Combining Camping with Sailing ?

[um saudade]

I carry my White smoke jumpers, backpack with gear, 2 person 4 season tent, walking stick, ice axe,165 feet of climbing rope, 130 feet of static line and climbing rack. For the record, I am not too new anymore.

The static line (rappelling) has less stretch than all but the best of marine lines and will substitute well on the boat if disaster should strike. The climbing rope is designed to stretch and break a fall so would be hard pressed to do double duty. It might do a great job as a tow line but I don’t think I would climb with it after that type of usage!

I also carry running shoes. While I love to sail and cruise, I love to get on solid land and use the legs too.

There are countless places to hike, camp from the backpack and climb that are fairly close to the water. Having a boat sitter sometimes helps with the anxiety issues but if tied to a mooring ball or in a temporary slip, go use the legs rather the arm to hoist another cold one.

um saudade

[noelex 77]

I spent many years cruising the Whitsunday islands in my first small 25 foot yacht.
Even a small yacht was luxury compared to camping
No insects
Cooling sea breeze
No authorities (camping permits etc)
You have all your food, supplies, music, water, and electricity at hand
You can jump in for a swim

I have camped a lot in my student days (with no money) nothing wrong with it, but I cannot understand why you would camp if a boat with sleeping accommodation is available.
There are plenty of places with no swell if it bothers you. I think the swell, if present, nicely rocks you to sleep

If seasickness is your concern and it is a major problem I don’t think you will find any holiday in the Whitsundays using a small boat for transport will be enjoyable. There are plenty of beautiful places to camp in Australia that do not need boat transport.

The exception to the above advice would be when on a boat with not enough sleeping accommodation. Putting some guests ashore to camp can be a good solution with a small boat, but the campers have drawn the short straw

[SurferShane]

To an extent I agree with Noelex. I don’t think the comfort of the boat was something the leaseholders of one island I got “stuck” on could understand especially when I knocked back their kind offer to stay in a tree house on a sand fly and mosquito infested beach. Still, there were many other beaches out in the more remote parts of the Whitsunday that would have been perfect to spend a night on particularly in company.

Then like Nautical 62 suggested if you are really keen on the camping a sea kayak is a good option to a boat. It is so easy to launch from Shute harbour where there is a long-term car park and head out to North Mole via Daydream then for the fit and brave do a circuit from Hayman down to Hamilton via Whitehaven or the reverse.

The good thing too is that there are places like Daydream and Hamilton Island where day guests are welcome at most of the shops and restaurants. Not quite the wilderness of some of the more remote parts of the Whitsunday’s, but still beautiful and nearly always someone near enough if things go wrong.

If you already have some lightweight backpacking gear the cost of a sea kayak is no where near as restrictive as a yacht. I have done the trip out to North Mole with a female partner in our open ocean kayaks and it was an enjoyable day paddle. The only thing that really freaked her was the boils and turbulence on the tidal run out of Shute Harbour along Daydream. The biggest disappointment for me was when she did not want to go back and pack the tent for a few nights at North Mole.

Maybe a sea kayak with sail might be a nice primer to seeing how much you enjoy life on the water? I have never regretted buying my big open “Ocean Kayak” scupper pro model and it has retained a good resale value. Just a real pity it is a bit too big to conveniently fit on my smallish yacht.

[Cormorant]

We cruised for a week in Maine this summer and spent about half our nights ashore in a tent, on Jewell Island and Little Snow. It was our kids' idea, and it turned out to be a lot of fun. The boat was always nearby and we stopped off there often to get some needed item. Not a whole lot different from our usual cruising, though, which involves a lot of time hiking on islands and beaches anyway. Just shifted the balance a bit more toward land.
If you have a decent tent and room to stow it on board, it can open up some interesting options.
By the way, the Maine Island Trail is an awesome resource and deserves support from all who enjoy wild islands and undeveloped coastline.

[barnakiel]

We did.

We sailed along the Polish coast of the Baltic Sea and camped every night. We pulled the boat ashore, laid her on her side and used as a windshield. It was great because we had fresh food and drink and a bonfire, every day.

Poland has sandy beaches with easy access and we had a hell of a good time. When weather was too rough we just camped one day more and had the best room with the view one can dream of.

In fact one can go one step further and sail / camp / trek - in some areas you can carry a light sailing boat from one big lake to another and go like this for hundreds of miles.

b.

