this was sufficient experience but on the meager side. The
more coastline cruising experience you can get, the better.

What else does it take? A suitable boat, good sails, engine and gear,
good planning, and the inevitable factors of time and money. These are
but hurdles to be overcome if you have the will and determination to
voyage. Perhaps you will find this booklet helpful in getting started.

 

 

* * * * *

[![Hull still sound after 30,000 miles Apogee on the slip before painting her bottom in Durban, South Africa.](/web/20090311015130im_/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/15th.jpg)](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/15.jpg)\
 Boat
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What boat is suitable for long distance cruising? A glance around the
cruising ports of Papeete, Panama, Fiji, Durban and the West Indies will
offer a tremendous variety of sizes, types, constructions, and designs,
most of which have crossed an ocean.

Having owned and lived aboard *Apogee*, a stock fiberglass ketch for 6
years, I can unhesitantingly recommend fiberglass construction for any
long distance cruiser. Steel boats may be stronger and perhaps less
expensive, wooden boats more pleasing esthetically, but reduced
maintenance and the freedom from worry more than outweigh the advantages
of other types of construction. Rust or teredos are no problem if the
bottom paint is scratched, and when the nearby slipway is weeks or
months away, such a problem can be a nagging irritation.*Apogee* has
been a source of relief during her varied experiences on primitive
slipways, or upright on the beach with steadying lines from the
masthead, and during the whale attack and grounding.

Boat size and crew size are closely related. the more crew you have, the
larger the boat to carry them comfortably, and the more work the boat
demands in handling and maintenance. Attempts to reduce the
proportionate share in money and effort by having a large crew aboard
have rarely been permanent. Different objectives, different personal
tastes, and the daily friction of living together in a confined space
have led to frequent and upsetting crew changes at major ports.
Experience shows that the most harmonious crews are a family, two people
(perhaps man and wife) or the ultimate escape from crew problems - the
singlehander. A good assumption for planning is that at one time or
another, you will have to sail and maintain the boat singlehanded.

Basically, the larger the boat, the more comfortable you will be, both
at sea and at port. In port, there is more living space and stowage
space for items that contibute to comfort, and at sea, the motion will
tend to be easier, very important in voyages of two or three weeks. On
the other hand, initial investment, the work involved in boat handling
and maintenance, and the running costs will increase with the larger
boat.

Initial investment and maintenance aside, the recent singlehanded
Transatlantic race has shown that boats of close to 60 feet can be
*raced* by one man under far more severe conditions than the cruising
yacht will normally encounter. However, all of the largest entries were
light displacement racing machines, hardly designed for comfort as a
floating home, and the skippers were mostly active young men who were
keyed up to month of maximum effort.

Although *Apogee* is 30 feet and about 6.5 tons, I feel that one person
(a singlehander or a husband of a husband-and-wife team) can sail and
maintain about 40 to 45 feet if the displacement does not rise above 9
tons or so, and if the hull is fiberglass.

 

 

* * * * *

[![Stores for 3 months for crossing Atlantic and Christmas 1967 fleet at Durban's yacht club.](/web/20090311015130im_/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/9th.jpg)](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/9.jpg)\
 Engine
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An engine on a short handed boat is like an extra crew member. More
islands are available to the boat which can power through tricky passes.
Electric lighting, a boon in the tropics, is convenient with an engine.
With sufficient fuel, an engine will make a more pleasant time of the
deadly monotonous calm periods encountered on nearly every long trip.
Entering harbors at night becomes easy with an engine, saving an
annoying night jilling back and forth at the harbor entrance. It may
even avoid a possible catastrophe, With all these advantages, nearly all
the world cruisers have engines.

On the other hand, an engine can be smelly, a nuisance, and may require
what seems like excessive time spent in maintenance. If the intended
cruise lies away from good repair facilities and easy parts
availability, annoying time delays may ensue. I have known boats to be
practically immobilized with the loss of an engine - no running water,
food spoiling in the refrigerator, no lights, and no cooking facilities.
Complete reliance on the engine for necessities and comforts is myopic
on long distance cruises.

