Foolhardy Trip ? Information Required . . .

[foolhardy]

Originally Posted by Boracay

"you're looking at a minimum of 300 km from Haiti to Cuba..." ...."Similar constraints would apply to using a small sailing boat. Enough food and water for the long time (count in months)...."

@Boracay- Haiti, from the most south-western point to the most northern point (where it borders the DR is only 315km! Months for this voyage? Yeah I looked further, 90km is closer to the truth. Thanks for the rest of the tips though particularly the engine weights/fuel etc...the dinghy is out...and I'm looking into a slightly larger sail boat.

[foolhardy]

90km in a 15ft craft: depends on the wind obviously, but any ideas of the rate of knots you'd get in a craft like that?

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by foolhardy

@Boracay- Haiti, from the most south-western point to the most northern point (where it borders the DR is only 315km! Months for this voyage? Yeah I looked further, 90km is closer to the truth. Thanks for the rest of the tips though particularly the engine weights/fuel etc...the dinghy is out...and I'm looking into a slightly larger sail boat.

geez-315km to cuba from haiti--lol-- look on map is shorter than that..... 90--like harbor hopping-- big deal... slightly larger boat?? prolly be a decent idea-- gotta keep water and foods-- foods can be mre's-- store well.. will have better placing for a cabin to keep exposure minimal...
but wont be as sporting.........

[foolhardy]

Originally Posted by zeehag

"slightly larger boat??....."
".....wont be as sporting".

Brilliant... love it. You're a champ. We should meet!

[Cormorant]

Here's that story I was trying to recall:
The Adventures of Ginny and Steve!: April 2010

Stephen Ladd and Ginny Phalon, in a 21-foot Sea Pearl. Not deadly, but not pleasant, either. This was on a "good" weather forecast, crossing from Cuba to Mexico:

"The wind increased to 20-25 knots. The waves grew to eight feet. We reefed until each sail had less than half its area up, and still we maintained six knots! Now that we were going down the waves at a diagonal we had to steer carefully to prevent broaching, a type of capsize in which the boat turns upwind and rolls onto its side. Water had been splashing into the boat all night, but now bigger waves occasionally sloshed in. We kept bailing. Sometimes we had to throw out little fish left wiggling on the deck. Once a little land bird considered landing on our boat because he was too far from shore, but he lacked the courage to stay with us."


You will gain a lot from reading their whole blog.
The Adventures of Ginny and Steve!

[Walt]

I say go for it! If it's what you want to do, then get your ass out there and enjoy. If you make it, then more power to you. If you don't, well at least you tried.

[pressuredrop]

anything is possible, this guy sailed across the pacific in a 15' open dug out canoe

Atom Voyages | One With The Oceans - Sailing Across the Pacific by Dugout Canoe

[foolhardy]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

How wide is this 13-footer? Is it double-ended or wide-transom? How much freeboard?

The beam is about 5 feet and it has a wide transom. I've not seen it in the water to be honest, but it's of a typical kind here in Haiti, so I'd say close to 2 feet....that's the 13 footer I'm looking at.

[zeehag]

you dothis cruise after a wild ride in taking care of folks in horrifically destroyed places with all kinds of things to handle and deal with-- you NEED to relax in a 13-15 ft openboat in the carib-- the sea gods will lay them flat for you to sail unmolested....davey jones dont wantchye--yer too tough--doesnt matter what your job there--i admire the group you hang with and i think yer awesome--sail hearty and make sure you dont forget the red wine for the gods and the bailing buckets.
survival suit might be warranted.
survival blankies... could be useful-- take 2 they are small..... dont forget spot.
big waves are ok unless they look like they are gonna break-- then it gets REALLLLY sporting. dont let them in.
oh ,yes--take a submersible camera--we want pix....



i hope you know i AM serious. the trickis to get the pix between bailings.... and before or as the breaking wave comes over you....any other pix would be too mundane.




btw---i LOVE your name.....

[zeehag]

I forgot to add a hand held gps--make it 2 of em...that way ye know where ye are...might be nice to know at some point whether yer going the right way...at first the fun and relaxation of fighting the seas might have a tendency to make you a lil dislocated in location.....so is a good idea to know yer not going out into the middle of the atlantic-- THAT would be deadly.....cuba wont be a problem for ye--just bring your credentials. dont get passport stamped there unless you arent a citizen of usa. dont wear camouflage and dont be haze grey. you will have a ball. have fun and smooth sailing.
practice before you leave.

if, after your hair raising adventure you would like to sail on a slightly larger kind of sailboat,in a slightly more laid back fashion, let me know--i may just have a crew spot open......

[imagine2frolic]

I don't think you will make it in the dink. The sailboat can easily make it, but not with your skills. You will be lucky to survive. A person with experience will have to work hard to make it.

If you avg 4 knots that's 24 hrs, or so. Whose going to steer the whole way? What will you do about reefing when 50knt squalls come streaming through? Do you know how to hove to? Sometimes there are squalls after squall. It will be exhausting hand steering, and then there is sleep. Not to mention those huge hulks of steel doing at least 20 knots coming over the horizon. You haven't a clue what you are doing. As Vasco suggested do a kind thing, and leave the dog ashore.

Yes Shackleton made it in an open boat with a tarp over a wooden frame. For some crazy reason I don't think foolhardy, and Shackleton can be compared to eachother. Shackleton didn't go by choice either. It was death if he stayed, so there was no reason not to go. foolhardy seems to be an appropriate screenname with this nearly impossible, for you, scheme. It's called the Windward Passage for a reason............i2f

[foolhardy]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

Yes Shackleton made it in an open boat with a tarp over a wooden frame. For some crazy reason I don't think foolhardy, and Shackleton can be compared to eachother."

Indeed..... Shackleton was in the frozen South Atlantic. After living in the Falklands for a year I went from Port Stanley to Punta Arenas on a container ship over a couple of nights and very nearly filled my pants.
24 hours you think? 4knots over 50Nm, that's more like 12 hours no?

Your right, I have almost no experience, but I have time on my hands, and I'm in no rush. I want to learn the intricacies on the actually boat I get, from the guy who built it. I can do that in haitian waters. Maybe I'll try to get someone to follow me half way, for safety. Talking with all of you guys is great...thanks a lot for your input. If you feel like getting out around April time... come join.

[imagine2frolic]

I haven't measured the distance, although I have sailed the area. I was under the impression 90 was the distance from reading the thread. At least you are quick enough to do the correct math. Maybe there's a chance after all..............i2f

[foolhardy]

Originally Posted by imagine2frolic

"....I was under the impression 90 was the distance from reading the thread..."

yeah sorry, my mistake, the 90 was in Km, estimated from a few maps online, I just wikipedia'd the Windward Passage as well and it says 80Km (43Nm) from land to land, also says that from either side of the passage you can see lights on the other side.

[MarkJ]

A fool and his life are soon parted.