Crew Wanted: SF Bay Area: Newbie looking for experienced sailor

[Discordwell]

Long story short, I just bought my first real boat, a 1978 30" Buccaneer named Tiiki from a work buddy who's been using her as a liveaboard for the last six months. Unfortunately, I need to move her from a marina in Redwood City, CA to one ~30 miles away within the next week, and I'm enough of a noob that I don't trust myself to be able to do it.

Full disclosure: the onboard diesel fuel hasn't been changed in the past six months, zincs are almost certainly gone, and the bottom needs repainting. I don't want to cause any dumb, preventable damage before I can get her to a repair yard.

I'm looking for someone who knows his or her way around a boat well enough to can put in 4-8 hours of time sometime between 3/10 and 3/13 to help me move Tiiki. I'll provide ground transportation, $$$, and beer. Photos included to give you some idea of what you'd be dealing with.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Discordwell.

Congratulations!

[jarl]

Hello,

I reside in the bay area and have couple years experience sailing cats to sloops. I could help you out, contact me if interested. Thanks.

[Don C L]

You're in my old stomping ground! I'm not nearby but I'd suggest having a diver scrub the bottom, prop and check the intake thru-hull for the engine to make sure it's clear, in the next couple of days so it will be ready by the 11th. If you have a manual for the engine, read the part about bleeding the injectors and be sure to have tools onboard too.

[Don C L]

You might check Latitude 38 for crew too.

[Steve Bean]

Good advice from Don CL. Part of checking out the engine would be to run it in gear for a while, tied very securely to the dock, to show up any overheating problem before leaving. Also hoist and check out main and jib, check all running rigging. Have an anchor rigged and ready to use.

[MarkSF]

Several things worry me about this enterprise : but mainly the combination of a boat of unknown provenance, and the time deadline. This is frequently an unfortunate combination, and occasionally a deadly one.

What you really need to do is to take the time to check out and test the boat's crucial systems, and the safety gear, to make sure it is safe to undertake this trip.

Some questions I personally would want answered before going anywhere in it :

Was this boat a functioning cruising boat before it was a liveaboard?
What is the state of the fuel, and the tank?
Engine oil, coolant, fuel filters?
Does the engine run without overheating under load?
What state are the prop and steering gear in?
What state is the bottom in?
Has the boat been surveyed? If not, have you done an inspection yourself?
Are the sails in good condition, and have you tested hoisting them, and that all the running rigging works?
Does it have up-to-date minimum safety gear? Flares, life jackets, horn.
Has the VHF radio been tested?

Until these questions have been answered, stay right where you are.

[Snore]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

Several things worry me about this enterprise : but mainly the combination of a boat of unknown provenance, and the time deadline. This is frequently an unfortunate combination, and occasionally a deadly one.

What you really need to do is to take the time to check out and test the boat's crucial systems, and the safety gear, to make sure it is safe to undertake this trip.

Some questions I personally would want answered before going anywhere in it :

Was this boat a functioning cruising boat before it was a liveaboard?
What is the state of the fuel, and the tank?
Engine oil, coolant, fuel filters?
Does the engine run without overheating under load?
What state are the prop and steering gear in?
What state is the bottom in?
Has the boat been surveyed? If not, have you done an inspection yourself?
Are the sails in good condition, and have you tested hoisting them, and that all the running rigging works?
Does it have up-to-date minimum safety gear? Flares, life jackets, horn.
Has the VHF radio been tested?

Until these questions have been answered, stay right where you are.

Cough Hmmm cough

This is a 4 hour relocate. Yes the basics should be covered. But a survey, etc before jumping on as crew for a 4 hour relocate of a basic boat is a tad over the top.

If I was in California, I would have no issues doing this with some basics being covered (ya got towing ins?). Hell since this is a low budget deal, I would grab the flares, etc off my boat and bring them!

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Snore

Cough Hmmm cough

This is a 4 hour relocate. Yes the basics should be covered. But a survey, etc before jumping on as crew for a 4 hour relocate of a basic boat is a tad over the top.

