Three Year Plan: Preparing for an offshore cruise

Do you dream of far away atolls? Or tying up to the town wharf alongside an ancient European ruin? In this article experienced cruisers, John and Amanda Neal, detail a three year plan to get you ready to cast off.

Year one: ensure that you enjoy cruising and establish an overall plan

Before starting to look for a cruising boat, it is important to ensure you really enjoy sailing and are comfortable living aboard. If you aren’t yet an accomplished sailor, consider a live-aboard cruising instructional course. Additionally, crewing on a boat for local sailing races is an excellent way to hone your sail trimming and onboard skills.

Complete an offshore passage of more than 300 miles to ensure that you enjoy being at sea. Sometimes a competent coastal sailor will set off on an extended cruise then discover that they really prefer coast hopping to ocean passages. The time spent offshore on someone else’s boat will quickly clarify your priorities for boat selection, equipment and the extra skills you need to gain. Generally an offshore passage of more than 300 miles will satisfy the prerequisite for obtaining offshore insurance for your own offshore boat at a later time.

Once you decide the cruising lifestyle is for you, you need to establish a game plan. Top of the list is deciding where you want to cruise and for how long; Tassie, Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef, Darwin, maybe Fiji, Vanuatu and New Cal – or perhaps west around the world? You’re fortunate in that Australia is right in the middle of some of the world’s finest cruising grounds.

Preparation and self-sufficiency are key to fun and safe cruising so doing your homework ahead of time will really pay off.

Weather

Nothing affects your safety and comfort while cruising more than weather. Try and find a good marine weather course. If there isn’t one offered in your area, consider signing up for an on-line course through www.starpath.com. Purchase and study the RYA Weather Handbook, Southern Hemisphere by Chris Tibbs, and Heavy Weather Cruising by Tom Cunliffe. Your ability to understand the weather and to follow weather patterns will help ensure that your cruising is safe and fun.

Navigation

Navigation has changed dramatically over the past twenty years. By all means study celestial navigation and buy a sextent, it’s a great skill to have as a back-up, but the reality is that most sailors use GPS for navigation. You’ll need to understand how GPS’s work, chart datums and be proficient in quickly and accurately plotting GPS positions. You’ll also need to learn about tides and currents. Make sure you complete a coastal navigation course if you haven’t already. Pay particular attention to topics that are relevant for the area you’re planning to cruise. For example, if you’re planning on cruising Australia’s northern coast you would be well advised to be comfortable navigating amongst big tidal ranges and fast moving currents.

Sea safety and survival course

You and each of your crew should complete a sea safety and survival course. A list of approved providers can be found on the www.yachtingaustralia.org website. You’ll learn how to assess and respond to emergencies, what safety equipment to buy and how to use it. One of the more interesting parts of this course is on how to launch a life raft and rescue yourself.

Offshore medical course: Everyone on board should have a basic knowledge of first aid through the type of basic course offered by St. John’s Ambulance Service. You should be familiar with how to assess injuries and administer basic first aid. If you are travelling long distances or in remote areas you should also have people on board with a more advanced knowledge of first aid. St. John’s offer a course in remote area first aid that addresses the skills you will need when help may be some time or distance away.

Radio operations: You should attend a radio operator’s course and learn the basics of radio operation. At the very least you will need to know how to operate your VHF radio and EPIRB, but if you’re travelling further afield you’ll want to learn about medium and high frequency radio operation.

Diesel maintenance: If you can find a course on marine diesel engines, take it. Having a reliable diesel is important for your safety and piece of mind. If you can’t find a convenient marine diesel course at least purchase Nigel Calder’s Marine Diesel Engines book and hire a mechanic to show you how to change fuel filters, water pump impellers, alternator, how to adjust valves, flush the fuel line and align an engine.

As you can see year one is about building your knowledge and skills base in key areas.

Year two: finding and outfitting the right cruising boat

There isn’t any one yacht that is perfect for everyone. The boat you choose should be safe, comfortable, sturdy enough to survive a six-knot grounding, and ideally capable of fast passages, while hopefully not depreciating too much. If your plans are limited to coastal cruising close to home you can consider a wider range of suitable boats than those who are headed offshore as they require a sturdier vessel.

