Small Boat Cruising

"The pleasure you get from a boat is generally reckoned to be in inverse proportion to its size." Go small, but go now.

If you would like to recommend any links or come across broken links please e-mail me. Thanks.

• Homepage of Arrandidri.
  A story about one man sailing alone across the Atlantic in a homebuilt four-meter long (14 feet) boat Arrandir. A total of 60 days alone at sea without any means of contacting land. The narrative focuses on the inner journey. How does it feel to live beyond the help of society?
  
• What I don't Have, I Don't Need
  A page about Bill Wolfram, a 53 year-old sailing a Bristol 22, "We-Tu" solo across the Pacific to Australia and back to the USA. A true micro-budget small boat cruiser.
  
• One with the Ocean
  Argentine adventurer Alberto Torroba crosses the Pacific by dugout sailing canoe.
  
• Small Is Beautiful
  A nice short essay on going small by Larry Brown.
  
• Norfolk Gypsy Owners Association Web Site
  A 19 foot classic lined, trailerble pocket cruiser.
  
• Microyachts in the Tasman
  This site focuses on the sailors who have attempted crossings of the Tasman Sea, that "ditch" of sea between Australia and New Zealand, in small boats.
  
• Sailing a Dhow
  Chris Sykes headed North for the east African Coast and somewhere off Mozambique, bought himself a dhow. Since then he's been plying the trade route between Lamu and Dar es Salaam. Here's his account of his first month at sea.
  
• Three Years in a 12-foot Boat
  Stephen G. Ladd's 15,000-mile solo expedition in a tiny, hand-made boat(12 foot vessel "Squeak").Click this link to Get the Book: "Three Years in a 12 foot Boat"
  
• GK Web Pocket Cruisers Site
  WKaroly discusses the various "pocket cruisers" he would like to build.
  
• Sea Pearl #1
  Great small boat. Also links to the East and West Coast(Florida) Trailer Sailer Squadrons web site.
  
• What!?! No Engine!?!
  The case for small engineless sailboats.
  
• A Collection of Very Small Boats!
  A list of voyages made by some famous smallboats known to date. More pictures at Other Small Boats .
  
• The Albin Vega 27 Web Site
  The Albin Vega has earned herself a reputation for being an outstanding offshore cruiser. Good info.
  
• The Alberg 22 Site
  This site is on the Alberg 22 and for the Small Boat Cruising Sailor. The Alberg 22 is a 22' "heavy cruiser" sailboat designed by Carl Alberg in the late 50s - early 60s and built in Canada intil the mid-80s. By Joe Campione.
  
• Zulu Dawn/NCS Challenger
  The incredible voyage of Anthony Steward of South Africa.He took the production plug of the TLC19 trailer sailer and turned it into an offshore voyager then sailed her around the world. The first open-boat circumnavigation recorded.
  
• The Aleutka 25
  Probably one of the least known of the pocket cruisers, the Aleutka 25 was designed by John S. Letcher jr in the mid sixties as an easy to build, inexpensive, and more or less "traditional" looking minimalist cruiser.
  
• Aleutka 29
  A longer version version of the above mininal cruiser. Also designed by John S. Letcher (of "Island Girl" fame).
  
• Serpentaire Class
  A 22 foot ocean cruiser (Designed by Bernard Veys) you can build. The prototype won the first MiniTransAtlantic Race.Study Plans of Serpentaire
  
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• Micro Cruising Web Site
  A very nice web site by Dave and Mindy Bolduc who now sails a Paradox. Their previous boat Little Cruiser is a 15'1" sharpie designed and built by Matt Layden as a coastal micro cruiser. Built in 1988, Little Cruiser was one of his favorite boats and he sailed her engineless as far North as the Bay of Fundy and as far South as the Exumas. Matt Layden also designed Paradox which is a most interesting and capable micro cruiser.
  
• "Ariel's" cruise to the Channel Islands
  Bob White's 9 Day Santa Cruz Trip aboard a MacGregor 26D "Ariel" to the Channel Islands off the Southern California Coast.
  
