Cruising in small sailboats of the daysailer and dinghy type has never been a popular American pastime. The average US and Canadian yachtsman, if working on a beer budget like most of us, seems to think that his little 17 to 20 footer has to have four berths, a galley and head if it is to be safe and comfortable for cruising. If finances or family situation restrict him to a small, open daysailer, he forgets all dreams of far off places and contents himself with racing around the buoys or just knocking about in his local waters.

The English, fortunately, are not so hard-headed about this, and take off on the most spectacular deep sea voyages in small open boats with complete aplomb. Sixteen foot dinghies have cruised the North Sea and across the Atlantic to Iceland, while many smaller craft commonly venture over the widest parts of the English Channel and the Irish Sea. They have even formed a group, the Dinghy Cruising Association, to pass along stories of their journeys and tips on how to fit out and handle the boats. In fact, the British seem to cruise in dinghies not because they have to, but because they prefer it. There is much to be said for cruising in a small, open boat. It has its discomforts, of course, but I have been miserably uncomfortable on many large and expensive yachts when the sea kicked up. On the other hand, making a long passage in a small boat can give you a sense of accomplishment that cannot be equalled.

As a rule, a good, small, open boat will be as fast or faster than a small cruiser loaded down with cabin top, berths, head, galley and other accoutrements of normal cruising. She can go places the small keel boat cannot, and often saves miles of sailing by ducking across a shoal or bar. As a result, the open boat cruising man not only obtains a real sense of accomplishment from his passage but often has the added satisfaction of getting there first.

The boat: almost any little dinghy of 10’ to 20’ or over will be suitable for an overnight cruise if properly equipped and ably handled. We’ll go into equipment later, but first let’s look at the boat. The main essential is that there be room to stretch out on the bottom for a good night’s sleep. If rowing thwarts are fitted, as in many small boats, they must be open and high enough that you can fit under them comfortably. Space for storage is necessary, and lack of it rules out many of the high performance, low freeboard planing types, as do the acrobatics needed to keep them on their feet. Cruising in a Fireball, for example, would not be my idea of fun!

As size will depend to a large extent upon the type of cruising in mind, it is well to think about it a bit. Most people considering an open boat cruise believe they will carry a tent and sleep ashore in order to have more room. This is not practical in areas where there is any great range of tide. You can wake in the morning to find a quarter mile of mud flats between your beached boat and open water. Having dragged a 12 footer over just such a rock strewn mud flat, I do not recommend it for exercise.

For a single-hander, a 12’ to 14’ dinghy should provide all the space needed. Many long cruises have been made in such craft. A voyage of over 2600 miles was made by Nathaniel Bishop in 1879 in a 12’ New Jersey Sneak Box. The Sneak Box is a duck boat with a small, sprit rigged sail plan, and Bishop spent three months cruising in her, travelling down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf and then along the coast of Florida.

Two people can be quite snug in a 14 to 17 footer; and, of course, the larger boat is a bit more able if long open water passages are planned. The big daysailers such as the Lightning, Rhodes 19, and the Drascombe Lugger and Longboat are quite roomy enough to cruise a couple and a child and are even more suited to longer voyages. Indeed, a Drascombe Lugger was sailed by two Britishers from England to Australia in 1969-70, perhaps the longest voyage ever made by an open boat.

Despite popular opinion, wide side decks are not essential to seaworthiness in a small craft and greatly reduce the usable space inside the boat. I doubt if wide side decks have prevented many capsizes, as once a dinghy is heeled over far enough to dip her rail under she is usually too far gone to recover.

Intelligent seamanship prevents more capsizes than will six inches of decking along the side. Good floorboards, raised well above the bottom, are desirable, though, for they keep you and your sleeping bag out of the bilge water. If there is anything more uncomfortable than a wet sleeping bag, it was probably invented by the Gestapo!

