Post: #76

NTP and the other guys who have shared your sailing knowledge and experiences in here, much appreciation. I know it takes a lot of time to go into such detail but you guys are providing great insight into a lifestyle/hobby that is very under the radar for the average Joe, myself included.

I have been watching a few of this guy's youtube videos each week and the video I watched tonight complemented NTP's last post really well.

Post: #77

Awesome stuff from NTP.

I've been sailing all my life. I just got pushed out on the sea in a dinghy when I was about 7 and left to sort myself out. I've not done much cross-ocean sailing, and I mostly do day racing stuff. I'm looking to do some ocean racing over the next year or so. This summer I'm hoping to be racing regularly on a 20' foiling Nacra. There are no words to describe the adrenaline experienced on of one of these boats. I've been sailing a standard Nacra 20 this last summer. For thrills, they are probably impossible to beat:





The excitement, speed, and feeling of being on the edge of control that you get when you are pushing every inch of sail and you're hoiked out on the trapeze with your face 12" above the water, knowing that one false move could have serious consequences, is just insane.

Post: #78

Kicking some ass and taking names H1N1 !

Here is what I said before and if you would not mind, I think it would be a big plus to hear your (and the other sailors here) take and insights with regard to how sailing and racing have honed your instincts.

¨After you have some initial lake experience, you may consider some racing in something like J-22´s as you hone your tactical skills. Racing is usually a team effort (especially if you move to 12 meter ocean racing). The level of certitude does not exist in racing (much like it does not exist in the middle of an ocean) as you are continuously forced to play off one potential gain vs. another or sometimes one type of loss vs. another type of loss. Sometimes you decide to trade the potential loss of speed in order to traverse a shorter distance, but then the wind changes. You must make up your mind prior and then act, deal with the consequences of your decision, adjust and make the next decision. This happens frequently as your environment (with other boats, the wind, and shoreline) is regularly changing. You are given constant feedback as you see how your decisions play in relation to where your boat is compared to another boat, a landmark, or a buoy. Following your instinct is normally better for an experienced sailor than a calculated decision. The goal then is to hone your instincts and racing will do that.¨

When I look back on the combination of my 12 meter racing (and the racing before that) with long distance open ocean sailing, I find them to be complimentary in such a way that I have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man and getting in touch with my instincts, and letting these instincts express on the screen of life as it flows into almost all of my other endeavors. I will comment more on this in the future as I think that it touches on part of what this forum is about.

There are so many of the types of places in the world that are shown in the video posted by Chauncey that it boggles the mind, but you need a boat (ok, or a submarine or you can paradrop). The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, are three great examples.

Post: #79

(03-08-2016 07:28 PM)NASA Test Pilot Wrote:  Kicking some ass and taking names H1N1 !

Here is what I said before and if you would not mind, I think it would be a big plus to hear your (and the other sailors here) take and insights with regard to how sailing and racing have honed your instincts.

¨After you have some initial lake experience, you may consider some racing in something like J-22´s as you hone your tactical skills. Racing is usually a team effort (especially if you move to 12 meter ocean racing). The level of certitude does not exist in racing (much like it does not exist in the middle of an ocean) as you are continuously forced to play off one potential gain vs. another or sometimes one type of loss vs. another type of loss. Sometimes you decide to trade the potential loss of speed in order to traverse a shorter distance, but then the wind changes. You must make up your mind prior and then act, deal with the consequences of your decision, adjust and make the next decision. This happens frequently as your environment (with other boats, the wind, and shoreline) is regularly changing. You are given constant feedback as you see how your decisions play in relation to where your boat is compared to another boat, a landmark, or a buoy. Following your instinct is normally better for an experienced sailor than a calculated decision. The goal then is to hone your instincts and racing will do that.¨

When I look back on the combination of my 12 meter racing (and the racing before that) with long distance open ocean sailing, I find them to be complimentary in such a way that I have a deeper understanding of what it means to be a man and getting in touch with my instincts, and letting these instincts express on the screen of life as it flows into almost all of my other endeavors. I will comment more on this in the future as I think that it touches on part of what this forum is about.

There are so many of the types of places in the world that are shown in the video posted by Chauncey that it boggles the mind, but you need a boat (ok, or a submarine or you can paradrop). The Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, are three great examples.

I couldn't agree more. I did a few holidays sailing round the Greek Islands and things like that with my family as a child, and I was easily able to handle a 50' boat in 40+ knots of wind having not then helmed anything over about 20'.

