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I told an experienced passage-maker that I wanted to do some cruising but I was nervous about it and asked him for any input that he could provide. This fellow was a sailer who had done a lot of serious blue water cruising including Hawaii to CA numerous times. He told me two things. 1) Just do it. Don't spend years planning it and thinking about it. 2) Don't get a huge boat. Keep it small around 30 to 40'. I of course asked him why small vs big? He said the bigger the boat the more room there is for you and loose items to fly around in.

I think he should have had one more suggestion - watch the weather!

A fellow that flew to Hawaii, bought a 50' sailboat and sailed it back to CA told me about his trip. He and his wife had only a couple years experience. He was a fire fighter so he obviously had a set. They encountered waves that were as tall as his mast for several days ongoing. They didn't sleep for days and couldn't eat because they were too sick and every night as they cried, they discussed calling the USCG. He described waves of 50-60' and how he thought the boat would skitter backwards down the wave as they ran out of momentum. The boat would have toppled end over end breaking the mast etc.. That never happened but can you imagine thinking that was going to happen on every wave?

I'll never forget that story. The reason that I don't think he was exaggerating is because he was a very soft spoken, humble kind of guy. Everyone has a horror story. That's the ocean. I guess all we can do is either not go out or watch the weather and carry a life raft and ditch bag.

My ditch bag has an EPIRB, GPS, multiple emergency blankets, medical kit, flash lights, beacon, food, water, etc.. Including all the stuff that comes with the life raft. I hope that I never have to use it. The only reason that I would leave the boat is if it was sinking. Even if it flipped over multiple times. As long as it's not full of water I'm staying with the boat! Why freeze your ass off in a life-raft if your boat is still floating? Well, maybe flipping over in a boat with flying chairs etc. isn't such a good idea.
 
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dirtdoc1 said:
I told an experienced passage-maker that I wanted to do some cruising but I was nervous about it and asked him for any input that he could provide. This fellow was a sailer who had done a lot of serious blue water cruising including Hawaii to CA numerous times. He told me two things. 1) Just do it. Don't spend years planning it and thinking about it. 2) Don't get a huge boat. Keep it small around 30 to 40'. I of course asked him why small vs big? He said the bigger the boat the more room there is for you and loose items to fly around in.

I think he should have had one more suggestion - watch the weather!

A fellow that flew to Hawaii, bought a 50' sailboat and sailed it back to CA told me about his trip. He and his wife had only a couple years experience. He was a fire fighter so he obviously had a set. They encountered waves that were as tall as his mast for several days ongoing. They didn't sleep for days and couldn't eat because they were too sick and every night as they cried, they discussed calling the USCG. He described waves of 50-60' and how he thought the boat would skitter backwards down the wave as they ran out of momentum. The boat would have toppled end over end breaking the mast etc.. That never happened but can you imagine thinking that was going to happen on every wave?

I'll never forget that story. The reason that I don't think he was exaggerating is because he was a very soft spoken, humble kind of guy. Everyone has a horror story. That's the ocean. I guess all we can do is either not go out or watch the weather and carry a life raft and ditch bag.

My ditch bag has an EPIRB, GPS, multiple emergency blankets, medical kit, flash lights, beacon, food, water, etc.. Including all the stuff that comes with the life raft. I hope that I never have to use it. The only reason that I would leave the boat is if it was sinking. Even if it flipped over multiple times. As long as it's not full of water I'm staying with the boat! Why freeze your ass off in a life-raft if your boat is still floating? Well, maybe flipping over in a boat with flying chairs etc. isn't such a good idea.
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DD - Your post above is in complete accord with the quote from a post of yours on last page, and, my response to it [see below]. In other words... sailor be ware! That is not saying you shouldn't do as you desire nor that you can't do as you desire... it does say... if you are not smart in doing as you desire [on the high seas particularly] you just might not return from doing your desire. Please... take all factors into account as you proceed to fulfill your desires. Plainly said - Be Damn Careful! :ermm:

"They say that if you learn to sail on the San Francisco Bay that you can sail anywhere. I actually think that is a very stupid saying. If the San Francisco Bay can get that bad without swells. The ocean must be able to dwarf it and that scares the **** out of me."

