Getting your spouse onboard

[Bmarler]

Using the diagram, I like to use the aft quarter breast line as the first point. That along with forward gear will pin the boat against the dock. With a double ender, some rudder might be needed if the cleat is too far aft. So much depends on the geometry of the boat.

 

[psneeld]

Understand the comments, but not a template that works for us. Neither of us aspire to a Driving-Miss-Daisy relationship.

Peter

No one said it applied to you.

But a boatload of others may encounter it along their boating life.

Just thought I would share. As someone who lived or worked on docks most of his life.

 

[psneeld]

Not understanding what you mean here... unless you just mean for landings you prefer to run your springs from the bow or stern instead of mid-ships?

Or...?

-Chris

Depending on where cleats are, a strict breast line works for some but for me if solo, it depends on wind/current and whether I am in a forward or aft steering position. Also it depend on docking philosophy, experience, boat handling, the boat and the dock all wrapped up into one. Landing and tying up in horrible conditions teaches a lot... but many will never even attempt it like I won't anchor out if expecting more than moderate weather.

I didn't have a midship cleat for years so docking my trawler I needed something else other than any kind of midship line.

I often ask what people who are used to using a midship breast line (often touted as the best/only one to use first) how they do in 3 knots of current or 35+ knots of wind pushing them off the dock?

Even without those conditions, I find many other approaches and use of boat or stern cleats as a more effective point of a line to slide to the dock with.

 

[ranger58sb]

I didn't have a midship cleat for years so docking my trawler I needed something else other than any kind of midship line.

I often ask what people who are used to using a midship breast line (often touted as the best/only one to use first) how they do in 3 knots of current or 35+ knots of wind pushing them off the dock?

Even without those conditions, I find many other approaches and use of boat or stern cleats as a more effective point of a line to slide to the dock with.

Fair enough, I just wasn't able to interpret from the way you said it earlier.

In retrospect (of course), I could have gone ahead against a bow spring the other day to get our stern off the fuel dock... to set ourselves up for backing away into the wind more gracefully... to avoid the Fleming behind us. We'd have had to do some heavy-duty fender reconfig first, though, and then we'd have to immediately swap all the fender right back for our two-minutes-away tie-up.

As it was, we could instead move forward first, get our bow blown into the adjacent perpendicular fairway, and then back away from all that... without too much embarrassment. (That's my version, at least.)

-Chris

 

[SteveK]

Depending on where cleats are, a strict breast line works for some but for me if solo, it depends on wind/current and whether I am in a forward or aft steering position. Also it depend on docking philosophy, experience, boat handling, the boat and the dock all wrapped up into one. Landing and tying up in horrible conditions teaches a lot... but many will never even attempt it like I won't anchor out if expecting more than moderate weather.

I didn't have a midship cleat for years so docking my trawler I needed something else other than any kind of midship line.

I often ask what people who are used to using a midship breast line (often touted as the best/only one to use first) how they do in 3 knots of current or 35+ knots of wind pushing them off the dock?

Even without those conditions, I find many other approaches and use of boat or stern cleats as a more effective point of a line to slide to the dock with.

when a dock helper asks for a line, I ask that the midship one be tied off as a breast. Later I will turn it into a spring line.
I also approach a dock with the bow line out of reach. Mid and stern tie it off and let me get off to finish.

I always wonder what dock helpers are thinking when they ask for your line and then stand there holding on to it, without securing it.

 

[SteveK]

Fair enough, I just wasn't able to interpret from the way you said it earlier.

In retrospect (of course), I could have gone ahead against a bow spring the other day to get our stern off the fuel dock... to set ourselves up for backing away into the wind more gracefully... to avoid the Fleming behind us. We'd have had to do some heavy-duty fender reconfig first, though, and then we'd have to immediately swap all the fender right back for our two-minutes-away tie-up.

As it was, we could instead move forward first, get our bow blown into the adjacent perpendicular fairway, and then back away from all that... without too much embarrassment. (That's my version, at least.)

-Chris

With twins, steering hard over starboard (starboard tie), port in forward, starboard in reverse and pivot on bow, in/out as needed, then reverse out with both has worked for me.

 

[psneeld]

when a dock helper asks for a line, I ask that the midship one be tied off as a breast. Later I will turn it into a spring line.
I also approach a dock with the bow line out of reach. <id and stern tie it off and let me get off to finish.

I always wonder what dock helpers are thinking when they ask for your line and then stand there holding on to it, without securing it.

