Stephan
It sounds like a great adventure – both sorting the boat and then the voyage.
There are people who will have a lot of insight into your ideas based on their own similar voyages. A102 Atalanta Mary travelled through the Canals and had a period sailing around Corsica, Sardnia and the Italian and French coasts. T10 has travelled extensively in the Adriatic (as the base for the authors of the Imray Adriatic Pilot). A105 is being prepared for a similar trip. I will leave them to give you their ideas (or you might want to chase them up through the Association Yearbook).
My comments are less about the requirements of the canals and the Med, more about the boat.
I am not a fan of loading Atalantas up with every modern ‘convenience’ you might expect in a modern cruising yacht. The Atalantas were designed as light-weight but very sea-worthy cruising yachts. Adding weight detracts from both the aesthetic appeal of the boats (subjective) and the way they perform. Every additional kilogramme should be challenged as to why you really need it.
That said, some personal opinion specifics:
- Holding tanks – check the T10 boat page to locate Trevor’s articles on fitting a tank to Calista. Atalanta Mary did not have a tank.
- Bimini – Again T10 Calista has a smart arrangement. The height of the Atalanta boom (Calistsa is a Titania) may limit options whilst sailing. Reducing the sail area by raising the boom, particularly in the Med, may not be the best option. Of course you could lengthen the mast raising the whole sail-plan ……..
- Bowsprit – a lightweight affair for Code 0/1 great idea (see Technical Paper P)
- Solar Panels – see experience from A105 Atalanta Mary and A169 Elle. There are some great flexible panels out there that can be included as part of the bimini, sailcover, hatchcover or similar without a heavy structure to support them
- Electric Windlass. Personally not convinced this is necessary based on my reading of other’s experiences. It would have to be deemed essential in my view to justify the weight and complexity (deck reinforcing, electrical system).
- Boom roller -reefing. Handling from the cockpit does not require this. A14 Helene has slab-reefing and the main is easily raised, lowered and reefed single-handed from the cockpit (see 2017-18 Bulletin). Adding lazy jacks would make it even better. And the slab-reefing gives a better shape than roller-reefing.
- Dinghy storage on the sterndeck. The wrong place for weight. Some boats carried their Dinky there but its a lot of faff! Particularly for the Mark 2 Atalantas which have a slightly shorter stern deck than say Dervorguila. The Seahopper idea has been taken up by A169 Elle (see her boat page). Personally I love a hard dinghy but I would either accept towing it (which I do in the UK) or a Seahopper / folding canoe / inflatable.
- Auxiliary motor. Why not electric? Depends on your sailing / motoring habits but some great options out there.
Lots of options, lots of opinions, lots of compromise required. That’s boats and sailing!
Cheers
Nick