That is the smartest item mentioned on this entire thread. Ocean weather can sink / over-take any person or vessel. Never underestimate its capabilities.
 
You cruise recklessly without forethought, unaware of the weather, and it doesn't matter where you are, that can lead to trouble.

I hear people talk all the time about "the wind and rough seas just came up out of nowhere" or "I was shocked when I woke to 50 knot winds" or "I had no idea it would be as rough." 99% of the time, all that reflects is their failure to do their homework, failure to prepare. We don't just check the weather and forecasts constantly, we use multiple sources, multiple forecasts.

Then there are those who just forge ahead to meet a schedule.

None of us can tell anyone what conditions will be like off the Oregon coast on the 8th of May. However, by the 1st some things will give a good indication, by the 6th you'll have a very good idea and by the 7th a high degree of certainty, then the morning of the 8th an update. On top of that I never cruise without Plan B, what if. Where will I seek refuge and how much time do I need. Plans are always subject to change. Cruising down the west coast is not like crossing the Pacific ocean on a 14 day crossing. There are ports all along the way.
 
The conditions outside can get WAY worse than the Bay.. the big thing about the bay is it changes sometimes without warning and deteriorates very fast, but you can always get to shelter somewhere.
On the ocean it often is not the case, and add the fear factor that often accompany bad weather it is compounded.
I don't think anyone here is saying " don't go".. just that for most the time of year it critical to a enjoyable trip.
My trip a few years ago to Mexico on a N57 was a great trip.. but it still had what at the time seemed like never ending hours of uncomfortable conditions along the way. And that is on an amazingly well outfitted and performing bluewater designed passage maker. Even with my 20,0000 miles+ of bluewater experience I wouldn't want to take the N57 back and forth that much.. but that is just me.

On a separate note, I believe the advise to go to a 4 person raft is not correct.. if you ever plan on more than two aboard you need a 6 person raft for 4 people. they are just too damn small.

Have fun with the planning
HOLLYWOOD
 
sunchaser said:
ASD

With your vessel do you find keeping the speed up a bit smooths out the ride?
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mmmm sometimes. It tends to beat you up a little harder sometimes. I have these huge (2 cylinders per tab) trim tabs and I found in beam seas if I lower them down to full, it will "dampen" the movement some and take the sting out of the rollers.

Here is a pic:
 

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JustBob said:
Stabilizers are just going to take the edge off that ride. They don't change the conditions. Don't think of them as magic, plus they can fail too.

I don't imagine the captain of that boat would choose to repeat that voyage.
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I dont imagine he would go the opposite direction in those conditions either.
 
dirtdoc1 said:
I appreciate that Brand.

It sounds a bit more sensible and realistic to me. It's not like I haven't ventured beyond the Golden Gate. I've been up north towards Mendocino to fish for salmon. I've been out a few times. But that's the farthest I've been. As you enter the Bay there is a bar called the potato patch because of the confused seas that it creates. You learn how to get around it. That's why I hired a captain for the trip. He knows the coast. He also would not do it before May, which indicates to me that he's a careful captain. He's a retired submarine chief warrant officer and he's a captain who has been up and down the coast delivering boats more times than he can remember. I think between him and I on a new stabilized NP45 with FLIR, radar, GPS and a host of other electronics and paper charts and common sense and most of all time. I think we will be just fine. I just wish we could have left last September. As soon as November comes round I'm taking her home to Redwood City. Unfortunately I have to keep her out of CA for one year. It's a tax thing that I'm sure many of you are familiar with.

Cheers!
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On tax avoidance, In Ca you will have to prove that the vessel was purchased for use out of state to avoid Ca use tax. This means maintaining a cruising log of use out of the state, receipts of maintenance, fuel and such. Simply keeping the vessel out for one year is not enough to avoid use tax.
 
