New to sailing - Planning circumnavigation

[dlj]

Originally Posted by VamosFugir

I have seen the Water boats">blue water boats site before, it's always hard to see what a boat feels like from any website but it is very informative. We did get a chance to get on a 42ft and another 38ft boat and both felt like more than we'd want to take care of!

It takes a lot of sailing to learn what various boats feel like....

It's been said to me that doing ocean passages, it is actually easier to sail a boat in the 40 foot range. Their motion at sea is less tiring and that is a critical consideration. I've recently purchased a 41 foot boat and last year was sailing in some wretched weather. I can personally attest to how much easier this boat was on us (there were two of us sailing her) than any of my previous boats that ran in the 30 to 36 foot range... Just food for thought.

There are of course costs to maintain a boat, and those goes up with boat size no matter. So you do have to look at many angles to know what will work for you.

dj

[Adelie]

Welcome.

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.

[NavyDave_andMe]

Depending on how familiar you are with marine engines, down the road you might want to look into the course on engine repair run by Mack Boring in New Jersey. It's pricey but in depth. Especially useful if it turns out your boat-to-be has a Yanmar engine.

https://mackboring.com/training/even...p-code-123456/

There are cheaper courses at sailing schools and community colleges. I have taken courses in marine electrical, boat systems (plumbing and such), and engine repair. Great confidence boosters because you can pick the brains of not only the instructor but the other sailors in your class.

Also you could consider a Safety at Sea seminar. Run by Cruising Club of America. https://sas.cruisingclub.org/

Since you have taken ASA courses, I'll add a plug for 105 and 106, and what the heck, 118 (Docking). If I pay someone to tell me something, and later my husband tells me the same thing, then I actually believe him! (Just kidding, but sometimes true) (And it took way more time practicing navigation with Dave than any instructor had time or patience to go over with me in an ASA class. I was a s-l-o-w learner. Navigation is hard!)

Enjoy your time on the lake!

--Cheryl

[wholybee]

I just completed my circumnavigation last week. 7 years ago I was about where you are now.

Buy the bigger boat sooner rather than later. It will need some work before you go, and you need time to do that. It took me 2.5 years, starting with a boat that was a good weekend/coastal boat already. You also want to learn all the systems because unexpected things will break. Paying to have them fixed in foreign ports inevitably leads to them being fixed wrong. So, make sure you know the boat very well. I helped countless cruisers that had things messed up by incompetent professionals in foreign ports.

I found the book, The Voyagers Handbook, extremely valuable in selecting a boat and outfitting it and getting ready in general.
https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Hand.../dp/0071437657

Plan to join a rally of some kind for your first leg or two. After you get that behind you, I wouldn't bother with them again, but many sailors always cross oceans in a rally. Joining a rally (at least the right one) gives you some confidence that other sailors or officials will look at your boat to make sure it is seaworthy. It sets a date, and keeps you in a group in case something goes wrong. Not all rallies give that kind of support, but look for one that does.

My first leg was the Pacific Cup, which I selected because of the extensive inspection and equipment list. I knew that if I passed, my boat was safe. I would suggest following that list, even if you don't join a rally that has as thorough equipment list.

https://2022.pacificcup.org/pcer.csv

Set a firm date. This is another plus with a Rally. Without a firm date, people tend to inch toward leaving, but never leave. Once you join a rally and start prepping for it, you are committed and much more likely to leave.

Instead of charting a boat, try to crew for others in an offshore rally. Chartering a boat has almost nothing in common with cruising. But if you crew on a Rally, you will get the full experience of crossing an ocean, how to manage the galley underway, how to provision, what little things you need that you otherwise might not consider etc. Plus, it will be a lot cheaper.

One thing that really surprised me, probably half the circumnavigators I met had a rigging failure of some kind along the way. Including myself, with brand new rigging when I left, and others with new rigging. Learn how to do a thorough inspection, do and inspection before and after each passage, and know how to replace a shroud should you need to order a new one made and replace it yourself.

[Adelie]

Welcome.

I would suggest updating your profile with your general location and your boat make & model or “Looking” in the "Boat" category. This info shows up under your UserName in every post in the web view. Many questions are boat and/or location dependent and having these tidbits under your UserName saves answering those questions repeatedly. If you need help setting up your profile then click on this link: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3308797

I would happily help more if the link above is not enough.

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by Ballsnall

Not very useful without the knowledge and experience to correctly interpret the results. A small soft hammer is far more useful and a hell of a lot less expensive.

I’m interested in how this works.
Do you just wander around a yard randomly hitting boats with your hammer?
Would seem to be a quick way to either a police station or a hospital!

I doubt I’d let anyone hit my boat with a hammer (no matter how soft) unless they’d at least paid a deposit.