[hummingway]

I day hike. Coastal BC provides so many opportunities to hike but I like to get back to the boat for nighttime. The lure of a cold beer is just too much I guess

[Aussiesuede]

For true avid outdoorsmen (I definitely count myself as one), we never go anywhere without camping gear. I LOVE the wilderness. I HATE campgrounds. I enjoy getting far off the beaten path and into real nature and that means a tent, sleeping bag, thermarest, headlamp, and candle lantern are necessities to keep in a car, boat, or plane - for whenever the opportunity to explore arises. I wouldn't be found dead without those items in the trunk of a car, so it's no different when afloat.

There is so much wildlife in different parts of the world that you can only see if you have the ability to do some rather lengthy hiking, and that means there are times when you couldn't experience "private" sunrises without other souls to disrupt the peace unless you're prepared to camp.

Not everyone likes "off the beaten path" exploration, but for those of us who cherish it - camping gear is a mandatory part of life afloat. And to answer an earlier question - YES, the San Juans are a campers paradise; as well as the inlet isles along the BC coast.

[troppo]

Thank you for the replies folks. I found the various perspectives and stories very interesting.

[MichaelC]

I spent the last two days on a quickie trip to the San Juans. Spent the night at Matia, hung around Sucia for a few hours, then back. I am building a 32' cutter, but I currently have a 17' faering with lockers at either end and a long shallow keel with a steel shoe the whole length. Sprit rig. I can easily carry the backpack gear and food for two for several days, or for me for a week, more if I add a cooler to clutter up the interior. Not so much on the wind, but goes like a scared cat off the wind. When I was sailing in my schooner I would also camp ashore from time to time. I guess the upshot is that whatever way you enjoy sailing, weekending long distance cruising, or backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail or its equivalent is all good. I agree it is nervous making to leave your boat for overnights. You can't guarantee anything in this life except that anything is better than watching life played by actgors on the telly.

[Stillraining]

Originally Posted by s/v Beth

Camping sites are all over the San Juans. Most islands have a picknic table and/or camp site. I guess here the big game is to do it on kayaks.
Mississippi? Google the Great Circle route: Down the Miss, over through Florida, up the coast to the Hudson and across the Great Lakes to Chicago....

Yes we have done it...

My women like to get off the boat for a sleep now and then...I however will usually always sleep on the boat just as insurance nothing goes awry and strands us.

So I'm torn between having them all alone on the beach without me and leaving the boat unmanned......not usually a restful night for me...but I let them have their fun....usually carry those very small two way radios for just such times to stay connected if either party had issues needing assistance we can let the other know.

[dennisail]

If you are happy with the comfort of camping you will be happy with the comfort of a 25 foot trailer sailer. You will not have to worry about rolling an anchor since you will almost aways find a great spot with 1 foot draft. If you choose your spots well you will be able to walk to the island from your boat without getting wet for 2/3 of the tide cycle. You will be able to go to places where there are no other people even today, so you can light a fire on the beach away from the National Park Nazis.

This is the best spot in the Whitsundays and no one even goes there. I have spent up to week there an not seen anyone. You have your own private beach and all. You are protected from all wind directions. We even tied off into the mangroves there when a cyclone threatened. No need to set up a tent in places like this and there are plenty more places like it. Sadly the pristine reef ledge that was a short walk away for the boat is now no where near what it was though.

I only camp when we take more people than there are births on the boat.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=q&s...08256&t=h&z=18

Take time to zoom on this area the resolution there is awesome.

[troppo]

That looks an awesome spot, Dennisail. I had a look at it in Google Earth and did the tilt thing to see it more from the sea and the mountains look fantastic. What a beaut spot to park for a week or two. But would need extremely shallow draft to go in to the beach.

[dennisail]

Its only really suitable for trailer sailers. Even the bay further out isn't that good of an anchorage for larger boats either unless its a northerly. Which is good as that means no one goes there. But the water would be around 6 foot deep on the sand patch we fall dry on at high tide as the tidal range is quite large in the area. The hills are great and I always trek my way through the bush to get to the top. It can be hard going since there are no tracks. The headland to the right is a good spot to climb to. Great view watching the sea slam the cliffs below.

How do you do the tilt thing in google earth?

[troppo]

Dennisail, in Google Earth (does not work in Google Maps) I hold down the mouse scroll wheel and then drag down. The other way is, see the compass circle on the top righthand side when you have Google Earth running. The outer ring is the compass. The inner circle has four arrowsheads. Click and hold on the top arrowhead and the view will tilt up.

The advantage of having the shallow draft trailer sailer are certainly clear with the capability of accessing this sort of bay and beach. As you say, I can imagine you having it all to yourself, not because it is not a nice place but simply because only a boat like yours can access it.

[dennisail]

Wow thats awesome. I will have to try that feature out.