Does the boat make the trip?
In my mind’s eye I can see the perfect boat, I'm sure we
all do, but then weave into that, realism, time-scales, family life and
obviously the damn money and your back
down to earth with a bump. But that said, I at least starting with the
understanding that I will be confined budget, this at least this gives me a
starting point, but equally makes me feel a little faint when I look at the
balance sheet closer still and think of all the things I would have to do to
pull this off!
As budget has the greatest impact on the project, so I have made 3 subsections based on overall available funds.
As budget has the greatest impact on the project, so I have made 3 subsections based on overall available funds.
Micro Budget (£5K) - Nano Budget (£2.5K) - Pico Budget (£1K)
Micro Budget - £5000
(mico - µ - millionth)
This is the most amount of money I can ever envisage being able to give to this project so this would offer the best boat with the best refit.
Budget would be Yacht £2000 - Refit £1000 - Others £2000
In the ideal world I would have a nice Fin keel that points up no matter what the winds, but, as beggars can’t be choosers I may well have to look long and hard at Bilge keels as they do offer very cheap berthing with their ability to take to land as well as giving me access to some much more interesting and protective coves. So what's in my short list right now?
This is the most amount of money I can ever envisage being able to give to this project so this would offer the best boat with the best refit.
Budget would be Yacht £2000 - Refit £1000 - Others £2000
In the ideal world I would have a nice Fin keel that points up no matter what the winds, but, as beggars can’t be choosers I may well have to look long and hard at Bilge keels as they do offer very cheap berthing with their ability to take to land as well as giving me access to some much more interesting and protective coves. So what's in my short list right now?
At the moment my favourite is the Pandora, as she is of racing pedigree, fin keeled (though she was built with Bilge as well) and her spiritual home is Pwllheli - see Pandora owners web site for more info about this.
After the Pandora I think I would go for the Kingfisher as its layout is sensible and she feels like she has a little more in the beam, even though the figures are the same at 6’11’’ but she does feel her less cramp!? I’m not sure way, she just does to me.
As for the other boats here in my list, I think I would be happy with any of them, it’s just that they run at little shorter at only 19’. But size doesn’t appear to have but Dylan Winter of his slow but sure circumnavigation of the British Isles in his Mirror Offshore, but by his own admission it does sail like a pig, but then what do you expect from a triple keeler with an inboard engine and a couple of handkerchiefs for sails?
After the Pandora I think I would go for the Kingfisher as its layout is sensible and she feels like she has a little more in the beam, even though the figures are the same at 6’11’’ but she does feel her less cramp!? I’m not sure way, she just does to me.
As for the other boats here in my list, I think I would be happy with any of them, it’s just that they run at little shorter at only 19’. But size doesn’t appear to have but Dylan Winter of his slow but sure circumnavigation of the British Isles in his Mirror Offshore, but by his own admission it does sail like a pig, but then what do you expect from a triple keeler with an inboard engine and a couple of handkerchiefs for sails?
Nano Budget - £2500
(nano – n – billionth)
There was an epiphany a few weeks ago which brought out these next 2 options and to be honest the Nano Budget is fast becoming the favourite option. Old favourites such as the Leisure 17, Hunter 19 / Silhouette and Hurley 18 are very capable yachts which offer basic accommodation and performance. These yachts tend to be the cheaper end of the market and have recently seen a Leisure 17 going for as little as £400.
My budget break down would be Yacht £1000 - Refit £750 - Others £750
There was an epiphany a few weeks ago which brought out these next 2 options and to be honest the Nano Budget is fast becoming the favourite option. Old favourites such as the Leisure 17, Hunter 19 / Silhouette and Hurley 18 are very capable yachts which offer basic accommodation and performance. These yachts tend to be the cheaper end of the market and have recently seen a Leisure 17 going for as little as £400.
My budget break down would be Yacht £1000 - Refit £750 - Others £750
For some reason I am massively drawn to the Leisure 17 as this is the smallest craft ever to have crossed the Atlantic!
For the current ideas of ALL the Yachts Inventory please click HERE
Pico Budget - £1000
(pico – p – trillionth)
This is as low and as pure as you can get in the cruising world, and this is no way detracts (and in fact to me it attracts) from the adventure of weekend cruising around lakes and the shoreline.