The thing about racing is that, as you suggest NTP, it forces you to actually be a good sailor, rather than just being someone who can sail. It teaches you how to get to a precise point in the quickest possible way. When you're just cruising and you're looking to cover some ground or get to the next port that ability to know how high you can point, how to keep the speed and momentum on if your overpowered, etc etc all comes from time spent racing. Boat control is such a huge part of sailing, obviously, but if you don't race you never really learn good boat control, because you don't have to try and push the boat to see what it is really capable of.

The other advantage of racing, and I think you may have touched on this NTP, is that it puts you in frightening situations. Coming in on a mark in high winds with the spinnaker up as a part of a fleet all jostling for position, going for the drop at the last possible moment with your sails touching and the real possibility of sheets getting tangled up and causing chaos, you have to be perfect, and you have to hold your nerve. You learn an awful lot from this sort of experience, whether you're on the helm or on the fore deck.

The other thing you will experience if you race is broaching and capsizing, which again teaches you to manage a crisis, stay calm, and work as a team to sort the situation out. Every few years I do the 'Round the Island' race here in the south of England ( http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk ). About 8 years ago I did it in a quarter-tonner, which is not a very big boat. It was gusting force nine round the back of the Island, past St Catherine's point which is a notorious race, because you frequently have strong wind against rushing current. We came past the needles near the head of the fleet with all our sails up. Since it's a handicap race, we were doing extremely well (probably top 20 out of nearly a thousand boats - we finished in the mid fifties), and we were really sailing on the edge. In the end, between us pushing so hard and the weather being so rough, we broached 6 times and capsized once. And it was terrifying - at the time you are shitting bricks, particularly in this race as there are quite literally hundreds of boats bearing down on you under full sail, especially as this is the point that the bigger boats that have a latter start time start coming through the fleet. The point is, racing puts you in these kinds of situation where it really is adapt or die/suffer potentially serious injury. And that means your level of experience in a single race can jump forward several years relative to what you might learn just cruising in safe conditions.

The final wonderful thing about sailing, particularly as a young guy, is that the people tend to be great, and wealthy. There are a ton of fantastic opportunities to network with people you will actually like and who you have something major in common with. yacht clubs are a great place to rub shoulders on roughly equal terms with guys who have been hugely successful and who very often are only to delighted to try to help the next generation along.

Post: #80

Before I mentioned the asset process (aquire, configure, operate, etc.) and the outcome effects (performance, cost, time, safety), I said that I would talk about some dangerous and unique parts of the sailing world. Therefore, before I post on a day sail, island hopping or moving around to the other side of the island and some operational necessities; I will talk about some of the most dangerous places to sail in my experience and touch on an exploit or two.

Number one on my list of the most dangerous places for a sailor to takes his sail boat is around Cape Horn (Argentina/Chile). I sailed to the Falkland Islands (Port Stanley and West Point) on one adventure and then I ventured through the Straights of Magellan (stronger currents than Cape Horn, more narrow, but smaller waves and less bad weather) on a second trip. I motor-sailed through the Straights of Magellan one February with two friends. We stopped in Puerto Sara, Punta Arenas and then around to Puerto Natales and Laguna San Rafael in Chile. I have never been around Cape Horn and into the Drake Passage. The level of danger with ice and larger waves are significant as the squalls that jump up on you can be tremendous. You do not need to hit a big iceberg as a nice chunk of ice will put a good sized hole in your hull.
Number two on my list are places in the Arctic Circle. I have sailed in the Labrador Sea and Hudson Bay, but not the Baffin Sea nor around Greenland. I have technically been in the Artic in Alaska, the Aleutians, and Iceland, all in the month of August/September. A sailor needs a lookout on watch continuously where ice is possible. There are actually a number of Islands in the Laptev Sea in northern Russia that are possible, but sailing there would be rigorous/insane (even for me). One of the coolest things about sailing in the far northern latitudes is the Aurora Borealis. I have flown through it a number of times, but viewing this while moving slowly under sail is epic. There is an Aurora Australis in the southern hemisphere that I have seen in Chile, New Zealand and in the Tasmanian Sea while making for Tasmania in the winter months of the southern hemisphere.

