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The Brutal Truth About Cruising on a Budget & Surviving Storms at Sea
July 9, 2026 · 41 min · 48K views
What this video covers
James Evenson answers audience questions in a live-stream Q&A format, covering boat selection, storm tactics, budgeting, and cruising lifestyle decisions.0:03
On small-boat ocean crossings, he names the Flicka 20, North Sea 27, Bristol Channel Cutter, and Falmouth Cutter 22 as the smallest boats he'd trust across the Pacific.1:53 For heavy weather, he argues strongly for heavy monohulls over catamarans, citing his own catamaran ripping in half off Hawaii.2:57 He explains pitch-poling and broaching mechanics in detail, references Susie Goodall's pitch-pole in a Rustler 36 during the 2018 Golden Globe Race, and recommends slowing the boat with drogues over active steering in severe storms.11:59 On solar panels before a storm, he says he has never removed them but always removes the Bimini, dodger, and foresail first.16:20
On budgeting, he gives a concrete rule: budget 25% of the boat's purchase price in year one, 15% each subsequent year.25:34 He evaluates an Amel Santorin 46 at $175,000 and advises sailing the boat six months before spending the reserve.25:09 On a Cal 40, he distinguishes Jensen-era boats as high quality.9:57 He addresses junk rigs and synthetic rigging as viable but demanding systems suited only to sailors who enjoy self-sufficiency.18:52 Sailing with young children, he stresses netting and constant supervision, citing a couple who lost a two-year-old overboard offshore.34:57
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