Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Go?
So, you've taken a couple of courses and gotten to know your own boat. Are you ready to
go? Don't forget point number three: learning to become your own rigger, mechanic,
plumber, and general tinkerer. I'm not suggesting you wait to become an expert in all these
areas before setting off, because then you might never leave. However, you should try your
hand at a number of different projects on board and develop a mindset of self-sufficiency.
Get to know your tool box, have a look at what's hiding behind the panels, and attempt a
number of repairs on your own.
Consider this: an ocean cruiser will put more hours on the hull in the course of a seventy-
two hour passage than some weekend warriors will do in an entire season. A boat has all
the systems of a house, packed closely in a corrosive salt-water environment where there's
no repairman on call. You'll need tools, spare parts, and above all, resourcefulness if you're
going to sail off into the sunset. We often had to cobble together solutions for things that
didn't have a direct one-to-one replacement - from a busted diesel injection pipe to a fitting
in the galley sink and a patch of deck rot we discovered in the middle of the Pacific.
There's no course in resourcefulness except that which you teach yourself, and every boat,
no matter how new, will develop problems. Case in point: our 1981 sloop needed just as
much work as some very fancy modern yachts. In either case, it's a frustrated owner indeed
who waits for parts and expert help rather than attempting repairs on their own.
Therefore, you should take any opportunity you get to observe fellow sailors work on their
own engine / rig / hull / deck / electronics / plumbing. You cannot plunge into ocean sailing
(especially the South Pacific) with the mentality that you can find and pay someone to help
with repairs. Even if you can find help, the people offering services often make shoddy re-
pairs. The best resource is a good manual, your brain, and your fellow sailors, because the
cruising fleet quickly develops into a community in which everyone helps each other. A
diesel repair course may be a worthwhile investment, but looking over someone else's
shoulder or tinkering with your own engine can be just as valuable. Think of your build-up
phase this way: every time you pay someone else to do a job for you, a learning opportun-
ity is lost. If you must pay an expert to do the job, act as their helper so you can learn.
So there they are: our three key steps toward blue water sailing. There are a few smaller
points I'd add to the list, such as first aid certification and a mariner's long-distance radio
certificate. The latter will allow you to legally operate an SSB radio, which we list among
the top couple of pieces of equipment on our boat. With it, we could receive weather in-
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