New Saros Projects

Hull and Deck 

• New lifelines. (2005)
• New mast compression post and related deck rebuild.(2006)

• New stainless-steel folding stern boarding ladder. (2006)
• Re-core, finish port-side foredeck. (2006)
• Re-bed keel-hull joint. (2011)
• Fabricate and finish new companionway hatch boards. (2011)
• Refinish tiller. (2011)
• Prep and re-paint entire stern. This was required by the motor mount replacement. (2011)
• Prep and paint outboard rudder to match main boat. (2011)



Before rebuild. Note damage at hinge point.

• Port-side locker seat rebuild. Remove skin, grind out core, fabricate new tapered marine plywood core, epoxy in, fiberglass over. (2011)
• Install stainless hawsepipe.(2013)

Mechanical

• New 4HP Tohatsu 4-stroke outboard. (2011)
• Remove, re-glass, re-drill, and replace stern motor mount. (2011)

Old Motor mount and motor. 

New Motor mount and motor.

• New through-hulls (2011)

Electrical/Electronics

• Complete electrical re-wire.(2011)
• New runnning lights.(2011)
• New Speed and Depth instruments and senders.(2011)
• New interior LED lights. (2011)
• Solar panel and charging system.(2011)

• New DC breaker panel. (2011)

• New conduit and wires in mast. (2011)
• LED masthead anchor light.(2011)
• Solar-powered deck-mounted ventilation fan.(2011)

• Install Raymarine Tillerpilot 1000+ (2018)

Sails and Rig

• Install cabin-top backed padeyes; convert traveller to double-mainsheet system. (2005)

• New Cruising Direct (used) mainsail. (2007)
• Add 2 additional internal halyard exit plates. Now we have 2 main and 2 jib halyards.
• All-new running rigging. (2011)
• Add anti-bird spikes to masthead.
• Rivet small bails at spreaders to facilitate anti-bird monofilament. (2011)
• Remove, polish, rebed masthead and mast foot SS fittings.
• Install Selden extendable bowsprit (2018)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Ground Tackle

• New 22-lb Bruce anchor w/ 20' chain + 100' anchor line. (2011)
• Simple roller added to stemhead (2013)
• 6 new mooring cleats. 2 4-foot cleats at bow. 2 4-foot cleats at aft quarters. 2 2-foot midship cleats at widest point (2018).

Accomodations

• New Porto-Potty (2005)
• Repair/refinish interior step. (2006)
• Strip/refinish floorboards in main cabin. (2011)
• Fabricate 9 marine plywood berth-top boards w/ pull holes. (Previous cushions had heavy integral boards.) (2011)
• Reduce thickness of all cushions. Re-cover. (2011 - in progress)
• Move Porto-potty a few inches back for proper positioning. (2013)

Miscellaneous

• Repair new wooden dinghy hole where some jerk threw a rock at it (2018)

Back on the dinghy mooring.

New Saros Boat

1976 C&C 24

 

Saros when purchased in 2005

Specifications

Length:	24' 0"	Designer:	George Cuthbertson and C&C design team
LWL:	19' 5"	Hull material:	fiberglass
Beam:	8' 9"	Outboard:	Tohatsu 4HP 4-stroke
Draft:	4'0"	Fuel:	10 gals
Displacement:	3200#	Water:	20 gals
Ballast:	1050#

Electronics

• Standard Horizon waterproof handheld VHF
• Raytheon Depth/Speed

Electrical System

• Two 75-AH gel-cell house batteries
• One 35W solar panel on custom rail mount
• Blue Sea Systems 8 switch DC panel
• LED interior lighting

Mechanical Systems

• 4HP Tohatsu 4-stroke outboard motor

Rig, Steering and Ground Tackle

• Single-spreader masthead sloop rig
• Mast on pivoting tabernacle. Lowers forward.
• Jiffy-reefing main

Sail Inventory

• Working sail area (100% jib) = 252 sq. ft.
• Crusing Direct main

Safety Equipment

• Fire extinguisher
• Flare gun
• Compressed air horn.
• 8 PFDs (3 child-sized)
• Lifesling MOB float, with retrieval system

Saros 2014: outboard, ladder, sailcovers, solar panel

Saros 2014: new cushions

Cruising Advice

After almost 3 years, and 13,000 nautical miles of cruising, can we offer any advice? Well, that depends on what you call advice. If you want hard and fast rules that apply to everyone at all times, definitely not. If we learned anything in our time on the boat, it is that what works for some folks won't work for others, and that almost anything works for somebody (although we might call them crazy).

