Books on preparation to cruise

[Libellula]

There are many books on preparing to cruise, getting the boat ready, the provisioning etc. but what I am looking for is a guide for:
legal issues before you push off
how to manage mail while you are gone
pay bills services
other items that should be attended to before leaving.

We are four years from our target date. We are having much fun looking for the boat to take us there and anticipate that we will purchase the boat in the next year or two. We expect to shake the boat down in the northern Outer Banks, Chesapeake and a few trips to the Caribbean but in the mean time we are putting our lives in order to make the jump.

Any advice on books that could detail this aspect of getting ready to go is appreciated.

[Cruisingdad]

Tom Neale, All in the Same Boat.

I dont know about any legal issues, though. Not sure what you mean there.

- CD

[rewell6]

We are on about the same time frame as you, however we will purchase a smaller sailboat over the winter.Something expendable that we could take a loss on or just keep at the lake house for the family to use. Between the sailboat and the "stink potter" we already have we can learn everything needed, except the handling of a larger boat. Everybody that already has a stink pot can use it to learn lots, even before purchasing a sailboat. Knots, navigation, gps, chartplotters, radar, engines, electrical, and don't forget radios.

Legal issues? maybe visas and such? Noonsite.com has a lot of info about other countries.

sailready.com also has a book about getting ready to cruise. I have not read it.

It is not too soon to learn radios, airmail, sailmail, marine radio and HAM. The Ham radio will take some time, not as much as before since you no longer need to learn MORSE code.

That's all I can come up with off the top of my head.

[Libellula]

Thanks
My wife and I have sailed (mostly raced) for 37 years now and I have done some offshore work (races to Bermuda and Carib) but preparing to cruise is new to us.
The legal issues are mostly to make sure we have covered the bases for leaving for an extended period. We have all the normal stuff like wills, insurance etc.- it is the legal stuff that may be particular to cruising (and leaving the US) that we do not know

[Libellula]

rewell6
what is sail mail?
good idea about ham radio- is that still a prefered means of communication?
We are comfortable with handling a boat in the 40-50 foot range which we feel is more than adequate for our intended use

[sailingdog]

sailmail is an e-mail service that works over SSB with a Pactor III modem.

[camaraderie]

Check out Beth Leonard's Voyager's Handbook.
Also check out St. Brendan's Isle mail service which can do more than just forward your mail. Google it.
Finally...get a laptop and get with a bank/brokerage that lets you access your accounts and pay your bills on line.
You can find out more about sailmail at www.sailmail.com

[rewell6]

Search this forum for Ham and ssb. You will get enough information to make your head spin.

As I am learning radios as well I can not give enough (accurate) info to help.

Each radio has it's place and many people get by with one or the other.

The Pactor modem's can be used with both marine and Ham to send and receive email.

Here is a site about HAM's
http://www.hamuniverse.com

[rewell6]

You can check out these sites as well

http://sailmail.com

http://www.airmail2000.com/

[Libellula]

thanks all
this is very helpful