Inspiration can be taken from the Dinghy Cruising Association as well as numerous youtube clips. This is currently the strongest option for New Zealand to start with but Nano is always something I would aspire to while over there. As a previous owner of a GP14, I know these boats are very capable and also easy to source and convert.
My budget break down would be Dinghy £500 - Refit £250 - Others £250
This is as low and as pure as you can get in the cruising world, and this is no way detracts (and in fact to me it attracts) from the adventure of weekend cruising around lakes and the shoreline.
Inspiration can be taken from the Dinghy Cruising Association as well as numerous youtube clips. This is currently the strongest option for New Zealand to start with but Nano is always something I would aspire to while over there. As a previous owner of a GP14, I know these boats are very capable and also easy to source and convert.
My budget break down would be Dinghy £500 - Refit £250 - Others £250
Filming aboard
As I intend to film the entire adventure, the next question was how do I shoe horn cameras aboard a tiny boat to make filming possible in the first place and then the second question was how do you also do this on a shoestring budget?
Budget... again!
My budget is as little as possible but I know I would have to suffer some costs somewhere, but all in all the most I would be able to find would be £200.
As I intend to film the entire adventure, the next question was how do I shoe horn cameras aboard a tiny boat to make filming possible in the first place and then the second question was how do you also do this on a shoestring budget?
Budget... again!
My budget is as little as possible but I know I would have to suffer some costs somewhere, but all in all the most I would be able to find would be £200.
Format and Type
As I have such small budgets I would have to make do with some kit that wasn't meant for the sea. If the Micro budget is adopted, then I can find £200 for recording kit. So I would go for the SONY HDR-CX330e which is nice and small and HD capable (AVCHD.) If the Nano or Pico budgets are chosen then an exisiting old DV camera would have to do. But under the right lighting even these old SD cameras can give responsible pictures! This would be my rucksack and below decks camera (and cockpit in good weather) but what about the cockpit and wet weather?
I felt the answer lay with a cheap copy of a HERO camera in the form of the Vivitar DVR785HD camera costing a little over £40 including the waterproof housing. The great thing here was that I would be able to move this from the cockpit into the cabin as and when this was needed, as well as being able to attach it to a helmet or clothing when ever climbing or kayaking.
Id possible a mast camera would be great to have, but it would have to be a permanent rig as there was no way I was shinning up and down the mast to retrieve a camera every day! Even if I were to rig it with ropes this would not offer a steady enough shot, so the obvious thing to do here is to attach a webcam over a USB connection and record a stream onto a laptop!? I'd have to have a laptop on board so this was possible, but I'm sure a notebook will make it with me.
All that would be left for me to do here would be to assemble the parts and fix proper mounting kits for the cameras in the cabin. Good wood working skills would obviously pay dividends here!.
There are some great tips on the KeepTurningLeft site for cameras mixed with boats here.
As I have such small budgets I would have to make do with some kit that wasn't meant for the sea. If the Micro budget is adopted, then I can find £200 for recording kit. So I would go for the SONY HDR-CX330e which is nice and small and HD capable (AVCHD.) If the Nano or Pico budgets are chosen then an exisiting old DV camera would have to do. But under the right lighting even these old SD cameras can give responsible pictures! This would be my rucksack and below decks camera (and cockpit in good weather) but what about the cockpit and wet weather?
I felt the answer lay with a cheap copy of a HERO camera in the form of the Vivitar DVR785HD camera costing a little over £40 including the waterproof housing. The great thing here was that I would be able to move this from the cockpit into the cabin as and when this was needed, as well as being able to attach it to a helmet or clothing when ever climbing or kayaking.
Id possible a mast camera would be great to have, but it would have to be a permanent rig as there was no way I was shinning up and down the mast to retrieve a camera every day! Even if I were to rig it with ropes this would not offer a steady enough shot, so the obvious thing to do here is to attach a webcam over a USB connection and record a stream onto a laptop!? I'd have to have a laptop on board so this was possible, but I'm sure a notebook will make it with me.
All that would be left for me to do here would be to assemble the parts and fix proper mounting kits for the cameras in the cabin. Good wood working skills would obviously pay dividends here!.
There are some great tips on the KeepTurningLeft site for cameras mixed with boats here.