So, that said, here's our advice in no particular order:

General

Everything on a boat constitutes some sort of engineering compromise. Displacement vs. boatspeed vs. comfort vs. cost vs. space vs. ease of sailing. Increased displacement eases the boat's motion in swells and helps the boat punch through seas when you are on a beat, but every pound of displacement requires more sail area and heavier hardware (winches, cleats, motor, pulleys, etc.) to drive that weight forward. Comfort for some means ample interior space for favorite items and comfort equipment and stores (like extra fresh water, AC generator, heater, pressure water pump, etc.). For others, the extra trouble of maintaining such extras isn't worth it.

For our part, we arrived at a few things that we prefer:

Moderate/smallish boat size, with good speed. This means a modern fin-keeled cutter/solent/sloop between 33' and 37' with ample sail area.

I opt for electricity-based (i.e. not engine or generator-based), solid-state approach to things. We chose large solar panels, big house batteries, and 12-volt refrigeration (but no freezing capability). Someone more mechanically minded might choose to have engine-driven refrigeration, and maybe a wind-generator instead of solar panels.

Middle of the road comforts. We did not have water-making capacity, so on passages we didn't get proper showers (although we got very good at getting perfectly clean with a few cups of water). If we ever did add a watermaker, it would be a 12-volt model. We didn't use pressure water--just foot pumps.

Personal

The number one factor in the success of going cruising is the relationship(s) between the people on the boat. Cruising will strip away any remaining illusions you may have about yourself, your partner, or other family members aboard the boat.

Boat

We definitely determined that the old saw is true: The best boat to go cruising in is the one you have now.

Sails and Rigging

Things to shoot for: maximum flexibility, minimum effort, good boatspeed in normal conditions (i.e. light to moderate air).

Sailplan Since our boat was built as a sloop (not a cutter), I installed a second, removable headstay (solent stay) about 12 inches behind the main headstay. This worked out extremely well on the long tradewinds passages, with the moderately-sized staysail and the large roller furling genoa wing-on-wing. We rarely used the main on these sections. With both sails out, we had something like 600 sq.ft. of sail up--plenty to keep us moving at 3+ knots even in very light winds. As the wind piped up, we could furl the genoa as needed. Only at the worst of times (35-knots+) was it necessary to douse the staysail.

My plan, if we had kept the Dufour, was to make the solent stay permanent and install a roller furler. With a furler, the staysail could be made larger, and the added flexibility would allow the genoa to be replaced with a slightly larger, lighter sail. For normal, short and fun sailing, the solent would become the working jib since only it could tack properly.

Furlers I would recommend always opting for one size larger furler than recommended. Cost is the main penalty here, as the weight and windage difference is minimal. But that extra winding leverage and beefiness may be important, as foresail furlers take a lot of use, and occasional unavoidable abuse. Don't spare expense on this item.

Running rigging Having read about the rigors of cruising, we went oversized on a lot of the running rigging. I now think this was a mistake. Modern braids are incredibly strong and chafe resistant, and you're not going to attempt to keep huge amounts of sail up in 40 knots of wind anyway. So there's no need for a jib sheet that could theoretically lift the boat out of the water. On the other hand, you spend a lot of time sailing in light to moderate wind, where the added weight (of sheets) and windage (on halyards) is actually hurting you significantly. But you definitely don't want to plan on swapping out jibsheets on light air days.

Storm sails All this is not to say you can forget planning for storm conditions. We installed a second track on the mainmast which went all the way to the deck. We kept a storm trysail on that track, bagged, on deck. Padeyes were installed for the trysail sheets. As it turned out, we never had to use it, but being right there, ready to go, we would not have hesitated to raise it if it had been necessary. If you have to go digging in the bottom of a locker to find that trysail, odds are you will delay getting it out until you are farther into a bad storm situation than you should be.

Engines, Electronics, and Plumbing

We had radar, and used it rarely due to the power draw, but man, when we used it, it was really nice to have. If we had it to do over again, we would add a passive pivot so that the nacelle stays level, and we would look for one of the newer units that has a proximity alarm mode with very low standby power draw. With such a system, we might have actually been able to get some sleep on watches during offshore passages.

