posted 03-04-2003 07:26 PM ET (US)        

Obviously a good anchor (or anchors) if anchoring out. Dock lines and fenders if mooring or rafting up.

I've got the Mill's Flying Top Set with forward shelter, windshield, and flying top. I plan to add the side curtains and aft curtain to complete the enclosure.

Some of my specific questions include:
1. Where do you sleep? Bow, side decks, rear?
2. What do you sleep on? I would assume sleeping bags but what underneath? Tarp, air mattress, self-inflating pad, Aero Bed?
3. Where do you store that stuff during the day? Forward fishwell? And what do you store it in to keep it dry? Drybags? I would plug the well but if you took a wave or rain...
4. Where do you store the canvas windshield, side and aft curtains?
5. Where do you keep the "luggage"? I'm assuming more drybags in the forward fishwell?
6. I assume food and drinks go in coolers. I've got a 94-qt in front of the console and a 73-qt under the raised RPS. There are currently several lifevests in each.

posted 03-04-2003 08:34 PM ET (US)            

I set my anchor off the bow in pretty deep water and then backed towards shore until I was within reach of my second anchor line. I made the second line fast on a stump that had obviously been a part of the shoreline since my father's youth.

We awoke the next morning to find our boat properly oriented and sitting comfortably on the gravel beach about sixty feet from the water. I had failed to appreciate the extent of the tide change when I anchored...

I got to watch the other campers and boaters snickering at my achievement while we waited for the tide to return and refloat the boat. I felt like wearing a bag over my head for the rest of the day.

posted 03-04-2003 11:24 PM ET (US)            

I manny-up (a take-off from horse packing days - where various gear/food/equiment is placed in water-proof tarps and the excess tarp material folded over and a rope securing the manny bundle. One manny for the dry goods, sleeping items and clothes. One manny for the food or keep the food in a cooler and one manny for the kitchen equipment and fuel. Never put fuel for the stoves and lanterns with the food or clothes. These tied up mannys can be placed forward when underway. You can take a tent or use a sufficiently large manny tarp for a lean-to shelter as desired.

posted 03-05-2003 07:36 AM ET (US)            

I have a 17 Montauk set up just for boat camping. I had a front enclosure custom made out of Sunbrella and I designed a front
cut out (plywood) which drops in perfectly
right in front of the center console. Sleeps 2 perfectly.

I use light wt camping items such as a 12 volt coffee maker, battery lighting even a hand crancked Osterizer (forgive the spelling) helps with the Margaritas.

posted 03-05-2003 09:25 AM ET (US)            

I had a '73 21' OR and my wife and I spent many nights on it a couple of years back. Actually, I can't believe she is still married to me.

We slept up on the front casting deck under the dodger (there was a hard front deck that came back most of the way and the dodger covered the rest of the area). I had a flying top as well but no side curtains or an aft curtain. I would highly recomend adding those since it always seems to rain late at night or at least a heavy dew.

We slept on rubber coated foam swim rafts with molded in pillows which worked fine. It is never like sleeping in a real bed but it will work.

posted 03-05-2003 10:46 AM ET (US)            

Taking a hint from lhg and what he did with his Outrage 25, I built a "deck extension" for my Outrage 22. You will notice that the deck of your 22 steps up just about an exact 1-1/2" just forward of the cooler that is in turn just forward of your console. Using 3/4" teak "nailers" underneath that run parallel with the length of the boat, and 3/4" teak "duck boards" that run perpendicular to the length of the boat on top of the nailers, I have extended the plane surface of the foredeck all the way back to the console. The Cooler seat now is attached to and sits on that extension. I sleep up there under the forward shelter; when I remove the cooler, there's a good 7' of flat deck for an air mattress. The final step that I have not yet completed is developing a "drop curtain" that drops from the aft edge of the forward shelter to the deck, to seperate that area from the rest of the enclosed boat, to give privacy for changing or using the porta-potty I have installed in the live well, or so that sleeping accomodations can be developed by only flying the forward shelter and not the entire weather set.

posted 03-05-2003 02:05 PM ET (US)         

Kingfish, I built the deck for the 18 Outrage, not the 25. The 25 is large enough in the bow, even with the Igloo 162 Qt cooler in place in front of the standard console, that an extention platform is not needed. With the 18, the front cooler seat goes to the back at night, and the floor extension deck is essential.

