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Bluewater sailing in a 312 (or 311/315) |
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KobbSkolten
Commander Joined: 10 April 2012 Location: Stavanger/Norwa Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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Posted: 22 November 2012 at 13:06 |
Hi.
With my 312 on land for some expensive investments (new sail drive), I'm wondering how long and serious journeys i can use it for in the future. I love my 312, and find it perfect for the use I have now (weekends and Holidays by the coast), and with the investments i do now, it will be hard to part with without loosing a lot of money. And did i Mention : I Love my boat, so it would be hard to part with it anyway I'm planning a couple of journeys in the years to come, Journeys like (all from the west coast of Norway): Denmark/Sweden (2013) 4 week Holiday Shetland (Ca 2014) 2-3 week Holiday North Of Norway ( Ca 2016) 3 Months Mediterranean sea (2018 or something) for a year. So my question is : Can I use my 312 for the purpose of longer journeys like described above ? After all, it is a class A boat, even if its only 31 feet and not to heavy. The comfort of living onboard is fine, what I'm wondering about is how it will behave on bluewater for days, and in all kind of weather conditions. Does any of you have any experience with this kind of boat on longer journeys and/or heavy weather to share? |
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Gregor
Admiral Joined: 11 February 2006 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 1256 |
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Hi KobbSkolten,
Nice questions and really something to look forward, long journey's. I have a 311 (plse have a look at my site), This year I spent 3 months aboard whilst cruising along the English coast, to the Channel Islands, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Most of the time I was sailing single handed, the rest I had someone aboard. Had a great time with Uisge Beatha. Knowing my own limitations, it was great sailing with her. The comfort you have and want also depends on the number of people aboard. I went to the UK two years ago with four people for a two week cruise. A lot of stuff, sometimes very noisy, sometimes very cosy. A little bigger would be nice, however also more money involved Gregor Trip during the 2012 summer: |
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Uisge Beatha
Currently sailing Dehler 36 JV (2002) Previous boat: Hanse 311 #80 http://www.uisge-beatha.eu |
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KobbSkolten
Commander Joined: 10 April 2012 Location: Stavanger/Norwa Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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Nice trip Gregor I Will check out your Website, but i dont understand much dutch The comfort of living onboard suits us just fine, we have been on several 2 weeks trips, and could easily continued if we had the spare time, so the space and comfort is not the issue But every night we go to sleep in a safe harbour. And if the weather is harsh the next morning, we just dont go out to sea. I think the hardest wind I've been out in is about 18 m/s, and thats by engine and for short inshore trips. Of,course we will be watching the weather forecast before setting out on ocean crossing, but when your out there, you got to cope with what weather you get. One thing is safety. How much does a boat like this take before the Rig brakes, before it flips or fills ? Is this much more dangerous compered to larger boats ? The other ting is comfort. Is it possible to sleep, make food (or Coffee even) or go to the toilet in a gail at the north sea ? The Denmark crossing will take about 20 hours i think, and the Shetland trip about 48 hours. And Biscaya is about 5 days ? Would you consider trips like this in a boat like this ? What about the Atlantic Ocean ? Has any boats like this been on trips like that ? |
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Gregor
Admiral Joined: 11 February 2006 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 1256 |
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Thanks :) There is a Google translate button on my site.
Making food, handy to do that in advance. Boiling water always tricky in bumpy weather. A north sea gale can be very uncomfortably, depends on the wind direction and the tide. Are you sailing upwind, down wind, on reach. Been out there while 28kn blew and we had a half wind course from the start of the shipping lane to the Netherlands. I got more or less sea sick and decided to change course to Zeebrugge. It all depends on the crew. I think the Hanse 31x is a good build boat and quite capable of handeling strong winds. Make sure you know how to reduce sail in a way you can still handle the boat. The rigs require maintenance. In case of any doubt, ask a rigger to check yours. I had an mast with an inverse bend once, even though the rigs were good. It scared the &**&% out of me. Managed to put the sails down very fast (25-27kn upwind course). Insurance came and decided the mast was total loss. A new mast was the result and I decided to have the rigs changed as well. The guy from the insuarnce company said that it's good the replace them every 10-13yrs. It's an advice, not pre-requisite. If you search the forum, you find a topic about a 315 (could be 312 too) crossing the Atlantic. The Atlantic has been crossed in smaller boats than ours. What can you say? I crossed the North sea several time, fasted was 15h and longest was 20h, crossed it with a crew aboard and crossed it solo. The 31x does not have a good bed whilst sailing, maybe you have to figure out how you can make it comfortable for the two of you. I'm thinking of going around the UK (via Caladonian cannel), my boat will probably handle it, will I?? Gregor
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Uisge Beatha
Currently sailing Dehler 36 JV (2002) Previous boat: Hanse 311 #80 http://www.uisge-beatha.eu |
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CharlesP
Admiral Joined: 23 September 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1208 |
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Me and my wife sailed around UK this year. Took 127 days to do it. But the two longest legs were 24 hours and 18 hours hours, so predicting weather and sea conditions was reasonably easy.