Water: we had 60 gallons of storage which seemed plenty for all but the longest passages, but didn't allow real showers.

Ground Tackle and Anchoring

Being novices, we decided to go all-out with a 35 lb. CQR and a 22 lb. Bruce (for a 34', 13,000 lb boat) on a custom double bow roller, along with 100 meters of high-test chain and a manual windlass. We also had another 100 meters of 5/8" rode, a couple shorter sections of chain, and the necessary carabiner-style links to put them together. At one point (Stuart, Florida) I made a 3-anchor temporary mooring (with the anchors spread out at 120 degrees from one another leading up to a common chain). Another time we anchored happily in approx. 80 feet of water and 40-knot gusts (Moorea in French Polynesia).

So this setup did serve us well, but it clearly carried a huge weight penalty, and in deep water it made bringing the anchor up quite difficult with the manual windlass. If I was to do it over again, I would stick with the substantial anchor weights (possibly a 33' Bruce), but reduce the chain to about 80', with the rest rope, and install an electric windlass that does both chain and rope. This would allow you to anchor in up to 15' of water on almost all chain with a 6:1 scope (which would be fine in all the water likely to have coral heads), let out more in deeper water, and get it all back aboard quickly and safely without injuring your back.

The bow roller is worth mentioning-- we made custom alterations to the roller that came with the boat, but in most cases I think it would be worth it to make one from scratch. You really want to have two, fully working rollers (though both don't need a windlass, necessarily) in order to quickly and easily deploy two main anchors, sometimes both at the same time (fore and aft, in tidal waters).

Miscellaneous

Radar reflectors. We installed one, about 2/3 of the way up the mast, resulting in significant disruption of airflow over the main. In the entire voyage we only saw ships (outside sight of land) once. I also have heard from people likely to know that despite international maritime law, modern freighters don't run their radar offshore anyway. So you're better off without the reflector.

Watches 

After some experimentation, we settled into a fairly consistent pattern for most offshore passages. Day shifts were typically 6 hours, while night shifts were an easier-to-take 4 hours. Nights were usually John: 6 - 10pm, Erika: 10pm - 2am, John: 2-6am. The main reason this worked out was because I actually like early morning night shift and managed to perfect the art of the 13 minute cat nap, while Erika found it impossible to do a night watch without leaving a light on and reading. This made her horizon scan less than ideal, since the light was ruining her night vision.

Our Itinerary

Jimmy Cornell's "World Crusing Routes" and "World Cruising Handbook" have been invaluable in determining an interesting yet reasonable & safe list of places to visit.