Scary said:
On tax avoidance, In Ca you will have to prove that the vessel was purchased for use out of state to avoid Ca use tax. This means maintaining a cruising log of use out of the state, receipts of maintenance, fuel and such. Simply keeping the vessel out for one year is not enough to avoid use tax.
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Great advice.
 
Yes, I had to hire a legal firm that specializes in maritime law. I had to put the boat in a LLC. So I guess it's no longer a boat it's a corporation, lol. I should respond to the other thread about "What Makes a Trawler a Trawler". Unless it's a corporation, ha ha ha ha :lol:

P.S. I believe it's sales tax not use tax. May also avoid property tax. If you buy a boat that's in an LLC you don't have to pay sales tax. I believe "use tax" is what the local government charges businesses for all the supplies and personal property that is used to conduct business. Basically double taxation. Or what is also known as taxation without representation. So when I can get around paying a tax legally I feel pretty good. I'm not a maritime or tax lawyer so please check me on this stuff.
 
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dirtdoc1 said:
A must see!
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Ya' know, what you're missing out on with that vid is when you can't see (at night in the North Pacific during a blow)! There are no videos of how dark and scary the North Pacific is at night when it is angry. Been there, done that, not sure I want any more of that!

It had me thinking real hard when off-watch and below at night...can I get out of this boat when it rolls over in the dark and don't come back? Should I try to sleep with my strobe on?

Better to be on deck with green water falling in my lap!

Carry on, you will have a great time!
 
GoneFarrell said:
Ya' know, what you're missing out on with that vid is when you can't see (at night in the North Pacific during a blow)! There are no videos of how dark and scary the North Pacific is at night when it is angry. Been there, done that, not sure I want any more of that!

It had me thinking real hard when off-watch and below at night...can I get out of this boat when it rolls over in the dark and don't come back? Should I try to sleep with my strobe on?

Better to be on deck with green water falling in my lap!

Carry on, you will have a great time!
Click to expand...

OMG! I hadn't thought about that. ****! What kind of ship were you on? If it was a ship.

Thanks for the story. I'd love to hear more.

Cheers
 
Code: 
Any other suggestions
You have a good list of spares, though I would keep adding with as many things as you can think of. A few come to mind: Electrical tester and a good collection of electrical bits and pieces, LOTS of fuel filters (tank sediment get stirred up by the swells). I took a 40 litre tub of oil that saved the day once when a transmission oil seal leaked and lost all the oil in a very remote location. Bits of plywood etc, bungs for through hulls, repair tape, collection of nuts and bolts. It is hard to have too many spares! Run through all the systems and think how they could break and what you might want to have to fix them.

And I would fasten down / strap down all the furniture if it isn't already.
 
nmuir said:
Code: 
Any other suggestions
You have a good list of spares, though I would keep adding with as many things as you can think of. A few come to mind: Electrical tester and a good collection of electrical bits and pieces, LOTS of fuel filters (tank sediment get stirred up by the swells). I took a 40 litre tub of oil that saved the day once when a transmission oil seal leaked and lost all the oil in a very remote location. Bits of plywood etc, bungs for through hulls, repair tape, collection of nuts and bolts. It is hard to have too many spares! Run through all the systems and think how they could break and what you might want to have to fix them.

And I would fasten down / strap down all the furniture if it isn't already.
Click to expand...

I got my pencil and paper and am writing your list down. That's the kind of useful stuff that I need -Thanks!
 
dirtdoc1 said:
Tunajoe,

I'm not going to turn down that offer! I'm stoping in Santa Barbara to visit my daughter, 30 more miles and I'm there.

