Two (old) men in a small boat - 700 miles

[mdsdurango]

A buddy and I are considering a sail down the Sea of Cortez in his 22' Santana. From San Felipe to La Paz. I'm 66 and my buddy is just an old, salty, curmudgeon with several more years than me. When I say salty I mean salty, a life long sailor with many miles under his keel he is now a teaching Captain. I'm a reasonably experienced, inland lake, fair weather, sailor. We figure we would have several long days of sailing between getting off the boat for showers, good meals, and a comfortable bed. It wont be a race. We are planning to stretch the journey out for close to a month, being especially careful weather watchers, and enjoy some great destinations.

I have two questions (for now);
1) Am I crazy to even consider this?
If not;
2) I would like to securely connect two kayaks together to create a towable dingy. something that would be easily taken apart for rowing about. Is there already something out there to do this? Or have you any ideas?

[jmorrison146]

Go for it.

[danielamartindm]

Originally Posted by mdsdurango

A buddy and I are considering a sail down the Sea of Cortez in his 22' Santana. From San Felipe to La Paz. I'm 66 and my buddy is just an old, salty, curmudgeon with several more years than me. When I say salty I mean salty, a life long sailor with many miles under his keel he is now a teaching Captain. I'm a reasonably experienced, inland lake, fair weather, sailor. We figure we would have several long days of sailing between getting off the boat for showers, good meals, and a comfortable bed. It wont be a race. We are planning to stretch the journey out for close to a month, being especially careful weather watchers, and enjoy some great destinations.

I have two questions (for now);
1) Am I crazy to even consider this?
If not;
2) I would like to securely connect two kayaks together to create a towable dingy. something that would be easily taken apart for rowing about. Is there already something out there to do this? Or have you any ideas?

Go for it; if you don't you'll regret it until the day you die. Why re-invent the wheel for a dinghy? If a hyperlon is beyond your means, get a PVC inflatable and get on with your dream. Best wishes, and following seas.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by mdsdurango

A buddy and I are considering a sail down the Sea of Cortez in his 22' Santana. From San Felipe to La Paz. I'm 66 and my buddy is just an old, salty, curmudgeon with several more years than me. When I say salty I mean salty, a life long sailor with many miles under his keel he is now a teaching Captain. I'm a reasonably experienced, inland lake, fair weather, sailor. We figure we would have several long days of sailing between getting off the boat for showers, good meals, and a comfortable bed. It wont be a race. We are planning to stretch the journey out for close to a month, being especially careful weather watchers, and enjoy some great destinations.

I have two questions (for now);
1) Am I crazy to even consider this?
If not;
2) I would like to securely connect two kayaks together to create a towable dingy. something that would be easily taken apart for rowing about. Is there already something out there to do this? Or have you any ideas?

I don't quite understand what kind of weird insecurity is lurking behind this post, but you've gotten the correct answers from the previous posters.


I would go on to say -- if your age seems such an issue to you, then look at the other side of it -- what do you have to lose? You've got one foot in the grave as it is; might as well live a little while you still can!!


For crying out loud, go, and don't look back. It sounds like a fun trip.

[Tayana42]

Trying to drag 2 kayaks will not only affect you speed but it will make steering very difficult. Don’t ask how I know.

[CapnSparky]

I have to agree with the other comments....if you have the physical ability to do the trip then you will be forever disappointed you didn't. At the age of 80 my father, brother and I sailed from Honululu to Astoria on a 21 day crossing and had the time of our lives. He had never done anything like that in his life before and still talks about it today at the age of 97. I single-handed my boat on day hops from San Diego to Astoria at the age of 66, but that's a different story.

So, that trip was back from 6 years down in the sea of Cortez and there are a few observations I could share here.
1. Hot water showers? We used a large sunshower and it was adequate for two people. The sea water is also warm to swim in.
2. Twin kayaks towed behind? I have to agree that is a poor idea. You will have the predominate winds and seas behind you for the trip if you watch the weather...wanna' be run over by your own kayak? We had an 8' inflatable as well as in inflatable two person kayak which we kept both deflated on deck. Totally wore out the inflatable kayak. It was a lot faster to pump up and deflate. The dingy was better for hauling heavy stuff like jugs of fuel and water.