Number three on the list of dangerous places to sail is in the North Pacific during a storm in the blackness of night with 20+ foot swells. The first two may be more dangerous, but this will be about as scary as it gets. If you are sailing in the soup of a gale (I am talking sustained category 8 gusting to 9 or 10), all alone dressed in your foul weather gear, with a life line attached to the boat with no visible sky and only the blackness of night with your lights reflecting on the ocean; you come to realize how powerful the ocean is, as your nuts feel like they are in your stomach, you come face to face with your mortality in a unique way. It is not like being in combat with rounds coming at the cockpit and friends nearby by. You are freaking alone bobbing like a cork able to see maybe 20-30 feet as howling winds roll overhead. You realize that if some part of your (boat) structure fails or your bilge pumps cannot handle the water pouring in your boat, you are in deep doodoo. You are tested in a way that is difficult to describe. The way to describe it that comes to my mind is the Dylan Thomas poem:

Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, Rage against the dying of the light was the re-occurring thought (mantra) in my head while I was at the helm for 3 days with little to no sleep.

Numbers four and five are another type of danger. They are man-made and it is serious stuff that you can and should avoid, but I will offer a story as I was adventurous (foolish) to sail through number five (but I was prepared). Number four is the coast of Somalia. There be pirates mate and they may be up to 100 miles off of the coast. Usually they want merchant vessels as the money associated in negotiating with shipping companies can by large. Normally you would sail in the Somali Basin from one of 3 routes. The first is though the Suez Canal then going south toward the Cape of Good Hope (South Africa). The second is sailing from one of the Gulf States, Karachi or the northern part of India sailing south along the African coast and thirdly sailing north from Southern or Eastern Africa into the Gulf of Aden. In general I would recommend one of three courses from the south. 1) An easterly sail around Madagascar up to the Seychelles out to Mauritius and then up to the Seychelles and from there over to the Maldives off of the southern coast of India or up to Socotra Island before going into the Gulf of Aden or the Arabian Sea. 2) A westerly sail through the Mozambique Channel maybe to Tanzania or to be safer up to the Seychelles and then over to the Maldives or Socotra Island like number 1. 3) A long sail through the Southern Indian Ocean to Java (Jakarta or Bali) or to Australia. If you are heading south out of the Gulf of Aden, make for Socotra and then south to the Seychelles.

They (Somali Pirates) usually approach in a pair of skiffs in the Somali basin, often re-launched from a mother ship with AK-47´s. That 7.62 round will mess up your boat in a heartbeat.

Number five is more dangerous than number four and it is sailing through the Malacca Straights off of Malaysia; over 60,000 ships traverse the Straights each year. It is like a funnel between mainland Malaysia and Indonesia that is technically an international sea lane. Lloyds of London list the Straights as one of the top 20 areas in the world in jeopardy of war, terrorism and related perils. The number of reported incidents of piracy have decreased over the past 10 years, but some small ship incidents are often not reported in the Malacca Straights as the usually end up bad. This is the shortest and most direct route to go from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The problem is that there are a fair amount of pirates to include those with high caliber machine guns mounted on the bow. When I sailed through I was armed to the teeth and I do not mean my K-bar, .45, and slingshot only. I am talking about 5.56 with M203 attachment and LAW (I like the compactness and I have more experience than the RPG) for surprise. Your issue will be one of range going against some type of heavily armed patrol boat and you will get one shot. In general I think the 7.62 is more effective, but I am personally better with NATO gear and the addition of the M203 makes up the difference.

My first recommendation is not to sail through this 550 mile stretch, rather go south of the equator and into Australia then up through Indonesia.

If you do decide to go through you can take your chances or increase your probability of survival. You can get Eastern Block materials from Karachi down through the northern part of India. From Bangladesh to Myanmar down through Thailand you will find more NATO materials; purchase the second similar piece and normally you will get a 40-70% discount if you are confortable and have done this before. In Bangladesh and Myanmar you can find both types, but the acquisition here poses some other risks due to instability. Coming from the Pacific you can find both types in Vietnam and Cambodia before you go into the Straights. The issue coming through with this gear will be afterwards; assuming you did not use it. If you go to Australia, you will likely be boarded and you need to use them before hand or your consequences will be severe. Can you say target practice? Seriously, going through the south eastern parts of Indonesia there are a number of small uninhabited places (in the Banda Sea) with rocky points that can be used for target practice. The first time you fire your LAW and watch a large boulder get taken out will be quite memorable. I showed a friend once and he said it was the highlight of his sailing trip with me. Go figure. You may also go up to the Philippines to buy NATO equipment or you may be able to sell some of your stuff there. However, it would be more practical to have a personal cache for storage on some island niche.

Honorable mentions for sailing areas with bad guys include the Gulf of Aden, Western Indian Ocean, coast of Kenya, Gulf of Oman, coast of Nigeria, Cays off of Nicaragua and Honduras. The Honduran lobster farmers are heavily armed, but are cool unless you mess with their traps. They gave me lobsters and a few beers one time. The last place is the North Eastern coast of Venezuela. In the southern part of the Caribbean and parts of Central America it is the running of product that can make it dangerous.

