Keelboat news and development: Quarter Ton Offshore?

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Quarter Ton Offshore?

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Keelboat classes
Forum Name: Keelboat news and development
Forum Discription: All the latest developments for yachts
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3894
Printed Date: 11 May 25 at 10:20pm
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Topic: Quarter Ton Offshore?

Posted By: scruff
Subject: Quarter Ton Offshore?
Date Posted: 03 Feb 08 at 9:07pm

I have recently seen a Quater Ton "Quarto" boat for sale at an attractive price. I have ambitions to sail offshore single/short handed however don't have huge amounts of funds to throw about as am still student.

The thought of sailing out in a slow plodding boat such as a hurly 22 however doenst really do it for me, quite like a little bit speed when it comes to sailing.

So the question is; Would a 1/4 ton Quarto be up to going offshore single / short handed?? has it been done before? or would it be a case of hamering nails into your own coffin?

regards,

Scruff

Replies:

Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 03 Feb 08 at 9:20pm

best thing is to get on somone elses boat for offshore. thats what i do and it is a good laugh

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TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala

Posted By: scruff
Date Posted: 03 Feb 08 at 9:28pm

Yeah, i understand doing it on other people's boats, thing is when i graduate in a couple of years, i want to take 6 /12 months out to go sailing - scandinavia / baltic / azores / canaries or possibly carribean an to do that on my own boat would be my preference.

thats not to rule out my not being interested in other sailing oppertunities in other boats mind!!

Posted By: Stefan Lloyd
Date Posted: 04 Feb 08 at 7:01am

Quarter tonners used to race offshore regularly and boats that size and smaller have crossed oceans. Safety depends a lot more on the skipper's experience, resilience and judgement than anything else, plus the ability and willingness to avoid nasty weather. With respect, if you have to ask this question, it sounds like you need to get in a lot more sea miles before undertaking the kinds of voyages you are discussing.

Posted By: scruff
Date Posted: 04 Feb 08 at 3:06pm

Stefan,

Thanks for your input, I will admit, my sailing experience is 90% sailing / racing dinghies and small yachts inshore and I have so far only done one North Sea crossing.

I do intend on extending my experience over the next couple of years both theoretical and time offshore but the main impetuous of my questioning was about the capabilities of the 1/4 ton boats, which through the information available to me; the web have been sailed with 4/5 crew and the associated moveable ballast.

I appreciate that perhaps the 1/4 boats may not be the most comfortable boats to go offshore upon; on but I have no experience on a boat built to that rule set and as such, have little idea whether they will perform to the 30ish foot beneteau I crossed the north sea in or the 19 foot lift keel day sailer / racer that I sailed when I was growing up

Regards

Scruff.

Posted By: olly_love
Date Posted: 04 Feb 08 at 3:10pm

they can be pretty quick. the best thing for u to do would be to buy a boat if you do want one like that then log as many miles as you can and take some experienced crew with you. the only thing about a boat like that is the self righting. a 40 footer may roll back over but a small boat like that ay stay over and go down fast

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TWO FRANK-Hunter Impala

Posted By: Rob.e
Date Posted: 04 Feb 08 at 4:59pm

From what I remember, they were pretty skittish, and benefitted from a bit of weight on the side: you are also better with a couple of experienced guys to keep a hand on the sheets, to keep them moving. I remember seeing one doing circles trying to change down the foresail, cos the main had nothing to balence it....inexperienced helm, obviously, but it illustrates the point! They did race offshore, but bear in mind they must be about 30 years old now. We have an IOR 1/2 tonner from the same era, which sails well, and went to Portugal a few years ago, but it is showing its age.

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Posted By: Stefan Lloyd
Date Posted: 05 Feb 08 at 6:38am

As I understand it, the Quarto is an early 70s David Thomas design which was built on a semi-production basis. You shouldn't confuse it with the boats of the mid-80s, which were far more extreme.

The answer to:

"have little idea whether they will perform to the 30ish foot beneteau I crossed the north sea in or the 19 foot lift keel day sailer / racer that I sailed when I was growing up"

is "somewhere in-between".

Would I personally go voyaging in a 35-year old quarter tonner? Absolutely not. But it's your dream, not mine. People have done remarkable things in little cheap boats. It depends if you are prepared to make the effort and the compromises involved.

You might do better to move this discussion to one of the more cruising-orientated boards where (maybe) people are doing this kind of thing. It's not what Y&Y is about.

Second suggestion: http://www.quartertonclass.org/index.php?option=com_peoplebook&Itemid=31&func=fullview&staffid=95&search=LOWER%28name%29+LIKE+%27%25%27&previous_field=name&previous_term=&search_status=%25&search_category=%25&sort_field=&sort_order - http://www.quartertonclass.org/index.php?option=com_peoplebo ok&Itemid=31&func=fullview&staffid=95&search =LOWER%28name%29+LIKE+%27%25%27&previous_field=name& previous_term=&search_status=%25&search_category=%25 &sort_field=&sort_order = appears to be a Quartet. Ring him up. People generally love to talk about their boats.