I’m currently in the midst of getting the boat ready to get out of dodge for the “H” season. The biggest hassle being getting rid of all the stuff I no longer need (including a Cal 34) and getting the Islander in cruising trim.
The current possible destinations are Grenada, Trinidad, Curacao, Columbia or Panama. More than likely, where we wind up will have more to do with the current weather/time situation so Curacao (four or five days) if we’re in a hurry or Trinidad if the weather outlook gives us time (a couple of weeks) to hop down the island chain.
Oh yeah, Small Boats Monthly has an Escargot-centric issue out now and it’s well worth the price of admission. For those who are unaware of the wonderfulness of Phil Thiel’s mini canal boat design it’s one of my favorite designs and high on the list of boats I’ll build when I no longer feel the need to cross oceans. Plus, it’s the most livable interior design in bang for the buck terms I’ve ever come across.
Thats one for the Breton canals, and possibly the whole EU waterway system.
It crosses oceans perfectly, too. Anywhere in the world for a couple of thousand dollars safely inside a twenty foot container.
These days, a couple thousand dollars could buy a larger secondhand boat in many places. Those not interested in the ocean crossing bit, can just fly in, sail for the local season, re-sell and move onto the next continent. Europe- US- Australia. The only boats i know of that are containerized on a regular basis, are racing boats coming or going from events. Not every port will allow an unloading of a container on site and launching of a boat, that adds to the cost and logistics of finding transport. Maybe worth it if in one place for a longer period.
Still, i can easily imagine drifting down to the Med, eating baguette with cheese and cheap red wine, but its not the boat to go any further once you have reached the sea.
I considered building the slightly bigger Thiel designed Joli Boat when we were living in St Martin to use as an office/workspace for our Charter business which was taking up too much of our CAL 34’s space. As for the Escargot my plan was to put together a kit for it in France and fly to France and just build the sucker. That said, for the same amount of money there are a lot of small sailboats (Sangrias, Dufour 1800s etc) available for less than the cost of materials that the Escargot would need. Still, the Escargot or Joli Boat wold make a great little Pied a Eau for hanging out in Burgundy.
It makes a lot of sense for some various reasons. I can get some riverside farming property in Portugal that can not get planning permission for a house, but you can live on the boat and haul out for storage on the land, win-win. Im hoping to secure an almost a free mud berth in SW Brittany, a Joli boat would be ideal, but as you point out, cheap boats a plenty, i almost went for an old Armagnac, but fortunately I had a moment of sensibility. A Fantasia 27 will probably fit the bill, without the bills……centre-board version.