We have sold our Harstad 31 sailboat.  A nice gentleman named George bought her and we turned her over to him today.  We bid the two of them farewell and fair winds.  We had a lot of fun with her and she will be missed!

We are tentatively scheduled to pick up our new Columbia 36 this weekend if we can make it down to San Diego to get her.  Things are sometimes busy around here and it is difficult to make time, but our hopes are high!

We will be taking lots of videos of our 90+ mile journey to pick up the new boat, and I will post them on Youtube.  Pictures will be posted here.

We made the decision on which sailboat we are going to buy.  The Columbia 36 that we looked at was just too good to pass by.

She had been completely redone back in 2000, and done right.  It looks as if she must have been cared for before that, but when she was redone, it must have been a complete redo.  She also has a history of drug running between Hawaii and California, but I’ll post more on that later.

She was hauled out back in April of 2010 and completely repainted and surveyed.  Her paint is perfect.  She has a NEW, not rebuilt, 3 cylinder Yanmar diesel, recent sails, recent rigging and looks almost prefect.  Her interior is so clean that you would think she just came off the production line.  She also has two diesel and two water tanks.  Much roomier than our current 31 footer.

We will be going down to San Diego within a few weeks to pick her up and sail her back up here.  Should be a fun journey and I’ll take lots of videos and pictures.

On top if it all, we have made a new friend in the deal.  The seller, a man named Scott,  is a delightful man that took us on a tour of San Diego harbor as a sea trial.  We think we will have to stay in tough with Scott and perhaps one day be able to sail with him.

Tags: adventure, buying, sailing

We’ve decided to move up to a bigger boat, and so we are offering our Harstad 31 Motorsailer for sale.  It will be sad to see her go, but with a bigger boat we’ll have an easier time with the adventures that we are planning.

I will keep posting as we look for the right boat, but for now it is between a Columbia 39′ that needs some work and a Columbia 36′ that is in really good condition.  More later…

Tags: buying, selling

A Crealock design and fairly fast under motor or motor sailing, this is a nice interim sailboat if you are looking to become serious about sailing extended. If you just want a coastal cruiser, this is a nice boat. We live in southern California and have sailed her to Catalina Island several times for overnighters, and she performed well. On one trip, we left port only to find ourselves in gale force winds about 10 miles out. We were hitting 15 foot seas at about 5 second intervals, so it was a bit rough. With her 22+ HP Yanmar, she plowed through the waves even after taking the sails down. No problem with power.

Her sail plan is a bit weak. She is not a fast boat by any stretch, unless you have the diesel fired up. If you have a good wind (12-15 knots), then you can count on 8+ knots on wind alone.

Her fit and finish could have been better. Typical of the 1970’s, there is a lot of laminated particle board, but there is some nice Teak trim. Nice sized head/shower, and she has hot and cold pressure water. The cockpit was typically bare-bones, so plan to add a pedestal support, table, bimini or dodger, gauges/depth/radar. There are sooo many little things that were added to sailboats starting in the 1980’s that are not on this boat, but the Harstad 31 gave you a lot for the little money you spent on her. And these days you can have one for a song, that is if you can fine one. There were between 6 and 13 built, depending on who you ask. As I understand it, the Harstad Trawler Company built 6 operating under the Clipper company, but later there were a few more made using the molds. Clipper also made one that was almost identical, and was called a Clipper 32. The Harstad 31 is actually 31′7″ on deck, so it should probably be called a 32.

Another nice aspect of this motorsailer is that she was trailerable. With the 8′ beam, she could be trailered without the need for any special permits. She originally came with a trailer, but the one I bought did not have the trailer with it.

All and all we have really enjoyed sailing/motoring this boat. Lots of good times and lots more to come. As I said in the first paragraph; she is a good interim boat. We have plans to sell her and buy something in the 40+ foot range for extended voyages. I will say that if we had to stick with the Harstad 31, we wouldn’t really be disappointed. She has a LOT of potential and there are sooo many mods that can be done to her interior to make her almost as good as a modern day motorsailer.

Tags: buying, selling, upgrades

Choppy video of a cruise ship leaving our marina.

Tags: life on a boat, sailing

We were finally able to get back down to the marina and get some things done on the boat.  Our of our list of things to get done, we managed to build the shelves in the storage closet.  That was a really big deal because it has allowed us more space for more food staples.

We currently have about 250 pounds of food on board.  Most of it is stored in the stern area of the boat, but the storage closet towards the bow was mostly empty.  It was originally designed to have clothes hanging in it, so it was a big open closet.  We built several shelves into the closet that allows us to store a lot more food and other items.

There are several more subtle modifications that we are going to make to get her into shape for extended cruises.  There is a lot of unused space there, and a lot of places for good and extra water.

More to come…

Tags: preparing, repairs

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Tags: adventure, sailing

There have been several interesting discussions here and there regarding carrying arms on a boat for protection during an extended voyage.  Depending on where your voyage takes you, there are things that you will have to consider that will play a part in your decision.  You should know the law where you are and know the laws for your destination.  Also know that protected waters vary from place to place.

It has long-been our right in the United States to carry arms.  Our forefathers had a good understanding of the eventuality of events that might lead up to the point where we may need to use them.  The open sea has its own set of reasons, mostly because the force of law is not there to govern behaviors, and a code of morals isn’t either.  Because of the precariousness of the open seas, a firearm is a good consideration.  This is especially true if you are planning a sail into areas where the indigenous people might not be friendly.  You best choice for a single weapon is probably a shotgun.  Given the choice, I would probably carry a shotgun, rifle, and a side arm.  This would afford you protection at different distances.

Again, the laws vary widely from country to country, and from state to state here at home, so know them and adhere to them.  Make sure you understand how to handle boardings from the Coast Guard and what they expect.  Train before you carry.  Be ready to use if you are going to point.  Most of all, keep safe, and know that if you are in a place where there is a possibility of being boarded by pirates, they probably won’t think twice about taking your life.

Tags: adventure, protection, sailing

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Tags: adventure, sailing