Post: #81

Water is the most important item for a sailor on longer voyages. On your boat, you must be conscious of how much water you have and how much you are using. You can be out of water quickly if you do not completely shut off the shower after you rinse the salt water off of your body after an ocean swim or after you rinse your dinner dishes, the faucet is not complete turned off, poof it is gone. Most boats carry around 200 gallons of fresh water and I have 400 gallons on my boat. The water tank(s) is (are) often close to the main mast under a hatch.

Water goes quickly during a shower and any female you have on the boat should be given a water talk at the same time you discuss safety procedures. I them talk to them again at least one more time when they are taking their first shower. This first time this happens to you, you will probably think, damn, NASA mentioned that and now I have to deal with it. A normal ocean going sailor understands this and his showers usually consist of a brief rinse, turns the water off, uses a soapy sponge to clean himself and then turns the water back on for a second and slightly longer rinse. When he does dishes, he scrapes the excess food into the sea or garbage depending, fills up one side of the sink with hot soapy water and then moves them to the second side of the sink which he then fills up with fresh water and rinses them. You can wash them in the sea, but the salt water is not the same as hot soapy water; I might consider pots and pans if I were to be low on water, then set them to dry. If you have women aboard and they are cooking and cleaning, you must show the women or your trip with be cut short, as you need to port somewhere to get water (unless you have a water maker aboard). Drinking water is usually separate that you buy in one gallon jugs or five gallon containers. If you are operating in a warm and/or humid climate, you will use significantly more water. You can use the canopy cover that covers the cockpit as a makeshift cistern and catch water over the port or starboard sides of the cover with a funnel and hose devise that will route the water to where you desire.

Toilet operations are important, but do not require fresh water. Make sure you have quality toilets installed with some spare parts aboard. Most guys that have been on the ocean a few times go number one off of the stern, be cautious not to fall off the boat and never into the wind gents. The normal sailboat toilet uses sea water and it is connected to a hand pump. You move the selector valve to bring in ocean water. Pump the lever 15-20 times and bring in the water to fill the bowl, do your business, turn the valve selector to discharge into the sea and pump it another 15-20 times to discharger, return the selector back to bring in ocean water and pump another 15-20 times to rinse the bowl and you are finished. You want two toilets or more aboard for ocean voyages. When you discharge be aware of your location as it is better to discharge outside of the bay before you enter as people will be playing around the bay, including yourself. It is o.k. to discharge after dark as there will normally not be people in the water and the bay will be clear with the movement of the ocean overnight.

The next day we are going to day sail either to another day-anchor, perhaps for some scuba diving or to the other side of the island because we want to explore it and/or surf. It is interesting that even in retirement and I have plans to day sail, I like to go relatively early in the morning (before 8) to get to my next waypoint as I am excited about the activity. I can go as slow as I want, but that is the case one time in ten.

I usually do my morning routine and run the port engine and the refrigeration unit and make sure the batteries are fully charged and start the second engine prior to departure. One of the keys with the engines is that you want the time on both engines to be about the same. I head out of the bay under motor, as the mainsail needs to be set as you are heading into the wind. If you are proficient, you can do it without, but depending on the winds and how much time you have, it is generally more efficient to motor out far enough so that you can begin a port or starboard tack as soon as practical and then you are off on the first sailing leg. Beating into the wind on your zig-zag pattern or getting into that Broad Reach where you have the most speed due to the wind (even though the distance may be longer, the time to destination is often less) are common. When you travel downwind (wind at your back), the relative motion of the boat is slow and you feel like a snail; however you are still making speed over the water. This is when you fly (set up) your spinnaker. These skills are bread and butter and the better you are, the more distance you can sail in a shorter period of time. Knowing when to tack (turn) and when not to tack based on wind, current, distance, shoreline, obstacles are the keys. If you invested time in racing, the dividends will come about as you leisure sail.

As the wind fills your mainsail, you will unfurl the jib or the genoa to catch more wind and increase your speed. You will see the waves crashing against your hull as you cut through the waves like a porpoise. If you are on the bow of the boat you will often feel a light spray at modest speeds. The relative wind will roar across you boat, the sun will be shinning bright and you may not feel the heat due to the wind, but you will most probably be darker at the end of the day. It is a distinct feeling being underway. You are on your way to getting your sea-legs.

