Crew Wanted: Experience Required For Oregon Caribbean Trip

[alphard]

I have a beautiful Marples 35 trimaran which i plan to sail from Coos Bay to the Caribbean. Departure late september, or just after. Currently finishing in dry dock, should be ready for paint by the end of August.

I require someone(s) with rock solid experience as mine is somewhat limited bluewater. I am a UK male(35), polite, house-trained and easy ocasionally intelligent company. Anyone happy to help out beforehand would be an added bonus but not a neccessity. Also happy to take suggestion on destinations in the caribbean. I would prefer responses from people with more time available.


Happy to share costs once underway and possibly contribute to travel costs.
I am happy to provide images and answer any queries by private message/email.

thankyou

[Teknav]

Hi! "Two" destinations in the Caribbean, you must visit: 1) British Virgin Islands (BVI - 6 islands to see), and 2) The Grenadines (8 islands to see). Buy a travel guide like "Fodor's Caribbean", then plan your trip accordingly. BVI and the Grenadines have some of the nicest sailing waters in the world, and include over a dozen islands each. Sail away and have a ball!

Mauritz

[Mark2772]

I sent a PM, but just in case here is the message again.

Hey Alphard,
My name is Mark Ostapiak and I would love to apply to help you out with this trip. I have my advanced cruising, coastal nav, offshore race experience, as well as charter experience in the BVIs, Bahamas, North Channel, Georgian Bay, Great Lakes. I also hold a VHF/Boat Licence and some first aid. I am also an avid racer.
Your time frame is perfect for my schedule. I am currently committed to a two man boat delivery from Seattle to San Francisco August to mid September, where I will accumulate more hours on open Pacific waters. I am comfortable sailing by day and night and am easy to get along with as I stay calm under pressure. I am eager to help out and anything I don't know I can pick up myself quite easily.
I hope to hear more about yourself and the details of the trip, so please contact me at 289-442-0365 or email at mostapiak@gmail.com
I can provide a resume and sailing references if you would like as well.
Thanks,
Mark

[alphard]

many thanks, i'm trying to absorb as much as i can(this is the forum where i caught the bug), the images of the BVI and the Grenadines are very motivating. Appreciate the book tip too, just located it on amazon.


Anthony

[Caribsailors]

Good advice, but you won't need those for a couple of years.

You'll need to get past Mexico first Who knows you just may fall in love with it.

What's the rush for the Caribbean?

Cheers

[alphard]

I'm certainly in no rush and had planned to just head to mexico and take it from there, i placed an ad on latitude 38 with mexico as the destination yet got very little response. And since my greatest problem is inexperience i thought i would write caribbean here to see if i can increase interest. In reality i am very flexible and open to any suggestions.
appreciate the warm reception.

[Skeeko]

Originally Posted by Teknav

Hi! "Two" destinations in the Caribbean, you must visit: 1) British Virgin Islands (BVI - 6 islands to see), and 2) The Grenadines (8 islands to see). Buy a travel guide like "Fodor's Caribbean", then plan your trip accordingly. BVI and the Grenadines have some of the nicest sailing waters in the world, and include over a dozen islands each. Sail away and have a ball!

Mauritz

I've only sailed on 5 charter boats on the Caribbean (most were 2 weeks) and have been to a variety of islands. But I don't get the attraction to the BVI. I've been there twice and find it far to crowded for our tastes. I get it if you like the social side of it but even then its more tourists than cruisers. We've found anchorages and beaches and entire islands where we were the only people in other places. Maybe its just our desire to have the place to ourselves but the BVI just didn't do it for us.

Please feel free to dispute my opinions. No offense taken.

[gjordan]

Alphard by the time you get to the BVIs from Oregon, you wont need the BVIs. Not that they are not a beautiful place to sail, but the real attraction of the BVIs is that it is easy sailing for the beginning charterers, and is nice. It has already been stated that it is crowded (because it is easy sailing) and very touristy. The west coast of Oregon, California and Mexico have thousands of great places to visit, and are a very good training ground. My 2 cents worth is to always remember that the best insurance a cruiser can have is real good ground tackle and know how to use it. Have a wonderful time. _____Grant.

[tcsparkles]

how ya plan on getting from the west coast to caribe. ?. i believe panama canal is closed.. not sure.. or traveling around south america?

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by tcsparkles

how ya plan on getting from the west coast to caribe. ?. i believe panama canal is closed.. not sure.. or traveling around south america?

Where did you get the Canal is closed. Ridiculous.

To the OP. Get help getting the boat to Mexico, then spend a couple of seasons getting your cruising legs and getting the boat the way you want it for your style of cruising. Pacific Mex is easy cruising, cheap living and fun. Then make your plans to head off where you want.

[tcsparkles]

i guess i should have stated "expansion project" completion 2015 ... though it did close to flooding temp a while back.. so.... not so ridiculous... it did happen..... BBC News - Panama Canal reopens after temporary closure
The Panama Canal - which connects the Pacific and Atlantic oceans - has reopened after heavy rains forced traffic to be temporarily closed.

[tcsparkles]

guess.. before traveling one should check for heavy rains or political uprest...
but ridiculous... no.....not out of the question....
While actual Canal operations are in the hands of the Panamanian
government, a Hong Kong-based company, Hutchison, Whampoa Ltd.,
which reportedly has ties to the government of the People’s Republic of
China and its military, operates the port facilities on either end of the
Panama Canal. I bring up these facts out of concern for the potential
disruption of Panama Canal traffic should the U.S. or its allies come into
military confrontation with China. How likely is this? I couldn't say, but
it would be exceedingly easy for Chinese agents working through
Hutchison Whampoa to halt, slow, or otherwise disrupt Panama Canal
shipping traffic if it came to that. The potential is there.81
not so crazy ... China is not currently in a position of controlling the Canal, nor does it
seem likely to be in the immediate future. Nonetheless, Chinese presence in
Panama and influence is clearly a concern to US analysts
http://www.au.af.mil/au/cadre/aspj/a...f_eng_wats.pdf

interesting link ; shipsagent.com - Panama Canal Transit Requirements
Panama Canal Transit Requirements

[Paul L]

The Canal was shut for 1 day due to weather. It has been vlosed something like 3 days in the last 99 years. I've done 7 Canal transists and it never seemed to me you needed to worry much about China.