Any recommendations on supplies for a cold voyage?

Hi everyone, I am heading up to Point Roberts with my 16-year old son and my boat broker to bring our new (to us) 44 Swift Trawler down to Seattle, where it will then be trucked down to the Bay Area (thanks for the advice many of you gave me to not bring it down the coast now).

It's gonna be C-O-L-D, as in around 30 degrees. I am packing lots of layers, rain pants and jacket, and a sleeping bag. The boat is pretty bare right now, so no supplies.

We'll probably make half the trip on Sat., then sleep on the boat at an anchorage, then finish up on Sunday. The boat has heat, but I believe it is reliant on the generator when not on shore power. We'll obviously run the generator for the heat, but I assume so it doesn't run all night, we'll have the heat pretty low.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what I should bring with me, or buy there? Or any other general recommendations on making this trip in such cold weather (other than a bottle of whiskey).

Thanks!
Mike

Disposable hand warmers and cups for soup that you can hold with gloves on.

Greetings,
Mr. M. I'd hold off on the whiskey until you get home but pack some energy bars. Do NOT rely on snacks for two days. You will need some real food to keep the strength up. Best would be something hot and filling (stew, soup as suggested, maybe some TV dinners in the Hungry Man variety, porridge or oatmeal for breakfast and maybe a trip to the deli for a bunch of sandwiches).

A warm, comfy cap will be your best friend.

RT Firefly said:

Greetings,
Mr. M. I'd hold off on the whiskey until you get home but pack some energy bars. Do NOT rely on snacks for two days. You will need some real food to keep the strength up. Best would be something hot and filling (stew, soup as suggested, maybe some TV dinners in the Hungry Man variety, porridge or oatmeal for breakfast and maybe a trip to the deli for a bunch of sandwiches).

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That is excellent advice. Hot food helps tremendously.

Another thought... this is a Northwest boat so should be setup pretty well for cold weather. Imagine how you would dress if you going to a mountain cabin in the winter with poor heat. What will make you comfortable with inside temps of 60F. Over the years We have found that a couple of fleece blankets will make a cold boat a lot more comfortable. Easy to pack.

Don't worry about running the genset for heat 24/7. The genset will like the load with low outside air temps.

David

Stocking hats and hooded sweatshirts and gloves.

A pair of one piece insulated coveralls if you have them. Take lots of warm clothing. You can always take stuff off if your warm but if you don't have it and your cold it will be miserable. Have fun!

For God sake man bring an espresso machine and proper glass mugs. No need to be primitive.

It starts to warm up by Sunday, why not delay your trip a day? What kind of heat is on the boat now? Why anchor, just go to Anacortes and tie up at the Cap Sante dock. Easy trip on your boat

Mustang suits and PLBs along with PFDs and all the required safety equipment. Survival in cold water without a Mustang suit or similar is very short. At this time of year there will probably not be a lot of other boaters around to help in an emergency so you need to be self sufficient. Backup VHF or at least a handheld.

A books about caribbean islands would be nice too, just to see that there is something else than winter out there. I often look at some islands these days when it is snowing and it helps a lot joke aside a good stock of tea, herbals ,coffe, hot chocolate and soup will help as well as ability to cook comforting rich food depending on your taste. Moreover cooking will reheat the boat too!

And don't forget some nice big thermoses to put all that hot food and drink in!!

Good, waterproof gear. Not just jacket and bibs but boots and GLOVES. think about handling cold, wet line when looking at gloves.

And a camera for Petes sake!! Have a good adventure! ! Congrats on the new boat! !

I've been out in the San Juans for the last week and a half, and will be out for several more weeks.

It is cold right now..33* outside. My furnace will keep the interior in the 80s (maybe hotter) in these temps. Two electric heaters on 30 amp shore power only heat the boat about ~25* above ambient. So even with electric heat, you guys may be a bit chilly.

Decks and docks get icy overnight. Be super careful when working on deck.

Wet lines freeze solid at night. Gloves make working with them in the morning tolerable.

The biggest challenge you'll likely have is finding potable water. All the marinas I've talked to this week have it shut off until the temps warm back up.

It IS beautiful out here, and there's hardly anyone around. I'll be somewhere in the San Juans this weekend. If you see a Nordic Tug 37 named Safe Harbor, say hi.

Pretty much everything has been covered but I'll add a second to the suggestion to bring a camera. This will be your ONLY maiden voyage on your new boat so you want to have lots of pics to share with friends.


What a great experience for your 16 year old son and what a great way for both of you to learn about the boat and all its systems.


Fair winds and calm seas!

Not knowing what boat prep has been done - may I suggest fresh fuel filters both primary and on engine for mains and genset. Also clean out sea strainers. How long has the boat been sitting? if over a year since last change out, water pump impellers too.

Lots of instant hot coco and a safe way to get hot water and safe drinking cups that wont splash or spill easily.

All great advice, but just start the generator, turn on the heat, and make the boat comfortable. That's why you bought a trawler after all, right? There is just no need to suffer. Layered clothing is for sail boaters.