A day anchor is a spot, perhaps a small island, a huge rock, or a cay that is normally not protected for anchoring at night, but there are some cool things to do or see at that location, so you spend a few hours or a half a day. There are a lot of these around the world, but most people pass them by due to time constraints. When you take time out of the equation, the world becomes a whole lot bigger and more interesting. Sometime in the early afternoon, you weigh anchor (depart) to your next destination. Perhaps you will be sailing for the night or most likely to a nearby island. Recall the notion of planning to arrive well before sunset as you may need to deal with unexpected winds (it takes you longer to get there), have difficulty anchoring, or need to deal with other boats. After you arrive, set your anchor, relax and decide what you feel like doing for the evening.

Post: #82

I always wondered how life would be sailing the world. I know there is a lot of maintenance. I just ask myself if it is worth it compared to say, living in a normal house.

I sailed a few times when I was a kid. I have no experience so forgive me if I say something ignorant.

Instead of buying a house, why not a Beneteau Sense 55? [450k used from 2015] It's a 3-bedroom. Maybe buy it with a friend and bring 3 girls to travel the world constantly.




The idea of accessing the lower deck in just three steps sounds awesome.



-Having a water maker, can you take a normal and nice shower?
-Having a solar panel and a wind generator is enough to keep your appliances working without having to rely on fuel? And for air conditioners. Is there a solution since they suck so much electricity?
-Monohull is safer since the weight is below. A Catamaran can turn sideways under heavy storm. Is that true?


Crossing the Atlantic or Pacific is for experienced captains. With a sailboat the world is yours. But what would be the best continent to live/sail?

-Americas is a little dangerous and only the Caribbean comes to my mind.
-Africa doesn't count. A shithole. Nothing good comes from there.
-SE Asia seems interesting. Many paradisiac island, nice weather, safe(?).
-Europe: Safe, very touristic, best quality pussy, nice weather in the Mediterranean, so many countries to visit...

I would prefer to stay in Europe and SE Asia. Is there a recommended routine? Maybe travel Europe during summer and then move to Asia or the Caribbean? Going from Europe to SE Asia is safe?

Post: #83

On a sailboat, each head (bathroom) normally has a shower. On the back of my catamaran, I also have a shower which is simply a flexible hose with a shower head that is stored in a compartment; I use this one the most. Your showers use potable water that is stored in your water tank(s) and you need to refill them when you are docked or collect rain water or have a water maker.

Catamarans have phenomenal stability, they do not heel under way (due to the wide beam) and do not roll at anchor. Monohulls use heavy, weighted keels suspended under water to keep the boat upright. In theory, no matter how much you heel, gravity will not let the keel come out of the water (in theory). A multihull substitutes its breadth or beam for the monohull's heavy keel. So a monohull can heel more by design (30+ degrees vs. 15+ degrees) during maximum winds. The disadvantage is that the message (sailor feeling the boat in response to the wind) is delayed sailing a catamaran where as you see/feel it right away with a monohull.

I have been sailing the Pacific with continuous gale force 8 winds gusting to 10 and I just ride the rodeo. The key is how much if any of your sail do you have unfurled. I have had my cat past maximum out in crosswind, with every square inch of sail, heeling with the port boards slightly coming out of the water in the BVI´s (British Virgin Islands) pushing it, there comes a point when you have too much wind and too much sail out that you will turtle (monohull or cat). Any boat with a very high sail to weight ratio is more likely to capsize. Catamarans are usually a lot heavier. I mentioned in one of my posts that I have traded off some speed for heavier weighted hulls with a deeper draft.

This increases the stability even more. Also consider that an upside down catamaran will float (there is also a normal glass escape hatch for this) whereas a monohull will generally sink. Furthermore, there is a decreased likelihood of hypothermia, broken limbs, lost crewmembers and losing half of the value of the boat, i.e. the interior destroyed by the inrushing water.





The historic catamaran was the workboat of the Polynesian Pacific. Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki expedition of 1947 used a modern replica of this type of craft. 45 ft. long, 18 ft. wide, rigged with a squaresail, manoeuvered by daggerboards, it could sail sufficiently against the wind to be a true sailing craft. It carried a crew of six across the Pacific. With its beam and weight, it was practically impossible to capsize and thus had stability, an essential part of seaworthiness. The concept of static stability in the design is that point where you have the moment of truth about capsizing and dynamic stability is when it is safe to sail along with all sails hoisted and have sufficient reserve stability to meet safely any wind gusts (usually 60% of static stability).

Solar power can normally run everything except the air conditioning for long periods. The stoves are normally gas.

As for the best place to sail, that depends on so many things. Do you want to sail a lot, then you need to be closer to the trade winds (Caribbean), do you want to be in warmer water or colder water? Do you want a lot of sunshine? How about language or the type of women? Is it difficult to resupply or get maintenance if you need it?

