Prepping to take my boat on first offshore adventure is a bit stressful

[h20man]

and don’t return to this thread without exciting photos and reports of your adventure. or give a link to your boat blog. You mustn’t leave people hanging! Enjoy!

 

[Clove Hitch]

The teak interior of the S2 is stunning. Even though I've had this boat for a couple of years now I still find myself stopping what I'm doing and admiring it

 

[Clove Hitch]

Scratched together funds for a short haul and power washing before trip because I know my bottom has old hard paint that is rough. But the boat yard and my work schedule did not allow for getting the boat on stands and doing the bottom before the trip.

Have told the crew that likely Martha's Vineyard is out. Two week time frame was making a couple of them nervous and I don't blame them. Probably could have done it (with quick turnaround) might still do it but it's a lot less stress to set the expectation at Montauk.

One of the crew needed to know where he would end up and needed to be on Shore June 14th ( leave Annapolis Area June 10th) I told him I could put him on shore somewhere between Cape May and Montauk on 14th. He said he could work with that

 

[Raz'r]

Scratched together funds for a short haul and power washing before trip because I know my bottom has old hard paint that is rough. But the boat yard and my work schedule did not allow for getting the boat on stands and doing the bottom before the trip.

Have told the crew that likely Martha's Vineyard is out. Two week time frame was making a couple of them nervous and I don't blame them. Probably could have done it (with quick turnaround) might still do it but it's a lot less stress to set the expectation at Montauk.

One of the crew needed to know where he would end up and needed to be on Shore June 14th ( leave Annapolis Area June 10th) I told him I could put him on shore somewhere between Cape May and Montauk on 14th. He said he could work with that

just don't get into the beach break, let him swim in from farther out...

 

[Clove Hitch]

just don't get into the beach break, let him swim in from farther out...

I'll get him a mile out from Atlantic city and jettison him with his gear bag and this when we gybe to head off shore

 

[Raz'r]

Good news is, it's much quicker next time. We're doing a little 180 mile roundtripper this weekend, and maybe 2 partial days prep, put the raft back on, replace one part, buy a new set of charts (I find it easier to buy new, online, than go through the notices and manually update) - charge the batteries for the grinder (emergency rig removal) and provision. Was pretty easy.

Took 2 years the first time.

 

[Clove Hitch]

Good news is, it's much quicker next time. We're doing a little 180 mile roundtripper this weekend, and maybe 2 partial days prep, put the raft back on, replace one part, buy a new set of charts (I find it easier to buy new, online, than go through the notices and manually update) - charge the batteries for the grinder (emergency rig removal) and provision. Was pretty easy.

Took 2 years the first time.

Yeah replacing those spider web cracked leaky windows took a lot of time. My buddy asked me what did you use to put them in? I said "same type of concrete silicon that was there but it will be someone else's problem in 40 years."

We did the 100 mile Governors Cup race last year in the cruising class so a lot of the safety gear and stuff for that made the preparation for this trip easier

 

[Calling Elvis]

Scratched together funds for a short haul and power washing before trip because I know my bottom has old hard paint that is rough. But the boat yard and my work schedule did not allow for getting the boat on stands and doing the bottom before the trip.

Have told the crew that likely Martha's Vineyard is out. Two week time frame was making a couple of them nervous and I don't blame them. Probably could have done it (with quick turnaround) might still do it but it's a lot less stress to set the expectation at Montauk.

One of the crew needed to know where he would end up and needed to be on Shore June 14th ( leave Annapolis Area June 10th) I told him I could put him on shore somewhere between Cape May and Montauk on 14th. He said he could work with that

A fairly inexpensive thing to check and have changed on the haul is dripless seal if one is there. We hauled earlier this year for bottom paint, didn’t think about seal. Now going in for a second haul in one year due to replace seal. The haul is way more expensive than the seal replacement. Maybe they can even do it in the slings if needed.

Sorry in advance if already discussed, just expressing some personal frustration in an overlook! Enjoy the trip!!

