Am I going crazy?

[Oh Gee]

With the price of fuel going up and up and up, and the seemingly neverending breezes over 15kts, I've started looking at the price of "trailer sailers". Never sailed a boat before, so am I going crazy or is it just a passing faze?

g

[disorderly]

Why stop with a trailer sailer? ...How about a 50-60 ft sailing cat instead....sell your house,move onto the cat and live off fish and coconuts.http://www.ausfish.com.au/vforum/../yabbfiles/Templates/Forum/default/cool.gif

[tigermullet]

Crazy? Not at all. If some of the analysts are right and we hit $200 per barrel of oil by the end of the year you could be really smart.

But I'd go with Disorderly's suggestion and get a big cat because you could have lots of veggies growing in pots and not have to rely on coconuts. Well. you could but that means knowing something about gardening which is not a very exciting sort of endeavour. Bit like lawn bowls really.;D

[Apollo]

If you do the Trailer sailer thing, consider going for one of the multihulls. We have a windrush 600 which is a 20' cat. I have been sailing and racing boats (including a lot of trailer sailers) for 30 something years and there is varst differences in how they all go. Some are so slow it is painful, whilst others are fairly advanced and tippy. This is once of the reasons, I suggest a multihull. They are generally more stable, quicker and have more room for a given length. We have topped out at 23knots on the GPS in full race mode, but can cruise at 8-10knots in reasonable conditions. We carry a 2hp motor when racing and this pushes the boat at 4knots or a 8hp which cruises at 8-9knots. We have used ours as fishing platform and it is great. It is good enough to camp overnight on and can be towed behind a modest car due to the fact that multihulls don't rely on weighted keels to keep upright, so aren't carting around a blob of lead all the time. If you want, I can give you a rundown on some models/brands and what to watch for.

[Wahoo]

do a search on my mate "Google" and i have seen a rather large boat with a 3000square foot kite pulling it along, i'll see if i can find it again

Daz

[Wahoo]

Well. you could but that means knowing something about gardening which is not a very exciting sort of endeavour. Bit like lawn bowls really.;D

LOL that dont say much about me, i like my veggie patch and i like lawn bowls:-/:-[


Daz

[Wahoo]

here is one pic

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/4xgold0/kite.jpg

[Dean1]

I think sailing boats sound too much like hard work, pullin on ropes and stuff. Depends how much time you have i guess, and if you want to conserve your energy for fishing or not :D . Fuels going up like everything else, do you want to give up drinking coz beers getting dearer?? I doubt it, just my 2 cents worth, cheers.

[tigermullet]

Sorry Disorderly - Too much to drink and cannot work out tonight how to respond to a PM.

Apologies also to Wahoo and other gardeners.

I tried it once but it only ended in an argument because I threatened to kick my wife's little doggy over the back fence if it crapped in the garden one more time.

Her reply, 'Why don't you buy a boat and get out of my hair like any normal husband?'

A light bulb went off in my head and I've been fishing ever since. Stuff the carrots.

Lawn bowls are off the list too because I made a remark about chasing white leghorns around.

Over the past few years the Peak Oil theory has got to me and a fair bit of planning and changes have gone on because most of us have only limited means. One of the cars has been changed to LPG and the boat uses only a small amount of fuel even though it is a fair size and very roomy. With age my fishing style has changed and I have confined myself to the Pin area. However I can stay out for a month in great comfort using only about twenty litres of fuel and nine to ten kg of gas for the fridge and cooking.

For emergency supplies the dinghy is put to use but it consumes only 3 litres for a return trip to Jacobs Well. It's slow too but in retirement there is no need to go rushing about the place.

I fell sorry for those still working and must have fast boats to enjoy their limited leisure time. Naturally, your style of fishing plays the biggest part in choosing a boat. Those who go outside usually have to pay out dollars for a speedy, well equipped, robust boat.

The choice of boats has not been absolutely forced on me but even with a lot more cash I doubt that I could have chosen better. That is, it suits me.

I wouldn't mind a sailing boat either but all that rope and wet sails are a turn off because they are difficult to stow when not in use.

Far better to stow lots of beer.;D