Port Townsend is nice, lots of restaurants too.

Figure out how you will get your son, or how he will get you, out of the water if one of you falls in. Man overboard drill is very important this time of year.

twistedtree said:

All great advice, but just start the generator, turn on the heat, and make the boat comfortable. That's why you bought a trawler after all, right? There is just no need to suffer. Layered clothing is for sail boaters.

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Yes, please do this. Electric heat with some ventilation to outside (e.g. "cracked" window) is great for drying out the boat. You will be bringing in water on your shoes, on your clothes, exhaling it, and evaporating it in the galley. Get the heat going and leave it on until you reach your destination. The last thing you need is a closed up, wet, boat waiting for shipment. It will only be smelly when you unwrap it upon delivery.

I don't think you bought that nice boat to have a tent camping experience. Get some nice food aboard once you arrive, run those systems, and enjoy your fantastic trip with the boy!

Off topic - my D4-260 oil level bounces all over. Don't panic if you see some unfamiliar fluctuations on the dipsticks.

We will be in Bellingham and Anacortes by car this weekend. Will PM a phone number just in case.

A portable gas heater like this Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Propane Heater — 9000 BTU, Model# MH9BX | Propane Portable Heaters| Northern Tool + Equipment
can come in handy for warming up a cabin or other area. I only use it while I am around and awake and never in any sort of high seas. bring along a few spare gas canisters. It sounds like a great trip, enjoy it!

Soup. Lots of soup. Soup with every meal. Running gen set 1-1.25 gal/hr =$50-$60/day is cheaper than marina if u can anchor and good to help use up older fuel. Teach son to check fluids, nice and warm in ER end of day. Bring space heater also to boost reverse cycle heat. Have a great trip

Steve said:

A portable gas heater like this Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Propane Heater — 9000 BTU, Model# MH9BX | Propane Portable Heaters| Northern Tool + Equipment
can come in handy for warming up a cabin or other area. I only use it while I am around and awake and never in any sort of high seas. bring along a few spare gas canisters. It sounds like a great trip, enjoy it!

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+1
These heater are really working like a charm, I was surprised how well they heat the boat.

Greetings,
Open a window if using a fuel burning appliance in spite of the low O2 sensor please.

Ear plugs if running genny all night

Mountain Home freeze dried meals, just add hot water.

Instant coffee and shop rags

Make sure you have paper towels, toilet paper and bottled water. You don't know what is in the fresh water tank and you don't want any surprises.

You might want to bring instant coffee. I know that is sacrilegious but the post said the boat was pretty bare. Boat might not have a coffee maker on board. So take real coffee, sugar, cups, maybe creamer and have the instant as backup. Hostess donuts aren't fancy but they are easy to eat while on the fly bridge..

Never hurts to throw in a bundle of shop rags from Costco.

They are predicting possible snow in Seattle this weekend. Check for broom or the like to clear decks.

Enjoy you ride.

MichaelB1969 said:

Hi everyone, I am heading up to Point Roberts with my 16-year old son and my boat broker to bring our new (to us) 44 Swift Trawler down to Seattle, where it will then be trucked down to the Bay Area (thanks for the advice many of you gave me to not bring it down the coast now).

It's gonna be C-O-L-D, as in around 30 degrees. I am packing lots of layers, rain pants and jacket, and a sleeping bag. The boat is pretty bare right now, so no supplies.

We'll probably make half the trip on Sat., then sleep on the boat at an anchorage, then finish up on Sunday. The boat has heat, but I believe it is reliant on the generator when not on shore power. We'll obviously run the generator for the heat, but I assume so it doesn't run all night, we'll have the heat pretty low.

Does anyone have any recommendations on what I should bring with me, or buy there? Or any other general recommendations on making this trip in such cold weather (other than a bottle of whiskey).

Thanks!
Mike

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Anything 'safety' related would be my first concern.
If you plan to anchor out, you can have some fun asking the forum if you have the right types and number of anchors, as well as length of chain and rode, lol

So, you bought a boat with heat that needs the generator to run.

And you have verified through your prepurchase due diligence that the generator works properly....right???

Just run the generator and enjoy your boat nice and toasty warm. It's not going to hurt the generator one bit, and will actually probably be good for it to run.

When it was REALLY cold a couple of march's ago in Seward Alaska, I ran my generator 24X7 for a solid week. Not a problem at all. Yes it was too cold for my diesel furnaces totaling 30,000 BTU to keep up, but fortunately I have factory built in electric heaters. Too much for shore power but the generator handled the load just fine!

In chilly weather I run around my boat in the evenings in a pair of sweats. That would be a good recommendation.

Otherwise ENJOY and learn your new boat!

Other than that provision up for the trip. Canned food you do not eat on the trip will be just as good when you get the boat to your home port. Just think of the kind of things you would like to eat in cold weather. Soups and the like come to mind.

CPseudonym said:

For God sake man bring an espresso machine and proper glass mugs. No need to be primitive.

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I wish! I quit coffee about 7 months ago. Never been the same since.