GoneDiving
Guru
Thanks for welcoming me to the forum.
I'm at the very early stages of looking for a boat to be used to tour around Asia and the Pacific. I will be sight seeing with a strong emphasis on diving (especially the shipwrecks and big walls scattered around the region). Im in Northern Queensland, Australia so the learning process will take place from there then the wish list includes Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Indonesia, Truk, Bikini Atoll, Solomons etc. Most of the dive areas are quite remote so I will need a vessel that permits me to be self sufficient for both the voyage there and once at the dive sites.
I have absolutely no boating experience beyond being a passenger on other people's boats.
On the question of sail vs trawler, I'm leaning towards trawler. I'd expect the electrical, storage and weight requirements of a couple of technical diving kits, that are being used regularly, to be beyond a monohull yatch and a multihull is beyond my budget. I'll be carrying about 10 tanks, a compressor and a few G/J cylinders for mixed gasses. I also have a background in maintaining stationary and mobile equipment so would expect to make fewer (costly and damaging) mistakes with a diesel powered vessel vs a yacht for with I have no experience in the use, maintenance and repair of.
Coincidently every long term diving live aboard I have been on has been motor driven rather than sail.
I'd expect to be single handed some of the time. Yachts around 45ft seem to be the size that can be easily handled alone. Is this the same for motorised vessels? Vessels of this size also seem to have a range of >2000 Nm which is also about what I'm looking for.
I have time in my hands so speed is not a primary concern. 100 to 150 Nm per full sailing day would be fine. At this speed, full displacement hulls seem to be much more economical on diesel
I'd appreciate any general comments from those with more experience than myself. Obviously, the opinions of anyone who has set up a dive mothership or live aboard would be great.
Best Regards, Mike.
I'm at the very early stages of looking for a boat to be used to tour around Asia and the Pacific. I will be sight seeing with a strong emphasis on diving (especially the shipwrecks and big walls scattered around the region). Im in Northern Queensland, Australia so the learning process will take place from there then the wish list includes Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Indonesia, Truk, Bikini Atoll, Solomons etc. Most of the dive areas are quite remote so I will need a vessel that permits me to be self sufficient for both the voyage there and once at the dive sites.
I have absolutely no boating experience beyond being a passenger on other people's boats.
On the question of sail vs trawler, I'm leaning towards trawler. I'd expect the electrical, storage and weight requirements of a couple of technical diving kits, that are being used regularly, to be beyond a monohull yatch and a multihull is beyond my budget. I'll be carrying about 10 tanks, a compressor and a few G/J cylinders for mixed gasses. I also have a background in maintaining stationary and mobile equipment so would expect to make fewer (costly and damaging) mistakes with a diesel powered vessel vs a yacht for with I have no experience in the use, maintenance and repair of.
Coincidently every long term diving live aboard I have been on has been motor driven rather than sail.
I'd expect to be single handed some of the time. Yachts around 45ft seem to be the size that can be easily handled alone. Is this the same for motorised vessels? Vessels of this size also seem to have a range of >2000 Nm which is also about what I'm looking for.
I have time in my hands so speed is not a primary concern. 100 to 150 Nm per full sailing day would be fine. At this speed, full displacement hulls seem to be much more economical on diesel
I'd appreciate any general comments from those with more experience than myself. Obviously, the opinions of anyone who has set up a dive mothership or live aboard would be great.
Best Regards, Mike.