Cheers
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Sounds good DD!
Looking forward to it.
I'll PM you my cell #
 
One comment DD. I saw a post from you that said it was going to be just you and the captain. If you plan to run overnight (and you pretty much have to run a bit in the dark due to the distances, tides at entrances and speed), two crew on board is pretty short handed. I made the trip and we did it in 7 days from San Francisco to Seattle with three days stuck in Newport, Oregon due to weather. Even with the lay days we were pretty tired at the completion of the journey.
 
SR400DB said:
One comment DD. I saw a post from you that said it was going to be just you and the captain. If you plan to run overnight (and you pretty much have to run a bit in the dark due to the distances, tides at entrances and speed), two crew on board is pretty short handed. I made the trip and we did it in 7 days from San Francisco to Seattle with three days stuck in Newport, Oregon due to weather. Even with the lay days we were pretty tired at the completion of the journey.
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Hey SR,

I have changed my plans. I am bringing a friend along to make three of us. I am also slowing the trip down so we can spend some time checking out the coastal towns and getting some real sleep in a marina. We may run overnight occasionally and we may find a nice spot to relax for a couple of days. I'm going to take it as it comes.

Thanks,
 
Sounds like more joy than before.
 
I was with SR400 on that trip. It was just my wife and I. He was in his boat, we were on ASD. We were inexperianced and SR helped us out alot. I should have stayed in New Port OR, but I pushed to the Columbia River bar and got my ass handed to me. Thanks for help SR.
 
Alaskan Sea-Duction said:
I was with SR400 on that trip. It was just my wife and I. He was in his boat, we were on ASD. We were inexperianced and SR helped us out alot. I should have stayed in New Port OR, but I pushed to the Columbia River bar and got my ass handed to me. Thanks for help SR.
Click to expand...

Hey Alaskan,

I read your blog. That's really good stuff! Moorage costs were almost $4k? WTH! I'm shocked at that. They really stick it to the cruisers don't they?

If I had someone to cruise with I'd probably stick around and enjoy the PNW. My issue is that I boat alone and I haven't boated in over a year because I sold my other boat to buy my new one. I don't know this boat and I don't know the area. So I figure a cruise down south with a captain will groove me in to the boat and learn the coast.

I'm a little embarrassed about how nervous I am about cruising in a new boat, in a new area. I could see getting my ass in a sling because of it though. So I'm going to play it safe and stick with my plan.

Great blog, keep it going.

Cheers,
 
hollywood8118 said:
For most mariners the destination is the draw not the voyage. its the places and people that make cruising great.. not the sea miles.

HOLLYWOOD
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Why I like the Inside Passage so much: the voyage IS what makes cruising great - for us it IS the destination.

We have not done many open ocean sea miles, but have enjoyed just about every mile from Puget Sound to Glacier Bay, many times. Typically only 30-50 miles/day.

Incredible beauty, wonderful critters, great fishing/crabbing/shrimping, a couple hundred delightful anchorages, many enjoyable dinghy/shore excursions, and oh BTW a few interesting towns to wander around in.

Also BTW, last time I bothered to keep track, our moorage costs for the summer were less than $700 (for our 26-footer, over only three months). Moorage in AK is really cheap. BC is another story, but we don't spend all that much time tied up in a marina.
 
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dirtdoc1 said:
Hey Alaskan,

I read your blog. That's really good stuff! Moorage costs were almost $4k? WTH! I'm shocked at that. They really stick it to the cruisers don't they?

If I had someone to cruise with I'd probably stick around and enjoy the PNW. My issue is that I boat alone and I haven't boated in over a year because I sold my other boat to buy my new one. I don't know this boat and I don't know the area. So I figure a cruise down south with a captain will groove me in to the boat and learn the coast.

I'm a little embarrassed about how nervous I am about cruising in a new boat, in a new area. I could see getting my ass in a sling because of it though. So I'm going to play it safe and stick with my plan.

Great blog, keep it going.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

Thanks Doc. As you saw in our blog we spend 5 weeks in Ketchikan for repairs which was a hugh chunk.

Good luck on your trip.......
 
