BOATS FOR THE ARC
FOR THE ARC
If you’re sailing the Atlantic, these boats could be the adventure vehicle you need
Readers regularly contact us to say they’re planning to sell or let their house and go world cruising for a few years. To fulfil this dream, long ocean passages are unavoidable, including at least one transatlantic, and many use World Cruising’s ARC as their introduction to blue-water sailing.
YM has followed this popular rally closely since its inception and has asked hundreds of participants why they chose their particular yacht.
Their list of priorities usually places seaworthiness at the top of their list, followed by size, ease of handling with a small crew, generous accommodation, and space for the copious electromechanical devices required.
I’m frequently asked, ‘What is the ‘perfect’ blue-water cruising yacht.’ Well, there’s no such thing – only one that is ‘ideal’ to its owner. That said, I would always put seaworthiness first. A good ocean passage-maker must not only be able to keep its crew safe, but also have a comfortable motion through the waves so as to allow the crew to live and carry out the myriad maintenance tasks required over a long passage. Lack of sleep and sustenance are the skipper’s worst enemy and can turn a minor problem into a serious one.
Almost any yacht can cross an ocean provided she and her crew have prepared properly, but here we suggest a few that might suit those wishing to world cruise on a reasonable budget.
Her water tanks are beneath the floor, above the keel, which frees up stowage beneath the bunks and saloon seating, but the lack of saloon lockers is annoying.
Her galley is very comprehensive and has bags of useful stowage, a front-opening fridge/freezer, top-loading deep freeze and a microwave. The smart-looking Corian-style worktops have commendable handrails, but amazingly no fiddles, so cutlery and other shallow items simply slide off when heeled.
She has a good sized, dedicated nav station with a console for mounting an array of instrument displays. The chart table is small, however, and the book and chart stowage is minimal. Likewise, the electrics panel has the barest minimum of controls.
Fractionally rigged, most were ordered with the optional in-mast furling mainsail and 106% genoa, both with vertical battens.
Under sail she demonstrates the Farr touch, pointing high for a cruiser and flying along in the lightest breeze. Single-handed control is greatly simplified by the mainsheet each side and her steering is light yet precise.
The high topsides create considerable windage, making a bow thruster essential – particularly as the twin rudders preclude the use of prop wash when manoeuvring into tight berths. The 110hp, shaft-driven Volvo D3-110 pushes her slippery hull along with ease, so with the standard fixed, 3-blade propeller she cruises at between 7-9 knots.
The Bavaria 55 offers a lot of boat for your buck and if you like fast cruising and modern living, this could be the yacht for you.
Catamarans are becoming extremely popular now for blue-water sailing – due mainly to their stability at anchor, speed downwind and voluminous accommodation.
The Lagoon range is one of the most prevalent on the ARC, with 28 different models competing in last year’s rally. The original 410 was launched in 1997 and then relaunched in 2002 as the 410-S2 with a host of ergonomic and equipment upgrades.
The accommodation is spectacular, especially through the eyes of a monohull sailor, with over 6ft headroom throughout. The cooking and preparation areas are separate, with a large fridge-freezer beside the cooker forward and a twin sink and worktop aft – facing the cockpit. There’s a dedicated chart table too, with an instrument console, seat and good all-round vision.
Her cockpit is spacious, yet secure, with the raised, double helm seat allowing clear views all around the boat. A stainless rail encompasses this area and forms a padded backrest and grab rail. The optional rigid bimini covers the cockpit and provides an ideal mounting for solar panels as well as providing shade. A retractable panel above the helm allows the helmsman to stand up for manoeuvres, and all primary sail controls are led back to an electric winch beside the helm. Wide, uncluttered side decks, good handrails, and sensibly placed, non-slip steps make moving around the decks simple and safe. The foredeck arrangements are neat and practical too. There’s a short bowsprit for a cruising chute, a chunky bow roller and a chain chute across the trampoline to an electric windlass inside the huge chain locker.
Under sail the 410 is better than one might imagine and she points surprisingly well upwind, although not as close as a fin-keeled monohull, obviously. Off the wind she can really get a shift on, with speeds of 7-9 knots on a reach and 10-knots or more commonplace downwind with a code-zero flying. She has a stout masthead rig with wellswept spreaders and diamond stays, eliminating the need for a backstay and allowing a big, roachy mainsail to be set. A 125% genoa is also standard.
Twin 27hp (40hp option) Yanmar or Volvo sail drives are standard, which are more than adequate for motoring at hull speed and manoeuvring in tight spots. Be wary of the noticeable windage in strong gusts, though, due to her high topsides.