The process of selecting and purchasing a boat for extended cruising usually takes a minimum of six to 12 months. Do your homework. Start by researching boat types that suit your budget and cruising plans. Keep in mind that you need to buy a boat that will suit the type of cruising you have in mind, so while you’re allowed to fawn over super-yachts, there is not much sense in looking outside your price range; particularly when you consider that additional funds necessary to get the boat ready for sea.

If possible go down the docks where overseas cruising boats gather and ask the owners how their boats have held up. Be patient, ask questions and learn everything you can while keeping an open mind. Discuss with yacht brokers what is involved in a purchase transaction. You’ll need to allow time and money to locate, examine, survey and test sail boats. You may also have the added expense of shipping or delivering your new boat to a place convenient for outfitting.

If you make a poor choice you may be plagued with structural problems, leaks, slow uncomfortable passages, endless repairs and a low resale price. I mention resale price now, because the money used for purchasing a cruising boat often represents a substantial part of people’s life savings. Although sailboats are rarely a “good” investment in monetary terms, you’ll want to recoup as much of your original purchase price as possible when it comes time to sell.

When I started cruising the South Pacific in 1974 on a Vega 27, there were many cruisers on shoestring budgets doing multi-year, open-ended cruises on boats under 35’. Over the years the median length of cruising boats has been increasing steadily with the development and improvement of sail-handling systems including furling mainsails and electric winches. This growth in size has resulted in boats that are initially more expensive to purchase and more expensive to maintain. Today we see people cruising on larger boats, visiting more countries in a shorter time frame. Offshore cruising is rarely now an open-ended lifestyle choice but one that most people experience for six months to two years before shifting to a new phase of their life.

You must be prepared to singlehand your yacht. Seasickness or illness may incapacitate you or your partner, leaving one person to handle everything. Safety dictates a boat should have manageable-sized sails, a powerful autopilot and, ideally, a dependable wind-vane self-steering system. Fatigue is the number one cause of yachts being lost on the rocks while making landfall so it is essential that you are able to handle your boat without help and that you realize your abilities and limitations. If you are considering a boat over 42’ and aren’t as young and strong as you used to be, consider adding electric winches, a bow thruster and possibly a furling mainsail. These add cost and complexity, but being able to easily handle your boat is important.

Size and cost of a vessel are the two most important points to remember when making you selection. The size of boat directly affects your cruising cost; not only in initial purchase and outfitting but also in cruising expenses, time and the energy required to maintain the vessel. Bear in mind that it is considerably more expensive to maintain a 50’ to 60’ boat versus a 40’ boat. In general the majority of boats cruising for a year or longer are sailed by couples on a size range from 35’ to 45’.

When working within a budget a good approach is to spend less on your boat purchase than you initially planned. Instead of a shiny new fifty footer, you may be better off considering either well-built used yacht or a smaller new boat. Few people realize that outfitting a new stock boat generally takes 30% to 50% more than the initial purchase price. For example on a 40’ boat, new or used, this means an additional $20,000 to $50,000 for essential equipment; additional sails, ground tackle, liferaft, safety equipment and tender. This amount excludes optional equipment such as refrigeration, electronics, outboard motor, scuba gear and autopilot. On a yacht 20 years or older, replacing rigging, tanks, engine and upgrading the electrical system can easily add an additional 50% to 100%. It’s very easy and normal to overspend on the initial purchase of the boat, spend more money on equipment that isn’t essential and then run short of funds once you’ve actually started cruising.

One option is to purchase a boat upwind of Australia (Europe, Caribbean, US, Tahiti or New Zealand), re-fit it, and then enjoy a downwind cruise home. This year we were surprised at how many Aussies we met who were doing this. Without exception, they told us their purchase prices were less, sometimes substantially less than for a similar boat in Australia. After cruising to Australia many hoped to cover the cost of their one year voyage upon selling.

