Next step?

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

1. **Never be late for a watch[/I]** Get up early, get into your foulies and be fully ready to step on deck exactly on time. This is #1 for a reason. You'll find out for yourself someday when you have a crewmember who is always late. The on-time crew will be tempted to throw them overboard - yes, it's that maddening...
…snip…

Good set of rules, but I thought I’d just comment on this one.

Re watches, I use a different approach, whereby the person going OFF watch wakes their replacement at the end of their watch (usually on the hour). They then wait until their replacement is on deck before standing down.
Same outcome, just a different way of doing it.
Mind you, you want to be in your gear and on deck in no less than 5 minutes!

In addition, while you’re on your first offshore passage, don’t be afraid to ask why certain things were done (at the appropriate time of course).
Most skippers are very happy to explain why they’re doing something and eager to pass on their knowledge.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Well done, Luke!

That'll be an exciting sail.

I remember my first offshore and I, too, was anxious and excited. For me, the thing I was most anxious about was if I would get seasick or not. (I'm lucky, I actually don't; after 24 hours, I forgot to worry about that anymore.) You might get a hold of some stugeron and have it on hand - or take it prophallactically for the first 24-48 hours.

As strange as it sounds, I find that sleeping and eating well (non-greasy foods) and staying properly warm and dry is essential. Ensure you have proper sea boots and foulies, warm socks and good synthetic layers (no cotton). Also separate dry pyjamas you can sleep in that you are rigorous about keeping salt *out* of!

Here are the five rules of offshore sailing that some old salt croaked at me before I went offshore my first time:

1. **Never be late for a watch** Get up early, get into your foulies and be fully ready to step on deck exactly on time. This is #1 for a reason. You'll find out for yourself someday when you have a crewmember who is always late. The on-time crew will be tempted to throw them overboard - yes, it's that maddening...
2. One hand for you and one for the boat Ensure you keep yourself safe at all times. Only you can. Get/borrow an offshore Spinlock PFD and tether and wear it while on deck - always - and absolutely ALWAYS at night. Walk and move carefully around the boat (mindfulness practise!) and develop the habit of making sure you have one hand - for you - connected to something sturdy which supports your weight. Wedge yourself into a corner of the galley when prepping food underway or clip yourself in if there are galley-straps/clips; don't take out a bunch of utensils/ knives that could go flying.
3. Don't be selfish. If you're making a cuppa, or a sandwich, check who else wants some and make it for everyone. Another way this works well is when starting night watches, heat a kettle enough for your going on-watch and the person coming off-watch - make a coffee for yourself and a sleepytime tea for the person coming off-watch.
4. Keep all your $*it in one place. Sailboats are small, snug quarters and nothing will drive everyone more nuts than one crewmember who leaves all his $*it everwhere, all over - a sock here, a book there, foulies in one corner where everyone ends up contacting their wet, soggy sleeves and getting salt all over themselves everytime they pass or unsecured stuff that ends up flying everwhere... such thoughtlessness will drive everyone around the bend and foment a secret resentment toward you. Don't do it!
5. Take care of the boat and she'll take care of you Reef as soon as you think of it and reef down at night. Make a practise of walking around deck at least twice a day checking for chafe and things that might be coming unsecured and would bash; rig a preventer downwind - properly - to avoid uncontrolled jibs and unnecessary strains on the rig. You probably won't be making these sorts of decisions this time out, but you can note and learn from those who are making these calls. Keep this idea in your mind and see if your own calls would mesh with the onboard decisionmakers'.

Sorry if it sounds like I'm being tough, but with around 30 years of sailing, I often bless that old crumudgeon (can you believe I don't even remember his name?), because by god have those rules stood me in good stead!

Have fun! You'll learn a lot. Sailing offshore is very wild and free feeling and your love of the sea will grow when you're experiencing just the sea and no land for a few days. I love, love, love it - in all her moods. For me, it feels like home.

Oh, and I don't know if I already recommended this book for the Admiral as a stocking-stuffer, but it has a wealth of cruising info to support the woman in a cruising relationship:

Cruising Woman's Advisor
https://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Woma...s%2C166&sr=8-4

Fair, fair winds, Luke - and following seas!
Warmly,
LittleWing77

^These are solid rules to follow any time you're on any kind of passage or cruise.

[Lucky Luke 1]

I just went and spent a few bob on gear, new life jacket with harness. Teather, some beaut looking sea boots, off shore jacket and bracers.

I wont know much but at least ill look the part

[LittleWing77]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1

I just went and spent a few bob on gear, new life jacket with harness. Teather, some beaut looking sea boots, off shore jacket and bracers.

I wont know much but at least ill look the part.

You're on your way, Luke!

This is another little tip I thought of:
My sailing kit bag always includes a heavy-duty wooden hanger that will properly hold the weight of my wet foulies - so I can hang them in the wet gear locker or the head when off-watch (wherever the captain has designated for wet foulies).

Oftentimes boats only have a bunch of cheap plastic hangers which won't hold wet-foulies' weight, so they don't dry off-watch (or don't dry enough), because they fall off the hanger or the hangers all break.

(*Well, foulies never completely dry because of the salt, but you want to get them as-dry-as-you-can by your next watch.)

LW77

[LittleWing77]

Sorry for all of my piecemeal tips, Luke!

Just thought of another one:
I always carry a pack of baby wet-wipes offshore. (Wet Ones - any brand like that.) You'll accumulate a great deal of salt on your face on-watch, which you'll need to ensure is *off* of your face before you get your head down, otherwise the salt gets trapped in your pores. Then you end up with all these tiny, painful salt-pimples.

