What makes a GREAT Bluewater Sailboat? - With John Kretschmer

This is part two of a a mammoth interview i did with the great John Kretschmer wherein we discuss al things Bluewater sailing for both Mono-hulls and Catamarans.
If you would like to see more of John he is currently offering a webinar training series covering a vast range of Bluewater topics
you can find more information on those at ; johnkretschmer...
Time stamps
01:25 What would you put on a billboard?
03:02 Do you think 'Bluewater' is a subjective term?
04:36 Key criteria for your idea of a Bluewater boat
04:48 Walk through tour of Quetzal
19:00 design trumps construction
19:23 Tracking explained
20:33 how do you know if a boat is going to track well?
21:30 Thoughts on twin rudders?
22:37 Take the hell out of the boat
23:50 Passage making mentality
24:30 thoughts on reefing
25:40 Not all Knots are created equal
26:50 The single most important item
27:20 Weight of Dacron?
29:17 The most important thing to learn as a Bluewater sailor
30:28 How to improve your reefing performance
31:20 Bluewater sailing and Cats?
34:24 Can you heave to in a cat?
Music Credits
All Music from Epidemic Sound
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Adam and Khiara are making sailing videos and adventures around the world on our 1981 Tayana Vancouver 42. We plan to sail around the world and make our way back to Australia.
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[@danieloliver20]

I could listen to John and you all day long. Nothing like REAL experiences to back up opinions, thanks guys again!

[@dboboc]

John can listen to himself all day long too.

[@michaelwilliams5132]

Wow John is a super down to earth man. Humble, kind and has the time of day to answer questions with patience even though he has answered them 1000 times. Thats what makes a legend. Great interview thankyou

[@jessglaze2182]

Can I just say what a pleasure it was to watch this series. I could listen to ya'll talk and feed off the wealth of knowledge from John for hours. Excellent videos. Keep up the good content.

[@lulabus5906]

I love the way everything is explained so even a complete noob like myself can understand it. Great episode 2. 👍🏻

[@michelkooiman3835]

This is really great. John is an amazing guy. I could learn so much from him.

[@7drobin]

I have bad memories of sailing my dad 6m beach cat in the 70's. You can't round about in stiff wind, and you will capsize, pol watzit or break more than wind in difficult situations. Done it all. I have tried tri, which I love but they also are troublesome (maintenance, costs and generally breakdowns). I have had many monos, and I trust them; long keels and protected daggers. Rather wide and medium displacement. I do coastal navigation, but I always assume the worse possible situation. Never had a major yet! I love the depth of knowledge and clarity of expression. Well done.

[@AverageJoeShmo]

Love this episode! Never been sailing in my life but have fallen in love with sailing channels and this episode really explains alot with using terminology i understand even being real green on sailing! Great job!

[@gjeess1]

Ditto

[@wilfdarr]

Sailing is starting up again (woke up this morning to a stack of emails re: race night Wednesday)! Get out there!

[@tomfuhs6801]

Awesome video. John is such a wealth of experience and knowledge and he has the rare ability to present it without sounding like an overbearing know-it-all.

[@noraelkin2727]

Two of the most informative videos I have watched! Thanks! And yes, please more!

[@larrybraden6640]

Man I could listen to this conversation for hours. John is a really cool dude and very knowledgeable. I enjoyed this Adam. Thanks

[@pkane5472]

I can't add anything to what was already said about John and his incredible knowledge about sailing. Adam did a great job as well as the "moderator".

[@nonaparker564]

Great interview Adam.What a lovely man John is.

[@shaneriehl223]

Loved this interview! It's so nice to hear from someone both knowledgable and humble to share a great perspective. Much preferred to the bickering knowledge that you find on the sailing forums out there!

[@PaulBKal]

Great wisdoms shared there. Thanks to both John & Adam. Lifelong Aussie sailor here, now in early 60’s, looking for THE boat to live aboard and sail the Pacific with my wife. Got close a couple of times, but still looking, and now have more clarity to my thinking as a consequence of this discussion.

[@charlespickering2726]

Makes perfect sense to feel the boat talking to you. Even in cars you drive them long enough you get a feel of what sounds like it should and when something doesn't and what that means and how to correct it.

[@cliffmainor4255]

And again... THANK YOU Adam and John for this part two. Well worth the wait. Like others have said, I could sit and listen to you two banter about for at least three or four coolers ;-). Brilliant!!!

[@markd1070]

Two episodes in one week, we are spoiled. Woohoo.... This sailing channel can only keep growing.....its a secret gem....that will people will discover!!!!

[@paulnorval9646]

Well done Adam, a great conversation with John. It was like sitting in the cabin with you whilst you two went back and forth!

