Looking for persons with experience in blue water cruising in a
Nonsuch 30 U. i hope to make the modifications needed to live aboard
and do extensive cruising. Any suggestions, advise, help would be
appreciated.
Well, my first suggestion is that when you email the listserve, you might give us more info of the sort most of us do when we sign our name. Are you talking about crossing oceans, going to the islands or what??
Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221 (1984)
Sea Harbour Yacht Club
Oriental, NC
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Well said Joe. I would add… Are you planning on going single handed? If not, how many crew will there be?
John Newell
Mascouche 26C 1
Toronto
Many of us could go on and on about this and have done so in the past. If you are talking about a week or more on the open ocean on a Nonsuch, many would advise against it. Despite early advertisements, the Nonsuch is the ultimate COASTAL CRUISER but NOT well set up for extended ocean voyages. I, and many others, have spent extended times living aboard – once for 8+ months cruising from Maine to Key West and back. I would have no problems taking the boat “offshore” to the Bahamas. If you’re talking about a trans-Atlantic voyage, I would say NO!!!
If you can be more specific about what you mean by “long distance cruising” and “blue water cruising”, we could be more specific with our advice.
Allen Ames
Thanks for the responses. I am looking for the general limitations,
if any, of yes both long term live aboard coastal sailing and
potentially crossing oceans to cruise other areas. You are right
about some of the promotional material regarding ocean voyaging, that
is why I ask. The ads even refer to California to Hawaii
specifically. I realize at some point different people have different
opinions on the minimum boat to traverse the Atlantic. I am trying to
find those who have crossed oceans in a Nonsuch or know those who have
and what they felt was needed in modifications to do so. Please
excuse my newness to the site, I am just beginning to learn how
everything works. I do appreciate the knowledge of the Nonsuch
community and that is one of the reasons I am interested in the
Nonsuch 30 Ultra and what I can and can not expect regarding range of
use. I already appreciate the large cockpit size issue, cockpit
drain issues and the small bridge deck. I am curious if anyone has
dealt with those issues, or any others, so as to improve the ocean
going capacity of their Nonsuch. If the ultimate opinion is "No" I
get that, but if there is some who "has" I would like to hear from
them.
Hi All
I had my email list hijacked by a hacker who sent Viagra advertisements and such to all my email friends, how stupid of them to think that Nonsuchers need such products. All has been repaired sorry for any inconvenience.
To “thewolf”
I have a 1985 N26C and crossed this Summer from Louisburg, Nova Scotia to Portugal Cove South near Cape Race Newfoundland a distance of 280 Nautical miles, at mid voyage we were about 90 Nautical miles from nearest land and shelter, had up to 30Kt wind and 12ft sea, it took almost 2 1/2 days and the boat handled it amazingly well for a 26footer (as I grew up fishing this area of the north Atlantic I was not outside my comfort zone). From this experience I figure a good rule of thumb for me is not to venture an ocean crosing more than 3 days weather forecast (more than 3 days weather forecast would be leaving too much to chance) but to each his own. I believe the Nonsuch is a very sturdy and well built boat not designed to do any long distance open Ocean crossings but a great coastal cruiser. Hope this is of some help.
Reg Coombs
“Summer Wind”
1985 N26C # 171
I continued to mess up on the ID. Ken McKenna Reno, NV. Not a
Nonsuch owner yet, but my wife and I were at the Newport Rally in 2008
and have decided the Nonsuch is the boat we want. We are planning to
live aboard and go where ever we can, the two of us, when we stop
working in the Summer of 2011.
Just for starters --------
ONE of the potential problems on a long ocean passage is the unstayed mast. If anything goes wrong with the rig, you must get up a mast which is very tall and is constantly flexing and whipping around. There is no way to fully stabilize it in a seaway. Things DO go wrong:
- fastenings back out and make it impossible to raise or lower the sail, etc.
- halyards break or are lost
A stayed mast is much more stable and usually has alternatives for “jury rigs”.
Allen Ames
One source of information from someone who has taken a Nonsuch across
the Atlantic is the book "Without Rival" by Brian Shelley and Mary
Beacock Fryer. It's an exciting story that almost did in the Nonsuch,
but it managed to get re-born after being abandoned at sea. Amazon
doesn't have it, but has listings of used book sellers who do.
Bill Spencer - LIONHEART, NS30U 352 Hyde Park, NY
Yes,I agree the Nonsuch is primarily a great coastal cruiser. I also second the book Without Rival as a good read for every Nonsuch owner. But, in that book the author actually did sail his Nonsuch across the Atlantic. It was only when he let his Greek friend borrow his boat to live his “dream” of sailing it back across the Atlantic that the boat was abandoned when his “dream” did not survive the first rough seas. The boat did make it back across however. However it was without anyone on board.
Mike
BIANKA
1986 30U
http://biankablog.blogspot.com
— On Sun, 12/12/10, Lionheart wjspencer@attglobal.net wrote:
> From: Lionheart wjspencer@attglobal.net
> Subject: Re: long distance cruising on a Nonuch 30 U
> To: “INA Nonsuch Discussion Group” INA-Nonsuch-Discussion-Group@googlegroups.com
> Date: Sunday, December 12, 2010, 12:26 AM
>
> One source of information from someone who has taken a Nonsuch across
> the Atlantic is the book “Without Rival” by Brian Shelley and Mary
> Beacock Fryer. It’s an exciting story that almost did in the Nonsuch,
> but it managed to get re-born after being abandoned at sea. Amazon
> doesn’t have it, but has listings of used book sellers who do.
