Posted by Curtis on 6/6/2008, 20:36:33, in reply to "beachable or very shallow cruisers"
I have a few thoughts.
As a Siren owner, I've come to love boat camping and gunkholing around Vancouver and in the Gulf Islands. I've crossed the Strait of Georgia (20 NM) a few times, but always in good weather. Understanding and evaluating the weather is critical. Tides are also very important to understand, both for anchoring/beaching, and for the currents they cause. But that's all part of the fun.
I also used to sail a canoe, which necessitated camping on shore. However, you can pull your boat up on shore and wait out weather that would be dangerous at anchor. But then you need to know where you can camp - it's restricted in many areas.
Lastly, there are different ideas of what kind of boat is "safe". Any boat that floats is safe if you can always find refuge from bad weather. But if you sail far from shelter (i.e. offshore), you need a boat that can handle any weather it encounters. In either scenario, safety boils down to the sailor making good decisions.
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