A Discussion of the Philosophies of Cruising and Circumnavigating - Page 2

rayncyn51 · #11 03-26-2009

Cynthia and I are relative newbies to sailing. Our goal is to learrn the ropes here in the Chesapeake, cruise the East Coast, then maybe do some island hopping. Sane people would say that we are too old, we don't have enough money, our boat is older than our kids, and that it's nowhere near capable of crossing an ocean. So be it. We say we're not getting any younger, there is never enough money so we are lowering our expectations, the old boat keeps the water on the outside, I can pretty much fix everything else. And we're not planning to cross any oceans. So we are going, as soon as we can, with whatever we have on hand at the time.

imagine2frolic · #12 03-26-2009

rayncyn51,

That's the spirit I am talking about......BEST WISHES in going SOON!

tommays · #13 03-26-2009

Well

Saftey stuff and when you wear it is mandated on race boats buy the A B C that defines the risk of a race from a day sail in a bay to open water

And the amount of training and required stuff is going up every year to the point of boats no longer being able to afford the required stuff

Izzy1414 · #14 03-26-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Go with what you have, and while you have your health.......BEST WISHES in sailing into adventure......i2f

I'm not sure why this discussion between going now or waiting until we can afford something better keeps coming up. Why would we treat sailing any differently than other aspects of life. We didn't wait until we could afford a Cadilac before we bought our first car. If we waited for the perfect mate to come along we'd all be single. I don't imagine Smack waited til he could afford fine aged scotch before he took his first drink......anyway, the point is, we all love to sail or we wouldn't be here. As with everything else in life, our choices in sailing equipment is always going to be a tradeoff between what we can afford and where and how we want to sail. The amount we can afford will always dictate the where and how somewhat but it shouldn't dictate whether or not we go at all. As to whether we subscribe to the KISS theory or have to have all the bells and whistles on our boats probably has more to with personalities than economics. Even with inexpensive dinghies there is a wide range of how they are outfitted and where their skippers are willing to take them. Some of us like to push the envelope and some of us like to stay neatly sealed inside. Niether is wrong

Sorry, CD, You were probably thinking more in terms of actual outfitting when you started the thread but you did use the "P" word (philosophy) and that gives me license.

Cruisingdad · #15 03-26-2009

There are no wrong answer in this thread as I think they all relate to each other.

The philosophy I am talking about is much about the equipment, as the comfort level, as the safety comfort level, as the boat. Your philosophy on cruising and where your comfort level is.

SOMe adhere to the get me out there on the water asap, I will take minimal precautions with my life and live very meagerly. If the ship goes down, she goes down. On the other end of the spectrum is the: I want every device known to mankind for safety and where is my satelite television!! I have seen both.

It is also a discussion of gear. What gear do you feel is an absolute mandatory? What is optional? What would you not take if it was given to you?

It is your philosophy on cruising, and in reality on life. I think it would be interesting to see different people's philosophy on this matter and how that affected their choices in what they took, their regrets, and what they would change looking back. For example, we did not have a watermaker. We REALLY rationed water. It was kinda tough with a kid, but we managed. Now, looking back, I would get a watermaker if at all possible. Same with an SSB... having that free communication with the outside world would sure have been nice!!!!

On the other hand, we invested in a diesel generator. In all disclosure, I have done so again. but I learned that we really did not run her that much (but when we did, MAN WAS IT NICE!!!). Where before I went I prioritized a generator high on my list so that I could sit in the Tortugas of the World and have Air conditining (like I assume deveryone else did), I get there and you really don't need it. We would run it to charge the batts or cool off the boat when it was raining, but that was about it unless we were feeling really adventurous!!!!!

What are other's thought?? I would like to here Imagine2Frolic's too. That would be a great perspective (from a cheap ole mulithuller... but we won't hold that against him!!).

Brian

Cruisingdad · #16 03-26-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwaltersmi

Good list CD. Well thought out.

How do you feel about life rafts?

I'm still not sold on radar as a necessity. I agree they are a nice luxury. However, they draw a lot of power when active. And the shipping lane example you gave about the ships bearing down on you and changing course at the last moment was because they were using radar, not because you were. So a radar REFLECTOR might be more valuable as a safety tool, though I've heard their effectiveness is debateable too.

I'm on the fence with EPIRB's too for circumnavigating and bluewater passagemaking. I believe that if you choose to circumnavigate and/or make a major bluewater passage you need to be fully confident in your sailing and survival skills and not rely one bit on rescue from others. If your EPIRB signal is being emitted, you've encountered a major problem and you're likely too far from help for it to matter in the immediate future. But I could be wrong. I'm a bit jaded about EPIRB's after having read Steve Callahan's book Adrift. His EPIRB didn't help and he was constantly rationing it's battery life.