There is a choice between gasoline and diesel engines. By all means try
to have a reliable diesel engine in preference to gasoline. The only
disadvantages of the diesel that I can think of are increased initial
investment, and larger size and weight, but the latter problem can
usually be overcome with modern diesels. Apogee was equipped with a
Graymarine gasoline engine, and the basic engine has given no problems -
in fact the head has never been taken off in the 6y2 years since
installation. Nonetheless, I have spent many hours in the hot engine
compartment doing maintenance and repair on all the external equipment -
electrical system, fuel system and water system. For extended cruising
take spares for as many parts as possible: fuel pump, carburetor, coil,
plugs, generator, starter, water pump or their diesel equivalents.

A hand-start capability is a distinct advantage. Sooner or later, the
batteries may fail, and there is nothing more frustrating than not being
able to start the engine when it is needed.

Finally, I do not think it wise to put ultimate dependence in the
engine. With confidence under sail, tricky conditions of maneuvering,
like short tacking through a narrow channel, or sailing to a dock, will
not cause confusion and panic if the engine stops or refuses to start.

 

 

* * * * *

[![Apogee reaching Grenada Seawind photo by Bianca Lavies](/web/20090311015130im_/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/19th.jpg)](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/19.jpg)\
 Sails
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Dacron sails are wonderful for cruising as well as racing. *Apogee* has
sailed around the world with the original suit of Ratsey and Lapthorn
sails supplied with the boat. There are, to be sure, many repairs
dotting their once pristine surfaces, and their set is perhaps not good
enough for serious racing. Chafing of the seams has resulted in nearly
completely restitching, by machine when a sailmaker was available, and
very tediously by hand when not. Many boats carry a hand sewing machine
for sail work as well as the many sewing jobs that occur above and below
decks. Chafe and sunlight are the chief enemies of Dacron. Careful
attention to chafe comes naturally. Sunlight, however, is the more
insidious enemy because it is progressive and because large areas of the
sail may be affected. *Apogee* has three new panels in the mainsail
primarily because the sail cover was left off on the long voyages under
twins when the main was not in use. *Apogee* started the voyage with 8
sails: main, mizzen, two identical working jibs (which also served as
the twins), a \#2 genoa, storm jib, mizzen staysail and spinnaker. All
of them are currently in use. I would now substitute a drifter for a
spinnaker as being a more useful sail under light cruising conditions.
In New Zealand, I added a spare mizzen without battens and with
provisions for reefing. Less than a month old, that mizzen rendered
excellent service in a four day storm just after leaving, which *Apogee*
rode out hove-to under jib and mizzen, then storm jib and reefed mizzen,
and finally mizzen, then storm jib and reefed mizzen, and finally under
bare poles for one of these days.

 

 

* * * * *

[![Seawind \#120 under sail and the interior
below.](/web/20090311015130im_/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/20th.jpg)](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/20.jpg)
\
 Fitting Out, Provisioning and Cooking