Alaskan Sea-Duction said:
I was with SR400 on that trip. It was just my wife and I. He was in his boat, we were on ASD. We were inexperianced and SR helped us out alot. I should have stayed in New Port OR, but I pushed to the Columbia River bar and got my ass handed to me. Thanks for help SR.
Click to expand...



Anytime Brother! It was a huge bucket list trip for me.

And DD When my boat was new I took her South to Mexico. The uphill trip is not a fun one. I have done it once on my boat and three times on other vessels. I would recommend going North into BC to complete your one year out of California.
 
RCook said:
Why I like the Inside Passage so much: the voyage IS what makes cruising great - for us it IS the destination.

We have not done many open ocean sea miles, but have enjoyed just about every mile from Puget Sound to Glacier Bay, many times. Typically only 30-50 miles/day.

Incredible beauty, wonderful critters, great fishing/crabbing/shrimping, a couple hundred delightful anchorages, many enjoyable dinghy/shore excursions, and oh BTW a few interesting towns to wander around in.

Also BTW, last time I bothered to keep track, our moorage costs for the summer were less than $700 (for our 26-footer, over only three months). Moorage in AK is really cheap. BC is another story, but we don't spend all that much time tied up in a marina.
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Rcook,

Ya know, your right. I'm just overthinking this thing. I should postpone the Mexico trip and just start off small. Do a few short trips up north in protected waters and just take my time and get used to the boat. It's funny, so many people have been telling me to do just that but it takes one email to impinge for some reason. It's probably all of them but everyone is right. Why do a long slog south when I can take my time and check out the beautiful, protected waters of the PNW. I hear there are some treacherous tides in some areas though. I bought a couple of books about cruising the PNW with a lot of gorgeous pictures of amazing anchorages.

Thanks for finally talking some sense into my thick head. I would have stuck with the plan if there was any interest in running down South but so far no takers.

Once my year is drawing close I'll head South for home in Redwood City. My year out of the state will be up by the end of November. Do you think November is too late to be heading South down the coast?

Cheers!
 
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Hi Dirtdoc,

You might want to get the Douglass Exploring series cruising guides for BC and SE Alaska, and also the Waggoner guide, which mostly covers BC.

There are significant tides, for sure - up to 23 feet or so on the springs in some locations. Definitely need to know where you are on the tide and how much it will change when you anchor.

And strong currents (tidal rapids) in certain squeeze points - not too hard to deal with if you know when the slack currents are. A really good reference for the most significant rapids (in BC) is the annually updated tides and currents book "Ports and Passes".

Just to give you more to chew on, here are links to some Inside Passage cruising photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/saWFkUxARBQ1aALK2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/i845P3mK5bsKBl3o1

I don't have any experience heading south down the coast.
 
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dirtdoc1 said:
Do you think November is too late to be heading South down the coast? Cheers!
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In a word, yes. Get your vessel shaken out, your sea legs in shape and think mid September at latest to depart Port Townsend or thereabouts. Generally you'll have great fall weather up until mid October and then things start changing. The shorter days make daily decisions a bit more difficult too.
 
RCook said:
Hi Dirtdoc,

You might want to get the Douglass Exploring series cruising guides for BC and SE Alaska, and also the Waggoner guide, which mostly covers BC.

There are significant tides, for sure - up to 23 feet or so on the springs in some locations. Definitely need to know where you are on the tide and how much it will change when you anchor.

And strong currents (tidal rapids) in certain squeeze points - not too hard to deal with if you know when the slack currents are. A really good reference for the most significant rapids (in BC) is the annually updated tides and currents book "Ports and Passes".

Just to give you more to chew on, here are links to some Inside Passage cruising photos:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/saWFkUxARBQ1aALK2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/i845P3mK5bsKBl3o1

I don't have any experience heading south down the coast.
Click to expand...

Rcook,

Thanks for the pictures. I really enjoyed them. It looks like you eat pretty well while on your fishing trips. I will try to find the Tides and Currents book.

Cheers!
 
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