>
> Bill Spencer - LIONHEART, NS30U 352 Hyde Park, NY
|
Without rival
ISBN 0-9690388-0-2
http://www.nauticalmind.com/Without-Rival-pr-70583.html
A sailing story, part day-to-day adventure, part dramatic tale of lost-and-found.
Truculent roguery, lifelong friendships, and thoughtfulness from strangers--
Shelly finds all of these as he sails the Great Lakes, the Atlantic, the canals of Europe,
the Caribbean, and the Mississippi River on a Nonsuch catboat.
Author Shelley, Brian H. & Mary Beacock Fryer Date 1995 Price: $15.00
Thanks, it's on my Santa wish list now!
Jim Cosgrove
NS26C Morgan #138
Annapolis, MD
Just as an aside, there are two very nice Nonsuch 30Us for sale here in Oriental, NC.
Joe Valinoti
S/V IL Gatto NS30U #221 (1984)
Sea Harbour Yacht Club
Oriental, NC
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Listening to the cold wind howling outside & with the list's thoughts turning to books:
Ernie Simon
Merrythought - 26C, hull #170
Westerbeke 21
Racine, WI
Thank all you you for the responses. The Nonsuch community is so
great. I look forward to more contact as we begin our sailing
adventures.
Ken McKenna, Reno NV.
I have a copy of the book and a friend of mine who crewed for the Fryers has I think 2 copies. Let me know if you need one.
Allan & Judy Maclatchy
Nonsuch 26C 106 SWALE
Ottawa River, Canada.
I can't tell you that I have experience in blue water cruising I do
have a few thoughts you might consider. The comfort ratio and capsize
ration for the Nonsuch 30 are 22.55 and 2.1 respectively. For the
Niagara 35, 30.75 and 1.86. The higher the comfort ration and the
lower the capsize ration the better. The Niagara is going to have a
much more comfortable ride in rough seas and it is a far more stable
boat according to the numbers. The Niagara was designed for offshore
cruising the Nonsuch 30 was not.
You could solve the low bridge deck problem by locking the lower
washboard in place or building a bridge deck. You can add additional
cockpit drains. Some owners have added a second track for a storm
sail.
Where you will have problems is chafe on the sail. It rests against
the boom and will be subject to considerable chafe. When you are
becalmed the boom will bang about. The top of the mast moves a great
deal. On La Reina I can move the top of the mast about 3 feet by
pulling on the end of the boom. I understand some owners have added
second hangers slightly longer then the standard length. That way if
one of the hangers fails due to wear the second set will keep the boom
from falling on one side.
People have crossed oceans in many different boats. I know a fellow
who sailed from Denmark to Tahiti in a Tanzer 22. He would set the
boat up to sail herself and go below for a nap. As soon as he climbed
into the bunk the boat would go off course. It turn out his body was
acting as ballast and would change the trim sufficient to through off
the trim of the boat. He solved the problem by placing a water
container on the opposite berth as he sat down. Most issues can be
solved but some boats are better suited to such tasks then others. If
you are thinking of ocean cruising a Niagara 35 would be better suited
to the task than the Nonsuch. You would still have a boat built by
George Hinterholler.
My apologies to those owners of Nonsuch 30's for sale.
Mark Powers & Nesta Davies
La Reina 26C
Burrard Civic Marina
Vancouver B.C.
If I were forced to do bluewater sailing with a Nonsuch then I would ditch
the wishboom and rig a loose footed battenless sail as well as seriously
reduce the size of the cockpit. But when all is done. It would be a poor compromise.
For serious ocean cruising, I would want a full keel with rudder mounted on the keel and nothing smaller than Hiscock's Wanderer.
But for the sailing I do, Mascouche is perfect for me. Not too big and not too small....just right for my height.
John Newell
Mascouche 26C 1
Toronto
I sailed my N26C from Halifax, NS to Holyrood NL (700 Nm) this Summer, for a while we had 30kt wind and 12ft sea, We were running with a double reef sail making at times almost 8kts, because the boat was rolling so much many times the end of the boom would hit and dip in the sea causing the sheet to go slack then when the boom lifted again the sheet would snap tight stressing the sheet rigging and boom, if the seas got any bigger or if it had lasted for an extended period of time we would have to drop our sail and go on by engine under bare pole, mind you the boat itself had no problem whatsoever standing up to those conditions but the rig it would eventually fail, I believe like John Newell mentioned a loose footed battenless sail would work better under such conditions. Conclusion: a Nonsuch is the Ideal Coastal cruiser not the ideal bluewater boat.
Reg Coombs
Summer Wind
1985 N26C #171
Hi
I have yet to try the half reef mentioned somewhere.
Double reef the clew, single reef the tack.
Anyone out there who has tried this technique to help keep the boom
from “tripping”
Might work well with triple reefing the clew, double reef the tack.
Al
Barbcat NS 30 C #170
Branford, CT