One obvious essential is flotation. The cruising dinghy will often be well offshore and, unlike the racer, out of sight of possible rescue craft. Styrofoam blocks or buoyancy bags are better than the built-in chambers popular in racing craft as they are easy to inspect for integrity. The amount of flotation should be adequate to float the boat, her crew and their gear and still have sufficient reserve buoyancy that she can be bailed out.

If venturing far from civilization, it is also necessary that the crew be able to right the capsized boat. For example, a single-hander might not be able to right a large, beamy daysailer by himself, and could then be in major trouble if help were not available. This would be a good test to run at dockside. A capsize is always a very serious matter for the open boat cruiser, and it is essential that the skipper know the boat and its capabilities exactly before putting her to the trial of a long voyage.

If you are buying a small boat with cruising in mind, look for a vessel with good freeboard and adequate beam, for both will give stability and inside room. A foredeck can be both a blessing and a curse. It does provide dry storage space and helps keep rain and spray out of the boat, but it also is a nuisance and may be a danger on a small craft when changing headsails or anchoring. Many small boats feature a low cuddy forward, but, like the foredeck, it is a mixed blessing.

A pivoting centreboard is to be preferred over a daggerboard as there is less chance of damage if she grounds out, a not unusual occurrence in the shoal waters where small boats are apt to poke their noses.

An important point is that there be sufficient width of bottom to lie down alongside the centreboard trunk. Many modern daysailers have full length, built-in fibreglass seats, and on some craft these seats restrict the width of sleeping space so that it is impossible to stretch out comfortably. As with a ready made suit, you should try it on for size before you buy it.

Also look for adequate stowage space under seats, aft deck and foredeck, if fitted. A lockable compartment is also desirable. There are other items covered in this article that should also be looked at carefully if buying a new or used boat, e.g. rig, outboard mount, etc.; but bear in mind that space, comfort, ease of handling and seaworthiness are more important features to the open cruising boat than speed or weatherliness.

The rig: prevention of capsizes brings up the matter of the rig. Many modern daysailers are not properly fitted out for heavy weather sailing as they lack adequate reefing gear.

Another common fault is a luff attachment that jams when trying to lower the mainsail in an emergency. Both situations can lead to trouble, and must be corrected. In my opinion, point reefing is the best type for a small boat as it turns out a better setting sail. If your boat is not so fitted, any sailmaker can quickly add the necessary grommets and points at a reasonable cost. Two sets of reef points should be fitted on boats of 14’ or over to give more control over the sail area and allow the main to be well reduced in size before it becomes necessary to drop the jib.

The owners of Marconi rigged craft are unfortunate in that they do not have the weight of a gaff to bring the sail down quickly. To offset this, they will have to pay particular attention to proper lubrication of sail slides and fairing of joints in the sail track to ensure that the sail does not stick when the halyard is released. Some daysailers use a bolt rope in a luffgroove to attach the mainsail to the mast. This is not a good cruising setup, as when the sail is lowered in a strong breeze it can blow all over the ocean. Slug type slides to suit the groove should be fitted to the sail and a retaining pin installed so that the slugs stay in the luff groove when the sail is down.

Gaff, gunter, standing lug and sprit rigs have another advantage. When reefed, the weight and windage of the spar is lowered, thus helping stability to some degree. Also, their shorter masts, usually solid wood, are easily repaired in an emergency, and when the boat is on a trailer heading for far off places, the masts store inside the hull with less risk of damage.

The jib can also give trouble in a heavy breeze. To forestall this and speed up reducing sail, the jib halyard should be led aft, handy to be helmsman. A jib downhaul should be fitted to ensure quick and positive lowering. This is a light line (1/8”- 5/32” Dacron) fastened to the head of the sail, led down to a small block at the tack fitting and then aft to a convenient location. Use of the downhaul ensures that the jib comes down and stays down in a breeze. This can be useful when docking or picking up a mooring as well as when taking in sail in a blow.