Unless you have no value for your own life and do not care for the feelings of the family you leave behind, you have a responsibility to carry an EPIRB and take the basic precautions to preserve your life as you can. That is my philosophy. Other may differ, but I doubt few people that even go out without an EPIRB would not have pulled it when their ship went down. Keep that in mind.

Regarding the Liferaft, I will show you a pic:

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I had it and hated lugging that thing around. It was a $5,000 pain in the but. But I have kids and I have a responsibility to them to do everything possible to be safe. If I wer eprimarily coastal, NO WAY I would buy it. THey are expensive, require lots of maintenance, are hard to see by, etc. Still, it is one of those things that you look back on and say, "Man am I glad I wasted $5,000 on that and never even used it." The alternative ain't so pretty.

Regarding the Radar Reflector, in my opinion, it should be required of EVERY boat that leave goes to sea, right along with life jackets. They are not expensive and can save multiple lives and property. I did not include everything in my list - but that was especially an oversight.

Brian

mrwuffles · #17 03-26-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwaltersmi

Good list CD. Well thought out.

How do you feel about life rafts?

I'm still not sold on radar as a necessity. I agree they are a nice luxury. However, they draw a lot of power when active. And the shipping lane example you gave about the ships bearing down on you and changing course at the last moment was because they were using radar, not because you were. So a radar REFLECTOR might be more valuable as a safety tool, though I've heard their effectiveness is debateable too.

I'm on the fence with EPIRB's too for circumnavigating and bluewater passagemaking. I believe that if you choose to circumnavigate and/or make a major bluewater passage you need to be fully confident in your sailing and survival skills and not rely one bit on rescue from others. If your EPIRB signal is being emitted, you've encountered a major problem and you're likely too far from help for it to matter in the immediate future. But I could be wrong. I'm a bit jaded about EPIRB's after having read Steve Callahan's book Adrift. His EPIRB didn't help and he was constantly rationing it's battery life.

I see where you and CD are coming from, for what Steve Callahan was doing the EPIRB was useless because he was in the absolute middle of the ocean, if you are within a few hundred miles of shore you have a way way way better chance of being picked up. My grandmother used to own a southern cross 35 or 39 and was on her way from Bermuda to NY to visit. I was too young to remember but my dad got a phone call asking if my grandmother was supposed to be pulling her EPIRB and if he was aware she was in trouble, we did not so they sent a Greek freighter to pick 'em up. With out that EPIRB they could have easily lost there livee, my grandmother and step-grandfather. He was sick and she knew nothing about the diesel which had failed them. But you cannot live life with out a little risk. If everyone was too cautious Smacky would not have any BFS to read and there would be no thrill in sailing IMHO. I think you have to find the perfect balance between being over equipped and overly cautious which can take the fun out of certain things. But if you are under equipped such as an ocean crossing with only food and water and sails which is why people get killed. But then again this isn't a veteran blue water sailor that is saying these things.

tommays · #18 03-26-2009

One of are big ones is a MOB pole that has to have a fast launch mount on the stern

A full crew PLB system (personal location beacon) requirement has become a hot topic as a high cost requirement

xort · #19 03-26-2009

I'm on the fence about the life raft. We won't be going very far off shore. The longest I anticipate would be Cape May NJ to Block Island RI. We'll wait for settled weather when doing that. Perhaps across the Bay of Maine to Nova Scotia. Other than that, all island hopping, coastal cruising. Yea, anything can happen but what are the chances of really needing it. EPIRB, yes for sure.

PBzeer · #20 03-26-2009

With 3 summers of lake sailing under my belt, I bought Aria. Since that time, I have gone (with crew) from Texas to Tampa, and since then, I have been singlehanding (from Tampa as far north as Annapolis, back to the Keys and then back to North Carolina). No offshore, or even coastal experience (tides, currents), nor any training. What I had, was a desire to do what I wanted, as much in the manner I wanted to, as possible.

I could have waited a few more years, had more money (and wouldn't have to be working right now), but I would have lost those 3 years, as well as not met all the folks that I have as I've traveled. For myself, this is what I want to do, until I'm unable to do it any longer. As my first signature line said:

Within a dream, we may live a fantasy,
But never within a fantasy, will we live a dream.

That pretty well sums up my philosophy.