Bermuda proofing my Tartan 30

[tartan30cirrus]

All,

I would be interested in some feedback from folks. In addition to having a kid and changing my career I decided to give myself yet another challenge: sail to Bermuda in my Tartan 30. It is not a offshore boat so I will be making some mods and would appreciate ideas on the following mod list or additions. (I am going to Bermuda as well as a couple planned offshorish passages as crew at least once before going myself)

1) Improve cockpit drainage: just bigger drain holes, hoses, and scuppers?
2) Bridgedeck = none. Thought to use modified drop boards with a bit of weather stripping to make a slight seal and cleats to make them fast to the boat.
3) Add radar.
4) Emergency covers for hatch and a couple ports.
5) Enlarge bilge pumps.
6) Beef up dodger.
7) Emergency covers for dorades and cockpit speakers.
8) Add storm jib to inventory
9) Possibly add an inner forestay through bolted and reinforced with some rigging wire through anchor locker.
10) Lots more hold downs, latches for various doors/hatches and netting for shelves
11) Have to come up with a way to carry dink aboard aover fwd hatch (not sure how to tue it down due to lack of padeyes etc up there)
12) I may add a tie down between cabin roof and mast down below to stiffen up this focal point of stresses (heard this is common on woodies and I know another t30 comrade did this on his boat before the Bermuda 1-2)

That is all I can think of. Thoughts? Thanks.

Cheers,
CLint

[Tim]

At the risk of providing an unhelpful reply, there's no "correct" answer to this question. Each skipper has to decide what features are most important in an offshore boat, and then take it from there.

The way I see it, you can boil this down to the following basics:

• 1. The hull, its appendages, and its openings need to begin and remain sound.
  
  2. The rig needs to stay up and sails functional.
  
  3. Your decks need to properly drain boarding waves and prevent those waves from entering the boat's interior.
  
  4. You need to be prepared to deal with whatever happens out there. Think spares, safety, and ingenuity.
  
  5. You and your crew need to stay on the boat, and safe.

Broad and basic, I know. But there are too many personal and boat-related variables at hand here. Some people are happy sailing off on a wing and a prayer, while others plan exhaustively for all contingencies. I think if you take this basic list and apply it to your own situation and your own boat, you'll be able to think of all the things that you need to think of. And if not, then refer to item #4.

I don't think there's any way for anyone to say with authority what you "need". Only you know what you need; need is a very subjective concept. Try to think through various offshore scenarios and figure out how you might react, and how you would move forward from there. This may help highlight changes you might want to make, or equipment you should add.

Good luck with the planning! The trip to Bermuda, by most accounts, can be either a pleasant, easy sail or a sheer bout of misery. I can see Pixie making the trek to Bermuda on her way south sometime in the future.

[Jason K]

A friend of mine spent several years sailing through the Carribean and South Pacific. He wrote an extensive outline of what and how to prepare for the voyage. While much of focuses on gear and other material preparations, it is worth a read if you're considering an extended trip offshore. I'd be happy to forward it along to you.

[Jason K]

You may also want to check out James Baldwin's website, if you haven't already. He suffers the same disease we all do, but for him the symptoms are a bit more severe - he circumnavigated aboard ATOM, Triton 384.

You may find the following links helpful:

http://www.atomvoyages.com/voyaging/solocircum.htm

http://www.tritonclass.org/mir/atomupdates.html

[foxb]

Hi, where do you sail out of? I live in Williamsburg and keep my boat on the York River. When are you planning to go, and how's the prep going?

Dan

[tartan30cirrus]

Well the prep has not REALLY begun...I am researching though. If I do start it will be this summer while on the water and over the next couple years. I would go to Bermuda summer of '07 after I finish school.

I am thinking about mast improvements like the mast step, the spreaders, fittings and making the mast able to handle a knockdown.

Cheers,
Clint