Better they do nothing awaiting directions from the skipper than tying off prematurely and wrecking a perfectly good docking.

I make it a point to sternly correct people that do things before I tell them to as it can be downright dangerous. I don't if I realize or they explain that they were preventing an issue that I may have not seen coming that would have been worse.

Backing away from a side tie, I find that most of the time the best way to get underway

 

[SteveK]

Better they do nothing awaiting directions from the skipper than tying off prematurely and wrecking a perfectly good docking.

I make it a point to sternly correct people that do things before I tell them to as it can be downright dangerous. I don't if I realize or they explain that they were preventing an issue that I may have not seen coming that would have been worse.

Backing away from a side tie, I find that most of the time the best way to get underway

But I do not hand over a dock line until I am ready to be tied, actually say please tie off this line.

 

[psneeld]

Some dock helpers will grab line the moment they can and some crew oblige without prompting and having just been told not to.

That's what gets my ire up.

I guess they have never witnessed a docking gone severely bad by those actions and thus my lecture.

 

[mvweebles]

No one said it applied to you.

But a boatload of others may encounter it along their boating life.

Just thought I would share. As someone who lived or worked on docks most of his life.

Actually, although you didn't quote my post, your references clearly came from it. Not a problem - its an open forum.

I appreciate you've worked on boats much of your life and your experience is often helpful. But after almost 30k posts, the constant reminder is a bit tiresome. Sometimes sounds a bit condescending.

Peter

 

[psneeld]

Just some background info for newcomers to evaluate my input.

There's always the ignore button for those that are tired of me.

 

[Mac2]

Interesting evolution. Docking is clearly the primary cause of stress and a likely deterrent for wanting to go boating. I will definitely make a point of taking more time to articulate docking procedures. Two recent experiences might be helpful for some in future planning. Last month we went to dock at the nearby pumpout. Probably 10 knot winds, normally not a problem except for a commercial fishing boat and tour boat that were sticking out at my stern and bow. During the hectic docking, my wife’s headset got knocked off in the water. First priority was making sure she was still aboard. Then went to solo docking mode and had her move to where I could hear her. I made it clear she was to yell when she was on the dock and we already knew to repeat eachother’s commands to know the command was received. The other unique situation was locking. I had always assumed I had to do exactly what the lock masters instructed-not true. A professional captain friend of mine clarified for me. The lock master can tell me the bollard to tie to, but not how. My wife cant reach the bow bollard (about 16 feet of 5/8 rope at the end of a pole). There is a forward spring hawse that is easily reached without a pole-takes all of 10 seconds. She is instructed to use this after securing the stern and then I will leave the helm to secure the bow. The lock master yelled at her for not following his instructions. My wife tried several times to hook the bow line before I came out and secured the spring line then the bow line. I had some words with the lock master. He declined to pay for any damages done to my boat if my bow swung out and hit the opposite wall. My wife now knows to tell the lock master her plan and she only takes orders from the captain if they try telling her otherwise.

 

[ranger58sb]

With twins, steering hard over starboard (starboard tie), port in forward, starboard in reverse and pivot on bow, in/out as needed, then reverse out with both has worked for me.

Yep, that'd usually work... and probably would have, had there not been a boat on the dock behind us.

But winds were about 20+ kts directly on our beam and had us pinned up pretty tight to the face dock. In this case, I couldn't get the stern kicked out far enough to avoid the Fleming behind us... even after moving ourselves significantly forward before trying.

-Chris

 

[Muirgen Afloat]

Woman's perspective here. First off I think whether or not you can get your spouse to buy into the boat thing is really dependent on them. However, I think there is a lot you might be able to do to increase the chances that the two of you can find some common ground on boating.
First a little background. I grew up in the Midwest my boating experience before I met Scot was canoeing. When he was stationed in Hawaii my brother in law sailed his sailing boat there and we used it for awhile until he came back to collect it. I found sailing very stressful. Mainly because we had four small children and my lack of experience... so I was constantly counting heads and trying to figure out if I could drop the sail and retrieve Scot if he got knocked overboard. The only time it was enjoyable if we were by ourselves and the conditions were good because I got so seasick.
After the sailboat left Scot really wanted another boat and I was okay with it, so we got a Grand Banks. It was better, I took some power squadron classes, got more familiar with things and wasn't constantly having to count heads of the kids. I still got so seasick, but by then I was finding things I enjoyed like diving etc. And honestly since I'm stubborn I just dealt with the seasickness and enjoy as much as I could.
After we left Hawaii we were boatless for many years until Covid shut down our after the military life business... when Scot and I were talking about what we wanted to do, I said "Let's get another boat!" Honestly nothing has ever felt so right. It took us a while to find Muirgen, but I've never regretted that statement.
Best of all.. doesn't seem to matter what conditions the seas are.. I haven't gotten seasick on her, so win.