[@tartansailor]

I read John's book "Serious Sailing" and I am a fan of him. Thanks for having filmed this interview and having posted here for everyone to enjoy. Cheers, and safe sailing. Richard

[@robertlemoine3500]

Great program,I’m not a sailor but I enjoy two people discussing their passion

[@mikelewis7003]

Good practical advice from John..we met John and Molly in Annapolis in 1985 when he was planning a trip through the North West Passage. Nice to see him again!!!

[@timm6112]

Probably the most informative (in a real and practical way) video I have seen on sailing. Great talk. Thank you for this.

[@michaelvanwinkle7919]

great information for those of us interested in blue water sailing.

[@philandlyndachristieson8808]

I didn't realize what I had learned from thousands of miles of hard sailing until listening to your excellent interview with John. He could have been describing Windora, and my own feelings. I've tried the cat thing too. You can't give that guy enough respect. ⛵🌍⛵🌏⛵🌎. Phil

[@goulash75]

Might I say, possibly better than part one! Loved this two part interview. Thanks Adam and John. (And thanks Khiara for letting to boys carry on so long :)

[@RealMikePannone]

Great conversation. Because of this discussion, I just bought two of John's books...Sailing a Serious Ocean and At the Mercy of the Sea. Keep up the great work. I'm grinding through your archive....and enjoying and learning as I watch you all work through bettering your boat. Also, very impressed with Kiara's baking skills and her willingness to get real dirty jobs done. Cheers.

[@corylenihan2736]

wow , What a great interview Adam. Well done. John is such an intriguing guy. Thanks for that. Stay safe.

[@maohadad8392]

Two of the most informative videos I have watched! Thanks! And yes, please more!

[@jonarmstrong8877]

One of the best sailing vids on youtube...love the discussion!

[@davefoster7770]

Become one with your machine. Reef early. It's like advice for life. It applies to so many things and is good advice for many non sailing activities. Awesome vid. Thanks for your efforts. ;)

[@scottwestfall3522]

Brilliant piece, with John's segment then transitioning to the sit-down. Dual cameras draws the viewer in, like we are sitting there listening. Then of course, the batteries are all dead, the wine is out, the girls are come to collect their men. Real atmosphere to this segment, which presents a nice change of flavor to the the more production-like segments. Thanks for sharing this to all of us sailors and sailor-wannabes.

[@shawnbartley9223]

so pleased I went back and watched part one first, brilliant i learned so much, thank you.

[@c.a.mcneil7599]

What a humble man. Thanks to you both Sharing your time...

[@robertbeger4275]

Have to totally agree with John regarding "hip holds" and "taking the heel out". Gee! I love these kinds of discussions.

[@wisehart77]

This was the first of your videos I watched. I’ve since started from the beginning and binged all the way through. Parts of this video are now much funnier! You guys are an inspiration to me. Thank you for sharing your adventures.

[@thomasbjor2332]

I'm saving and saving. Love to watch things like this to keep me motivated😊 Thank you Falcon Crew and John K.

[@sailingsvtesla9052]

Adam, that was the most informative video, a guy like me who is in the market soon for his own "blue water sailboat" could have possibly watched. Thank you tremendously. John is a very down to earth guy. I will be reading/listening to his books and soaking up all the knowledge I possibly can for sure. Cheers Mate, RJ

[@nsw1959]

Excellent excellent interview. While watching this, I had an old Navy friend message me that he was interested in a bluewater boat. I sent him this link. Great info for someone in the market and also for those who already have a boat. Cutters are great but I still love my Ketch rigged Pearson. You two rock. Hope you get to the US sometime.

[@Mg-yc7hb]

That was awesome! Thank you for taking the time to put that together

[@anynamey]

That was fantastic! Watched both and would be happy to see twice as much!

[@jcf6597]

I enjoyed this a lot as a future sailor. Thanks for posting.

[@billcoggins593]

I listened to all of both experiences. What a plethora of knowledge .

[@nena4215]

Me too, could listen to him all day long, wonderful episode! By the way, you held your own during the conversation, I know I was impressed with you!

[@HandyMan657]

That was fantastic, thanks so much for sharing all that sage advice. Cheers mate.

[@billregan1981]

Awesome! Reading John's book 'Sailing to the Edge of Time' now and contemplating my next cruiser. Great interview, thanks for sharing.

[@goodq]

What a lovely chat with a lovely human. Loved it. Thank you for sharing.

[@markturner4353]

That was wonderful. I bought 'Cape Horn to Starboard' after the Part 1 interview and I'm looking forward to reading/ watching more from John. Thanks for posting this and keep up the good work.

[@RichardRoger1966]

That was a great sit down.