The Caribbean generally has a lot to offer as there is so much to see in a relatively small area, but there are also more boats as other people recognize the advantages. I have sailed in the Caribbean a lot, and I mean a lot. One time I spend 18 months just tooling around the Caribbean (and I had already sailed it on occasion for years and years) seeing all of the little details. So, it is also a function of your time. Is your boat already there, can you fly to it, do you need to sail it from point A to point B?





There are many hidden secret places in the Philippines and especially Indonesia, you can spend huge amounts of time there, but it is also a little hotter and the winds are not as good (overall) as other places; so you need more time. Monsoon season is not a good time, just like hurricane season is not a good time to cross the Atlantic or be in parts of the Caribbean. Weather becomes a huge factor for planning and safety. The weather in the Caribbean is general good. Going through the Baltic, around Scotland or up the Norwegian coast in January is brisk and there can be ice.

I enjoy the Med, but it is harder to anchor generally due to grassy bottoms and the wind can be more challenging. You can also have some unpredictable weather just ask the Romans or Greeks. Europe is very different (in a good way) from the perspective of a boat, particularly the Baltic. So what continent is best also depends on your activities. I can tell you it was so cool to sail into Venice and dock my boat there. The Adriatic offers more than meets the eye.

I am an avid surfer, so that is one of my considerations. I also have a boatload of LTR´s (depending on how you define LTR) and FB´s around the world. A girl in every port is my model of abundance. If I am in the mood for X vs. Y vs. Z, I may go in that direction, have them (fly to) meet me at a nearby pick-up point, or simply sail to that country. Then I may stay there and hop from port to port, or in stay in port, or dry dock my boat and stay in country for few months, or some combination with my houses.

For me it is about doing what I want, where I want, when I want, how I want and with whom I want.

It is most certainly a unique way to see the world and many more opportunities are available to you by boat.

As it relates to women, and I touched upon this in some of my earlier posts, having a woman or women out to sea and especially sailing form island to island and living on an island puts them in an environment that is unlike the modern world and more like days gone by. They realize that they need you to survive. The do not know where to go, how to get there, how to get food or what to do in an emergency and they become conscious of this very quickly (usually in a few days). When the women sailing with you have the lack of inputs that are normally there to meet their attention seeking behavior, they either freak out fast (usually within 2 days) or they acclimate and become a different animal and the inputs form the wind, sea, sun, boat and you are more than enough.

A quick sea story. I was sailing with this one chick out of San Diego and we were going to Hawaii, but I decided to go via Catalina Island first (my intuition). Bitch be freaking before we got there and I turned the boat around, dropped her at the dock, told her to jump out while the boat was moving…no just kidding, I wanted to see if you were paying attention... I docked the boat and made sure she had a cab and then headed back out within the hour and changed course south to Mexico (I did not want her tracking me down or pulling some crazy bat shit maneuver) did some great surfing in Mexico, picked up a babe and took her to Costa Rica, dropped her off, surfed my ass off and picked up another hottie and sailed to the next destination. Life was good.

After that experience I got better at weeding out certain qualities and did day sails and over nighters before embarking on a long trip with ass on board. Lesson learned, and there are many lessons out there as a sailor.

Post: #84

Do you take any precautions for piracy? I know its more of a concern around SEA, not so much in the caribean

Post: #85

(04-05-2016 07:49 PM)Brahman Wrote:  Do you take any precautions for piracy? I know its more of a concern around SEA, not so much in the caribean

This might be useful:

http://www.noonsite.com/General/Piracy

Post: #86

(04-05-2016 07:49 PM)Brahman Wrote:  Do you take any precautions for piracy? I know its more of a concern around SEA, not so much in the caribean

Brahman, check out post #80 above where I talk about dangers, and piracy in particular, during the second half.

Post: #87

What about internet on the boat? Would it be possible to run your online business while sailing?

Post: #88

@Ramierez

I personally prefer to go deep dark while out to sea, but you could do satellite and have modest service. One of the exceptions is to set up an antenna on the boat and piggy back off another source from a nearby island or cove. Coastal areas where you are anchoring at some beach with (almost) no inhabitants would be limited to satellite. In port there are usually places with a hard connection like internet cafes as well. WIFI is on the increase and I expect it to be more so over time. Running a business with a constant need for reliable service limits your mobility, but hey it is probably better than with what most people must contend while you work from your floating office. If you only needed intermittent services your flexibility would be much greater.

Post: #89

What about safety when you anchor in some island or city (not in a marina)?