In fitting out a yacht for long distance voyaging, safety should be the
first consideration. Like the cautious man who wears a belt and
suspenders, it is worthwhile considering two ways of doing the important
things, such as carrying sail, starting the engine, navigating and
emergency procedures. If not belt and suspenders, at least make sure
that the belt is heavy duty. Items for convenience and comfort should
take second place in the case of conflict. For example, Apogee carried
heavier tackle than normal for a boat of her size - 50 fathoms of 5/16"
chain, 50 fathoms of 3/4" nylon rope, a 75 lb. fisherman anchor, and 40
lb. and 22 lb. Danforth anchors. Normal anchoring called for the use of
the chain and the larger Danforth. Without a winch, getting all that
weight back aboard was sometimes a real chore, especially if anchored .n
10 fathoms or more. I felt much safer going ashore or in sleeping at
night knowing that Apogee had a firm grip on the bottom. Only when I was
careless about anchoring did Apogee break free, and then only 3 times in
nearly 400 anchorages, each time with no serious consequences. Two short
wave receivers and a chronometer-watch formed my belt-and-suspenders for
accurate time. Two sextants, one being plastic, provided the same safety
for taking sights. I debated a long time whether to carry a marine
radiotelephone, and indeed I haven't missed one, except for those few
occasions when it could have been useful socially. It is very annoying
to arrive back where you have tied the dinghy, only to find the damed
thing floating deflated on the surface like a huge skin. Rubber dinghies
are fine for relatively protected anchorages where facilities exist for
handling them. Although more difficult to sweat aboard and stow, a wood
or fiberglass dinghy will prove much more reliable over the years. An
outboard motor may make pleasant shopping or sightseeing if you are
willing to stow and service it. Kerosene, although not as convenient to
use as bottled gas or electric- ity, has served for all cooking and some
lighting throughout the entire voyage. It is cheap, available in the
most primitive places, and Primus parts for the stove are easy to find.
Bottled gas has several advantages: better control of the flame,
possibility of having a refrigerator, very little mess, and infrequent
refilling. However, fittings for the gas bottles are not the same all
over the world, I understand, and the safety factor is reduced. It is
surprising and perhaps inconceivable to those who have never been on a
long cruise, the amount of time and effort and dreaming that is spent on
things to eat and drink. In warm weather, far from the nearest
refrigerator, one can get the most compelling thirst for an icy cold
beer with the drops of water streaming down the sides of the glass. In
cold weather, the same yearning may be for a sizzling steak with all the
trimmings. The fullfilment of dreams like this were, alas, never carried
aboard Apogee. Much has been written about provisioning small yachts for
long passages and so much depends on whether the boat has reliable
refrigeration or a well insulated and capacious ice box. Perhaps the
only thing I can add is a simple recipe for fresh bread, not requiring
an oven- This recipe has been passed from boat to boat and has been in
constant use aboard Apogee ever since I learned of it. The bread is made
in a pressure cooker and the recipe calls for a cup and a half of sea
water. A tablespoon of sugar, and a like amount of dried yeast are
melted in the water, then four cups of plain flour are added and stirred
well. No kneading is necessary. The pressure cooker is well greased and
floured, though a heavy saucepan would do as well since the pressure
valve is left open. The dough is put into the pressure cooker and with
the lid left on, is left in a warm place for two hours to rise, then
cooked on a low flame on top of the stove for half an hour. The
half-cooked loaf is re- moved from the cooker, replaced top-side down
and cooked for a further half hour. Fresh bread is delicious, and has
never lasted more than two days be- cause the temptation is to eat it
all at one sitting. Much has been written about adequate water supplies.
For long voyages, an adequate minimum is 1/2 gallon per man per day. In
fact, with very little care, two of us existed on 5 gallons a week.
Thus, the tank capac- ity of the normal cruising boat will prove
adequate for most voyages. Keep a spare jerrycan or two full of water
for emergencies and if the boat has a pressure water system, turn it
off, and use hand pumps. A salt water pump in the galley will make it
easy to supplement the fresh water supply and is easy to install.

 

 

* * * * *

Navigation
----------

Ocean voyaging depends on celestial navigation, but its difficulty has
been overrated. The most important thing is to learn one method of sight
reduction and learn it well! Errors in arithmetic are easy to make on a
rolling boat if one is tired, but with a standard and well practiced
system, these errors are more easily traced. Most small boat navigators,
including myself, use the Air Navigation Tables (H.O. 249) and the
Nautical Almanac. General accuracy with sun sights is normally within
five miles, although if sea conditions are rough and the sun is playing
hide-and-seek, I triple this amount for safety, providing there is no
other way of error estimation. On long voyages, I took a daily round of
three sun sights (weather permitting) and plotted her position at local
noon. I have used star sights only near landfalls and on difficult
passages among low islands or reefs, as in the Tuamotus.

It is in the coastwise passages and short hops between islands that the
greatest navigational dangers occur. Having crossed an ocean or two, one
tends to get overconfident when faced with an overnight sail. This
overconfidence led to a near disaster for Apogee in Fiji. Because I was
unaware of currents, and because I thought that breakers would be easy
to spot in the moonlight, Apogee ran onto a weather reef and pounded for
an hour and a half before I was lucky enough to get her off unaided. The
moderate damage sustained, and the relatively easy repairs were a good
demonstration of the strength of fiberglass, and of Apogee's sturdy
construction. No doubt steel would have survived, but a wooden boat
would have suffered far more damage, I feel.