Departure	Destination	Departure Date	Days en route	NM	Length of Stay**(days)	Comments
Boston	Plymouth, MA	10/18/98	1	40	14	New fuel tank installed
Plymouth	Block I., RI	11/1/98	3*	104	2	Nice visit in off season
Block Island	Setauket, NY (LI)	11/6/98	1	98	16	E's parents; trip prep.
Long Island	Mamaroneck, NY	11/22/98	<1	46	5	Heater and water pump repaired under warranty
Mamaroneck	Atlantic Highlands, NJ	11/27/98	1*	56	2	Cruised NYC via East R. and NY Harbor; visited friends in NJ
Atlantic Highlands	Atlantic City, NJ	11/30/98	3*	110	5	New boom installed; line #1 removed from prop
Atlantic City	Norfolk & Portsmouth, VA	12/8/98	2*	230	9	Haul-out: leaking stern tube replaced; entered Intracoastal Waterway
Portsmouth	Morehead City & Beaufort, NC	12/19/98	5*	235	3	A rather odd Christmas
Morehead City & Beaufort	Charleston, SC	12/27/98	5*	265	1	Very good eating! New Year's Eve
Charleston	Beaufort, SC	1/2/99	2*	67	3	Pleasant, cruiser-friendly town
Beaufort, SC	Marsh Harbor,SC	1/6/99	<1	4	2	Haul-out: leaking rudder post repaired (or so we thought)
Marsh Harbor	Hilton Head, SC	1/8/99	<1	26	19	Transmission rebuilt
Hilton Head	St. Augustine, FL	1/28/99	2*	190	88	BOAT RE-FIT (outfitted Saros for offshore cruising)
St. Augustine	Stuart, FL	4/28/99	3*	246	3	Last stop on the Atlantic. Drove to Fort Lauderdale for misc. boat items
Stuart	Fort Myers, FL	5/4/99	2*	135	2	Crossed Florida E-to-W via Okeechobee Waterway
Fort Myers	Punta Gorda, FL	5/9/99	2*	58	10	J's grand- and great-grand- parents; E gets general class ham radio license (KC2FDS); cabinet built for more storage
Punta Gorda	Key West	5/19/99	1	170	23	Pleasant Gulf sail; awaited last-minute mail-order boat parts; broken throttle repaired; several new friendships
Key West	Dry Tortugas, FL	6/12/99	2*	75	12	Very good snorkeling. E explored 140 yr old Civil War fort; J took seaplane to Key West to replace leaking coolant pipe
Dry Tortugas	Georgetown, Cayman Islands	6/25/99	6	660	34	Engine ripped off mounts in sudden, brief storm bcs line (#2) in prop; mal-alignment diagnosed and repaired and mounts replaced; some snorkeling; much kvetching over prices
Cayman Islands	Isla de Providencia, Colombia	8/3/99	5	495	8	Scary hurricane-season crossing without incident; explored island on foot and moped
Isla de Providencia	Colon & Cristobal, Panama	8/16/99	3	370	9	Easy passage; various pre-transit procedures followed and line-handlers rounded up; garbage strike in nearby Colon
Colon	Balboa, Panama	8/28/99	1	80	4	Transited Panama Canal; canal in interim phase between Pan. and U.S. control, poorly staffed; an unforgettable experience!
Balboa	Golfito, Costa Rica	9/1/99	47*	880	185	Explored beautiful, isolated Pacific coast and islands of Panama for 6 wks; docked Saros in CR and spent winter in NY working
Golfito	Bahia Chatham, Isla del Coco, Costa Rica	4/20/00	6*	350	3	Broken starter, shaft seal, and outboard repaired; re-provisioning; somewhat difficult passage; island exploration
Isla del Coco	Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, Ecuador	4/29/00	5	450	17	Fantastic wildlife and volcanic landscapes; pleasant harbor town; broken alternator repaired
Galapagos	Taa Huku Bay, Hiva Oa, Marquesas	5/21/00	25	3000	21	Caught up on sleep; toured island by 4WD; tried to bike (too hilly!); gorged on tropical fruit and imported French cuisine; had unsuccesful re-repair of alternator and long wait for Tahiti repair
Marquesas	Papeete Harbor, Tahiti	7/7/00	7	760	4	Met E's parents for 10-day visit
Tahiti (easternmost Society Island)	Cook's Bay, Moorea	7/18/00	<1	18	5	Stayed at lagoon-side resort, ate exquisitely, 2 great snorkeling trips & an inland tour
Moorea	Tahiti	7/23/00	<1	18	14	Long wait for new regulator; 1st theft: dinghy oars stolen; rented car to hunt surf--no surfing but great drive in countryside
Tahiti	Oponohue Bay,Moorea	8/8/00	<1	18	10	Hiked, snorkeled, etc.
Moorea	Huahine	8/18/00	1	75	12	Biked; snorkeled; visited extensive marae site; went diving; bikes stolen
Huahine	Raiatea/Tahaa	8/31/00	<1	20	15	Much socializing with cruiser friends; circumnavigated Tahaa; had minor repairs done; beginnings of restlessness
Raiatea/Tahaa	Bora Bora	9/15/00	1	25	4	J went diving; E snorkeled; observed resort from distance
Bora Bora	Maupiti	9/19/00	<1	25	3	Walked, swam, restlessness increasing
Maupiti	Mopelia	9/22/00	1	90	6	The tropical idyll we weren't even looking for
Mopelia (westernmost Society Island)	Rarotonga, Cook Islands	9/29/00	5	500	29	John travelled back to US for a family emergency.
Cook Islands	Niue	11/2/00	6	700	5	Toured island.
Niue	Nuku'alofa, Tongatapu Island, Tonga	11/12/00	4	375	13	Waiting in Tonga for weather window to NZ.
Tonga	Opua, New Zealand	11/29/00	10	1100	~535	Stop in New Zealand to work and travel.

*Includes overnight stopovers **At destination