The experience of between 10,000-11,000 nautical miles has taught me that everybody has a different buy in to boat life. Some will never be interested, doesn't matter what you do. Some like the social aspects and will be content travel from marina to marina or hang out with friends, but will never want the long journey. Some are fair weather boaters. Etc. I discovered that I honestly could have lived on the boat forever preferably in some remote anchorage or somewhere where I can swim off the boat and I discovered that Scot hates boat repair in exotic locations and he gets stressed without some social.

Some of the things I know helped me as the partner with less experience:
Having a friend teach me about docking the boat etc. (It doesn't work for Scot to teach me if we want to both survive).
Taking power squadron classes or other classes really helped me with confidence and being comfortable
Try and find some happy medium in your style of travel (Scot is often rush, rush, rush to get to a location, where as I prefer to just take my time and explore along the way. We are working on this one)
Find something that you enjoy that is helped by boating (ie scuba diving or snorkeling, exploring things that you couldn't reach without a boat, whale watching, etc. So many options)
Don't be stuck always traveling together if that doesn't work. If you have a spouse that only enjoys short trips, then do that with them and do a long trip with a friend. Find some happy medium that works for both of you. Get headsets to wear when docking or is situations, because yelling will make things unpleasant and escalate any problems. Scot and I figured this out early on. Sometimes we still have problems with excited and raised voices, but this was a game changer. We never could have gone as far as we had without. Marriage savers for sure.
Address fears that come up in a calm manor, even if they don't seem justified to you. This is one of the quickest ways for them to loose any interest in the boat if you belittle or make fun of their fears or inexperience. "Little story on our trip: We were in the Santa Barbara Channel area. It was night and I was doing my usual night watch. I was already stressed because I had to cross over the channel and our AIS was not working at the night and I have barely begun to understand our new radar system to figure distance between the boats. As I was patting myself on the back I noticed to freighters or maybe cargo ships coming towards us really fast and I couldn't figure out how to get out of their way. I got disoriented and a little bit turned around... think I did a complete 180 before realizing that it was beyond my skill level and going do to wake Scot and get his help. He was just helpful.. didn't belittle me or get frustrated that I woke him up.. just told me I made the right call and to do it any time and fixed the issue showing me how to do it in the future. Could have colored our whole trip if things had went differently.. so be careful with feelings even if it might be a silly thing to you. You are trying to set yourself up to success for many more boat trips. "

Make a plan you both can live with and be flexible. Find out what works with your style of boat handling. It's always good if you both can handle the boat, but it's okay if one of you generally docks while the other does lines or something like that. Compromise, compromise and have a sense of humor. Be easy to forgive things said in the heat of docking and Be KIND!

Anyway.. good luck with finding a compromise that will work for you and your partner.. Laura

 

[Mac2]

Laura: how did you get over the seasickness? My wife has never been in big waves. I’ve been seasick and it’s a nightmare. I feel that my tolerance has gone up since living on the boat. Hoping this is the case for my wife as well. Thoughts?

 

[psneeld]

Having worked on flightlines and been around many, many docks of all kinds.... sometimes yelling is necessary to overcome everything from wind, to construction noise to obnoxious boaters who drive through marina with blaring music.

When there is noise and I really need something done quickly, yelling is sometimes necessary, especially when someone is doing that something terribly wrong or way too slowly. Even headsets and loudhailers don't cut it sometimes, having used both many times. Plus, sometimes the receiving persons hearing and attention span have something to do with it too.

I don't get people who don't seem to get, or just get upset with yelling that is just a raised voice of reasoned urgency and not an angry yell that is sending 2 messages.

If a person is getting angry you can still tell over any form of communication, electronic, vocal, hand gestures, etc.....

 

[Frosty]

In college I had a job guiding tours where you basically had to yell over ambient noise. It's very hard to yell "pleasantly" though! (I still tried.)