Can somebody simply arrive with a canoe or even swim to it and steal your boat? I know they're not going to go far but how do you feel leaving your boat alone when you go out exploring? Do you close doors with a key? What are the safety precautions?

Post: #90

General Security with a Sailboat.

There are two basic elements to theft protection: exposure and delay. If a boat thief must work in an exposed location or must spend more than about 10 minutes making a hit he will generally look for easier targets. With delay, locks are your first line of defense, but do not waste a good lock on a lousy hasp. Every hatch, entry, door, cuddy, or locker should be locked, preferably from the inside so that no room for pry-bars or jimmies is available. Seat lockers are included. Anchor lockers can be secured like seat hatches and lockers.

Sliding windows should have vertically installed latch bolts or can be kept closed like patio doors with a wood or metal rod in the slide track. The second line of delay in the war against theft is to prevent the boat from being moved. Your engine or sails can be used to move the boat to a secluded location for stripping or they can be stolen themselves.

Lock your dingy, the engine compartment and the battery compartment. Label everything! Engrave hard stuff and use water-proof marker on the soft stuff, this may help in recovery.

Consider Disable Switches that are hidden and confusing to operate, perhaps wired backwards or have multiple identical switches some of which trigger the alarm.

The first thing is to know where you are porting and the layout of the harbor. Put your boat in a safer place. There is a cruiser Grapevine; crews share information ranging from how much care is provided at a given marina to what's worth seeing ashore. Other sailors are one of your best deterrents as they are an extra set of eyes. It is common for sailors to greet one another when they are moored next door. Most sailors will help one another; however, they are not nosy and may not know who is who on another boat. Other sailors will often pitch-in and boat watch one another's boats to make travel possible...and sometimes, crews who are staying put for a while turn this into a small business. Another thing in regard to other people, is that over time you get to know the locals and they are a great source for many things as well as looking out for you when you are giving them repeat business (this can be a two edged sword on occasion).

When I anchor a boat I am concerned for the physical safety of the boat first and security from intruders second. Things that I consider are distance for a swimmer to travel or near a shoreline. The most likely intruder will be in a dingy from the pier (hence do not paint the name of your boat on your dingy and say ¨I am not on my boat.¨ Do not leave desirable items unlocked in your dingy (at the pier or behind your boat). Don't leave anything valuable on deck or in the cockpit at night or when the boat is unoccupied. Equipment that cannot be stowed below should be secured with the heaviest chain or wire cable practicable. Pull up the boarding ladder. Outboard engines are a major target, always lock them. Lock dinghies to dock when ashore. Hoist and chain the dinghy to the boat at night. Chain the outboard separately to the rail or in the cockpit, or stow it below. Make your brand new clean shiny outboard less brand new clean and shiny.

Do not announce on the VHF that you are leaving the boat for a day of shopping or sightseeing or an evening out on the town. Separate and hide valuables in multiple unpredictable areas onboard. Have a response plan ready to use if boarded, whether at anchor or underway. If you hear someone in the cockpit or on deck, DO NOT turn on any lights below. Do not unlock a hatch or companionway to set off an alarm. Install additional switches to set off the alarm from the cabins. When going ashore, store valuables in a pouch that can be tucked inside clothes rather than in a wallet, purse, fanny pack or daypack. Do not carry your wallet in a daypack or backpack. Carry only the amount of money needed for the day; a sacrificial stash in a pocket can be helpful. Be aware of your environment and dress/act accordingly. Use a taxi if transiting high-risk neighborhoods; use a bus only if you are knowledgeable about the location of your destination and use of the bus system.

Do not discuss your departure plans (time and destination) with strangers on shore. Do not describe your boat to strangers: location, name, number of people on board, whether you are armed. Make two copies of the contents of your wallet: credit cards (both sides), licenses, etc. Send one copy to a contact at home and hide one copy along with your passport copy. Be sure to have telephone numbers for the credit card companies to report a loss from abroad: usually the tool-free numbers they provide will not work from outside your home country. Do not let your credit cards out of your sight. Do not give anyone the opportunity to copy or clone your credit card information.

A few more specifics. There are hatch bars (the hatch is the window from below that opens to provide ventilation), WIFI security cameras, door and hatch sensors that trigger an audible alarm. There ways to hide a GPS to track the boat if it is stolen. GPS alarm if your boat moves more than X feet. They have piercing sirens that are hidden in a secure metal box that looks like an ice cooler. IR (not motion) sensors (be cautious if you set your IR detector overnight that when the sun comes up (especially over the cockpit), it will probably set off the alarm. There are magnetic alarms for hatches. Pressure mats in the cockpit. You can use a small metal gate by the companion way.

