Sailing without a clue!!

[Benny241525]

Hello Sailors,


Back in June 2013, I was on the hunt for a boat that would sail me all the way from Canada to my home in Australia! not an easy thing to do in itself with my budget... and since I found Willow, my 30ft windward sloop sailboat.. I made the decision to go all in!! and spend every last cent on her.. and since then the road has not got any easier.

I've come to far on this adventure, and with my departure date landing somewhere in Aug/September this year, I'd like to invite all to share the highs and low's of the preparation, as I video the up grades, and modification I need to make on my modest little boat before she is ready to sail the high-sea's .

My link is https://www.youtube.com/user/theonboardproject

And please feel free to comment/share some of the things that are happening, as for I am a novice sailor, and I'm learning as I go, thank you

[Ol Dave]

Not sure about the Pacific .... BUT ... On the east coast of the US and Caribbean that's hurricane season. Sept 10th being the peak.

[Benny241525]

Originally Posted by Ol Dave

Not sure about the Pacific .... BUT ... On the east coast of the US and Caribbean that's hurricane season. Sept 10th being the peak.

I think the majority of hurricanes occur in Aug, but looking a the hurricane tracks over the last 10 years, they seem to be further south.. and so if I am leaving Canada at 49 degrees N in Aug/sep I'm hoping that by the time I get down there, the season will be long gone..

I hope to join the Baja haha rally from san diego from the 26th of Aug, it's a blue water sail down to mexico, and is geared for beginners I think, so the weather shouldnt be to bad???

cheers

[roverhi]

You can make the sail from Newfoundland to S. Florida in two weeks if you go direct. Wouldn't count on missing the hurricane season unless you go real slow stopping constantly. Fine for cruising but a real money waster if your intent is to get to Australia before the bucks run out.

The sail up to San Diego from Panama is a long, slow, hard slog to windward. A sail with few rewards especially if the intent is to just turn around and head south again. Most people going west from Panama, sail to the Galapagos and then west with the trades to the Marquesas. From there its a leasurely sail with the prevailing winds through Polynesia till you head south to OZ. Plan on getting to the Marquesas in the Southern late fall to avoid the tropical cyclone season. You can get there earlier but would want to hang out in the Marquesas to be safe from the storms. Personally would recommend that as we really enjoyed our 5 months in that island chain and still didn't see it all. You want to be heading to Austraiia by November at the latest from Polynesia.

[Benny241525]

Originally Posted by roverhi

You can make the sail from Newfoundland to S. Florida in two weeks if you go direct. Wouldn't count on missing the hurricane season unless you go real slow stopping constantly. Fine for cruising but a real money waster if your intent is to get to Australia before the bucks run out.

The sail up to San Diego from Panama is a long, slow, hard slog to windward. A sail with few rewards especially if the intent is to just turn around and head south again. Most people going west from Panama, sail to the Galapagos and then west with the trades to the Marquesas. From there its a leasurely sail with the prevailing winds through Polynesia till you head south to OZ. Plan on getting to the Marquesas in the Southern late fall to avoid the tropical cyclone season. You can get there earlier but would want to hang out in the Marquesas to be safe from the storms. Personally would recommend that as we really enjoyed our 5 months in that island chain and still didn't see it all. You want to be heading to Austraiia by November at the latest from Polynesia.

Thanks for the interest Roverhi,

But I'm actually starting from Vancouver, and I'll be sailing down the west coast to mexico with one or two quick stops along the way. from there I'll be waiting in mexico until the south pacific hurricane season comes and goes from Dec/March.
I'll be waiting for the weather window to open in about mid march. there well be plenty of boat doing the same, whether it's to Galapagos or Marquesas

The timing is a little hard early on, and yes I will be in Mexico for about 4 or 5 months waiting for the weather window, But I'd like to give myself the best chance of success.

the alternative is to wait until April or May next year and sail direct from Vancouver to Marquesas LOL some 5000miles, that would save some money, but I need to get the show on the road and start this year I'm not doing another winter in Canada LOL

I'll be a great spear fisherman by the time I leave Mexico.

thanks

[JPA Cate]

Where you are going (the Marquesas) is quite hot and humid. You may find you need to drink 1/2 gallon water per day. We did. It's a longish trip from Cabo San Lucas, Mexido to the Marquesas, in our case, with a 29 ft. waterline boat, took 19 days one time, and the other, 21 days. The vessel's average days' runs were 140 n. m. per day.

By the time you get to Mexico, you'll have an idea what your average days' runs will be. Then figure out whether you will need to bring supplemental water along. Sometimes one is lucky and can catch a rain squall and get some extra water, and it's fine to drink, do not let folks scare you off it. But, IMO, you should carry with you enough water for the voyage, and whatever extra percent you can manage. Water's more important than food. Be prepared to wash *everything* in salt water, and I'm sure you can manage. People in smaller boats than yours have made the trip.

Ann

[Benny241525]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Where you are going (the Marquesas) is quite hot and humid. You may find you need to drink 1/2 gallon water per day. We did. It's a longish trip from Cabo San Lucas, Mexido to the Marquesas, in our case, with a 29 ft. waterline boat, took 19 days one time, and the other, 21 days. The vessel's average days' runs were 140 n. m. per day.