[@jbfrodsham]

A legend. The sailors sailor. I have started to read Johns books.

[@grumpus3046]

What the hell....an add for true green lawn maintenance on a boating video. I can now die happy in the knowledge that I have seen it all. That is all.

[@merrymoppet]

what an awesome font of wisdom and a great moment in sailing anecdotes!

[@hankwhite4111]

Really appreciate your videos as a first time buyer of a sailboat . Alot of info to take in especially when I am still trying to figure out what to buy and all the technical terms.

[@listenering]

Would love it John had someone do a sailing channel tagging along on his teaching cruises.

[@snakeplisken4278]

Brillant! Thanks John. Going to read your books now! More interviews with great guys like John please. I am sure John can share a 100 more hours of real seamanship ...but you better keep those beers coming, or I have South African Red Wine... Thanks Guys.

[@monsterhog1118]

I don't know Jack about sailing but that's a cool dude

[@SoundzAlive1]

A lot of really good points and yes I did learn some different ways of doing things. A real pleasure and thanks you both nailed it! André

[@ThePhantom1Mav]

Great interview and tour of John's boat thanks.

[@larrykiehl2457]

Such a rich experience listening to John. Thanks for this (and Part 1), Adam!

[@rwplace]

Great interview again. Always great to listen to someone speak with so much experience backing his opinions up. Now, you need to figure out how to do an interview with Bob Perry.

[@svgitana2499]

Great video guys! I could hear that guy talk for days! Learned a lot in just 38 minutes, very much appreciated! 👍🏻🍻

[@johnphillips519]

Thanks for sharing your great knowledge John Kretschmer👍

[@PhilLemoine]

I always enjoy these discussions about bluewater boats..skeg rudder, hull shape, keel shape... One thing that's rarely discussed is the refit and resale price.. how much do you need to refit a 30-40+ years old and much will we resale it in 10-15-20 years, vs a more recent boat, potentially with a fin keel, spade rudder... Having said that, I appreciated the insights on furling the jib in heavy weather. Thanks Adam, John and crew for putting this together!

[@UUBrahman]

John describing hulls from the 1970s-early 1990s that had wing keels, low freeboard, and bows that go up into the water with hulls that let it flow was wonderful. That explains what he loves about his Kaufman 47.

[@evankrhodes]

3rd time watching as I prepare to buy my first boat that I'd like to sail where my heart desires. Thank you for posting. This is the best video I've seen on Bluewater, voyaging boats, and what makes then that way.

[@shawnbartley9223]

fantastic gentlemen, great interview and so much more to consider now cheers for that, lol I'm with Daniel Oliver I could listen to john's advice all day long and I would love to crew even for a day the next time you find yourself in Australia John.✌❤

[@dcollo7800]

Two great guy's, thanks I learnt allot.

[@downwind_david]

Great part two and wonderful advice from an experienced sea dog. Good video Adam. Living and sailing in Fremantle, you definitely learn about reefing in a blow.

[@eliciahalterman1961]

Loved this!! Thank you so much for posting 🤗

[@richardofoz2167]

Adam and John, thanks for a great talk.

[@derekh5355]

one of the best vid I have ever watched on tis topic. REAL and very informative. Thanks

[@shawndyer8140]

The patch behind the ear is amazing for motion sickness.

[@glassman51]

Hey Adam and Kiara, love these interviews with John, so much to digest that I will certainly watch this a couple more times. Glad things are loosening up for you guys and looking forward to some real sailing in the future, cheers

[@papajeff5486]

Gaaa, I’m not a real sailor. I sailed as a kid and would love to sail again. I get some of this but surely not all. It is like catnip to a cat though; I cannot turn away. I had a sail boat in Hawaii when I was a soldier there. It taught me that I truly need some serious instruction though. I have enjoyed this and I thank you. Now, I live near the Gulf of Mexico, near Corpus Cristi, Texas, and I’m getting the itch. I’m a bit long in the tooth to be learning to sail. Thanks for the discussion. Texas

[@sailing.not.dreaming]

What a beautiful conversation

[@sailingsomeday5975]

An incredible fountain of information....I'm heading to Amazon to look for his book now! - Thanks once again for a great video!!

[@cliffmainor4255]

H has several, and they are ALL great! Enjoy!

[@philandlyndachristieson8808]

We went to Amazon to just before Blake was killed, had 2 months up there 😉⛵🌍⛵🌍. Phil

[@sailingsomeday5975]

@@philandlyndachristieson8808 I have watched your videos and enjoyed them immensely.. But I was revering to Amazon - The online retailer (which is named after the river you sailed on)

[@philandlyndachristieson8808]

@@sailingsomeday5975 You didn't get my Kiwi sence of humor..... 😊

[@sailingsomeday5975]

@@philandlyndachristieson8808 🤣…we Americans can be a bit slow on the uptake- Cheers

[@goofy4birds]

After 3 years still a great watch.

