Voyage to Paradise

Life Aboard

Sailing is a bit like camping, except the amenities are better (bathrooms, refrigeration, good cooking facilities, fresh water, and no re-packing/unpacking to move around). Each couple has a private double stateroom and a private bath. In the Moorings 4700 catamaran we plan to charter, the staterooms and baths (or "heads") are in the hulls (see the exterior picture below and the floor plan at the end of this section; click on the floor plan for a larger image) a couple of steps down from the common area. The beds are a few steps up from the deck, and overhead hatches with "breeze boosters" allow the trade winds to blow through the boat. If the winds fail us or the temperature is a bit warm, the 4700 has air conditioning.

The common area includes a large salon, galley, navigation station, and controls for all the various systems on the boat--including cell phone, radio and CD player, and switches for pumps, air conditioning, refrigeration, and batteries. In the photo of the salon, you are looking forward from the cockpit doors; the galley is to the left of the photo with port staterooms beyond and the starboard staterooms are to the right.

The common area opens out into the large cockpit. The helm is in one corner of the cockpit, and all sailing paraphernalia is routed to the edges of the cockpit where it is conveniently to hand but not in the way. There is another table in the cockpit, and most meals are more enjoyable there. In addition to the refrigeration provided in the galley, we keep a cooler filled with beverages of choice iced in the cockpit (usually under the table where it makes a dandy foot rest).

The cockpit has a bimini or canopy to provide shade during the day. A walk-through transom provides easy access to the water. A folding ladder is on the port hull transom to make boarding easier. A fresh water shower at the stern makes rinsing the salt off a breeze.

Forward, between the hulls is a large and comfortable trampoline, a wonderful spot for reading quietly, watching fish dart about the hulls, or sunning. Afternoon "tea" may be taken on the tramp as well as in the cockpit. Even under sail, the tramp is a popular place for limin'.

Sail handling chores are eased by lazy jacks on the main so dropping sail is as simple as it should be. No struggles to furl it properly on the boom, since it falls directly into the sail cover. The jib is easier still with roller furling. If you don't know what any of that means, be assured it could be a lot harder, and sailing single-handed is not only possible but straightforward. Anchoring chores are also simplified by an anchor windlass, leaving dropping and raising the anchor to the horsepower of an electric motor.

The Moorings 4700 is built for blue-water cruising in comfort. Although the BVI has some of the most sheltered cruising waters in the world, you can take comfort in the knowledge that every boat is delivered under sail from the Robertson and Caine boatyards in South Africa across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. The boat is outfitted with two powerful engines, complete electronics for navigation and entertainment, separate generator, and air conditioning.

Sailing with Dave

Your previous sailing experiences may have included some amount of yelling. Certainly my early experiences did! My style and the 4700 outfit lead to a different kind of sailing. First, the trip is a holiday. Who needs yelling? Second, the boat is so easy to sail that generally I can do everything that needs to be done without much help and without urgency. During anchoring, mooring, and docking, I will ask that extraneous chatting be minimized so that I can hear and focus, but that is all that is necessary. I love sailing and carrying the bulk of the sailing duties is not a burden. On the other hand I enjoy talking about and teaching sailing. I spent a summer as an instructor at the Annapolis Sailing School, and will be happy to share what I know. For those who are interested, there are ample opportunities to talk about and try sail trim, boat handling, anchoring, and driving. I believe that Jane, Audrey, and Becca will provide reassuring references if you have questions.