3. Take along all the cigarettes customs will allow. They are excellent trading material for fish, shrimp, and spiny lobster. There are a lot of small fishing camps and fish boats that are a long way from any store and they generally have something good seafood to trade for cigarettes (or beer).
4. There are some really good reference books available. Charlie's Charts is one but the one I picked up down there and found to be the most comprehensive and popular was: "Sea of Cortez, A Cruiser's Guidebook"
by Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer

Blue Latitude Press - Go Confidently!, ISBN 978-0-9800901-1-6

There is great food everywhere you will hit the beach. I think the "Cruisers Guidebook" lists about 35 places to stop between San Felipe and LaPaz.

Hope this helps and good luck!
Dennis

[Unity]

But I get the kayaks ... it is so magically pulling into an anchorage, getting up at dawn on mirror flat water and kayaking as the sun rises... never towed two but experiment and see if you can rig something to work! Lash them together, maybe try PVC tubes and make it like a catamaran. I don’t know and I can’t provide guidance ... other than I totally get it!

[AKA-None]

66 old? Lots more older than you out on the water

[mdsdurango]

Originally Posted by Unity

But I get the kayaks ... it is so magically pulling into an anchorage, getting up at dawn on mirror flat water and kayaking as the sun rises... never towed two but experiment and see if you can rig something to work! Lash them together, maybe try PVC tubes and make it like a catamaran. I don’t know and I can’t provide guidance ... other than I totally get it!

That is what I was thinking. Spread them out sufficiently and hold them rigidly rigged in one form or another. I would use "sit on top" kayaks so they could not flood. Space them out with a few feet between, and maybe add a rudder. I'm thinking out loud at this point. Maybe Tayana42 can provide a little more information about what he does know and how he came to know it.
What would the hull speed be on a kayak before it went nose down? How can I keep the nose up? What keeps the rig from colliding with the boat as it surfs down a following sea?
I would love to hear others ideas.

On another note. I know 66 is not old. Not too old. My header may be a bit dramatic - but the boat is only 22' and my "old" butt likes a comfortable resting place. Not too much is comfortable on a 22 foot Santana. And it is some 700 miles. I'll find a nice cushion.

[RaymondR]

Stock up with cheap rum and go for it.

You may be better off with a couple of paddle boards, they are wide and flat and would lash up on the aft end side rails like lee cloths.

You can implement a dingy brake using a drogue. Run the towing line through rings for and aft with a stopper ring on the stern end of the tow line which is attached to the aft end of the drogue. The front end of the drogue is attached to the tow. When the tow line is loaded it raises the drogue out of the water but if the tow over runs the drogue drops into the water and deploys until unset by the tow line pulling tight.

[fatherchronica]

My cousin Mike's best friend in high school, Potatohead Pete, was invited on a cruise to Cabo San Lucas by an older sailor right after graduation in about 1965 or so. When he met the captain in Long Beach, Cal. he was not suprised that the yacht was a 14 foot day sailor, because he had no sailing knowledge. He still remembers the month long camping trip down the coast of Baja as a milestone adventure in his life. They returned to Southern California in one tack that took them 300 out to sea. A 22 foot Santana is a great boat for a trip like that. Make sure you have a used chart book, hopefully with added notations and footnotes to show all the little anchorages along the way.

[alansmith]

When are u planning on leaving? Hurricane season till early November. You will be out of cell phone range on some of your legs. Will u carry a Sat phone? They do make inflatable kayaks that work okay. They are cheap and easy to blow up. Santana has small space for toys. Don’t worry about the age. You’ll have a memorial trip.

[Tayana42]

Originally Posted by mdsdurango

Maybe Tayana42 can provide a little more information about what he does know and how he came to know it.

I often tow my air floor dinghy using a towing harness during settled weather. It works fine and only slows me down1/4 to 1/2 knot or so. But I chose an air floor design so I can bring it on board and roll it up for longer trips or unsettled weather.

When I have towed two sit on top kayaks for my grandchildren they slew around causing enough drag to make steering difficult. I’ve also had them surf down a following swell and nose dive trying to become submarines. Of course I could change course or speed to minimize these problems. If you want to do that on a long Sea of Cortez cruise go right ahead. My boat is bigger, heavier and perhaps more powerful than yours but I would find a way to bring my dinghy or kayak on board.

[SV Bacchus]

66 is old? Dang, I only have a year to go before I'm old!

Go for it or regret it forever. Find a way to lash the Kayaks on the deck or make other arrangements. Don't pull them, they will aggravate the heck out of you and make an otherwise great trip miserable.

[hamburking]

Sounds like a great trip. But forget the kayaks. Towing will be trouble. Will slow you down, affect steering, and in a blow will give you grief and terror. Anyway, why do you need a dinghy? Your 22 foot boat IS the dinghy!!! Better to just bring a couple long paddles.