[@budawang77]

This could have gone on and on and on and I would have been on the edge of my seat the whole time.

[@lizweller1361]

Wow, these interviews are awesome!! Guess I'm a little late to the party, but I'm really digging your videos and your vibe! Thanks to John and the two of you for all your hard work and great advice!

[@johnmikel5934]

Great learning experience. You do great interviews and kindly show your knowledge as well. Thanks so much for sharing. 👍😷

[@dannydonnelly8345]

Thx guys, I'll watch this more than once a for sure!

[@jayman9056]

Awesome interview !!! Got to spend a couple of days with John last fall at his blue water seminars, Highly recommend it ! Fair winds SV Enndracht

[@bdjm8595]

Great interview, thanks for taking the time to do this !!!!

[@jacobsmithjr]

I know nothing about sailing but I enjoy hearing John talk.

[@ciaranbyrne62]

I know very little myself and I have two 22ft yachts for coastal cruising. Each costs about £20 a week for mooring/ winter storage and insurance here in the UK. I use them as my poor man's holiday homes. I guess over time I'll get more confident and go sailing instead of motoring along 😂

[@leebenson4874]

I'm not a sailor, will never be a sailor, still I've watched this 3 times now and love the info. Never stop learning!! Thank you both, was time well sent. SPC-Lee A Benson 11B U.S. Army

[@jeromefaulle]

Do try ! Small boats are small problems at first. ;)

[@Lana_Warwick]

Interesting @30:00. One good thing about our Aussie Education System (Public or Private), mandatory swimming lessons, boating at school camps, or as rec during the week.

[@iaincphotography6051]

Very enjoyable and friendly, a learning experience.

[@HandyMan657]

Alright, part 2. Thanks bud.

[@davidbrain]

That was great. Thanks.

[@darrellstyner0001]

Great fun and interesting info as well. Thanks!

[@mariuszkijowski2180]

Tank you very much, great video, valuable tips! See you on the water :)

[@surlycycler2213]

Great conversation. :)

[@sergest-pierre6160]

This one is even better. Thanks.

[@Ellis01234567890]

This is great to watch for someone like myself. I'm not able to sail yet because of financial reasons. I'm trying to build enough passive income so I have the free time to live my life while I'm young. It's going well so in a few years I will be on the water actually enjoying life. Till then I'm trying to learn as much as I can about sailing from the internet and books while I can so I will be better prepared on the theory side of it, but of course that's no substitute for real world experience. But in the mean time videos like this are a god sent where I can actually listen to experienced sailors. Thank you.

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Hanging on every word

[@traderduke1880]

Great Vid...Learned alot. Thank you. 🙏

[@jonnorousseau3096]

Awesome video, thanks for that, very reassuring for me that my ideal hull design and rig setup is exactly what John has, with the exception of my preferred full/long keel over the slightly more modern and efficient encapsulated modified full keel skeg hung rudder combination. Definitely going with a hank on inner forestay, interesting though the whole cutter rig debate, a true cutter (gaff rigged) has the inner stay holding the mast where the outer stay, mounted on the bowsprit does not carry the load of the rig, modern Bermudan and masthead cutter rigs work opposite to that so are in essence a Bermudan or masthead sloop rig with a non load bearing inner stay, I'd also add an adjustable backstay along with the runners for a bit of additional rig and trim/sail shape options, along with a Cunningham, 100% agree on the Hydrovane wind vane as opposed to a monitor or aeries with control lines steering the helm, all round great advice all of which I was planning on anyway, another thing that I really like on a blue water boat is a second track on the mast for a loose footed storm tri-sail, interesting too that 2 of my 4 preferred boats featured, Tayana and Ta Chiao/Shing, I'm considering a Tayana 37' canoe stern long keel cutter and a Ta Chiao Fantasia 35' long keel canoe stern centre cockpit cutter along with the Bob Perry designed Hans Christian 34' and a Lavranos designed L36'. Stay safe and fair winds

[@evankrhodes]

So great. Thank you. I wish you guys could have discussed more about why he didn't like catamarans and the pitching motion.

[@TheWayBackGroup]

Amazing interview and really informative - thanks guys!

[@bobmiller5352]

Big great Thank You !!! Such a pleasure, could stay hors listening to bot of you.!! Part #3 pls..!!!

[@gregorysprimont550]

Great interview, I really enjoyed it.

[@fissh29]

Excellent stuff guys...cheers and Favorable winds!