General Info: I'm in the ARC+ for November!

[Wendi]

I just got a waiting list spot for the ARC+ Rally and paid my dues. I am really excited, and I am finalizing the purchase of a boat that I will sail away in. I have a couple of sailing friends that might want to come, but I really need to secure ONE or more good crew who will get us across alive and smiling.

And if there is a Captain who would want to do some training on the way, maybe get me my ASA, that would be really cool.
We are sailing a lagoon catamaran.
Anyone up for some fun? The ARC+ stops in Cape Verdes for 3-5 days, then restarts on it's way to St. Lucia. ARC+ leaves on Nov 10 and is 50 boats.

So excited. But nervous because there is a lot to do in a short time. Let me know if you want to join me!

[atoll]

well done! i guess diving in at the deep end is not for everybody!
pm me if you need a last moment skipper,might be able to help,but currently looks like i might be booked up.
though more than happy to give advice for the passage,have done it many times!
best of luck alex

[Navegante1105]

Hi,Wendi: Nice to know cruisers joining the ARC. I hope one day I can join cruisers crossing the Atlantic. Anyway, I live in Gran Canaria; so any cruiser coming trough this island, I would very please to give a hand or just meet them and have a glass of wine. So, my offer to anyone doing the ARC or just passing by through Gran Canaria.
Regards, Agustin.

[Jim Cate]

Am I reading this correctly? You are only finalizing the purchase of a brand new boat that will then be delivered sometime between now and November of this year, and then you, not knowing how to sail (or at least being at the stage where you want to take ASA courses on board) are going to do a trans-Atlantic passage?

Count me out! Seriously, this sounds pretty hubris laden to me. I do hope that you will reconsider this plan and give the boat and yourself at least a few months and few hundreds of miles shakedown before heading offshore.

Cheers,

Jim

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Am I reading this correctly? You are only finalizing the purchase of a brand new boat that will then be delivered sometime between now and November of this year, and then you, not knowing how to sail (or at least being at the stage where you want to take ASA courses on board) are going to do a trans-Atlantic passage?

Count me out! Seriously, this sounds pretty hubris laden to me. I do hope that you will reconsider this plan and give the boat and yourself at least a few months and few hundreds of miles shakedown before heading offshore.

Cheers,

Jim

WOW... I agree whole heartedly... I first thought this was a joke? Going on the ARC in Nov and dont even have a boat yet? Much less experience sailing that boat?

[Wendi]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Am I reading this correctly? You are only finalizing the purchase of a brand new boat that will then be delivered sometime between now and November of this year, and then you, not knowing how to sail (or at least being at the stage where you want to take ASA courses on board) are going to do a trans-Atlantic passage?

Count me out! Seriously, this sounds pretty hubris laden to me. I do hope that you will reconsider this plan and give the boat and yourself at least a few months and few hundreds of miles shakedown before heading offshore.

Cheers,

Jim

Well, this boat has crossed the atlantic twice, recently. I have a skipper on board with experience and another friend who is a very experienced ocean sailor. I have sailed many boats, including catamarans. And I thought that adding a captain to the trip would be a solid decision. Also, I will have a full month to prepare before the rally. Is that not enough?

[Wendi]

OK, so how about this. I hire a crew to deliver it and cross the Atlantic in my boat, pay them and also join them on the trip.

Now, I am not sure what the difference is, if I hire a captain to "deliver" the boat for me and I am on board, or if I have experienced crew and want to add a captain to the trip.

When a person buys a boat that is in Europe and they want it delivered to the Atlantic, does the delivery crew have to do months of shakedown?

Since I got a spot in ARC+ I figured this was the ideal delivery. And on the way I would expand my sailing experience.

[LakeSuperior]

What could possible go wrong? It does sound ideal in theory.

On the other hand I would consider that you don't know the used boat as it is new to you. It sounds like you don't know the captain and he doesn't know the used boat. You will have 6 to 8 weeks to pull all the sails out of the bag. Look at your risk/reward function in this venture.

At this point I know you don't even know what the questions are.

On the other hand we bought a little used Mason in near perfect shape and spent over a year and more $$$'s getting it ready to cross the Atlantic. Probably just wasted our time.