 

[Airstream345]

We’re now seven years into full-time living and cruising. Before this boat, we had some part-time experience—a 30' day-sailing sloop in Maine and a 40' trawler in Puget Sound—but nothing close to what we’re doing now. For us, every new accomplishment was something to celebrate. The first time we went through the locks? High-fives all around. Crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca felt like a major team win. Spending two weeks in the Gulf Islands opened our eyes to the possibility of making this a full-time endeavor; before that, the 40' trawler was just our “weekend cabin.”

Of course, every terrible docking or poor decision also came with an “after-action” discussion. We actually met more than 30 years ago in flight school, so CRM—cockpit resource management—was already second nature. When we transitioned to running a larger vessel, it helped us settle into natural, comfortable roles while still striving to run the boat as mariners, not just as a couple. We aim for the highest standard possible.

For departures or arrivals, we communicate directly with each other. She runs the deck; I run the boat. When entering an unfamiliar anchorage or marina, we talk through our approach, currents, options, and “go-around” plans. In Southeast Alaska, you often don’t get a slip assignment until you’re at the breakwater, so decisions happen quickly. If people offer help, we usually decline unless the conditions truly warrant it. When we do accept help, Suz is clear and specific about what she needs from them and relays everything back to me. No jumping, no throwing lines—just coordinated crew work. And if we can’t dock safely, we back out and try again or move to the backup plan.

Routing and weather decisions are made the same way: together. We review the forecast, currents, tides, options, and contingencies as a team. And we have one firm rule—either crew member can veto the plan. If one of us isn’t comfortable with a crossing, timing, or route, we wait or choose another option. That mutual veto has kept us safe and aligned more times than I can count.

This approach works extremely well, but more than once Suz has had to deal with a macho or impatient boater on the dock barking orders at her—even though she can run the deck for almost any boat in that marina like a pro. I’ve heard her politely (but firmly) redirect a 6'2" guy who insisted on talking to me instead of listening to her instructions. Having a strong crew mindset makes all the difference in moments like that.

Our guiding rule has always been: when the boat and the crew are ready to go farther, we’ll go farther. This philosophy has sometimes held us back from things I was eager to try when Suz wasn’t ready yet, but it has also steadily built our confidence—in our seamanship, our teamwork, and our relationship.

When I think back to how nervous we were just getting our “new-to-us” trawler out of the slip in Lake Union for a weekend at anchor in Andrews Bay… and now we’re planning a run up to Prince William Sound… it’s been a series of small, progressive steps and decisions we’ve made together. Honestly, Suz drives many of these decisions.

One last piece of advice: our worst moments aboard have happened when we slip out of crew mode and into husband-and-wife mode—usually under stress. I’ve made decisions aimed at reducing her stress instead of making the best decision for the boat and the safety of the crew. Trying to push through to a marina hours away in iffy weather instead of anchoring in a protected cove one mile away… that kind of thing. Staying in crew mindset keeps us safer, calmer, and more in sync.

 

[SteveK]

Having worked on flightlines and been around many, many docks of all kinds.... sometimes yelling is necessary to overcome everything from wind, to construction noise to obnoxious boaters who drive through marina with blaring music.

When there is noise and I really need something done quickly, yelling is sometimes necessary, especially when someone is doing that something terribly wrong or way too slowly. Even headsets and loudhailers don't cut it sometimes, having used both many times. Plus, sometimes the receiving persons hearing and attention span have something to do with it too.

I don't get people who don't seem to get, or just get upset with yelling that is just a raised voice of reasoned urgency and not an angry yell that is sending 2 messages.

If a person is getting angry you can still tell over any form of communication, electronic, vocal, hand gestures, etc.....

sorry to disagree with the comparison. In a work environment yell all you want, it is part of the job, expected behaviour between professionals as it is done when needed right now.
Spouses and inexperienced people are already nervous in trying to help, yelling just freezes them up until the thaw and you get told to sleep on the couch.

 

[SteveK]

Yep, that'd usually work... and probably would have, had there not been a boat on the dock behind us.

But winds were about 20+ kts directly on our beam and had us pinned up pretty tight to the face dock. In this case, I couldn't get the stern kicked out far enough to avoid the Fleming behind us... even after moving ourselves significantly forward before trying.

-Chris

Yes, 20+ pushing you against dock is a trick to overcome.
Less than 20, maybe 10-15 I was between boats and without spring line was able to get out. Not something I will rush to repeat though with wind on the beam. It was two fenders in the curve to the bow, so rotating against the dock

 

[CharlieO.]

