Hello from Nevada! I need some experience.

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Nevada Mike

Nevada Mike

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2013
Messages
26
Location
USA
Vessel Name
Kraken
Vessel Make
Hewescraft
Hi All,

I have been lurking here for a while. I retired in 2012 and my wife will be working about 4 more years while our last child finishes school. We know we want a boat but thats about it. We have extensive on the water experience in fishing boats at our cabin in Southeast Alaska. We reside in Northern Nevada. I am looking for the best way to gain experience. Is there a suggested method for getting on a boat that is being ferried from one west coast place to another? Is this an odd request?

I am a young a young(48) healthy paramedic and would cover all of my own expenses. Most importantly, I understand boats don't just travel through the water without a lot of work going on in the background. I am not looking to join a family vacation but rather join the owner moving his or her boat from one place to another and participate in all of the chores associated with the move. I have a good knowledge of electrical and mechanical systems but admittedly not trawler specific.

Thanks for the wealth of knowledge previously posted on the site.

Mike
 
Welcome Mike!

Glad to see another Nevada guy onboard! Best of luck on your search, we are closing in on ours. Should be making an offer soon! Six more days and I'm retired again. Now the downsizing starts.

John
 
Greetings,
Welcome aboard. What a wonderful opportunity for a PNW old geezer to have onboard medical crew.
 
How come I couldn't retire at 45???

You might try to hitch up with a delivery captain.
 
Congrats Crusty Chief!

RT Firefly I am always "on duty"

Donsan - Is there a forum or a place to find delivery captains?
 
Try Club Nautique down in Alameda, Ca for rental trawlers and a great seamanship and cruising classes. Better yet, the various charter companies up in Anacortes and Bellingham.
 
If your "retirement" is the sort that you have a bit of time on your hands how about getting an STCW cert (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping) and a TWIC card (if you don't already have one)? With those credentials plus your paramedic experience you would likely be in demand as paid crew under real captains.

Unfortunately it's still somewhat a "who you know" situation. Perhaps make friends somewhere like YachtForums.com?
 
Thanks everyone for the advise. I intend on taking the classes for various certifications beginning this year. We are also scheduling our first charter in BVI next fall. I want our first trip to be as warm and easy as possible. I don't want her worrying about watching for logs after a huge tide on the Inside passage. I would like to charter more in the mean time but the Admiral will not have any part of me "off on a charter" while she is still putting in her time. Going to Alaska a few times a year without her is about all she is willing to take.

I just put the paramedics information in there thinking someone crossing big water might think to himself ," I guess it can't hurt to have this guy along." My medical certifications will be expiring soon anyway. I have no interest in a paid position on a boat. I want to gain experience that will keep my wife and I safe.


After reading this post again I am now more aware of how it sounds. I am really not expecting the captain of a new Nordhavn to need the hassle of a rookie onboard asking lots of questions. That being said, there is no substitute or certificate that can replace time on the water. That is especially true when things are not going according to plan or the weather turns. Just being on Clarence Straights every summer for the last 20 years I realize how much more there is to learn. I experience something new every summer.

Thanks again everyone!
 
I've been listening to this guys podcasts-- seems like an interesting dude IMO.

I would consider doing this for some offshore experience, and a fun trip.

http://59-north.com/events/
 
Thanks cardude01 and Diesel duck492. Diesel Duck that is a beautiful boat. I was on the Seahorse marine site last night and read some of the stories of bringing them over. With my limited knowledge so far that is the ultimate vessel.
 
Hi Mike,

We have a 22 ocean pro that we use for quick fishing trips. We really like the Hewes. Modified it with a self bailing deck, stand up head and Wallas heater. What model is your Hewes?

Ken
 
I have the Ocean Pro. Good eye. I love that boat but a self bailing deck would be nice. I saw an owner that modified his on the Hewes forum. Was that you Ken?
 
Nevada Mike said:
Hi All,
We have extensive on the water experience in fishing boats at our cabin in Southeast Alaska. We reside in Northern Nevada. I am looking for the best way to gain experience.

Mike
Click to expand...

While your "ride along" idea is a good one, given the boating experience you already have, I suggest you think about chartering a cruiser as a next step. There are charter companies which will provide instruction or even provide a captain if you like. But I think you're at the point where you need to run a boat yourselves, not just lend a hand.

We went from the boat pictured below (which we still have and use) to a Grand Banks diesel cruiser. We did this by chartering one first to see if we even liked the cruising experience. We did, so in 1998 we bought our own.

The PNW is a great region in which to charter and cruise.

PS-- Just read where you have already scheduled a charter. Good idea. With regards to your wife's not wanting you off chartering on your own, unless she teaches summer school I would think you can charter one or more times in July or August. You're reasonably close to the PNW or San Francisco Bay, which could be another potential chartering opportunity, both of them probably less expensive than schlepping down to Florida, etc.
 

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Marin We usually spend 4-6 weeks in Alaska usually starting late June. That is the time we really get to enjoy the Alaskan summer. We usually have plenty of friends and family that are able to join us at the same time. Watching all of our "dream boats" pass by at the same time adds to the magic.