Just wipe your face with a wet-wipe (do NOT dispose of them in the sea!) and you can also go to sleep without getting salt all over your pillowcase (making it damp and clammy) and avoiding a faceful of salt-pimples...

LW77

[Lucky Luke 1]

All the tips have been great. Keep em coming.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Lucky Luke 1

All the tips have been great. Keep em coming.

You are one squared-away deck hand, Luke! Happy sailing!!

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

Sorry for all of my piecemeal tips, Luke!

Just thought of another one:
I always carry a pack of baby wet-wipes offshore. (Wet Ones - any brand like that.) You'll accumulate a great deal of salt on your face on-watch, which you'll need to ensure is *off* of your face before you get your head down, otherwise the salt gets trapped in your pores. Then you end up with all these tiny, painful salt-pimples.

Just wipe your face with a wet-wipe (do NOT dispose of them in the sea!) and you can also go to sleep without getting salt all over your pillowcase (making it damp and clammy) and avoiding a faceful of salt-pimples...

LW77

Do not ever put wet wipes in the toilet!
They will clog everything up and clearing the blockage is probably the worst job on a boat, particularly under way.

[LittleWing77]

Luke!

Great kit! I love that tether and harness as well. You can walk it along your jackstays like you're walking a dog behind you - really easy.

Yes to Chris above, too. I'm sorta ashamed to be recommending baby wipes since they don't biodegrade and only add to our landfills, it's just we all know how tired we are when coming off-watch, especially in the middle of the night. The last thing you'd think about is washing your face. Which is why I developed my own practise of giving my face a swipe then diving into sleep.

Luke, if your eyesight is such that you can't see without your glasses, get a pair of croakies to keep them on your head and bring a spare-pair....

As the countdown begins...!
(Four more sleeps)
LW77

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by LittleWing77

... Just wipe your face with a wet-wipe (do NOT dispose of them in the sea!) and you can also go to sleep without getting salt all over your pillowcase (making it damp and clammy) and avoiding a faceful of salt-pimples...

Always wipe the salt off, whilst it is still wet.

[Lucky Luke 1]

I'd like to thank everyone for their contribution to this thread. Its amazing how much a little encouragement can help and tips and tricks are worth their weight in gold.

For any new to sailing people who read this just be aware you can make it happen.

285 Nautical miles. We started at Beauty Point Tas at 9:20 AM on the 27th and finished at Constitution dock in Hobart at 9ish PM on the 29th. What a roller coaster ride! Lots of things broke including a ripped jib rounding Tasman Island along with a jammed fuler it was on.
Being onboard a 38ft washing machine surrounded by sharks along with 7 other people and living life in 4 hr on and off shifts takes some describing, as does the smell, but I did see lots of Dolphins.. Ocean racers are certainly a breed apart.


Tasman island and its light house.

[Lucky Luke 1]

Ripped Jib and jammed furler, also a broken jib line.

[nightowle]

Try to get a long-range passage or two (Sydney to Tasmania - or such). Look for a flotilla boat that needs an extra hand. Cruisers will often take on crew from point to point so there should be some opportunities in your area.

[goboatingnow]

I agree that chartering is a poor means of getting experience for going cruising. Expensive as you have said (a weeks charter would buy most of a decent trailer-sailor) and far too "spoon-fed" to be a true learning experience.

bareboat chartering is the closest thing a person with cruising intentions is going to get , even delivery sails are far non standard experiences

I did a lot of racing, ( for a while ) its not a great way tp learn to sail, sailing boats are generally not set up like cruising boats. The whole outlook and attitude is different and you learn lots of things that don't transfer well. It has its limits

round me here in Greece , many many couples cut their teeth chartering , it showed them they could live on a boat and handle the basic sailing tasks together , This is the key issue , not the technicalities of sailing ,

If your partner is as enthusiastic as you , great both of your need to make some time in your work schedule to do a bit of bareboat chartering. I ram a small business and was expanding it when I crossed the Atlantic the first time ( my sales director range me on the sat phone and said it was the best sales month so far, keep sailing he said !!). Youll need to make " some " time or the dream will never be realised

In the meantime , yes I am a fan of certification, do a over winter formal navigation class of a RYA or equivalent shorebased Yachtmaster class, over the next few years do you VHF cert, first aid and few STCW95 courses ( sea survival being the obvious one )

Do the actual practical exams when you feel ready , RYA Day Skipper , Coastal Skipper, Yachtmaster etc , Try and get your partner to do these also. Its a great confidence booster and gives you a grounding

again , the main issues with cruising couples is one of them turns out to hate the boat/the sea/sailing/living every minute with you/misses teh kids/Friends/dog/house( delete as appropriate. You need to cover these bases first, becuase its expensive if it gets discovered AFTER youve bought the boat!!!

[goboatingnow]

1. **Never be late for a watch**
2. One hand for you and one for the boat
3. Don't be selfish.
4. Keep all your $*it in one place.

good advice , as an ex delivery skipper Id add

5: Learn to cook ( a proper meal ) on a boat, The number of men ( and many women) that cant boil an egg is shocking
6: Tools and fixings things , learn to use basic tools and mend things , this isnt cheque book sailing. I had a guy nearly rip his hand off with a drill, turns out hed never really used one before !!
7: please limit weird personal habits - I could write a book about the strange crew Ive ended up with on deliveries ( they get even more weird in storms too !!)