Equipment list for Pacific crossing

[estarzinger]

regarding provisions . . . .we never used a fridge (had one on first boat but did not use it much because of extra engine run time, and we put an insulated ice box on second boat but really never ever put ice in it, just used it as extra dry storage).

Beth talks about the various food tricks in her book - there are a lot of little things to know (how to deal with eggs and fruits, etc). Beth learned many from her grandmother, and some others from Lin Pardey.

Beth is sensitive to salt, and most canned stuff has loads of salt, so she pressure cooked jars of home made stuff, which was better quality than any can, cheaper, and lasted 'forever' without refergeration (she learned that from her grandmother also). There is an authoritative book frre for download on pressure cooking on the US ag website (or at least it used to be there).

When beth stopped sailing and I started single handing, I switched from 'regular meals' to just 'continuous grazing' (except for occasional celebratory full meals)- that is an entirely different approach to provisioning and nutrition - easier in many ways, so long as you are not hung up on '4 squares and meal times'.

As to how much to bring . . . my approach way always to fill up the boat . Offshore your bank account is pretty irrelevant - I felt 'rich' if the boat was full of food water and spare parts. I still have a whole bunch of canned freeze dried food in our shed - the Mormons have absolutely perfected the #10 can of freeze dried )there are websites that serve that specific market nice with just super value).

[Don C L]

Tidjian, as you go through this journey you might check these social groups for info and contribute some of your own!

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - The Small Boat Cruiser

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - 30 foot and under, cruisers.

Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Pacific Coast Sailors

these groups don't get much activity because I think a lot of folks don't know they are there.

[Don C L]

Here are a few things to ponder over in your winter reading...
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...al-153058.html

[Tidjian]

I was thinking of a root cellar TP. I thought depending on the layout maybe under a bench seat below WL I could rig it. Potatoes, onions, some other vegetable have a shelf life of 1-3 weeks on a dark pantry. Tropical heat might kill that a bit but setting out of BC I won't hit those heat waves for at least half the trip. That gives me some fresh for at least the first leg of the journey.

The ice block idea is pretty cool Don. I'll definitely keep that in mind.

I'm not overly concerned about refrigeration. It would be nice and it will definitely take some adjusting to not having it. I can see it now having days where it's so damn hot you just won't want to put warm food in your mouth. Southeast Asia also gets pretty brutal summer weather. A large part of the ice box or even a fridge would be using it simply in port. I mean I have 25 days give or take to Hawaii and another X days to Southeast Asia. But I have several months of sitting around there and sailing around the coast. It seems silly to plan everything based on what will take 1/8 of my time. That's why I'm not so focused on the battery drain as I am finding an affordable way to outfit her with it.

As for the Marquesas. I looked into sailing to Tonga. It's also an affordable and gorgeous place to go. But I don't know the first thing about getting there as I did a bulk of my research on Southeast Asia. For example how difficult is it to sail from Hawaii to Tonga? Then how to get from Tonga to NZ or back to Hawaii? I'm still waiting on those Cornell books so I can have a better understanding of the Pacific.

I'm aware the Philippines has some issues. I've been doing a lot of reading on areas to stay away from. I'll definitely consider Indonesia. I wasn't going to venture to Vietnam I don't think. Nor China. Maybe Japan eventually. I mostly wanted to hit the Philippines and Thailand. Thank you for the advice. Not many people have been telling me about their first hand experiences sailing that area.

If that Islander 32 is still available come sailing season and I haven't found anything before then TP. I think I'm going to head out there and go down to Tacoma if I can negotiate a price. Either way if I don't find anything by April I think I'm just going to fly to the coast and scout around until I do.

Thank you for the links. I will go check those out.

Evans I have never owned a pressure cooker but after reading a post by Ann I went looking for one. I found a nice 9-in-1 on Amazon with a lot of positive reviews. I think I'm going to order it and start toying with it at home the next couple months. I'll keep an eye out in Beth's book when it arrives for commentary on cooking and food storage.

Right now I have four notebooks going. Boats and Equipment, research (books and notes), food provisioning, and lastly sailing itself (techniques and notes on the areas and seasons). Amongst the, well over 100 now, links and books I have covering many aspects on these subjects. I figured when the time comes I'll bring a few favorites along for reference plus whatever I have on kindle. But I'd condense all of it into these notebooks for easy reference material.

You absorb information better when you write it down. I learnt that from my years studying in university. Surprisingly I wasn't born a truck driver, I originally went to school for biochemistry and biotechnology. I just realized somewhere along the road I didn't like being couped up in a basement and wanted to breathe the open air. There's something to be had about the freedom to go anywhere and also not having someone peeking over your shoulder all day. Sailing just makes sense for me and the life choices I've made. All my friends said "Why the hell did you buy a sailboat!? Power boats are so much more fun". I'm not sure how you explain to someone the sense of freedom a sailboat brings. That ability to know you can go anywhere and do about anything you're capable of doing. That's a lot of what this voyage is about for me. Sailing the world is the ultimate freedom in my eyes, away from all the silliness and able to go anywhere the wind can take you.