After purchase price the budget for priority equipment needs to be established, then the cost of initial provisions ($2,000), and funds for cruising (an
average of $1000 to $2000 for a couple per month) for the duration you plan
to cruise. The remaining money can then be set aside for the non-essential but “sure would be nice to have” equipment.

Year three: shakedown cruise and preparing for departure

To simplify your life while cruising consider selling your home and downsizing to a townhouse or flat. We found a flat that has a lock-off storage room where we leave personal treasures and we rent the flat out while we are at sea. Many cruisers tend to have a home base that is rented out while they are offshore. If you are lucky enough to not have to sell your home to go cruising and plan to rent or lease your home out while you’re away, it is wise to hire a well-respected property manager to receive payments, pay the rates and insurance and oversee repairs.

Practice makes perfect. Give yourself and your crew time to learn the boat and its systems. Go away for weekends. Get used to reefing, setting the wind vane steering system, practice your storm tactics. The more comfortable you are with how your boat handles and how to use your equipment, the more confident you’ll be and the more enjoyable your cruising will be.

Completing an offshore shakedown cruise, for example, off to Lord Howe Island and back is a great way to ensure that all the systems on the boat are working. This is a good time to practice storm sailing tactics including use of your storm sails and drogue.

Once you’ve completed your shakedown voyage, schedule a boat haul prior to moving aboard. Ensure you fully understand and can maintain all you systems. Be self-sufficient in doing as much of the work as possible yourself as this if often the norm when you are out cruising.

Move aboard, ideally at least six months before departure to get accustomed to the smaller space, limited resources and closer company. This is a time of adjustment and compromise for both partners. The book Changing Course by Debra Ann Cantrell addresses these challenges.

You may have family members and friends who don’t understand why you want to take off cruising or try and lay a guilt trip on you. This is quite normal. The best you can do is reassure them that this is a well-planned adventure with a focus on safety. Consider setting up a blog site so that they can follow your journey and possibly invite them to visit once you’re in an exotic location.

Purchase a computer solely for navigation and offshore communications. For long range communications your options include a marine single sideband radio and Pactor modem which will allow you to send and receive email, or more simply, an Iridium satphone. Learn how to use either SSB or Iridium to receive free weather GRIB files. Information is available at www.sailmail.com.

For offshore passagemaking insurance expect to encounter stricter requirements for crew experience and safety gear than if coastal sailing. Many countries and marinas worldwide now require proof of at least third party liability insurance.

Research international health insurance (this was addressed in the March/April issue of AY) Get a thorough physical and dental exams and purchase first aid kit and prescription medicines.

Set up as many of your recurring bills for automatic payment. You will probably still need to have someone collect your mail, pay non-autopay bills and taxes. Many cruisers have family members take care of these home-base details. Alternatively you might choose to hire a professional to do this. If so, you’ll need to organise a limited power of attorney document authorizing them to handle specified services for you.

If you are in need of crew it’s easy to find friends and family members excited about sailing with you when you first leave your home port. As you get further away it often becomes time consuming coordinating the logistics of crew arrival and departure, especially when airfare prices increase. People cruising on larger boats may have to depend on finding pick-up crew in different ports in order to safely manage their boat on ocean passages and to satisfy insurance requirements. Crew difficulties are common problems for larger cruising boats. In order to accommodate your crews’ time frame you may also be restricted to a scheduled departures and arrivals irrespective of weather and gear failure. The smaller the boat, the less of these hassles you’ll encounter.

Summary

This article assumes that you and your partner are already fairly competent sailors. If not, then you may want to allow extra time to build up your skills and confidence. A good way of doing this is crewing for good skippers, people who know what they’re doing and don’t mind sharing their knowledge with others.

Modern sailboats have a lot of mechanical and electrical systems. If you want to cruise comfortably it pays to learn how to operate and maintain your equipment. This task should not be underestimated given the complexity of modern boats. Yes, you can pay others to maintain your boat, but we’ve seen too many boats waiting in port for parts or labour while a weather window closes.

By taking the time to prepare yourself, your boat and your crew, you will greatly increase the likelihood of having a comfortable and memorable cruise; one that is full of memories instead of dramas.