[Cheechako]

If you are offshore experienced, then your biggest concern is getting to know your boat intimately. Just hopping on a boat you've never sailed and crossing an ocean is seldom a good experience I think. Every boat has idiosyncrasies at the least, and bigger problems at the worst. For all you know the headsail furler jams under heavy wind.. etc etc...
Further is the issue of going offshore in a strange boat with unknown crew. Some people are just plain wierd, rolling around on an ocean with them in a small space could be a nightmare.
I think basically your plan is do-able, but you are going to have to be very good at reading people and very fast at ascertaining your boat's pro's and con's.. as well as going through a full system review, test and retest....

[LakeSuperior]

BTW, nothing against the ARC but you are by yourself out there! As near as I could see the benefits of the ARC are mostly social and have little to do with getting boats across the Atlantic.

When the wind and seas come up there is little anyone in the ARC can do for you. Just consider the number of folks that don't make it while in the process of a professional rescue.

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by Wendi

Well, this boat has crossed the atlantic twice, recently. I have a skipper on board with experience and another friend who is a very experienced ocean sailor. I have sailed many boats, including catamarans. And I thought that adding a captain to the trip would be a solid decision. Also, I will have a full month to prepare before the rally. Is that not enough?

G'DAy Wendi,

The wording of your initial post lead me to believe that the boat was brand new from the dealer. Apparently not so...

Seems that it is actually a used boat that has done offshore work before, and that may be better for you, or it may be worse! Better in that she should already be well equipped for passage making (which new boats NEVER are), but worse in that until tested, you can't trust any of the systems on board. PO's and brokers combine ignorance and deceit to mislead buyers in all too many cases, and for me, personal attention to the myriad systems and bits onboard a modern cruising boat is a must, even before a coastal passage, let alone a transoceanic one.

Is a month long enough to do this? Perhaps... if you and your crew are skilled and very hard working, maybe so. But if anything that you test fails to satisfy, and any outside work is required to rectify the problem, then all bets are off. Consider that many of us, as experienced long distance cruisers with boats that we are intimately familiar with would take a month or more to prepare for such a departure.

In general, any externally imposed schedule is a hazard to a cruising sailor, and in the case of an expensive rally and all the group pressures associated with the situation the departure date can cause fatal errors in judgement. To me, your situation is worrisome. I hope that you weigh these ideas and come to a safe conclusion and enjoy your new boat whenever and wherever you sail in her.

Cheers,

Jim

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by Wendi

OK, so how about this. I hire a crew to deliver it and cross the Atlantic in my boat, pay them and also join them on the trip.

Now, I am not sure what the difference is, if I hire a captain to "deliver" the boat for me and I am on board, or if I have experienced crew and want to add a captain to the trip.

When a person buys a boat that is in Europe and they want it delivered to the Atlantic, does the delivery crew have to do months of shakedown?

Since I got a spot in ARC+ I figured this was the ideal delivery. And on the way I would expand my sailing experience.

Good on ya and good luck.

As is typical on the internet, some who aren't doing it find fault with those who are.

I read your OP and didn't see where you were asking anyone for advice or permission.

Again, good luck.

[LakeSuperior]

Originally Posted by sailpower

Good on ya and good luck.

As is typical on the internet, some who aren't doing it find fault with those who are.

I read your OP and didn't see where you were asking anyone for advice or permission.

Again, good luck.

A cheap comment from you as you don't have any skin in the game either. You are correct in that she did not ask for advice however looking over her shoulder as is the custom on CF several of us have weighed in based on past experience.

[Wendi]

Originally Posted by sailpower

Good on ya and good luck.

As is typical on the internet, some who aren't doing it find fault with those who are.

I read your OP and didn't see where you were asking anyone for advice or permission.

Again, good luck.

I was posting looking for a captain or experienced crew. I am so disheartened now. I thought I had it all figured out and just needed to find the right captain to join my crew. Now I guess I should just forget it?

[goboatingnow]

4 weeks is very little time especially if you any serious work done as a result of the trip to las palmas. I spent 4 weeks fixing up a HR and it was barely enough

Dave