• Sailing To The Bahamas
  Bruce Buttimore's page about his circumnavigation of the Great Lakes on a Pandora 22 and then on a Contessa 26 from Toronto to the Bahamas .
  
• How to Cruise on an Ultimate20
  Using an Ultimate 20 as a cruising sailboat may seem a bit Spartan, but when you start out originally as a canoeist and sea kayaker, ...the space in a U20 seems almost luxurious.
  Ultimate20 Class Web Site
  
• Circumnavigate on a 21 foot Catamaran
  Rory MacDougal's circunnavigation on a Wharram Tiki21 catamaram. Affordable cruising.
  
• The Voyage of the Bellatrix
  Tom and Linda Waid's cruise on their Beneteau First 285. Good discussions on their personal approach to cruising, choice of boat and gear.
  
• Tikaroa
  Some great photos of TC Vollum and her 20 foot Flicka "Tikaroa" South Pacific Adventures.
  
• Hurley Owners Association Web Site
  Introduced in the sixties and from the outset the Hurley 22 proved themselves to be great racers as well as cruisers.These boats have been taken on long cruises; several H22s have crossed the Atlantic, and at least one has cruised the Pacific.
  
• Twin Keelers Newsletter.
  They are a few people publishing a small quarterly, not for profit, newsletter for owners and admirers of twin keel sailing craft. Currently into its third year of publication, it feature articles about the numerous twin keel sailing craft. Their current issue features an article describing a voyage from San Diego to Hawaii in a 20' Vivacity. They have no web site yet but you can contact them by e-mail to Craig Anderson, editor ceadma@aol.com or Dave Chase, contributing editor k8rxb@4netaccess.com.
  
• Sea Kayaking in Papua New Guinea
  To gain experience and credibility for his upcoming solo circumnavigation Jesse decide on a kayaking trip in Papua New Guinea.
  
• 14 foot Catamaran Cruising the North coast Queensland Australia.
  Jesse & Beau Martin (then 14 & 12 years old) and their Dad sail over 1,000 kilometres to the tip of Cape York on an open 14 foot catamaran. A two month tropical paradise holiday adventure.
  
• Merit25 "Twilight Zone"- SF to Hawaii
  Paul Kamen's -- Merit25 Twilight Zone's Trip to Hawaii in the 1986 Singlehanded Transpac -- good info on small boat modifications for ocean sailing. Also check out Paul's HomePage, lot's of good stuff.
  
• Sailing the Atlantic on $7 a Day.
  Author Stephen O'Connell sailed and rowed his 19-foot dory from Massachusetts to Connecticut in 7 weeks.
  
• The Voyage of the Amelia.
  Follow the famous webmasters of 'Cruising Connections' website as they sail their 27' Thunderbird sailboat from Vancouver Canada to Europe.
  
• Cruising in a 22' Falmouth Cutter
  Michael Meier tells you how to be comfortable, safe and have fun in a small boat with minimum cost in the tradition of the Pardeys. Follow their links to read more hints and reasons for cruising on a small boat. Hints for "tight sailing"
  
• Small Sailboats Web Page
  Bill Sarjeant's web site for small boat cruisers from dinghies to canoes. Good information for sailing micro-sailboats, cruising dinghys and John Welsford small boat designs. Good Links to small boats sites.
  
• Voyaging with a family of 4 on a 27 footer.
  Adam Jenkins and his family cruised Caribbean, Belize and the Rio Dulce region on 'Saint Brendan' their 27 foot Tartan.
  
• Cruising aboard the Morgan Truce
  Follow the adventures of the family of four on their cruise on a 20 foot Nimble sailboat down the Ohio and Tennessee rivers to Mobile Bay.
  
• Open Boat Web Page
  Kiwi Dave Perillo's open boat cruising web site. Lots of photos and a cruise account of his trip to Fiji's Yasawa islands as well.
  
• Whys and Hows of Wayfarer Dinghy Cruising
  Wayfarer Institute of Technology on Maintenance, Repair, Reference, Racing-related Skill, Cruising & Daysailing Skills.
  