We’re now seven years into full-time living and cruising. Before this boat, we had some part-time experience—a 30' day-sailing sloop in Maine and a 40' trawler in Puget Sound—but nothing close to what we’re doing now. For us, every new accomplishment was something to celebrate. The first time we went through the locks? High-fives all around. Crossing the Strait of Juan de Fuca felt like a major team win. Spending two weeks in the Gulf Islands opened our eyes to the possibility of making this a full-time endeavor; before that, the 40' trawler was just our “weekend cabin.”

Of course, every terrible docking or poor decision also came with an “after-action” discussion. We actually met more than 30 years ago in flight school, so CRM—cockpit resource management—was already second nature. When we transitioned to running a larger vessel, it helped us settle into natural, comfortable roles while still striving to run the boat as mariners, not just as a couple. We aim for the highest standard possible.

For departures or arrivals, we communicate directly with each other. She runs the deck; I run the boat. When entering an unfamiliar anchorage or marina, we talk through our approach, currents, options, and “go-around” plans. In Southeast Alaska, you often don’t get a slip assignment until you’re at the breakwater, so decisions happen quickly. If people offer help, we usually decline unless the conditions truly warrant it. When we do accept help, Suz is clear and specific about what she needs from them and relays everything back to me. No jumping, no throwing lines—just coordinated crew work. And if we can’t dock safely, we back out and try again or move to the backup plan.

Routing and weather decisions are made the same way: together. We review the forecast, currents, tides, options, and contingencies as a team. And we have one firm rule—either crew member can veto the plan. If one of us isn’t comfortable with a crossing, timing, or route, we wait or choose another option. That mutual veto has kept us safe and aligned more times than I can count.

This approach works extremely well, but more than once Suz has had to deal with a macho or impatient boater on the dock barking orders at her—even though she can run the deck for almost any boat in that marina like a pro. I’ve heard her politely (but firmly) redirect a 6'2" guy who insisted on talking to me instead of listening to her instructions. Having a strong crew mindset makes all the difference in moments like that.

Our guiding rule has always been: when the boat and the crew are ready to go farther, we’ll go farther. This philosophy has sometimes held us back from things I was eager to try when Suz wasn’t ready yet, but it has also steadily built our confidence—in our seamanship, our teamwork, and our relationship.

When I think back to how nervous we were just getting our “new-to-us” trawler out of the slip in Lake Union for a weekend at anchor in Andrews Bay… and now we’re planning a run up to Prince William Sound… it’s been a series of small, progressive steps and decisions we’ve made together. Honestly, Suz drives many of these decisions.

One last piece of advice: our worst moments aboard have happened when we slip out of crew mode and into husband-and-wife mode—usually under stress. I’ve made decisions aimed at reducing her stress instead of making the best decision for the boat and the safety of the crew. Trying to push through to a marina hours away in iffy weather instead of anchoring in a protected cove one mile away… that kind of thing. Staying in crew mindset keeps us safer, calmer, and more in sync.

I am envious of your plan to do PWS, my first boat jobs were out of Seward and that has always planted the seed of wanting to return with my own boat, I guess it would be considered the top of my "bucket list". I started on boats the year I graduated high school, the summer after the Exxon spill as a deck hand to bring scientists to remote salmon streams to count fish. I would love to get out to the Aleutians again, but don't see that as a realistic goal for us.

 

[Muirgen Afloat]

Laura: how did you get over the seasickness? My wife has never been in big waves. I’ve been seasick and it’s a nightmare. I feel that my tolerance has gone up since living on the boat. Hoping this is the case for my wife as well. Thoughts?

To be honest I'm not sure that I have, maybe I have gotten over it or maybe Muirgen is just so stable it doesn't set it off. I guess the test will come if I am on a different boat. In Hawaii if I were taking waves on a corner and did I corkscrew roll I got sick. It didn't matter what over the counter prescriptions I had taken, watching the horizon, didn't matter if I got in the water to dive, nothing helped until we got back to land and was shore side for about two hours. Sometimes I could hold off being really sick if I laid down, hard to do if you are running the boat. Personally I would try some of the prescription meds if I was still having a problem, I've heard that tolerance goes up living on the boat, but since I didn't have problems to begin with I can attest to that. We had to do the prescription route for one of our kitties works perfectly. Good luck.. hope you find a solution because it's miserable.

 

[Muirgen Afloat]

Having worked on flightlines and been around many, many docks of all kinds.... sometimes yelling is necessary to overcome everything from wind, to construction noise to obnoxious boaters who drive through marina with blaring music.