 

 

* * * * *

Freak Occurances and Heavy Weather

In the hundreds of thousands of miles sailed each year by small boats,
there will naturally be some freak occurances. Waterspouts have been
sighted and even sailed through. Swordfish have attacked yachts as
opposed to game fishermen. Whales although normally pacific, can cause
damage accidentally or intentionally. However, few well-found yachts
have perished without good possible causes: hurricane force winds, heavy
steamer traffic, or owner's health in the case of singlehanders.

It is difficult for me to write about heavy weather, because I have been
fortunate enough to avoid any of the itultimate storms". Except fo
squalls, Apogee has encountered sustained gale force winds or higher
only four times while at sea. In each of these cases, life aboard was
extremely unpleasant, and spirits were low, perhaps, but there was never
any.fear for boat or life. On another occasion, Apogee was bodily tossed
so that her mast was nearly horizontal by a hurricane swell reaching
shelving waters in the Coral Sea. There was a stupendous mess below, but
the wind was not excessively strong, and the experience was never
-repeated on that voyage or any other. Squalls also present a danger,
particularly if one arrives unseen at night. Wind velocities in some of
the squalls I have seen have been well above Force 8 for short periods
of time. Even a short period of time is sufficient for a shroud to part
or for the sails to blow out. Neither of these things has happened to
Apogee, thank goodness, but one squall did manage to flog a batten and
its pocket clean out of the mainsail before I was able to muzzle the
sail.

With all these comments on safety and the dangers of voyaging, I would
hate to give the impression that sailing the oceans is unpleasant. just
the opposite, perhaps 50% of the trip has been superb sailing, 40%
reasonably good, and only 10% or less poor sailing. During the supurb
sailing, small boats can reel off some fantastic voyages. During the
Galapagos to Marquesas passage, which a good friend of mine
characterizes as "flying-fish weather", Apogee sailed 1285 miles in 8
days for slightly better than 160 miles per day. At that time, it was
probably some sort of record for singlehanders, surpassed more recently
by Sir Francis Chichester, for one, I am certain. Apo,6ee's design
waterline length is 24 feet, and there was an unknown following current,
but it gives some indications of the amazing speeds for small boats
under optimum conditions.

Tradewind passages are the superb sailing, and outstanding among these
is the 3000 mile stretch of that Galapagos to Marquesas passage. The
Indian Ocean crossing tends to be slightly rougher, but still very
enjoyable. Also superb sailing are short passages in inside protecting
reefs, the most memorable being the wonderful lagoon between Raiatea and
Tahaa, close to Tahiti.

In Apogee's trip, the poor sailing would be characterized by the stormy
periods and those passages which took place in heavy steamer traffic.
Around the coast of South Africa, the steamer traffic is intense at the
present time due to the Suez closure, fogs and dead calms are frequent,
and storms can be violent. It is not at all unusual to sight 30 to 40
steamers in one day, even when the coast is not visible. The passage
from Durban to Cape Town was the only time when Apogee had a man on the
helm 24 hours a day. Still, only selected parts of that 800 mile
coastline passage can be termed "poor". At other times, it was quite
enjoyable.

Apogee's route around the world was selected to utilize the tradewinds
to best advantage. Different routes are quite possible, but less
enjoyable. The poorest choice is also the fastest - the old
wool-and-grain route in the Roaring Forties. Any small boat which
attempts the three capes, Cape of Good Hope, Cape Leeuwin, and Cape
Horn, has my admiration.

 

 

* * * * *

[![Figure 1](/web/20090311015130im_/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/13th.jpg)](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/13.jpg) Self-steering [![Figure 2](/web/20090311015130im_/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/14th.jpg)](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/dream/img/14.jpg)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For short handed cruising, some form of self-steering is almost a
requirement. Even if the usual watches are kept, it relieves the
helmsman from the tyranny of the tiller. It is most disconcerting to
have the boat luff up with sails flapping, simply because the helmsman
wants to brew a cup of coffee. Of course, with larger crews of three,
four, or more, it may be desirable to require manual steering simply to
keep the helmsman awake.

