After You're There . . .

[w1651]

Here's the scenario.

You've been sailing for a few days. You limp into a nice little cove to drop anchor. You drop the danforth and back a little to get a bite. You then drop another off the bow just to be sure.
What do you do next? This or ? Just kidding !
What are the top five or six things you do to get your boat squared away. Also give me a list of five of the top cleaners, waxes, and polishers you carry.
I am new to sailing and your input in very valuable to me.

[sarafina]

uh... go back, and back alot.. just to make sure of the anchorage?

Then;

tidy up sails and ropes, stow sailing gear (gloves, tiller extensions, handheld gps, stuff).

get out the good cushions.

make a pot of coffee and a cuppa cocoa.

un-stow whatever has been stashed while underway.

prolly see about getting the pooch to shore if feasible.

think about the next meal.

set out snacks while thinking.

[Stillraining]

What she said except crack a beer first.

[w1651]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

What she said except crack a beer first.

Even if it's 9 in the morning?

[Portobello]

9 in the morning is really just late from the night before!!

[boatman61]

Brew a coffee and pour a large brandy... its five o clock somewhere...
And I only ever lay one anchor...

[sarafina]

rum sometimes happens in coffee and cocoa...

[shadow]

Originally Posted by w1651

Even if it's 9 in the morning?

Oh in that case, RUM and coke....

[w1651]

So then squaring away the boat can wait at an anchorage. Heck! I might not do it all then.

[Panaseaya]

Squaring away: There are no rules! Maybe you would want to check that the number of people aboard is the same as when you started.

As far as cleaners go: try Simple Green. Works on everything and is non toxic so you can mix it with rum if necessary. Works best if you can get sombody else to do the actual cleaning.

[boatman61]

I've noticed when some boats come in.. they drop the hook then the wife trots off down below while the skipper stalks forward, grabs the forestay.. places one foot one the cable and stares furiously in the general direction of the anchor for twenty minutes... paces back down to the cockpit... leans down the hatch and says something then stalks forward again where he stands astride the cable with fists on hips in a challenging manner... slowly swiveling his head from left to right..
Ten minutes of this and then the tidy up commences.. interspersed with a casually quick walk forward.. an hour later they settle in the cockpit...

I settle in the cockpit and relax with my coffee and brandy... an hour later the tidy up begins... I'm there.. its down.. whats the hurry..
Its Island Time...

[hummingway]

Tidy ropes, crack a beer, drop the crab trap, go to shore to dig clams, curse Sarafina when I step in dog crap :-)

[tager]

The way my adventures go, is something like this. Drop hook in the same dead calm that I ghosted in under because my motor died. Don't bother getting it to set. Let fly halyards, flake main and put a couple ties around it, go below and fall asleep. Wake up hours later and realize that wind is beating sails to death, boat is aground, rain has been falling in companionway hatch for at least an hour and your jacket is soaking wet in the cockpit.

Actually that's not how it is, anymore.

And people wonder why I am so particular about getting her squared away nicely.

My real process is this: drop hook, sail around on it until you are sure you have a good set, avoid using the engine at all costs. Now drop the headsail and mainsail, flake the main, bag it, flake the headsail, bag it, organize lines, organize the cockpit, put in the boards and catch some zzzzs. Usually set an anchor watch every 3 hours. Just to watch tide, other boats, and the set.

One time that anchor watch really paid off as I pulled in the rode with nary a foot of water under the keel.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by w1651

Here's the scenario.

You've been sailing for a few days. You limp into a nice little cove to drop anchor. You drop the danforth and back a little to get a bite. You then drop another off the bow just to be sure.
What do you do next? This or ? Just kidding !
.

Many folks can't just drop the pick, quickly tidy up and then RELAX.

They have finally acheived their dream: saved for years, bought the boat, sold the house, said bye to all their friends, set off into the sunset, arrive at their idilic cove... and then don't know what to do!!!!!!!

This is true!

You see folks doing boat jobs dawn till dusk, scraping, polishing, repairning etc.

Square the boat away QUICKLY and sit down and learn to relax for the first time in your life.

Somebody on this boat keeps writing me lists of what to repair or what to buy. Hell! I am doing NOTHING today! I am cruising!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Mark <----- Cruising is also about doing nothin'

[Panaseaya]

HAY! So thats where the lists keep coming from! I keep on erasing them - tell her (him?) to quit it.