Reefing should be done early on a cruiser, unlike a racing daysailer that can risk a capsize and is always driven to the ultimate in speed, as there are usually escort craft nearby. Even if running free, the cruising boat’s rig should be reefed down as if she were to be driven to windward. It will avoid a sudden emergency when rounding a headland or island and getting a new slant on the wind. It is wise to reef the main all the way before taking off the jib as this will not hamper windward performance as greatly as sailing without a headsail.

Many small boats are slow to tack if sailing under main alone. Giving her some headsail can make a lot of difference in this regard. Indeed, the serious open boat cruising man will probably have a small, heavy storm jib aboard — a necessity if any long passages are to be made.

Light weather sails are not critical on most open boats. Such craft are generally given ample area for light summer winds and will perform quite well in the softest breezes. Still, a few of the heavier models could use a larger headsail (I don’t want to call it a genoa; a ‘drifter’ would be a better term, perhaps) that will improve performance on those lifeless days.

Any light headsail should be set flying, rather than hanked to the forestay. A flying set reduces the possibility of an accident on the small and often slippery foredeck. Then the jib need not be removed, and will be ready to set instantly if the wind pipes up, while the headsail can be lowered quickly without the need to go forward and unhank it. Sure, some efficiency is lost when the sail is set flying, but this is a good trade off. Spinnakers are out, of course. They are an unseamanlike sail, and have no place on an open cruising boat. However, a whisker pole to wing the jib out when running is often well worth its weight, and one that can also serve as a boathook is doubly useful.

A big difference between the cruiser and the racer is, the usual rule of daysailers — “never cleat a sheet” — has to be ignored despite its safety features. In severe weather conditions the sheets may have to be tended full time, ready for instant release in case a puff or squall hits.

However, in average conditions the crew will be too busy to hang on to the jib sheet constantly. There will be charts to be checked and courses laid, caps to be snapped, sandwiches to be passed and a dozen other jobs that require the crew’s attention. Thus the boat cannot risk being over-canvassed, and the sail plan must be adjusted to suit the prevailing weather conditions.

Steering: the tiller deserves attention. An extension tiller that allows the helmsman to hike out will enable him to get a lot more drive out of the boat. There should also be some way to hold the tiller in place so the helmsman can grab a moment’s relaxation with a cold brew or a thermos of coffee. A padeye on the hull each side of the tiller will enable the helmsman to secure it with a line or shock cord.

Even better, if the afterdeck arrangement permits, is the old fashioned ‘comb’. It will hold securely, yet is instantly released when a course correction requires. Sometimes it is possible to make a small boat sail herself for lengthy periods by judicious trim of the sails and positioning of crew weight, and this is worth experimentation.

An emergency steerer is desirable if long trips are planned. The Drascombe line of daysailers fits an oarlock on the transom so an oar can be used for steering in a pinch. It is a simple arrangement, but well worth the effort, since it could save the boat and crew in a tight situation.

Accommodations: as I mentioned earlier, it is usually best to plan to sleep aboard in tidal waters. A boom tent can be rigged up for little cost. An old tarp can be used for the odd weekend, but the enthusiast will have a small tent made by a sailmaker. It will fit better and give more freedom from insects and rain. Lashing eyes around the gunwale will provide a tie down for the tent, but the arrangement must be such that the tent can be pitched from on board. The tent can have a covered-in forward end, but it may be better to have this forward cover separate so that it can be used by itself as a spray shield when under sail in bad weather. Doors at the aft end are not necessary because the rain will rarely come in when the boat is swinging at anchor. However, mosquito netting will be needed in many areas.

If a tent is being custom made, it may be advisable to have spreaders sewn in so that it is wider and roomier at the top than the usual ‘A’-type arrangement. With such a setup, even a 12 footer can provide quite a cosy and comfortable ‘cabin’.

To keep the tent steady, the boom should be set in a good crutch and not simply swung from the topping lift. The crutch must be solid. A single stick, well braced, is better than a scissors type crutch. The latter seems to collapse at the most awkward moments, and nothing is more miserable than having your boom tent cave in on you in the middle of a cold, rainy night.