If I was in California, I would have no issues doing this with some basics being covered (ya got towing ins?). Hell since this is a low budget deal, I would grab the flares, etc off my boat and bring them!

I didn't mean to imply that a survey is necessary before ever moving a boat for a 4 hour trip. However, if a survey had been done it would give some indication that the boat is sound, whereas right now there is no such indication. A self-survey would also be fine, maybe using one of the reference books available.

[Don C L]

Yeah I'd agree with Mark on that stuff too, 'course and getting the BoatUS membership is a good idea! If things don't go according Hoyle, you'll be enjoying a nice sunset with the keel stuck in the mud! Bring extra food! I find a nice white wine goes well with the briny muck smell.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Snore

Cough Hmmm cough

This is a 4 hour relocate. Yes the basics should be covered. But a survey, etc before jumping on as crew for a 4 hour relocate of a basic boat is a tad over the top.

If I was in California, I would have no issues doing this with some basics being covered (ya got towing ins?). Hell since this is a low budget deal, I would grab the flares, etc off my boat and bring them!

It's probably not 4 hours. It sounds like he needs to go from the South Bay to somewhere in the Delta. Liveaboards are more accepted there and it tends to be less expensive. At 5-6 knots, and depending on currents (lots of flood waters comin down stream right now - I was making less than 2 knots against it 2 weeks ago) it could take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours. I'd plan on the latter. SF Bay is strongly tide influenced all the way up the Delta region. IMO, the trick is to time it right by leaving the South Bay as soon as daylight during the last half of the ebb as measured from about Redwood City (not the gate). A couple hours after slack (and when you should be around Treasure Island), you'll start to get the flood effect, which will give you an assist up the North Bay. The OP should have charts, which can be printed but make sure the resolution is large enough, so you know where the shallows are and how to access the marinas along the way, in case you need to stop. There are some tricky places, including just before the San Mateo Bridge and along the Berkeley/Richmond waterfront, not to mention the whole Delta region. You can't run down the middle of the South Bay either because of the shoal there. If you find someone with sailing experience, that's great, but make sure you do your own research because it can get really tricky. Leave early in the morning to avoid the afternoon wind slot between the gate and Berkeley, though it is less at this time of year. I don't see any sails in your pics so if you're doing this on motor alone, make sure you have an anchor and sufficient rode to drop if you need it to wait out Boat US. You absolutely should buy a subscription with 50 mile tow policy (or whatever it is). If you call the CG to help and theres no danger to lfe, they're going to call Boat US to help you, which could be extremely expensive. I can't help right now, but PM me if you need some assistance remotely. I've only been as far as Vallejo and don't know the area farther north but if you pay close attention to where the channel is, you'll be OK. Just mind the cargo ships. You'll need to hug the sides when they come through so having a working depth guage would be critical in my opinion. Hope that doesn't scare you. Just educate yourself. You might talk to others who sail in your marina Good luck!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Jarl.

[Liam Wald]

Go to West Marine or go on-line and join the Boat US tow-boat service. Doesn't cost all that much and will give you some insurance in case there is a problem. Make sure the VHF radio works.

[Jim Cate]

It's probably not 4 hours. It sounds like he needs to go from the South Bay to somewhere in the Delta.

His 30 miles from Redwood City takes him only to around Pt San Pablo, not quite to the delta! But I agree that 4 hours is not a likely passage time... with a new to him boat with unknown issues and a beginning sailing skill level, double that time will be good going. Planning around the tides is essential, but may be constrained by his schedule (deadly word). Planning for at least the possibility of having to stop on the way overnight might be a good idea, and carrying a few fuel filters in case sloshing stirs up some crap off the bottom of the tank wouldn't hurt, either! And knowing how to change t hem and bleed the system is kinda essential, too.

Jim

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

His 30 miles from Redwood City takes him only to around Pt San Pablo, not quite to the delta!

Ha, yeah, you're right, Jim. I call everything up to Vallejo, "North Bay" and beyond that "the Delta" because it's the great unknown for me. I'd love to do the Delta Ditch Run one of these days, just to have that experience