[estarzinger]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

I looked into sailing to Tonga. It's also an affordable and gorgeous place to go. But I don't know the first thing about getting there as I did a bulk of my research on Southeast Asia. For example how difficult is it to sail from Hawaii to Tonga? Then how to get from Tonga to NZ or back to Hawaii?

Tonga is dead easy to get to from Hawaii, perfect wind angle and usually good strength. You do have to cross the doldrums, so a bit of slow sailing, but also a chance to top up the water tanks with strong rain.

And then it is quite common to go from Tonga to NZ. Adequate wind angles if you follow the common routing (which Cornell covers). It is not uncommon to hit a gale on that leg - not certain but you need to be prepared for it.

Tonga is quite nice, but from a jaded "seen it all' perspective it is a 2nd tier destination. The northern group is quite touristy, and the middle and southern groups dont have the best anchorages, and it is really not all that big a cruising ground.


As for the Marquesas.

They and the Tuamotus were very spectacular on our first trip - in the 1st ranks of destinations, but they have gotten built up since and I am not sure where I would place them now.

Note: just to be crystal clear - to someone who has not been in the tropics much all these places would be spectacular. Even say the BVI is just fabulous. But once you are living and cruising full time in the tropics, you do get a bit jaded with the routine 'white sand beaches and palm trees and perfect blue sky and water' and start looking for even more 'special-ness'.

Philippines. Indonesia. Vietnam, China. Japan, Thailand.

The western pacific is a bit more 'wild'. That has it's good and its bad points. We were not particularly fond of Indonesia, but others we know were/are - we ran into various administrative hassles and found it a bit busy and touristy. But perhaps we stopped the wrong places or on the wrong days . . . . one thing you will learn is that some people will love a place and others will not and it is sometimes clear why and sometimes you cant figure out why their experiences were so different. I only know a few people who have cruised Vietnam and they loved it. We have a friend who is now an ex-cruiser who has done motorcycle trips all over Vietnam and loves it even more (he married a local which helps). The few people who have cruised China say it was horrible (as cruising). Almost everyone I know who has done Japan have loved it. Thailand has a big ex-pat community, great cruising, boat work, etc but is probably not for those looking for isolation and exploration. Probably my two favorite places to cruise were Scotland and Patagnoia - neither tropical obviously - this is just me but I found the tropics to be boring after a few years.

..............

[newhaul]

Tidjian two things first that PC is it electric ? How are you going to power it? You want a good old fashioned stovetop model . Secondly when you fly out here give me a shout I am in Tacoma and would be happy to go with you to look at these boats .

[boatman61]

If you go through Panama or any of the Spanish influenced countries you should consider looking for the cured hams.. they hang in the open and one just carves slices of as needed.. best have a small bowl below to catch the drippings.. best kept in shade.
Dried meats like Biltong and others are also pretty nice chucked into a pressure cooker with spuds and onions.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

If that Islander 32 is still available come sailing season and I haven't found anything before then TP. I think I'm going to head out there and go down to Tacoma if I can negotiate a price.

I hope you aren't deciding this based on the pictures you've seen.

Many sailboats that are for sale (and especially the older ones) rarely look the way they do in the advertised pictures. Many times they look a lot worse ......

If the drive is far, you may want to try and line up maybe 4-6 boats to look at in the area and/or along the way.

[Tidjian]

Thanks Evans it's nice to get some insight to what I might expect getting there. That being said if I wanted to sail to Tonga or the Marquesas from Hawaii would it be better going there first? Spend some time then go to New Zealand and then lastly sail up to the Phillipines and Thailand? Would that be an idea route? This is the kinda stuff I'm researching before planning the trip itself. Would be very disappointing hitting SE Asia then deciding I want more and being unable to get somewhere. Or having to sail half way across the Pacific again to loop down.

I think the pressure cooker I was looking at was electric. Do they make non electric ones? It just seems to be a popular amongst boaters way to cook so I'm just starting to look into them. Also thanks for the offer to join my search. I would greatly appreciate that.

The islander looks nice in photos. But everything looks nice in photos. He hasn't responded yet but then I think only one person has. I'm in no rush really. I would obviously want to pick his brain and maybe even ask for additional photos before going out there. I wouldn't go out there strictly for that one boat in case it ends up needing more work than its worth. But we don't really have boat yards around here. It's whatever is listed in the classifieds is what's for sale. Maybe a couple marinas have some boats no one came back for or stopped paying their storage. I'll check in spring. So either way if I don't find anything local or within a few hours drive I think my best bet would be to fly to the west coast. Then scout around until I find something, get it to a marina or dock and then fly home until June. I don't like being on the other side of the country from my boat but unfortunately I can't stay there if that ends up being the route I go.