Another problem is keeping the sleeping bags out of the bilge water. Many small boats today do not have separate floorboards but simply a non-skid fibreglass sole. This will hold rain water and become a bathtub in any kind of downpour. An air mattress will usually do the job reasonably well, but if buying an open boat for cruising one is smart to turn down any models without separate floorboards raised well above the bilge.

Dry storage is necessary for clothes and bedding, but this can be had even on a completely open boat by using waterproof Tupperware plastic boxes and the waterproof nylon stuff sacks sold in most outdoor shops that cater to backpackers. Again, one should look for adequate stowage under seats, foredeck and afterdeck and, if possible, a lockable compartment so that an expensive camera, binoculars and other equipment can be left aboard without fear while you are off on shopping or sightseeing expeditions.

Cooking aboard is usually simple, generally taking the form of heating a can of soup or a pot of coffee and making sandwiches. The dehydrated meals made for backpackers are useful in that some brands require only that a cup of boiling water be poured into a package in order to turn out a tasty turkey tetrazzini or other exotic dish.

Cooking is usually done on a small primus or canned gas stove and is restricted to periods when at anchor. Cooking underway in a small boat is not practical on a loose stove of the primus type, but one of the Sea Swing gimballed stoves could be very useful on a long haul. Normally, however, a thermos of hot soup and one of coffee, along with a large packet of sandwiches, will keep the crew happy and well fed between the hot meals at breakfast and dinner, so there is really no need for cooking underway.

Sanitation is usually the biggest problem for the open boat sailor. The cedar bucket is the only feasible solution aboard, but one can usually go ashore on an uninhabited island or stretch of coast. Take another tip from backpackers and carry the t.p. in a waterproof container. When going ashore take a small garden trowel in order to dig a hole and bury everything. Anyone who is too lazy to take this simple action is a pig! ‘Nuff said.

Auxiliary Power: the usual auxiliary is a small outboard motor of from 3 - 6 hp, but on many craft stowage is a problem. Transom bracket mounts are adequate in most cases, but a permanent kicker-pit or well is better. The mount should be arranged so that the motor can be tilted up when not in use. Dragging a three bladed outboard propeller when under sail will cut miles off the day’s run of a small boat. The motor should be locked in place to prevent theft when the boat is unattended, and fitted with a safety line so it will not be lost overboard if it vibrates off its mount.

Auxiliary fuel tanks are useful, but remember that the US Coast Guard requires adequate ventilation of tank storage areas if they are fitted in an enclosed locker.

Along with the outboard, one should have a set of oars (paddles are for canoes, not sail boats!) but stowage is a problem if the oars are long enough to be useful, while short oars are almost as bad as none at all. A good dinghy is easily propelled, and can be rowed for long periods if the oarlocks are well located and the oars of adequate length. Six to seven foot oars are needed for the average dinghy, and seven to eight footers for larger daysailers. Shock cord ties can be used to hold them in place securely and will enable the crew to get at them quickly.

As mentioned earlier, an oar makes a useful emergency rudder in a pinch, so a transom oarlock is a good fixture. It will also enable the boat to be sculled over short distances.

Lights: as the open boat sailor gains experience, he may want to make a night passage, and will then require navigation lights. Oil lights are romantic but messy, and the kerosene ruins the taste of your sandwiches. Small electric lights are better, either of the self-contained battery type (never very reliable in my experience) or properly wired up and powered by a lantern battery.

For inland rules, the boat will need a combination bow light and two stern lights — a 360° light when under power or power and sail and a 12 point light when under sail alone. A stupid requirement, but it is the law. For international rule lights she will require the combination bow light and 12 point stern light under sail, and a 20 point white bow light along with the others when under power. A small 12 footer can probably get by with simply shining a flashlight on the sails.

A good, bright hand lantern is also necessary — one with a long piercing beam to pick out buoys and landmarks. When tied up for the night you must have an anchor light of 360° if you are in navigable waters. However, most small boats can get into a tiny, protected cove where other traffic will not bother them, and the anchor light can then be dispensed with. Inside the boom tent some light will cheer things up though. A candle lantern of the type carried by backpackers is good and also inexpensive.

