New to Cruising...I Mean REALLY New!

[robert sailor]

If the stains are rust then take the sails down and lay them on a clean concrete area and use a weak acid to remove them, something like Oxalic acid will have the stains gone in seconds, make sure you rinse right away very carefully. You can buy the acid in most hardware stores. It comes powdered and its cheap. Mix it 3 parts water to one part powder. You don't need to be aggressive with a power wash with rust stains, let the acid do the work and gently rinse very well. Every battery company makes a variety of batteries and Trojan is no different but if you are using the 6 volt golf cart batteries they are about as good as it gets for that type of battery.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Cjwelch

So far there have been so many things that have been a disappointment.

Welcome to boats

The boat was in much worse condition than I expected.

Welcome to buying boats .

I think the most surpising thing is all the sharks around here. And I dont mean marine life. I am unaccostomed to the culture here both in the land and the sailing community. I have had several people try to take advantage of me while smiling over a beer. I hpope I have held my ground ok.

Welcome to the boat industry

Cant wait to get more exploring done around here. It is beuatiful.

Welcome to the world of messing around in boats .

[David_Old_Jersey]

Sounds like you have had some good advice on the sails (no idea, never done that).......like most things about boats, it's about puzzling out solutions (by self and / or with help of others) and then trying stuff out to see what works for you - and not jumping in feet first.......in this case that means trying out this cleaning method on a bit of sail first - before splashing it all over. Likely will do the job required - but an outside chance will clean a hole through the sail , especially if a bit heavy on the mix. One small hole would be a PITA, a sail like a colander would be a different matter .

If the boat is capable of venturing forth then no great hurry to do "everything" (never will do that anyway!) - don't get sucked into starting a squillion jobs just because they are all easy to start (it's the finishing that gets ya - not the starting!).....the price of that is getting used to less than ideal, at least for a while.....what you will find is that after a short while that some things will not seem so important and sometimes not necessary at all to fix or to "enhance".

[Cjwelch]

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Sounds like you have had some good advice on the sails (no idea, never done that).......like most things about boats, it's about puzzling out solutions (by self and / or with help of others) and then trying stuff out to see what works for you - and not jumping in feet first.......in this case that means trying out this cleaning method on a bit of sail first - before splashing it all over. Likely will do the job required - but an outside chance will clean a hole through the sail , especially if a bit heavy on the mix. One small hole would be a PITA, a sail like a colander would be a different matter .

If the boat is capable of venturing forth then no great hurry to do "everything" (never will do that anyway!) - don't get sucked into starting a squillion jobs just because they are all easy to start (it's the finishing that gets ya - not the starting!).....the price of that is getting used to less than ideal, at least for a while.....what you will find is that after a short while that some things will not seem so important and sometimes not necessary at all to fix or to "enhance".

You sound like the locales!! Lol everyone says the same thing. I am kind of in need of an internal syntax rewire!

[Cjwelch]

latest update:

We just finished up a 4 day rally/race. It was quite the experience. first day the weather was trecherous and I was getting a ride to the start line to get on the boat that I was crewing on (I wasnt ready to enter my boat just yet so I went with another boat). We almost sank. we were taking on water too fast due to a faulty engine part, the winds were at 60 knots, and the seas were about 15 foot. We couldnt bail fast enough, the engine went, and there was no steerage. other than that the race was pretty fun. lol I made a reputation fo rmyself during all of the incidents. THey say i am fearless and calm because I never panicked and I worked my butt off through it all. Other 40 year vets were scared and sea sick. what they dont know was so was I but I just didnt see the value in letting everyone know, there was too much that needed done. Getting tossed around the cabin of a small sail boat trying to bail water with a tupperware dish while the boat is crashing through deep waves is hard work!

then on day three our gennie got stuck on the mast steps of the staysail and I ran up the mast and muscles it off so we could complete the tack fast enough. There was an incident where abother mono hull got panicky during a manuever and he tacked into a cat and tried to say it was because we were on a collission course which of course we were not.

All in all the epic adventure has started off well. I am gaining experience an dknowledge and still excited to move forward. Making lots of new aquaintances as well so that is a plus.

[Cjwelch]

Broke down in a secluded bay! Had to walk several miles to a town for parts. Some have said "oh what a shame" but me? I say " thank The Lord I was close to shore!!" Lovin this life with all its challenges. Thinking of wintering in Croatia. Any thoughts?

[dlymn]

Wind in the Med!!!!! It's either too strong or non existent. The Ionian islands get better press than most areas. Expect to motor, but, in summer, there is a great norwesterly that will send you scooting down the inland sea from the end of the Lefkas channel to Nidri in not much more than an hour. Life can be quite pleasant as you move from one port to another and enjoy the towns and the people. Each place has its own character. We like Plataria, but we also like the other small towns and anchorages. I have heard rumours that Croatia can be very expensive. If you don't mind leaving your boat in the water, you might be able to leave it at one of the smaller ports in Greece for much less than any big marina will charge,

[robert sailor]

Well sounds like you got underway which is over half the battle. If your on a budget Greece and Turkey are good options as you can anchor out most places. Now would be a good time to be holding up somewhere for the winter. Remember cruising is "fixing your boat in exotic ports" your getting your first taste, enjoy!!

[Cjwelch]

Hey I'm in Albania. Yesterday was twice as bad as the day before!! Rained like hell boat pitching and rolling severely. Put up half genoa and was doing 6 knots. I'm not saying I know it all already but one thing I did learn this trip. This is a free tip for you: when entering the port authority of a foreign country try your level best NOT to run In to Coast Guard boat...

In my defense they ordered my to go side to in front of them in 20 knot winds with hard rain coming down!! Ha ha it was pretty hairy!! They knew enough English to scream out "you are not a good Captian!!" Lol scream if they can't take a joke!!