• Open Boat Cruising Page
  "The pleasure you get from a boat is generally reckoned to be in inverse proportion to its size."
  This page provides useful information and convey something of the delights that are to be had from sailing and camping in a small open boat. What a joy to be able roll your boat ashore each nite! Less is more. See: Wayfareer Dinghy Page.
  
• Chip's Pocket Cruiser Guide Page
  This page is intended to be a guide to those who are seeking a small pocket cruising sailboat.
  
• Drascombe Owners Association Page (US)
  The Drascombes, as designed by John Watkinson, are the quintessence of rugged simplicity, which really is what small-boat sailing is all about. This is the type of boat that have sailed the open oceans, like Web Chiles sailing his across the Pacific and Indian Ocean, David Pyle from England to Australia, and Geoff Stewart from England across the Atlantic to Jaimaca etc.
  
• Drascombe Owners Association Page (UK)
  Also check out Kevin Fitzsimon's About Drascombes Page.
  
• BRIS
  This may be one of the ultimate small boats that I have come across, amphibious and almost unsinkable. Designed by Sven Lundin who set many small boat sailing records in 'Bris' during the 1970's.
  
• The Official Sea Dart Site
  Built in England in 1960, the Dart had its share of adventures with early owners, including a close scrape with a hurricane. The trip that would bring the boat world-wide fame, though, began in 1973 when she was purchased by adventurer Tristan Jones.
  
• Sea Dart (Tristan Jones) Web Site
  This site by Ron Reil is about the famous "Sea Dart" before Jones bought her from Ron and in which Jones later sailed up the Amazon River and on to Lake Titicaca. Tristan Jones is the well known Welsh sailor who set many sailing records and wrote several books, including the "Incredible Voyage" which can be counted as one of the classics of human endurance, adventure sailing and exploration. More links/photos at bottom of page
  
• The Cal20 Class Association of Southern California
  The Class Association objective is to promote Cal20 racing.
  
• A Classy 20 Footer: (Cal20)
  Check out what the Cal20 is all about and find out how to modify yours for optimum sailing from Steve Seal's original Cal20 web site.
  
• Shark 24
  An offshore capable 24 footer designed by George Hinterholler. Several have crossed the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. One was soloed to Hawaii from California.
  
• Flicka Sailboat Home Page
  This site is dedicated to the spirit of voyaging in pocket cruisers and to the sailor, adventurers and dreamers who standout to sea in "little ships" such as the Falmouth Cutter 22, Vertue 25, Francis 26, Pilot Cutter 25 etc.
  
• In Search of the Perfect Sailboat
  Read about why the 24 foot Flicka might be the perfect pocket cruiser for you. Most of the stuff are from the Pacific Seacraft's advertising department but it's worth a read and the boat in itself is definately a capable little cruiser.
  
• West Wight Potter Web Page:
  One of the smallest ocean going pocket cruiser (15 footer).
  
• West Wight Potter
  A little history of the West Wight Potter.
  
• Big Little Cruiser
  Customizing a West Wight Potter.
  
• Chubby Commutes to Hawaii: A Technical Discussion
  Bill Teplow sail Singlehanded on a West Wight Potter 19 from San Francisco to Hawaii.
  
• The search for a small Crusier:
  Jobst Vandrey datailed account about his search for a comfortable small cruiser for his retirement. Lots of good advice and suggestions. He finally settled for a trailerable Compac 19 "Solar Wind".
  
• Compac Yacht Owners Association
  Compacs are seaworthy, shoal-draft and trailerable cruisers. Models range from 16' to 35'.
  
• The Ariel Class Home Page
  The Pearson Ariel is another great small cruising boat in the 20 to 30 foot category.
  
• Boat Plans Online
  Build your own boat with plans from bateau.com. Vagabond+: 4 berths trailerable cruising boats. Serpentaire: the 22 footer that won a Mini Transatlantic race! Corto: serious bluewater cruising boat, 30' (9m).
  
• Brad Bachelor Trailer Sailors Web Page
  The Trailer Sailor Rag is an online magazine that has articles, boat reviews, or anything else involving small boat sailing and trailering.
  

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