Since Apogee left the States, quite remarkable improvements have been
made in self-steering vanes, and they have been fitted to large as well
as small boats. Apogee has retained the earlier methods of self-steering
primarily because of the major structural alterations necessary to fit
the best of the vanes, but I would not leave again without vane
steering.

Even with vane steering, I think that twin running sails would be useful
for any long downwind passages in the tradewinds. There is less chafe,
no fear of a jibe, and the boat tends to yaw less with the sail area
well forward. For those who may be contemplating such a rig, the details
are given in Figure 1. Some method of adjusting the total sail area such
as twin rollerfurling genoas, would be more flexible. Several times the
tradewinds have been too strong for the 330 square feet of Apogee's
twins, and many times it has been too light. With light winds, the
mizzen staysail helped considerably, but I found no really successful
method for coping with winds too strong.

On beam or broad reaches, I used a modification of the jibsheet
selfsteering. It is extremely simple, requiring an extra snatch block or
two, some different sizes of shock cord, and a little experimentation.
For those who might like to try this on their own boats, a glance at
Figure 2 will help.

Naturally, any well-balanced boat will self-steer on a close reach or
beat. With a ketch rig, adjustment of the mizzen enable Apogee to cope
with changes of wind strength for long periods of time without
adjustments.

Apogee's twin running rig is the product of considerable experimentation
to achieve maximum control and stability under a variety of weather
conditions. The twins are two working jibs with interleaved hanks on the
forestay, both jibs being raised or lowered by one halyard. Normal
spinnaker poles are set on a normal spinnaker track, each to its own
car, so that the height of the inboard ends can be adjusted
individually. A short strop leads to two-part sheets. One end of the
sheet is led to the winch for easy adjustment. The other end is fastened
to a point well aft. A bight is taken in the fixed end of the sheet with
a snatch block and led to the tiller. Not shown in the figure are the
pole lifts. No foreguys are needed.

Adjustment of the tiller lines, the sheets, the pole lifts, and the
inboard ends of the poles may be needed to produce the desired course
with minimum hunting. In strong winds, the poles are let forward so that
there is more belly in the sails. In light winds not too far astern,
Apogee has carried the mizzen, mizzen staysail and -main as well as the
twins and still self-steered. In beam to quarter winds, the arrangement
shown above produced fairly reliable self steering. Normal arrangement
is used with the exception that the sheet is led well aft before going
to the winch. A bight is taken in the sheet with a snatch block and led
across to the weather side of the tiller. Shock cord of suitable
diameter is used to balance the tension in the sheet. If the course lay
farther downwind than shown, the jib was poled out from the mast. The
other sails are not shown, but the mizzen was always carried, with the
main and mizzen staysail being added according to the wind strength. Of
course, all wind or sail operated self-steering methods only give a
course which is as steady as the wind direction. A singlehander usually
gets used the "feel" of this boat, and will be wakened by any major
changes of direction. But with light winds and clam seas, one can be
fooled, as I found to my disappointment one night when Apogee sailed
back towards her departure for 15 miles.

 

 

 

 

