Boat as a Base Camp?

[JohnSand]

Just daydreaming here. I haven't camped on dirt in decades, though I have "camp cruised" a couple of small sailboats. My last multi day canoe trip used a motel as a base. Now I own a 39' cruising ketch, and ponder the practicality of sailing up a river and paddling the creeks that feed into it. I've seen plenty of cruisers with kayaks on deck. While I would love to put my wooden canoe on my wooden sailboat, the Folbot might be more sensible. Of course, if I were being completely sensible, I would just tow the dinghy along for thin water exploration. Has anyone here launched a canoe or kayak from a bigger boat? Boarding may be a challenge.

 

[Boatman53]

When I lived on Long Island I bought an Old Town sailing canoe from a guy out in Montauk. I used the canoe, as he had done, all over the place on salt water sailing and exploring estuaries. Despite my efforts the canoe is just about beyond repair. The brass tacks used to join the planks to frames deteriorated due to electrolysis. When I was recanvasing at one point I renailed the entire boat, epoxy treated the deteriorating wood, varnished the entire boat even the outside of the planks that would be under the canvas. I stretched on Dacron to reduce the weight and then put the project aside till it warmed up a bit and I could get the new gunnels on. Then real work got in the way and when I got back to it there were major electrolysis blooms on all the fastenings blowing off the varnish and it hadn’t even been in any water.
So beware of using a nice wood and canvas canoe in salt water, it will die a slow death. I still have the canoe in case I get some brainstorms.
Jim

I have boarded big boats and visa-versa from canoes. Not impossible but it does take agility, but not much different than a dingy which was a part of my world most of my working life.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

A lightweight composite solo canoe or small pack canoe would be more feasible than any heavy canoe or kayak, and wouldn't be subject to the corrosive effects of salt water on a w/c canoe . Climbing back on a big boat shouldn't be too much different from climbing up onto the wooden camping platforms—chickees—in the Everglades, some of which can be pretty high ladder climbs.

 

[JohnSand]

Thanks guys.
All my boats get used in salt or brackish water, there really aren't many other options here.
I think that climbing in would be harder than climbing out.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I think that climbing in would be harder than climbing out.

No problem, John. Just use your gangplank for a seal lauch.