going on 1st trip

[Kernix]

I joined Philadelphia Sailing Club and the 1st trip is this weekend - a Beginners Skills weekend. It's sailing on Saturday, sleeping on the boat Sat nite, then sailing back on Sunday. Now there will be 6 of us on something like a 34 or 36 footer - total strangers. It seems as if everyone is goping down to sleep on the boat on Friday.

Now I don't see the purpose of sleeping on a cramped boat for no reason - for Saturday it's obvious - you've been sailing all day and you out to sea along the coast somewhere. But why Friday night? I'd rather get a good night sleep at home and then drive to the marina early Saturday morning.

What would you folks do if in the same situation?

[sailingdog]

Kernix-

Go down on Friday... It'll help get you adapted to the boat's motion and make seasickness less likely... and besides, it'll be time to get familiar with the boat and her systems... and with your fellow crew.

If being on a boat with total strangers is a problem... don't go cruising..

[skrap1r0n]

eh, it's part of the experience. Thats like asking, why go camping when there is a perfectly good motel nearby.

[TrueBlue]

Whenever we plan an extended cruise with invited crew, I advise our guests to spend the night before onboard. Aside from the reasons stated above, there will be no risk of a late departure due to someone getting to the boat too late.

I like to leave at first light, to provide as much daylight as possible upon anchoring for the night after the journey's first leg.

[Kernix]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Kernix-

Go down on Friday... It'll help get you adapted to the boat's motion and make seasickness less likely... and besides, it'll be time to get familiar with the boat and her systems... and with your fellow crew.

If being on a boat with total strangers is a problem... don't go cruising..

I can be on a boat with strangers - but I'd prefer to have my own boat and have my friends aboard.

[Kernix]

Okay - just hope there is plenty of noise - I have tinnitus and I have to sleep with a fan on or the ringing gets so loud I can't fall asleep. I'm fearing that I will have to drive home Sunday after 2 sleepless nights.

[camaraderie]

bring an i-pod or other mp3 and sleep well!

[sailingdog]

Just hope it is windy and leave the halyards attached to the bottom of the mast... the slapping will be enough noise...

[capttb]

Out here they always put the transient docks in the noisiest part of the harbor, just like a KOA is always near the interstate or railroad track. Should be plenty of noise, sometimes one of the better places to sleep is the cockpit on a "full" boat. Go prepared and hope the weather cooperates. I was a fireman for 30 years so the phone is always ringing for me also, I sleep better on the boat than on land. Funny, I Hate slapping halyards, creaking booms etc. at night, from the boat I'm on however, and take great pains to eliminate such noises BEFORE crawling into the bunk. Noise from outside the boat is like "white" noise, noise from the boat itself attracts your attention when it's your responsibility, easier to ignore when you are "crew".

[labatt]

Originally Posted by Kernix

Okay - just hope there is plenty of noise - I have tinnitus and I have to sleep with a fan on or the ringing gets so loud I can't fall asleep. I'm fearing that I will have to drive home Sunday after 2 sleepless nights.

That's funny... and here I thought I was the only one who carried a "turbo fan" with me when traveling. I need the white noise to sleep. The guards at the xray security stations at the airports always give me funny looks. I've found that these are good for the boat if you stick them close enough to your head so the white noise is there... They run on 4D batteries. West Marine also carries them.