Going across Biscay for five days exposed to the full force of the Atlantic Ocean would be quite different as conditions will rarely be settled for five days. You could of course go from port to port nearer the coast, which would be my choice with just the two of us. I believe your boat is well found and capable of the five day crossing, but you will need to review safety details and equipment to ensure they are adequate. E.g. A third reef; washboards and hatch which can be fastened; carry personal Eperbs; a reliable autopilot. Charles Edited by CharlesP - 23 November 2012 at 00:50 |
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'MERIDIAN LADY'
320 Nr 536 2010 Medway |
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samuel
Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 26 December 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2683 |
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My wife & I spent 11 weeks & 8 weeks together on my 31
We did day sails & found it excellent. The big restictions are Water-- we had to refill every. 3 days Power--- we tied to a marina every night I have 2 100 amp batteries but if yo night sail they soon flatten Fuel--- for day sails you end up using lots of fuel so we carried 40 litres spare in 2 cans Load carrying---we had so much clothing , supplies, tools, spares,sail, bicycles, dinghy etc that the boat was right on the waterline instead of 50mm below it Our big worry was how we would get on together in an environment she found stressfull not being a sailor. (After the first 11 weeks she got on a plane & abandoned me) i found it stressful because all my sailing decisions had to be made around her. Once she had gone sailing became a pleasure. ( Do not interpret that wrong, I have the best wife in the world!!) Plus you have to remember that you can only go 31 feet apart & then you fall in the water so if you disagree she cannot go in the kitchen & slam the door & ignore you Regarding weather most of my sailing is in the north sea & that tends to have a short chop as opposed to a long swell. It makes for uncomfortable sailing.I do not think I could stand rough weather for days on end in the north sea. One just gets slung about too much. My longest single handed trip, Bradwell to Imuiden is 150 miles. But I have done quite a few over 100 miles single handed. I find that I cannot sleep in the cockpit unless i curl up around the stern behind the tiller. Very uncomfortable. Also the cockpit is very shallow so one can be vunerable in high winds. I was almost thrown out of the cockpit a couple of times in rough seas. However, I have so far never been in a situation where the seaworthiness of the boat has concerned me in the slightest. You can sail anywhere provided it did not get too rough. It all depends on weather conditions on route. In this boat I have encountered f8 for periods of up to 15 hours only & F 9 for about 10 hours. This is pretty exhausting in a small boat so you need to consider crew fitness. By F8 you have to remember this is sustained winds, not just a few gusts. A lot of people will tell you they have sailed in F 8 but more usually it has only been for a short while so not a proper F 8. Unlike a long keeled boat the 31 will not heave too unattended so you need to have a strategy for heavy weather that you can carry out for extended periods When sailing with a crew I have lee cloths fitted to the saloon bunks to aid sleeping. This is OK on my 31 as the bunks are straight. Curverd bunks do not lend themselves to this so you need to consider sleeping on passage For 2 up so long as both of you are "compatible" you can cruise forever on a 31. You just have to adjust to each others senses. Failure to do this is one of the biggest cruise breakers. Not the boat. Edited by samuel - 23 November 2012 at 09:05 |
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Daydream Believer- Hanse 311- No GBR9917T- Bradwell Essex
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CharlesP
Admiral Joined: 23 September 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1208 |
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I did not experience the "big restrictions" of water, fuel and power which Samuel mentions, so perhaps our boat spec is different in these respects -
Water - we carried 200 litres plus 20 litres in bottles used primarily for cold drinks. We also carry one of those solar shower bags which can give two showers. So our water supplies for two people could last several weeks. Fuel - our tank is about 120 litres which rarely goes below half and never below a quarter. We also carry 30 litres in containers. Total engine hours between filling up is about 60 hours which equates to 5 day "sails" or two to three full 24 hour days without any sail power. Total miles between fill ups could be 300. Power - we would use the engine for an hour at the beginning and end of sailing. This would keep our AGM 150 Ah adequately topped up. In port or at anchor, we would get out our solar panels. Power was certainly not a problem for us, but our battery monitor was essential to managing the system. Our fridge was always on maximum with the engine running, but otherwise turned down. We watched tv and had the radio /. Cd on only if we knew we could top up the power with a sunny day anchored, a rainy day plugged in to shore power, or knowing that we would be motoring several hours the following morning. Having LED lighting and nav lights certainly helps. Often we would visit marinas and not bother to plug in or fill up with water or fuel. Crossing the Bay of Biscay would therefore hold no concerns for me, other than the possibility of encountering bad weather conditions. Although I've never been seasick, I always take a tablet in bad conditions or quartering seas and hope that that protects me. I hope I never experience what Samuel endured. Charles |
