[C320-list] How far offshore?

[Graeme Clark]

There’s safe and there’s comfortable and there’s efficient. Often impossible to have all three! Quite easy to have none!

As the original poster can I say many thanks for the many replies which have raised some interesting points and provided much food for thought.

I think the ERCD is a very broad brush.  I can imagine being in a Force 8, with 13ft waves and feeling quite comfortable and I don't have to imagine (because i have been there!) being in a Force 5 with 4 ft waves and feeling very unhappy indeed!

I certainly (personally) would want to be taking a C320 across the Atlantic or into the southern ocean. The length of passage probably guarantees some messy weather for a start!  Hence posing the question ‘how far offshore’ is sensible, not so much in terms of the aether conditions being much worse but in terms of the time to get to a port of refuge, half way across Biscay it it all goes to rat-sh*t I’m could be maybe 200 miles from nearest usable port of refuge.  

Someone mentioned sailing a round the coastline of France, or even cutting out sSpain altogether by taking the Canal du Midi.  The latter has a problem that whilst nominally 5ft deep in summer as water levels drop it is less, not helped by the usual detritus found thrown into canals.  Going the long way round is an option obviously, but extends the trip - depends whether you prefer to travel or arrive I guess!

Anyway its not a trip I plan this year, I was just curious to know robust other owners thought their boats to be. the article  referenced, about a yacht delivery to the Virgin islands was instructive in terms of equipment upgrades.

By the way - my own boat (#366, 1996) precedes the ERCD.  I understood though that one of the requirements is that all hatches should be hinged at the forward edge so a breaking wave over the bow will shut them rather than the other way.  Dis later models change this, as my boat is hinged to open forwards - which i like as it gate the air through the boat when at anchor!

Regards

Graeme


> On 30 Aug 2020, at 13:24, Troy Dunn <troutwarrior at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> Allen
> 
> Yikes!   I am no expert on what makes a good blue water boat, but...I would
> not personally feel comfortable or safe in a 320 off soundings.   Count me
> out on a coconut milk run in the C320.   Love out boat, she's fantastic for
> the market she was built for and her intended use.
> 
> Respectfully
> 
> Troy