* * * * *

Finances
--------

Perhaps you have been leafing through these pages thinking "How much
does all this cost?" Initial investment can be estimated reasonably
well. Having a fiberglass boat, stainless rigging and fittings, and
Dacron sails will work yourself to reduce the costs. How much will you
succumb to the temptations of shore - good restaurants, some time in a
hotel, sightseeing trips in a rental car? You and your pocketbook will
be the guide. How about earning money on the way? It certainly is
possible. But not always easy. There is still a market for books and
articles about cruising, despite all that has been written, because
there are more people interested in boats and cruising. If you have a
trade - carpenter, electrician, mechanic, etc., there is usually
something available at the larger ports in Australia, New Zealand, South
Africa, and occasionally in the smaller ports. If you have had
experience with small boats in these trades, you can earn money wherever
there are boats. Visa and customs restrictions sometimes make it
difficult to stay in any pace for a long time. The day of the
beachcomber has passed in the glamorous islands of the South Pacific,
where immigration officials take a dim view of yachts arriving with no
money. Making movies for commercial showing or for TV is exacting and
best planned along with the planning of the trip. Chartering is
definitely a possibility in the West Indies, but charterers pay for and
have a right to expect standards of comfort and privacy that not all
cruising boats offer. In addition, most of the cruising boats who have
chartered have found their costs soaring so that it is not easy to save
vast amounts of money form the relatively high charter rates. As a
planning figure, I would suggest hat you have between \$100 and \$500
per month for two people. With a small, easily maintained boat and a
relatively frugal existence, one might be able to meet the lower figure.
As the size of the boat increases, and comforts ashore and afloat are
added, the higher figure will be approached. There are boats that fall
outside these limits, but I assume that you want to leave before you are
too old to enjoy it without sacrificing all comforts.

 

 

 

* * * * *

Statistics of Apogee's Voyage
-----------------------------

The following table will give an idea of the passage times which can be
expected by small boast under a variety of conditions. All of Apogee's
voyages over 1000 miles non-stop are included. Passage Nautical Miles
Duration in Days St. Helena - Grenada, West Indies 3880 34 Galapagos -
Marquesas 2990 22 Cocos - Rodrigues Indian Ocean 2020 15 Darwin, Aust. -
Christmas Island 1550 15 Reunion I. -- Durban, South Africa 1540 20
Hampton, Virginia - Virgin Islands 1520 18 Balboa, Canal Zone -
Galapagos 1170 18 Whangerei, N.Z. - Suva, Fiji 1160 18 Suva, Fiji -
Russell, N. Z. 1110 11 It is obviously tedious to list the nearly 400
anchorages of Apogee on the voyage. The following list gives the island
groups and countries only, along with time of year. Place Visited Dates
Hampton, Virginia June 1963 West Indies, Netherlands Antilles, Colombia
July '3 - March '64 Panama April '64 Galapagos May - June '64 Marquesas,
Tuamotus, Tahiti and Society Islands July '64 - April '65 Cooks, Tonga,
Samoa, Fiji May - Oct '65 New Zealand Nov. '65 - April '66 Fiji, Rotuma,
Banks, New Hebrides and New Caledonia May - Nov '66 Australia, Great
Barrier Reef, New Guinea Dec. '66 - June '67 Christmas, Cocos,
Rodrigues, Mauritus, and Reunion Islands July - Oct. '67 South Africa
Nov. '67 - May '68 St. Helena June '68 West Indies July - Dec. '68
Bahamas, Florida Jan. '69 Total distance sailed: 39,000 miles Duration
of voyage: 5 ½ years, U.S. to U.S, 4 ½ years to circumnavigate Highest
daily run: 179 miles noon to noon.

 

 

* * * * *

Final Encouragement
-------------------

If this book has whetted your appetite for voyaging and you wish to know
more, I can think of no better source than Eric Hiscock's Voyaging Under
Sail and Cruising Under Sail. Should you have the grit and determination
to start you on a long voyage, there is no better feeling than to see
our very first landfall lying dead ahead. You know that all the
planning, hard work, and money invested in the trip is just beginning to
pay off. The original slogan for the Seawind was "She'll cross an ocean
if you will" which my trip has confirmed.

 

 

* * * * *

About the manufacturer
----------------------

Allied Boat Company is located in Catskill, New York on a tributary of
the Hudson River.

 

 

*Editor note:* Dan Smith*, the current historian is a wealth of
information on the company and has a more current ac**count to be
published.*

*Transcription notes:**Allied Boat Company**is no longer in operation. I
couldn'd find a copywrite date nor any reference to who printed this
little book. We hope you enjoy it as well as the perspective it has
given us. A man rowed over to us in the Grenadines and said it belonged
on our Seawind,
[Moxie](/web/20090311015130/http://www.webmoxie.com/seawind/moxie%20lake/Island.htm)
our dreamboat.* \
 [Kirk and Sherrie](mailto:kirkchamberklain@hotmail.com)

 

 

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