Bikes and Boats
 

I'll probably buy a sailboat in the next year or two—all part of my retirement plan (I retire in seven years)—and I want to cycle down to the yacht club, throw my bike on board, and sail the Great Lakes from April to November. Of course I'd want to pull the bike out for use at various ports of call.

Does anyone else here actually do something similar to this? It doesn't seem that complicated. There's not a lot of space available belowdecks, but I think that a bike could fit somewhere. The boat would be at least a 25-footer (ie, the boat I'm thinking of sleeps five). I should be able to use the boat more or less normally with a bike aboard, I think.

A 25 foot sailboat that sleeps five? Makes me claustrophobic just thinking about it. A 25 foot sailboat isn't nearly as big as a 25 foot power boat and a 25 foot power boat isn't very big.

This is the exact model of boat I was thinking about when I posted, but I could very likely go bigger—30' to 35' is possible

http://ontario.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehi...AdIdZ384139251

So, are you thinking folding bike? A full sized road bike could take up almost 6 of those 25 feet. I'm not sure you could still sleep 5 with one in there. And I don't think I'd want the bike above decks for the obvious rust issues.

There are lot of cruisers and liveaboards where we live and most of them have folders with collapsible side baskets for shopping and errands.

A 25 footer is small for one or two. We tried it and, then, ended buying a 30 foot Bristol and, even that was too small for more than a couple of weeks.

In this case I'm thinking that $6,000 means "needs maintenance".

I agee that a folder would be the way to go.
Not to get off topic, but I watch tv too. Do you think a 25/30' is ample for the Great Lakes?
Gordon Lightfoot comes to mind!

the song written about an Iron Ore hauler, the Edmund Fitzgerald.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Edmund_Fitzgerald , by him .
those things don't have much freeboard when loaded, Oil Supertankers don't either..

Maybe someone has named their Boat the G Light foot .. IDK..

a watertight Deck Container might be fabricated to stow your folding bike within..Topside.

One of my friends made a Bow rail mounted bike hanger for his tied to the Slip, Live-aboard ..
sometimes he had to put on the wetsuit to go to haul it up from the bottom,
of the West mooring basin, when he didnt hang it up securely..
the beater became more beater-ly.

maybe a locker that is sized right, will go under the upside down dinghy,
and not take up extra space, under way..

they always need maintenance..
B.O.A.T. = Break Out Another Thousand..
AKA, "a hole in the water you pour money in".

I don't think folding bikes are good for me (6'2" and 300 lbs). I looked at some Dahon bikes, for example, and they were rated only for 240 lbs IIRC. Also I don't actually need to sleep five—just me and the bike.

I think I was ambiguous in my original post. I didn't mean to imply that I'd be on the boat for the whole season. I'd be doing regular outings for a few days at a time throughout the season. That being said, I agree that anything less than 35' would be a bit cramped for even a solo liveaboard.

Find a 25 foot boat and go on it. Go in the cabin. It's not a big boat.

I had thoughts along these lines. Lashed on deck wrapped in plastic, or something like that. The hanger idea is interesting. I think it would be painful to drag the bike below and back up on deck all the time.

I do understand why folding bikes are popular in this situation.

I'll be sailing on a 24' Shark for a week next month, so I'll get a better idea then. It's possible that the cabin just won't be big enough, and I'll have to find a solution on deck. The bike has to come, though, because the whole idea is to sail and trail—sail to different areas around the lakes and explore them on the bike. Seems like a great way to spend the summer.

There's your answer.

Get an old Schwinn Varsity. It's heavy enough to double as an anchor and there's no need to pull it up, just cut the rope.

The two happiest days in a boat owners life, the day he gets his boat and the day he gets rid of it.

IDK , though a Varsity is heavy it really lacks the ability
to dig into the bottom like a Danforth anchor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchor

if the tide and current is stronger than the anchor, holding fast,
dragging an anchor, and running aground is an unplesant experience.

When they talk about sleeping five they are thinking two adults and three kids. Most 25 footers sleep two in the bow bunk and one or two on a fold down dinette. But you will not have room for a full sized bike on the average 25. They do make some 26 inch folders and I think LaPierre is one company that does. It will take a 300 pounder I am pretty sure. But yes folders are the way to go if you have a boat. My last boat was a Catalina 25 and while you have some fordeck a bike might foul the Jib or Ginny while sailing. I used to sail the 25 up and down the coast of California and out to the channel islands and Catalina so I don't think it is too small for the great lakes, but watching for weather will be more important. So I think looking into a full sized folder would be the ticket and get as big of a moton on the back as it will take safely. That way if you do have to make a run for shelter you can make some headway against the wind. Typically in a thunder storm or squall the wind comes towards the storm because that is where the low pressure is aind if you skimp on HP because of wanting to be a purest you will not make much headway into a headwind. Just my opinion.

Just make sure that the misses is into sailing as much as you are. My last few years of boat ownership I single handed or sailed with guys.

It does seem like an awesome way to spend a summer. :thumb:

Montague folders don't have an explicit weight limit.

Mini-velos are a category worth looking at, from makes like Mercier, Gios, Dahon, and Soma. They're 20" wheeled, short wheelbase bikes made to fit in tight spaces. They're not as small as 20" wheeled folders, but they're much easier to stow than a 26" or 700c wheel.

Finally, collapsible bikes, such as the Ritchey Breakaway, are full-sized bikes that use S&S couplings to connect the front and back halves of the frame. While not as convenient as a proper folder, it's an option to look at. Many custom shops can add the couplers to your frame, so if you want to pony up the dollars, you might consider putting them on a mini-velo.

My wife and I had (and still have) several boats. About the smallest suitable for taking a bike, ot two, was a 31 foot powerboat. I used a bungy cord to tie the bike to a seat in the cockpit or the dinette table down below.

A foldable bike is okay for short trips like from the boat to a store or restaurant but not good for any distance unless you spend a lot for something like a high end Bike Friday. I still take a road bike with me.

If you're going to spend any time on the boat or go anywhere, you need something bigger than a 25, especially if it's sail. A 30 foot sailboat has the living space of a 25 foot power boat. Also you don't want to be out on the Great Lakes in a storm on a small boat. Also don't get something too cheap because you can spend a fortune fixing things or worse, having the boat sink.

How much sailing experience do you have?

Sounds like tents. What do they call a tent that's the right size for two people? A four person tent.

My dad has a Norsea 27' sailboat. The original owners were a couple who sailed it around the world. He takes my 3 siblings and my stepmom on it for extended vacations in the Pacific Northwest. So all the people saying you need a big boat are full of it. The Norsea has a very deep keel and is quite stable. Yes - it is very cramped. I wouldn't want to be on it with that many people, but it is doable. (You can't be a typical comfort addicted American on that boat - it's more like living in a tent than a 4 star hotel room). I've seen him carry a couple of mountain bikes on it - he just tied them up on deck. No big deal. The important thing is to not drop them in the water when transporting them via dinghy if you are moored offshore.

So the short answer is this - get a mountain bike and tie it up on deck.

That's what I'm beginning to realize. However, rather than make the bike suit the boat, I'd rather make the boat suit a full-size bike. If I need to go to a 35' then I will—it'll just be in five or six years rather than one or two.