You can hook your alarm up to where it will send a signal to your mobile (you may need another sim card depending on the country). The paint on my boat has special sensors that use miniscule amounts of electricity and sense large changes on the boat and this can be relayed to a remote that I have.

Practical, but getting tough, have a dog or you can hook an extra boat battery up to the life lines around the boat if you want to get nasty. My personal favorite is a shotgun.

Realize after all of the things that I have mentioned, there are times where it is just not wise to leave your boat and then you should consider moving to another anchorage as soon as practical.

Post: #91

Bumping this thread.

Went on a boat this week, the chick bought the boat for $5K. Small boat but it can hold a few people and seems like a great deal,

For those guys that have sailing boats, what is the catch?

I see a lot of boats for sale and they are priced between $10k and $50K cdn.

Post: #92

I'm a few years from retirement and my goal is to do at least one solo circumnavigation, probably over the course of 3-4 years. I love sailing, the wind and the water. Right now I'm working on getting my finances in order, 20 more house payments to go.

I don't know what kind of boat I will wind up with, I would love a catamaran, but they are more expensive and in much shorter supply. I plan on taking a serious look at a Harryproa, hopefully the resale market will be active then.

Post: #93

(07-20-2016 06:14 PM)chicane Wrote:  I'm a few years from retirement and my goal is to do at least one solo circumnavigation, probably over the course of 3-4 years. I love sailing, the wind and the water. Right now I'm working on getting my finances in order, 20 more house payments to go.

I don't know what kind of boat I will wind up with, I would love a catamaran, but they are more expensive and in much shorter supply. I plan on taking a serious look at a Harryproa, hopefully the resale market will be active then.

I could be wrong, but it looks like a buyer's market right now.

Some crazy prices.

Post: #94

(07-20-2016 05:18 PM)rudebwoy Wrote:  Bumping this thread.

Went on a boat this week, the chick bought the boat for $5K. Small boat but it can hold a few people and seems like a great deal,

For those guys that have sailing boats, what is the catch?

I see a lot of boats for sale and they are priced between $10k and $50K cdn.

What's the ketch??? That's a joke.

Depending on what type it is, a 5k boat could have some serious maintence issues.

What exactly does she have?

Aloha!

Post: #95

This was one of my favorite threads in the past. Buying a nice boat and disappearing into the sunset. Traveling around to different islands in the Caribbean. What a dream come true.

I know this was talked about briefly acouple pages ago but, what do you guys think the the expenses would amount to a month. Gas, maintenance, dock fees? 2k?

Post: #96

Feb 2018 I'm hoping to buy an old pocket cruiser (around 27-30 feet) in Florida and sailing the thorny path from Miami to Trinidad over around 4 months. I'll be looking for experienced sailors. If anybody is interested get in touch.

Post: #97

Sign me up Nomad.
If anything, it'll be a brilliant way to die.

Post: #98

(12-05-2016 10:04 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  Feb 2018 I'm hoping to buy an old pocket cruiser (around 27-30 feet) in Florida and sailing the thorny path from Miami to Trinidad over around 4 months. I'll be looking for experienced sailors. If anybody is interested get in touch.

That is a classic trip. Will be amazing. Both my mother and aunt have done long sailing trips in the Caribbean, and I've always wanted to do. The beauty is that there is potential for some 20 flags on such a trip... 4 months sounds fast. Can't wait to hear about it. You'll have 99 problems on your boat to be sure, but getting laid won't be one.

Post: #99

@Cicero I'd be willing to do longer, but hurricane season starts in June. Furthermore, I've little interest in the great Antilles (I've been to all of the big islands). The real trip would be in the lesser Antilles (Puerto Rico to Trinidad.)

@Carcrashkid: Do you have any sailing experience?

Post: #100

(12-06-2016 03:41 AM)naughtynomad Wrote:  @Cicero I'd be willing to do longer, but hurricane season starts in June. Furthermore, I've little interest in the great Antilles (I've been to all of the big islands). The real trip would be in the lesser Antilles (Puerto Rico to Trinidad.)

@Carcrashkid: Do you have any sailing experience?

A good bit. Mostly smaller boats. Mirrors, lasers, opis, dragons etc.
I've got all the certs for small boats from the ISA.

Got motor boat handling on the C.V. as well.

Cons:
Haven't done much sailing in the past 3 years,
Little experience with yachts. The ones I have been on were fairly high tech and all you needed to do was push a button to lower the main sail.