Anchor lights are available with batteries giving power for 10 nights or so (short summer nights!) and will do double duty as cabin light and anchor light when needed.

Miscellaneous Gear: the open boat sailor must be prepared for any situation, and should carry emergency flares — both light and smoke — a small but complete first aid kit, and a sail repair kit with palm, needles, wax thread and rip stop tape.

A bailer and/or bilge pump is a must, as is a good anchor. About 1/3 to 1/2 pound of weight per foot of length should be adequate with the high holding power, Northill, CQR or Danforth anchors, and there should be four to five feet of chain between the anchor and the nylon rope to keep the anchor down and add to its holding power. The anchor line, if nylon, can be 3/8” diameter. A length of 60’ to 100’ will be ample for most areas, as a small boat will rarely need to anchor in deep water. A sea anchor might prove useful on a long, open water passage, but never having used one on a small boat I cannot recommend it through experience.

One item that will be necessary on longer cruises is a reliable compass. My favourite is a 3” to 4” diameter box type. A permanently mounted compass seems a bit out of place on a small boat. If you have a steel centreboard it could affect the accuracy of the compass, so check it out at the dock while lowering and raising the board to see it there is any deviation because of board position.

Charts are also required if you are sailing in strange waters. However, most charts are too large and awkward to handle easily in a small boat, and some way of keeping them under control is needed. A 12” x 18” plywood board with a clear plastic or Mylar cover will do nicely. Charts can be folded to fit with the area in use being on top. The cover is held in place with strong rubber bands, and a grease pencil can be used to mark on the plastic as required. Simple navigation by dead reckoning is adequate for most voyages, but the longest trips may require celestial navigation.

A small, portable radio direction finder could be useful on protracted voyages to obtain both bearings and weather reports. A small boat is very much affected by adverse weather, and it is well to be forewarned if a front is coming. The usual weekend trip can be fairly well planned from the weather reports on TV and in the newspapers, so a radio is not a necessity, though a small portable might be carried mainly for its entertainment value. A waterproof box or plastic bag for the radio is essential if it is to operate reliably.

Another waterproof item many people forget to their sorrow is a match container. Dry matches are an absolute necessity if the stove is to work. Waiting for a soggy book of paper matches to dry out is no fun when your stomach is telling you it’s time for a hot meal.

Clothing for small boat voyages should be selected with care. It must be of the type that is warm even when wet. Flannel trousers and heavy wool sweaters are ideal for those chilly nights. A good set of oilskins is an absolute must. They should be the type with high chested pants that come almost up to the arm pits. Waist high pants allow a gap between jacket and trouser top that lets water in to soak you thoroughly after a short period of hiking out. A neck towel will add a lot to comfort on a really wet day.

Rubber deck boots are better than deck shoes in colder waters as they keep your feet drier and warmer. They also keep your feet dry when you are taking the boat on or off a beach, although, if the weather is warm, bare feet are the more usual answer.

Shore going clothes can be carried in a waterproof, plastic bag. I don’t mind going ashore looking like a salty bum, but occasionally it’s a treat to go into a good restaurant after a couple of days of dehydrated food and canned soup. Then some dry, decent looking clothes will make you feel less self-conscious as you study the wine list.

That’s about it, other than the normal gear carried by any small craft. All you need now is an adventurous spirit; but start small with overnight voyages close to your home port. As you gain experience in both sailing and keeping comfortable in a small boat, you can increase your cruising radius.

I have lived quite comfortably for a week in the woods on the contents of a 40 lb backpack, so there is no reason why a small open boat cannot carry supplies for a month or more if need be. Trailering the boat to distant areas further increases the cruising range. There is almost no limit to the lakes, rivers and coastal areas that are open to the small boat cruising man.

Perhaps if enough sailors get a taste of open boat cruising we can start a North American equivalent to the Cruising Dinghy Association to exchange yarns. I hope so.