By the time you get to Mexico, you'll have an idea what your average days' runs will be. Then figure out whether you will need to bring supplemental water along. Sometimes one is lucky and can catch a rain squall and get some extra water, and it's fine to drink, do not let folks scare you off it. But, IMO, you should carry with you enough water for the voyage, and whatever extra percent you can manage. Water's more important than food. Be prepared to wash *everything* in salt water, and I'm sure you can manage. People in smaller boats than yours have made the trip.

Ann

Great advise thanks Ann,

Working out my average day runs and water consumption is part of the reason I'm sailing down the west coast first, so I can document those details in preparation for deep offshore.

It sound like 19 to 21 day from Cabo san lucas is quick?? I was planning for it to take at least 27 if not 30 days LOL but I guess that is a worst case . I would be so happy with 19 days.

When were you last in Mexico? I'm just looking into the formality's involved with bring a boat in.

Have you ever had troubles in you're 29ft?

I'm not really sure what the temporary import permit is, and how much it cost.

And did you have Mexican insurance? and so on?

Luke

[roverhi]

Originally Posted by Benny241525

Thanks for the interest Roverhi,

But I'm actually starting from Vancouver, and I'll be sailing down the west coast to mexico with one or two quick stops along the way. from there I'll be waiting in mexico until the south pacific hurricane season comes and goes from Dec/March.
I'll be waiting for the weather window to open in about mid march. there well be plenty of boat doing the same, whether it's to Galapagos or Marquesas
thanks

Oops, missed that you were leaving from the West Coast, my bad. Sounds like a plan

[Ol Dave]

My experience in Mexico is 3 years old but insurance was required for a slip at the marina and it had to be under written by a Mexican insurance company.

Mexico operates under Napoleonic law and if a dispute were to occur ie injured dock worker, pier damage or an accident with another vessel you would be held until you could prove that you could make it right. Hence the need for a Mexican policy. If you were relying on an international policy, then you would be held until THEY could make it right.

Current information on documents and fees can be found at www.mexonline.com

[Fog Bank]

If you stopover in San Francisco on your trip down, let me know. I'll take you out for lunch.

[Benny241525]

Originally Posted by Fog Bank

If you stopover in San Francisco on your trip down, let me know. I'll take you out for lunch.

sounds great, I am planning on a stop in San Francisco! cheers

[Fog Bank]

Originally Posted by Benny241525

sounds great, I am planning on a stop in San Francisco! cheers

Outstanding!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Benny241525

Great advise thanks Ann,

Working out my average day runs and water consumption is part of the reason I'm sailing down the west coast first, so I can document those details in preparation for deep offshore.

It sound like 19 to 21 day from Cabo san lucas is quick?? I was planning for it to take at least 27 if not 30 days LOL but I guess that is a worst case . I would be so happy with 19 days.

When were you last in Mexico? I'm just looking into the formality's involved with bring a boat in.

Have you ever had troubles in you're 29ft?

I'm not really sure what the temporary import permit is, and how much it cost.

And did you have Mexican insurance? and so on?

Luke

Hi, Luke,

Sorry if I was unclear. Our boat was a 36 ft. Palmer Johnson Standfast; it was her waterline that was 29 ft. I gave you that figure because in a heavy monohull, the waterline length determines "hull speed". A reasonable rule of thumb for guessing at 24 hr. runs, is 2/3 of hull speed per day. YMMV.

For trip planning, crossing oceans, that is, you should provision as if the trip will take 45 days, if you think it will really take you 30, increasing your estimate by half. If you're going in a 29 ft. boat, your waterline will be shorter than 29 ft., so you should do the numbers for your boat.

The big deal will be making certain you have backups to your water tankage. You can go hungry for a long time; you cannot live without water. When we went, we carried 5 gal. lashed in a jerry jug in the cockpit, plus sun shower full (for rinsing off), and had a PUR survivor 35, capable of manual operation, so that in event of power failure, we could made enough water to keep alive. We were also equipped to capture water off the mainsail under way, by the simple way of putting a fitting at the foot of the sail near the gooseneck, and the water ran out of it, through a hose into collapsible jerry jugs. (The first water is usually a bit salty, but okay for washing *whatever*, the fresh used sparingly.) We also had sea water teed off the engine intake to the galley sink for prewash.

Have not been to Mexico for a long, long time, so not very qualified to comment on that. The CFer called SV Third Day will have more up to date info, if you PM him. I believe that if you are not going to leave the boat, you do not have to get the temporary import permit, but not sure of that.

If you want to go into a marina there, they may require you to have liability insurance now.

Things have changed a lot over the years. When we left, two people were insufficient crew to get hull insurance, and for many years we had no cover. At present, we have liability insurance. We used to use the money we would have spent on insurance on stuff like radar, chain anchor rode, stuff to make us safer. We had early (and very expensive) GPS, also, about the time of the Gulf War.

When you get to the Mexican Consulate in San Diego, they should be able to tell you exactly what is needed, and they may be online as well. Be sure to get it in writing, stamped and signed...really a good idea anywhere.

Ann