From: J. Bruce Jamieson, Winnipeg
Date: 19/04/97
Time: 4:09:51 PM
Remote Name: 199.174.218.234
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 1997 (Discussion "seeded" by BH from prior email)
I am curious as to how "comfortable" a Shark is for 2 people to use as a weekend retreat? Do Sharks have a galley, head or any other creature comfort ammenities? How easy would it be to trailer a Shark from Toronto to Winnipeg? Can they be sailed solo? Thanks for any help or information you could offer.
Bruce Jamieson, bjamieso@mb.sympatico.ca Winnipeg
From: Bill Henderson
Date: 19/04/97
Time: 4:14:15 PM
Remote Name: 199.174.218.234
Bruce,
The short answers are: Quite, Yes, Yes, lots, very and YES but seriously:
The Shark does not have standing head room and owners have been ingenious in conceiving and constructing canvas, dogers, biminis and whatever (mostly very effective) to enable those aboard to stand in the open hatchway to remain dry or cool, as the case may be!
Most "cruising" Sharks have small galleys, gimbaled or other portable cooking stoves and permanent (self contained, pumpable) heads, screens, fans, heaters, coolers and whatever. One I know of even has "baseboard heating"!
Headroom problems aside, the Shark is ideal for a two up weekender and, properly rigged, an "almost perfect" singlehander. I have cruised, two up, 200 miles in two weeks and single-handed 350 miles round the Lake Ontario for three weeks. So I know about what I am writing!
Downsides (my personal point of view) are (1) lack of space (two up need to know how to pack and store stuff if they want to get themselves in too) but I know of families of four that have done it regularly, and (2) wet weather (there simply is no where to dry out - so, if it doesn't stop raining, go ashore!).
Upsides - great sailing, the Shark is "sea kindly", easy to sail in any weather, and drawing only 3' 2" can go in anywhere (and when she can't go in any further you can get out and walk).
While I wouldn't try it in mid winter myself (but I bet someone has), you can trailer a Shark anywhere and Toronto to Winnipeg should be a snap, unless maybe you were pulling with a two stroke!
I will put your message on the Web Page, with this reply, and lets see what sort of comments we can draw.
Bill