When there is noise and I really need something done quickly, yelling is sometimes necessary, especially when someone is doing that something terribly wrong or way too slowly. Even headsets and loudhailers don't cut it sometimes, having used both many times. Plus, sometimes the receiving persons hearing and attention span have something to do with it too.

I don't get people who don't seem to get, or just get upset with yelling that is just a raised voice of reasoned urgency and not an angry yell that is sending 2 messages.

If a person is getting angry you can still tell over any form of communication, electronic, vocal, hand gestures, etc.....

I totally get this and understand raising your voice in certain situations. However, I will admit where I wouldn't have any trouble with raised voices on the job, sometimes raised between partners is a little less tolerable during the heat of the moment. I will admit I sometimes get excited when docking partly because of how Muirgen is shaped at certain points of the experience we can not see each other or see parts of the boat or dock. Communication is very important. Sometimes voices get raised without even realizing it. And though I would like to say we all understand that it happens and nothing is really meant by it... it's best of the nerves that it doesn't. I know the headphones aren't perfect and conditions make it hard to hear even with them at times. But for us they worked for over 10,000 miles.. .without them honestly the boat would probably been missing a person on the return to port...

 

[Don L]

never realized how hard this topic is

I don't like I am talking my wife into anyway she doesn't want to or are OK with doing

 

[Bmarler]

Laura: how did you get over the seasickness? My wife has never been in big waves. I’ve been seasick and it’s a nightmare. I feel that my tolerance has gone up since living on the boat. Hoping this is the case for my wife as well. Thoughts?

My wife uses the scopolamine patch. She also has the little bracelets with the buttons, but the patch works amazingly well. One lasts for up to three days, so we can make a passage without her being miserable the entire time.
The bracelets work for very minor movement, like the constant wind waves rolling us at the dock.

 

[mvweebles]

I've thought about this thread. How did I get Cheryll to agree to this journey from California to Florida? We've been together for almost 30-years and Weebles/Boating have always been a part of our life so this may not apply to many, but I wanted to share. She's enjoyed boating but clearly I'm the fanatic in the family.

I posted early in this thead about communication - but it was all tactical. Docking. I was short-sighted - that's how to get through a day. How to get her onboard for a long term commitment? Well first, Cheryll likes the lifestyle. But here are some pointers I think she'd agree with:

1. She trusts the boat. She's had enough time aboard that she just trusts the boat.

2. She trusts me......mostly. She understands my experience but it's not a substitute for her common sense. It's frustrating for me at times to have to explain what I perceive as simple concepts, but it's how we roll.

3. For this cruise, I broke it into digestible parts. I knew she was uncomfortable with overnight passages. But I also knew she loves travel and new sights/experiences. So I did what I could to reduce overnights and highlighted destinations (see attached).

4. Engaged her frequently. Tonight we were discussing Nicaragua and the difficult Papagayo winds that lie beyond. What would we do if there was a great weather window to just keep going as we approach Nicaragua? What if we just kept going to Costa Rica???? We both decided that we want to see Nicaragua - the hell with the weather window. We'll figure that out later.

5. Some days just suck. For whatever reason, some days are just lousy days. The other day when we were driving back to the boat we had several stops to make including getting a couple garafones of water (5-gal jugs). Turns out that El Salvador requires some sort of ownership tag for the containers. And we had issues with parking. And we could not find a few things. And it was the end of the day so we were both a bit tired. And we were hungry. And the dog ate our homework. This is where a long term relationship helps - just saying that the day sucked and recalling some other sucky days seemed to deflate the tension.

Attached is the chartlet I used to sell the trip. I encouraged Cheryll to research the towns and such which she continues to do (she's the planner of the family). And I stressed there would be few overnighters unless we wanted to do them.

Hope this helps

Peter

 

[Mac2]

Thanks Peter! Very inspirational. Trust is the big one for me. The more experiences we have the more confidence I see my wife getting. Hopefully we continue this trajectory.

 

[JRZ1]

Stupid question (I'm sure it's obvious and I'm just missing it). What are the numbers in the trip legs on your map?

 

[mvweebles]

Stupid question (I'm sure it's obvious and I'm just missing it). What are the numbers in the trip legs on your map?

Nautical miles between points. We run at aboit 6-1/4 - 6-1/2 knots which is around 150nms per 24-hr day.

Peter.

 

[JRZ1]

OK. I figured those were too long of legs if you're not doing overnights but I guess you just anchor out in between.