Though I come from a family with a long sailing tradition, -I've been somewhat of a land lubber the last 20 years. On a recent photography assignment on Isla Taboga (Panama)
http://foldingkayaks.org/albums/Panama/174_1.sized.jpg
I ran into a British couple just finishing line handling for another yacht in the canal. They were anchored in the bay.
This somehow dislodged a long dormant desire to cruise, much the way some of my forbeares had. My father had the desire to take us all to sea before he died in a fishing accident in the Bering when I was 9.
Anyway, somehow I always thought I'd go to sea. My first completed novel read was "Mutiny on the Bounty" and I was greatly inspired by Robin Lee Graham's, "The Dove", and Tania Aebi's "Maiden Voyage", etc.
Recent literature has included "Sell Up and Sail" and other how to's. This has started me day dreaming about the "perfect" yacht. (Those of you familiar with Kleppers will chuckle now about my current "yachts"!) Don't laugh too hard, Dr. Lindemann did an Atlantic passage in one in '54, -though he was
a lot more ambitious (crazy?) than me!
The Coopers sail cruised it seems, for some time in a converted Dutch Barge. This surprised me, but also put another dimesion to my musings. The Coopers also state that it's really important not to get too small a craft, but that too big is just as bad, etc. They state essentially a 40', 12' beam, round (not V) hull is near ideal.
What are the practicalities of converting something so non-traditonal as a barge?
Like Footprints, building is also something occuring to me. Coopers mention building on an existing hull is a realistic option.
Any input?
-Andreas
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