Getting back to Barry's question, as it seems he may be cruising with our group for the Kingfish North Channel Rendezvous. First of all a plug for Whaler's famous Classic Outrages and Mills canvas. I have always thought that ability for cruising (I prefer this word over "camping"), meaning sleeping onboard overnight for days at a time, in these "open" boats has been widely overlooked. Whether it was intentional or not, the 2nd generation Outrages are uniquely designed, if outfitted properly inside, to allow for this, when combined with Mills full canvas set. The all have big, level bow areas, and open stern deck areas, if not cluttered up with Tee Tops, stern seats, or livewells, etc. The full transom models are the best in this regard, but the others work well also. This summer two of us cruised the British Columbia coast, putting over 900 miles on the Sonar trip log, in the *18* Outrage, sleeping aboard, and docking overnight at full service marinas. I don't cook aboard. Asking a woman to help me cook dinners and wash dishes on vacation makes no sense to me, at my age, nor is the boat suited for it. Cereal and fruit on the dock for breakfast works fine if we don't have time for a restaurant breakfast, and sandwiches on board for lunch is fun also. But I don't bother with a cooker, etc. On a given size Whaler hull, a Forward Shelter equipped Outrage has a bigger forward cabin than a Revenge, with more headroom, comfort and room for your clothing duffels, as long as you don't mind a soft top over you. It also has the enclosed stern deck space, which a Revenge does not.

I recommend you review Jimh's Rendezvous section and Sail-log articles for narrative, photos and cruising details.

To accomodate cruising, first of all, my boats have only three fixed items in them, the standard sized console, which is raised 4", the raised RPS, and the console front cooler. This gives maximum floor space for cruising, and it is considerable. Full Mills canvas, well waterproofed, is mandatory, and WILL keep you totally dry. We have spent the night in the boat through some absolutely horrendous storms, including 50mph winds, with no problems. Mills really knows how do canvas for weather protection. Cabin heat is generally not needed in summer months, although for early Spring or late Fall, I have a little 1500W elec heater and 30amp/115 cord.

Dry storage is needed, and this is one of the reasons I love the RPS, raised 6". I keep a 72 Qt Igloo, with cushion, under it, and use it for dry storage. It then can be pulled out for extra seating, a foot rest, or lunch table. Among other things, the front cooler holds the canvas, rolled 4" diameter cardboard tubes, secured with heavy duty rubber bands. The vinyl windows need to be rolled, not folded. They can also be rolled up individually without a tube. I use a deep tray in the front cooler with miscellaneous items needed for living aboard, including cords for the cell phone, an extra battery powered cabin light/lantern (essential), plastic bags and zip locks, chart chips, fuses, etc. Charts and cruising guides usually go in there also.

For boat night lighting, I have installed courtesy lights, and also use the international light pole in the center console, on the "anchor" position for interior light. Works well.

For interior privacy concerns, as Harry Harpoon mentioned, the boat makes up into a 2 room cottage! A homemade privacy curtain for the front cabin, as Kingfish mentioned, enclosing the back of the forward shelter, is essential and makes the bow cabin. Mine is of lighweight, blue opaque waterproof material, that attaches to a continuous velcro strip on the underside of the shelter, and rolls up to this size of a sock when not needed. It does not interfere with any of the Mills zippers, etc. It has a hundred uses, even when day boating, for changing, Porta pottie, etc. A large bath towel tucks under the SS bows in the forward shelter, to cover the front window. A bungee conforms it to the sloping interior profile of the window.

After years of experimenting, I have found the "Therm-a-Rest" brand (made in Seattle, available Cabelas, etc) self-inflating foam filled air mattresses, in Luxury series 2 1/2" thickness (important) are as comfortable as being at home. They offer a set of straps which tie two together to form a double sized bed, inflated to firmness you desire. They roll up into a fairly small sized package. Then, a fitted double sized sheet goes on the mattress, a top sheet, a down comforter (which compresses and rolls up quite nicely), two regular sized pillows, and it's just like home, but much more fun! None of this takes up much room in the boat. I hate sleeping bags, and don't use them. All of this gets stored in a dry cooler, or in the dry front deep well (20 - 25). Sheets, bath towels and clothing comes aboard in duffel bags, no suitcases. I often bring along an extra Igloo cooler seat for dry storage.

Because I have a raised console, the now useable space underneath holds a 6" deep Rubbermaid covered tray. In this goes misc food utensils, canned goods for lunch, cereal boxes, a few plastic dishes, etc etc.
A bungee holds it in place. A separate carry on cooler handles cold items. Dry packaged foods go in the console, which also has a dome light w/integral switch, installed in it.

In the 20' and larger Outrages, since the front deep well must be used for dry storage, the forward shelter must be set if rain is threatening. If there is not enough dry storage room using wells and coolers, clothing duffel bags are bungeed in the bow to the front lifting eye.

posted 03-06-2003 12:18 AM ET (US)         

We always tie to a dock vs anchor, and have found the biggest nuisance to be RATS and Racoons! They seem to like the docks, and they tend to board without asking first :(