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'MERIDIAN LADY'
320 Nr 536 2010 Medway |
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KobbSkolten
Commander Joined: 10 April 2012 Location: Stavanger/Norwa Status: Offline Points: 135 |
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Thank you for inspiring and reasuring replyes
The first question is wether to keep the 312 for my planned trips, the other is how to upgrade it for the tasks ahead if im to keep it. Seems already that the boat is upfor the task , so the questions is then how to upgrade... My main consern is safety. A third reef is mentioned. How is that done, and what is the cost? Is the standard sails ok , or shoud spesial sails for longdistanse sailing be applyed? What about stormfokk? Washboards and hatches : is this standard equipment to buy, or is it custome made? Are there other reinforcement required? Capasity for water i have already upgraded with extra 100 L in the bow compartment and 40 L water heater, so no we enjoy long showers on the weekend trips . For power an Efoy is on my wish list. For fuel i wil cary extra cans, but how is it to fill the tank in waves, wind and rain out on the ocean? |
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samuel
Admiral of the Fleet Joined: 26 December 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 2683 |
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Re the fuel
A 31x has a 46 litre tank not the vast tank of the 320 I had worried about that so fitted a reserve tank of 26 litres which had white diesel in it I had decided to top up the main tank that i would carry a battery drill with one of those cheap drill pumps plus 2 lengths of hose. This way one can fill from a 20 litre tank in the stern locker to the fuel deck filler without actually lifting the can out of the locker Once again the water tank is only 90-100 litres in a 312 not the huge tank as in a 320 Third reef is easy. You need a sailmaker to make the extra reinforced cringles & a slot in the sail cover. You then need to ensure the clew outhaul has a quick release clip & is long enough to reach the third clew when in the reefed position. You put a strop round the boon through the clew& tension it from the clew outhaul. A the mast luff end you have a strop to go round the mast with a snap shackle each end to pick up the luff rings. Apart from the 2 strops you do no need any extra lines This setup can also be used for the first & second reefs if you have a problem with any reef lines etc-- Gregor please note!! Sorry could not help slipping that one in!! |
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Daydream Believer- Hanse 311- No GBR9917T- Bradwell Essex
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CharlesP
Admiral Joined: 23 September 2010 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 1208 |
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A third reef is simply done by a sailmaker. Two eyes are fitted including some local sail reinforcement, so this operation is cheap. Some people also have a spectacle fitted to the luff eye which can be hooked on to a fitting or strap at the boom. How a reefing line is fitted to the leech depends on what is available with your existing boom and set up, so others can advise. If you do not have sufficient blocks on the boom end to run an additional reefing line, I would consider doing away with the first reef and using this line for the third reef.
Everyone with a storm jib thinks they are wonderful. You will have to consider how to safely install and raise it in rough conditions. Others with experience can advise. In strong winds I have found a partly rolled jib to be adequate, but a storm jib would be better. If you are caught out in survival conditions, a storm jib would be invaluable. By washboards and hatches, I meant that they should be able to be fastened to keep rough water out. Your existing ones may already be ok. If not, I am sure they can be easily fitted with a thin line to hold them closed. The companionway hatch should not be able to slide open in a rough sea. The washboards should not be able to fall out if the boat goes on to its side (or over). I assume have safety lines fitted. For fuel, its best to keep topping up in quiet periods so that you can get through rough periods. You do not want rain or waves washing in to the filler hole. I use 10 litre cans and can connect a spout to the top which I insert into the filler hole while my wife holds a cloth around the hole to stop water ingress. I also have a spare pipe with a jiggler in the end which can be used using the syphon method - the jiggler end is inserted into the can and moved quickly up and down to start the syphon - I think this is the best method for large cans or if single handed. Charles
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'MERIDIAN LADY'
320 Nr 536 2010 Medway |
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