Am sailing my first long journey, Savannah to Vieques PR

[bkohatl]

Any Advice?



Two main batteries
One Back-up Battery(supplemental)
One Honda Generator(EU2000i)
One Sunbeam 1.7 Fridge
35 Gallon Water Supply
50hp Suzuki
Two months food supply

[eric3a]

..

[impinnacr]

Thats quite an adventure. Keep us posted, especially with pics.
Chris

[James V]

If you are not versed on crossing the stream and to DR. Do that.

I do not plan to go much farther south than Grand Exumas.

2 mounths should be fine unless weather delays on crossing the stream and to DR. Try to find somebody to cross with.

I hope that you are trained up to bareboat.

Don't depend on the frig. I you may find yourself without the power to run it.

When did you say you was starting?

To many things to discuss here.
Which boat? year? condition?

What -???????
SSB
Charts
electronics
Spairs
Head
Galley
bunk
sails
Age of motor
prop, Spairs?
Bottom job
Saftey gear?
Dinghy?
Sat Phone?
Anchor, Chain?
Autopilot?
etc..............

Have fun!!!!!

[Catigale]

Life insurance paid up?
Next of kin notified?

I wouldnt do this without 5 solid years of coastal cruising in the Mac under my belt and also a year or two of handling the Mac in really bad weather off shore

I confess to living in the left hand decile of the risk aversion continuum, to be fair.

[eric3a]

..

[Catigale]

Everything that makes the Mac a good boat for coastal and trailiering makes it poor for deep water.

Exactly....ding ding ding ding ding ding ding

I think Eric is one of those unique serious sailors who can grasp the niche the Mac fits in, and likewise where it doesnt fit, without getting caught in the bilge of the traditional keelboater - much like the guy on a sailing board, 10 years ago, who told me to look into the Mac for upper Hudson river day sailing...(shallows, shoals, heavy tides, traffic)...he even warned me I would suffer the slings and arrows of outraged keelers, but that they would be typing their insults whiile I was sailing.

Here I am, many years later, with my log reading from Dunkirk NY, Toronto, Baltimore MD, to Nantucket..thanks to him..

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

...Storm anchor

Id regret having forgot a storm anchor, and being in a small boat & broad sided by 60 plus knot winds. I think the Mac would survive facing the winds, hatch secured, deck cleared, interior weight centralized, etc. But what a banging around one would get inside riding it out...

[Night Sailor]

It's doable but it's definitely a big adventure in a light boat. You will need good up to date charts and a back up GPD with extra batteries for both. Much shoal water and many reefs to contend with in some areas that make the trip shorter. And your charts and GPS may not match even closely.
Good storm anchor is necessary for some of the currents you will find running through or around the shoals and islands when you get to anchor. be prepared to dive on your anchor if it gets stuck in coral. And carry a spare with spare chain and rode.
When you can't anchor you will have to be awake and make your boat an easy target for the multitude of other ship traffic in the area.

Theoretically, the most you would have to run between ports or anchorages is about 100 nm. However, upon reaching Haiti and Dominica, be aware that the north coast is often exposed to surges and currents that can be strong. Due to the poverty in those countries and civil rebellion in Haiti, it's best to not rely on local help. And, 100 miles might be a very long sail with counter winds and currents. If you single hand, sleep becomes an issue of great importance.

Take more fuel than you think you will need. Warm clothing and foulies. Even summer rains can chill you to the bone in a good wind. Wind against currents in the major passages can make for miserable seas, especially when beating to windward.

Shoot, as said above, there's just too much to go into here. Read extensively from other sailor's logs who have been or are now in the leeward islands or Bahamas banks.

[Frank C]

Am sailing my first long journey, Savannah to Vieques PR . . . . . Any Advice?
Two main batteries
One Back-up Battery(supplemental)
One Honda Generator(EU2000i)
One Sunbeam 1.7 Fridge
35 Gallon Water Supply
50hp Suzuki
Two months food supply

Advice? ... yeah, but you might not want to hear it. There's lots of good advice in the page above, well-intentioned concern from a community of mainly "local" recreational sailors. While it probably hits the high spots, this list still barely scratches the surface of a complete cruise plan.

Unless you have already prepared your own Cruise Plan of Situations vs. Solutions, a list that's easily triple the length and depth of the 'hints' above, you're not ready. Even your equipment list in the first post, is so marginal, it infers you're not ready. The best advice above was get a few years of coastal experience, but sounds as if that's not in your plans ... I guess if ya gotta go, ya gotta go.

Just bear in mind, a single-sailor with decades of experience has simply vanished, along with his 40-ft keelboat (an ocean-crossing C&C, not a Mac), within 25 miles of the Golden Gate. He was simply on a day-sail to our Farallon Islands. All the resources of the USCG cannot locate him or his boat, even w/resources immediately available. Your sailing area is thousands of times larger than this one, with less accessible services & beyond the immediate USA coastal environs. Any advice? ... Yep, good luck.

The Coast Guard will use numerous search and rescue units from all along the California Coast in today's extended search effort.

• two C-130 fixed wing aircraft from Air Station Sacramento;
• HH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Station Humboldt Bay,
  Air Station San Francisco,
  and Air Station Los Angeles Long Beach;
• three 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boats from Monterey, Bodega Bay, and Crescent City;
• 47-ft motor life boats from Stations Noyo River, Bodega Bay, Golden Gate, and Monterey.

If no leads develop during todays searches, the Coast Guard plans to suspend the case this evening.

Gray's friends and family had planned to launch a private search effort today had the Coast Guard effort ended this morning. Phil Garrett just wrote to us, "We are extremely thankful to the Coast Guard for the tremendous effort they are making to find Jim .... Thanks so much."

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

Apparently he's never been in a storm at sea.

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

I confess to living in the left hand decile of the risk aversion continuum, to be fair.

If that means a "fair weather" sailor, I totally agree....

[eric3a]

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[Catigale]

Agree with you Louis but I have to use those big words to justify the 100s of boat bucks I spent on education...

[eric3a]

..