I really wouldn't be against hitting the Caribbean but there's a few issues I have. One being season to go. I wouldn't be in a position to make this trip before July. I think that misses the ideal time to sail down to the Caribbeanand is pushing into hurricane season. Two, so many islands and so much stuff to see but also port fees, other fees, etc for every damn place. Unless I just chose one or two islands to go to and just sailed around the others but didn't make port. I think the fees would kill me. Then there's the Panama and as you said I have to wait a couple weeks to get my deposit back. Then there's all the fees they hit you with for staying there. Again by the time I get to hitting the west coast I'll be broke from fees.

The next thing on my list is research is to figure out every countries customs and immigration procedures, fees and etc. Some places I've noted are easy to visit and have extended stays up to 6 months that cost nothing. Others require visa applications and fees and the works. I also don't know the average cost of docking while you're visiting a country. I need to research safe places to anchor or dock where if I do venture inland my boat won't be stolen or destroyed. I guess it's not like the old days where you could just stop anywhere and say hello and get some provisions. Now days everyone wants their toll and all the red tape to go along with it.

[boatman61]

Stove top pressure cooker.. 4L & 6L

[JPA Cate]

G'day, Tidjian,

Both our pressure cookers are stove top types. They are occasionally available from thrift shops.

At this stage, keep your expenses down and your savings up.

Ann

[AiniA]

Typically people go to the Eastern Caribbean offshore from the Chesapeake at the beginning of November or they go in steps from Florida (check out the Thorny Path at a similar time - this way takes much longer but is easier. In either case, if you leave Lake Ontario in late August it works well. Most people time their trip to be in Annapolis for the boat show in early October and then have a few weeks to make final preps.

Potatoes and onions last much longer than 1 to 3 weeks. We have onions onboard that we bought in Annapolis in October and they are fine. Cabbage and squash also last well. Once you get away from North America you can get eggs that have never been refrigerated. They will last for weeks. BTW, my wife insists that onions and potatoes should not be stored together. One makes the other go bad.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by Tidjian

Thanks Evans it's nice to get some insight to what I might expect getting there. That being said if I wanted to sail to Tonga or the Marquesas from Hawaii would it be better going there first? Spend some time then go to New Zealand and then lastly sail up to the Phillipines and Thailand? Would that be an idea route? This is the kinda stuff I'm researching before planning the trip itself. Would be very disappointing hitting SE Asia then deciding I want more and being unable to get somewhere. Or having to sail half way across the Pacific again to loop down..........

I'm rather attached to my head and as a result would give the Philipines a miss as I don't want to have it chopped off........

So..... with Thailand as final destination I would go Fiji or Tonga, New Cal, Torres Strait.........

Or, if so inclined, you could go south of Australia .... quite do-able in the summer if you stay up in the top of the Great Australian Bight and pick up the easterlies.

I imagine that by the time you get to Hawaii or the South Pacific you will know what you want to do...

[Tidjian]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Stove top pressure cooker.. 4L & 6L

Lucky for me I have a gas stove at home! I'll scout for one of those instead of buying the electrical version. Gives me some time to learn some stuff and practice recipes. I'm going to make it a little hobby the next couple months to try to scout out recipes good for the sea. I figure might as well start acclimating to little things so they won't be so detrimental when the time comes.

I've been reading about that unfortunate incident in the Philippines. I believe that's the island group of Mindanao. From what I've been researching so long as you avoid the southern island groups, specifically the Muslim ones, the rest of the Philippines are nice. Since I'm not looking to smuggle drugs into the country I might be okay! (Bad joke)

Vietnam seems like a fairly nice place to visit pending you stick to the beaten path. But I did see a lot of posts for high crime rates. I plan to spend a while in Thailand. My biggest concern, outside of safe anchoring, is the security of my boat should I travel inland for a couple days. I'll have to research a lot on safe and secure ports. I'm assuming nearer to larger cities will be more security and less incidents of boats being stolen, broken into or vandalized.

I have a few months of planning and as someone said by the time I get to Hawaii I should know where I'm heading. After Evans comment I'm very intrigued about possibly going to the Tonga first. That gives me the Hawaiin leg, and the Tonga/Fiji leg to get bluewater experience. Then I'll have the uncertain path to New Zealand which I could spend a week or so. Then head up to the Philippines post November which I think is a good season to be there. When storm season comes round I can always dip into the Gulf of Thailand up to Bankok if need be. Spending time there and hence completing my journey.

This is just a rough assessment of where strategy is at.

[akprb]

A week or so in New Zealand?