 

[Gissie]

It's amazing the change in mindset when it is your boat v crewing on someone else's boat, isn't it? I got my first offshore capable boat 4 years ago, and have done many thousands of ocean miles and deliveries on other people's boats over the last 5 decades. Venturing on my own boat brings a totally different level of concern and preparation.

I find the change is when you are skipper. When in charge you wake for everything, even if just alert enough to no what's happening.

Always warn the few I will crew for, if shit hits the fan you will need to come wake me.

 

[Mid]

if shit hits the fan you will need to come wake me.

fok that , if you can sleep through it more power to you .

 

[Gissie]

fok that , if you can sleep through it more power to you .

As crew I sleep unless needed. Crashing, banging, noise becomes part of the background. You need to be able to sleep when it is shitty outside.

One trip had top bunk forward, shitty place. Had to jamb myself in to stop launching into the deck above. Once sorted, off to sleep.

 

[Mid]

Once sorted, off to sleep.

like I said , more power to you ...

if you can sleep through the shite I ain't gunna wake ya .

 

[Mid]

remember once we were beating up hill in a HC in the Red Sea , going absolutely nowhere .

owner was up forward , launching up and down a good 4 to 6 feet and dead to the world .

Skip and self agreed to admit defeat and seek shelter , early am in the calm of our anchorage , owner poses the question as to why ......

suggestion was that as he was able to sleep there wasn't any advantage in waking him

 

[Gissie]

remember once we were beating up hill in a HC in the Red Sea , going absolutely nowhere .

owner was up forward , launching up and down a good 4 to 6 feet and dead to the world .

Skip and self agreed to admit defeat and seek shelter , early am in the calm of our anchorage , owner poses the question as to why ......

suggestion was that as he was able to sleep there wasn't any advantage in waking him

Red Sea is a shithole. Lots of wind at the bottom, bugger all in the middle and lots at the top. You need a window and fuel. Then again, if you like shades of brown it's nice. Aussies probably love it.

 

[Mid]

Aussies probably love it.

not this one .

 

[Pertinacious Tom]

Check all your lights to make sure they are operational.

Added to my list of things that I know, but should not, one dark and stormy night on the Gulf of Mexico:

The compass light is a very important piece of safety equipment!

Also added: trying to catch glimpses of the compass as it is illuminated by your wife, who is mostly trying to hang on, results more in ruining your vision than actually revealing which way the boat is pointed.

 

[Raz'r]

I find the change is when you are skipper. When in charge you wake for everything, even if just alert enough to no what's happening.

Always warn the few I will crew for, if shit hits the fan you will need to come wake me.

Did a quick 90 mile race/delivery back this last weekend. Finished the race at 11:30pm, quick dock check-in - dropped off a sailor, prepped for delivery, back into action at midnight. watches started, etc.

My kid had never done an ocean race/delivery - asked the next evening at home "Dad, you were always awake when I was, did you ever sleep?"

Yes, I did, but it was 20-30 minute catnaps as we were running up a lee shore the entire delivery, and not enough visibility to see the shore. And a couple nasty reefs stick out just to make it interesting. Just kinda what you have to do sometimes. It did mean I got to see quite the whale show. Humpbacks breaching all over the place in the early morning.

 

[Kolibri]

Added to my list of things that I know, but should not, one dark and stormy night on the Gulf of Mexico:

The compass light is a very important piece of safety equipment!

Also added: trying to catch glimpses of the compass as it is illuminated by your wife, who is mostly trying to hang on, results more in ruining your vision than actually revealing which way the boat is pointed.

Yeah...our compass light went out about half way between San Francisco and Oahu. It was the one relatively critical light that I didn't have a spare bulb on hand. Fortunately we had several good head lamps and handheld flashlights. We were also using a few iPads with iNavX and iBoating as chart plotters.

 

[Clove Hitch]

It's almost go time and I'm starting to get really excited. Checked

so many boxes off and I'm pretty much ready to go. Also I have prepared my pep talk for the crew when we head out Saturday morning

 

[TheDragon]

Have fun and keep us posted! I am envious, still two months before I get back to my boat, PT is going slowly.