[Alberg30] Thanks to all - Nova Scotia to Bermuda

[Scott Wallace]

While not the ocean, I have taken my old Pearson Electra, 3000#
displacement MORC 23' sloop with a bridgedeck out on Lake Erie in 30 knot
winds with 4 - 6 foot waves...out of Mentor I was the ONLY other boat a
number of times anywhere in sight on a Saturday or Sunday during the summer
except for a Swede 55 Corsair.  They used to swoosh by and give us a thumbs
up!  We ran a reefed main and a working jib.  My boat was a Carl Alberg
design and I had the utmost confidence in her.  If I were to take any boat
offshore, I would create two to three watertight bulkheads in the hull and
cabin to insure "floatability" should I encounter some sort of cataclysmic
event (running into a container dumped off of a ship, hitting a sandbar or
someother sort of collision.  I would also buy and REGISTER an emergency
transmitter, bring a ocean  worthy life raft, replace and maybe increase my
standing rigging, all of my running rigging and I would bring spares of
each.  I would also want to have strong lifelines and a especially strong
jackline with harness and carabiners that could take over a 1000 pounds
stress.  I believe an Alberg 30 could do just fine on a Nova Scotia to
Bermuda run.  I saw in Cruising World magazine where a few years ago a
sailor sailed an old Bristol 24 (designed by Paul Coble or Cable) from
somewhere in the continental U.S. to Bermuda and back.  I am surpised the
race organizers rule out 30' boats.  I would not be afraid to sail an
Alberg 26' boat, the Pearson Ariel, to Bermuda, provided she were equipped
as above...

Scott Wallace

Dan Morley wrote:

> Well Folks,
>     What a wonderful response. This site and this association is truly
> special.  Thanks to all who have responded.  I was concerned I would be
> looked upon as fool-hardy, and have therefore much appreciated the
> expressions of support.  I am building quite a printed library from your
> responses.
>     In fact, Cornell has been my bedtime reading for a long time now,
> that routine only broken occasionally when I pick up Spurr (Upgrading
> the Cruising Sailboat) or Vigor (The Seaworthy Offshore Sailor)
> instead.  Other fascinating books play a somewhat lesser role. I also
> have a small advantage of being in the military, and have been fortunate
> in establishing contact with navigators / sailors in the Canadian forces
> (but only very recently).
>     Personally, my background is in flying, but certainly I have had the
> (mis?) fortune to make the Halifax/Bermuda run in anitiquated two seater
> fighter jets, with a distinct lack of sophisticated navigation
> equipment.  Hopefully, my luck would hold at the much lower altitudes
> and speeds that I envision on this trip!
>     I have already been spending weekends upgrading the boat - seacocks,
> mast support beam, chainplates, electronics, etc..  I have  11 days off
> in early April to continue those repairs, and undertake some others,
> such as the cutless bearing.  The information I have received from this
> site has provided priceless guidance - many thanks to all.
>     The granting of time off next winter (Oct - Apr) is not yet fully
> confirmed , but it looks like a "go" at this time. I would have thought
> that to leave much earlier than end-Oct was to risk late-developing
> hurricanes, and to leave much later than end-Nov was to greatly increase
> the risk of encountering Northerlies (that would blow against the Gulf
> Stream) -  but some of the feedback would indicate an earlier departure
> would be more appropriate?
>     Again, many thanks to all.  I'll certainly let you know if / when I
> launch.
> Dan Morley
> "Avoca" #322
>
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