Fuel cost too high, thinking of trading to Sailboat for diving?

[farmall.dude@gmail.co]

Hey fellow boat owner/divers, I'm guessing most of you reading this forum are powerboat owners, and feeling the squeeze at the pump like me. The cost of fuel has severely limited my boating and diving these past few years. Not long ago though, I had an epiphany! How can I get out on the water, and not get gouged at the fuel-dock? Duh, a Sailboat of course! I have started thinking about trading in my bow-rider... So, it seems to me, the biggest drawback to Sailboat diving is GETTING BACK ABOARD! Number 2 would be Storage Space, both marina/slip fees and onboard storage. That may be tied with speed to dive-site. I'm not a multi-millionaire, so those 50+ footers with the open transom are awesome, but out of the question.
Are any of you diving from a sailboat? I'm thinking something big enough for a couple to over-night or weekend cruise in, but easy to manage, since I'm a power-boater, not a "sailor". I've sailed little tiny sun-fish-sailboats, but those don't count. Plus, it should be something easy to re-board from the water with ample storage for all the gear for 2-4 divers. Probably something 22' or bigger. I'm looking to open some discussion on pros and cons, and which style of sailboat lends itself best to diving, day sailing and weekend cruising in the big lakes (I live in Michigan which has some BIG lakes!). And, to ease minds, we would, of course, learn to sail before venturing out. I have several friends who sail (but they don't dive) who are willing to teach us.

 

[rhwestfall]

funny bit of irony here - you need to pick the "windy" days to dive......

FWIW - My boat gets 1 mile per gallon of fuel, and wear and tear plus the work of prep and post dive care is significant. A two tanker on a wonderful rigged out boat runs me $110 - $150. I have found that diving on charters was the economical answer...

 

[diveprof]

The happiest days of a boat owner (sail or power) are the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it (charter boats are cheaper unless you have a full group for every dive trip - oh, and then there's the liability....)

 

[theduckguru]

You do realize once you convert to sails Michigan will have the most windless season in 200 years. For what economic preditions are worth, fuel prices in the US are supposed to start a long term trend lower about mid year.

http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo/

 

[diveprof]

I see that Dive Right in Scuba is offering unlimited scheduled charters for Lake MI for a grand. If you are a diveaholic, might be a cheaper option than owning. How Our Pricing Works - Dive Right In Scuba - Boat Charters

 

[bletso]

I own a 38 Globe. It works OK for diving. I have a rigid ladder which is hung off midships. The gear is tied off to a line from the boom and hauled aboard after I get out. I used to own a Catalina 25 which also worked OK but was a bit crowded with 4 divers.

 

[Stoo]

I have been diving a long time, and for the first 20 years or so, diving overlapped with sailing. My Dad had a 30 footer. Trust me in this, they don't go together. It sounds like you haven't done much sailing, so let me itemize a few problems with sailboats for diving. (And don't get me wrong, I love sailing, just not for diving.)

Sailboats are: slow, rarely able to go directly to where you want to go, covered in wires and ropes and cleats and all sorts of trip hazards, lack any sort of open space unless you are 40' plus, difficult to trailer (even a small one) so you're range is limited, and have high freeboard (with fences!) Sailboats suck for diving.

From a purely financial perspective, the money you lose selling your stink-pot and buying a sailboat, would cover your fuel for a decade. Also, if the boat is big enough to dive from, you won't be able to pull it around on a trailer easily (keel boats are VERY heavy, tall, and require dismasting to trail) so you'll have to leave it at a marina which will cost a fortune. I assume you put your little bow-rider on a trailer and away you go..

So my (good) advice is to upgrade to a four-stroke if you haven't already, drive a bit slower if you must, and stick with what you have.

I use my boat a lot (20' Zodiac Hurricane RIB) and it burns about a litre a mile (call it a US quart for you 'Mericans) which sucks, but the reality is, I don't really go very far most of the time. Most of the time, I am heading out 3 or 4 miles and back... say 8 litres or 2 US gallons. Big deal. In a typical dive season (April to December) I average about $350 - $500 in gas, which in Canada, is a lot more than you would pay. And I dive almost every weekend. (My boat lives on the trailer, so I fill up at gas stations as a rule, not marinas). If you get a good sized sailboat, your booze tab with be way more than that. Believe me, sailors are a thirsty lot and they love to sit around on their boats and TALK about sailing with (your) booze in hand, even more than sailing itself. Sailors make divers look like Baptists!

So sail if you like sailing, but leave the dive gear at home... or take up free-diving.

You're welcome.

 

[Peter_C]

22' is a tiny sailboat. I grew up sailing a 10 m so around 34' sailboat. Even it would be small for diving off of. As also mentioned it topped out at around 7.5 kts.

What size is your current boat, and which engine? Year, make, model, in other words?



I owned a very thristy wakeboard boat, towed by a 3/4 ton Suburban, and now have a frugal 14' Zodiac with a 40hp I use for diving off of, that gets towed with my Prius. Fuel savings...umm yeah!

 

[rhwestfall]

would you/do you take a 14' Zodiac 3-4 miles offshore?

 

[herbdb]

The economy of traveling in a sailboat is huge, but at the expense of time. We took a 36' sailbat from the Chesapeake to the Bahamas a few years ago. That boat would economically cruise under motor at about 6-7 knots with an average fuel consumption of 10 knots per gallon of diesel. On the trip down, about 1100 miles on the ICW we were rarely able to sail, just a slow powerboat. Coming back we sailed half the trip offshore. So it just depends - but it will take more time.