Maybe I'm trying to get started just a little prematurely. I seem to be full of excuses. Being in Nevada most of the year, I can't really go down to the marina and kick the tires so to speak or go to boat shows where there are lots of trawlers open for inspection. I just know I love being on the water and while the Hewes is a great boat her legs are not very long.
 
I'm only familiar with SE Alaska, and that from flying a floatplane there, never running a boat. I don't know where in Alaska you go, but is there a possibility of chartering a cruiser up there?
 
I am in SE Alaska outside of Ketchikan. I think there may be charters available there. I will start looking into that idea as well. We have always wanted to run north a little bit but my boat is not quite up to the task with the unpredictable weather. I must admit with the tides up there I am a bit nervous for a first time charter. As it is when I bring my boat into the dock and the tide is running over 3 with a crosswind I feel a bit of pressure.
 
Nevada Mike said:
I have the Ocean Pro. Good eye. I love that boat but a self bailing deck would be nice. I saw an owner that modified his on the Hewes forum. Was that you Ken?
Click to expand...

I believe that there are two boats on the forum with self bailing decks. Dale, who started the form is the other one. He sold his boat and the forum and does not appear to continue posting.
 
Being in Northern Nevada, you might consider purchasing a starter boat in the delta. It would not be that far away and would give you a taste of the lifestyle on weekends and vacations. When you are ready for the inside passage, you can have your boat hauled up there or sell it and buy another boat.

If you want experience as crew, that is a tough one as I know many captains have taken 'greenhorns' aboard to save money and when the going gets rough, the crew bails or gets seasick or whatever. Delivery captains like to stick with their proven crew members for a reason.
 
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Nevada Mike said:
Maybe I'm trying to get started just a little prematurely. I seem to be full of excuses. Being in Nevada most of the year, I can't really go down to the marina and kick the tires so to speak or go to boat shows where there are lots of trawlers open for inspection. I just know I love being on the water and while the Hewes is a great boat her legs are not very long.
Click to expand...

Au contraire my fellow Nevada resident... I lived in Incline Village, NV for 18 years (I still hold legal residency there) and when I did I went to boat shows in Annapolis and San Diego just to "kick the tires", hell I even once traveled down to Dana Point and met with Jeff Merrill to view a few Nordhavn's there. Now that I split my time between South America and Mexico I still managed to make it to the Trawlerfest in Anacortes, WA last May.

So... stop making excuses and get out there and "kick the tires" on a few of your favorites!:thumb:
 
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Point well taken Diesel Duck. I worked for the Fire Department in Incline.
 
Nevada Mike said:
I am in SE Alaska outside of Ketchikan. I think there may be charters available there. I will start looking into that idea as well. We have always wanted to run north a little bit but my boat is not quite up to the task with the unpredictable weather. I must admit with the tides up there I am a bit nervous for a first time charter. As it is when I bring my boat into the dock and the tide is running over 3 with a crosswind I feel a bit of pressure.
Click to expand...
Hi Nevada Mike,

Clarence Strait sure can be a bear in a small boat, especially with wind opposed to tidal current. We got stuck in Coffman Cove for 5 days in August a few years ago (before the floats were upgraded), waiting for 30+ knots in Clarence to wind down.

OTOH, with careful attention to weather conditons and forecast, cruising Southeast in our 22' and now 26' boats has been a delight (most of the time). We've traveled all over most of SE since 1996, and are heading up again this summer. There are lots of places where wind and seas are typically less fierce than near Lincoln Rock. Most docks have little or no current to deal with, and the anchorages are lovely.

If you're considering a charter out of Ketchikan (or Juneau - Nordic Tugs are available there) or any other town, I'd be happy to discuss routes, strategies, and anchorages that might be interesting and not too stressful for first time cruising.
 
Lincoln Rock is straight out from our cabin. Its is my go to weather station when we are out of sight of the straights in front of the cabin.
 
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A paramedic would be very handy on any extended cruise, especially if he brings his kit.
 
I do have access to Physician supported medical kits. I was lucky enough when a physician friend supplied one for my cabin as well. I think any of you can get the same or similar kit. I don't know where this belongs in the forum but if you obtain one of the kits you have 24 hour access to a physician that will advise you on what medication to use or what supportive care is needed. While it's not quite like having a paramedic onboard you could treat most general medical symptoms with a kit and some form of communications. If you can not make contact for some reason there is a fairly comprehensive guide included.
 
Nevada Mike said:
I do have access to Physician supported medical kits. I was lucky enough when a physician friend supplied one for my cabin as well. I think any of you can get the same or similar kit. I don't know where this belongs in the forum but if you obtain one of the kits you have 24 hour access to a physician that will advise you on what medication to use or what supportive care is needed. While it's not quite like having a paramedic onboard you could treat most general medical symptoms with a kit and some form of communications. If you can not make contact for some reason there is a fairly comprehensive guide included.
Click to expand...

We carry the kits, are trained as medical officers in charge, and subscribe to the service you mention. It makes us feel a lot more confident we could handle most medical emergencies until we could get to medical professionals. That's training and a service we hope to never need, but it was also one of our worries about long runs. Ours is through MedAire.
 
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