High Latitude sailing

[cookingguy]

Hello all,

I am still new here, I thank everyone so far for all the post that I have read on here and the advice i have received on my few posts.

I was wondering a few things, since they are some of my interests in what I want to do once I learn how to sail. (By the way, I have signed up for classes for this summer and I am very excited)

How many people on here are doing or have done high latitude sailing? How was your experience?

What kind of boat did you use or you have for it?
( I am looking at a caliber, island packet or a Wauquiez Pretorien boat for this adventure of mine. (Please keep in mind that this will be about 5-7 years down the road, i know i will need to learn a lot before I do this)

What are some of the retro fit items you put in your boat to make it a better trip? (ie more comfortable)

What is some advice you can give a newbie about wanting to do this?
(My plan is to sail out of Chicago, thru the great lakes out to the Atlantic ocean, and make a left and head up thru the northwest passage, down the Bering strait, to Hawaii, to Australia, to Antarctica, up the east coast of South America and then park myself in the Caribbean area for a while.)

I am starting to read books about the different types of boats out there, along with watching lots and lots of youtube videos. I havent stepped foot on a sail boat in over 17yrs and that was just for a ride on one but just from what i have watched and read, i feel like i can sail right now.. lol

Thank you in advance for your advice/ opinion.

Cookingguy

[svrodeorm]

Plenty of info if you google a bit. A heater is a very good idea, simple and reliable as the Diickinson, opposed to forced air heaters. An inner steering station or pilot house would add to quality of life, though the northwest passage has been done in an Albin Vega and a Bristol Channel cutter built in wood, so it all depends how much comfort you'd like.

For some, a metal hull would be a must in waters where ice likely will be encountered, but quite a few "tupperwares" aka production boats have done it and woodsy of course.
Amundsen and the others obvupiously sailed wooden ships...

Most of all though, building ones skill- and knowledge base in order to be self sufficient before taking on that kind of voyage would seem prudent. Goes for all remote parts of the planet. Good luck, and half the pleasure is dreaming, planning and preparing!

[Snowpetrel]

I've sailed I Antarctica a fair bit. Metal hulls are nice. So are heaters. Very good shelter at the wheel is a blessing. Get some serious ocean miles up before you take on the NWP.

Sent from my HTC_0PCV2 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Hydra]

I would suggest good insulation in the boat, to reduce heating fuel consumption. Just begin with sailing in winter in your present area, wherever you are.

A friend of mine has been to Svalbard with a 10-m polyester boat. I'm just dreaming of Norway.

At present, I'm reading Roger Taylor's second book "Mingming & the Art of Minimal Ocean Sailing", see Introduction to the junk-rigged Corribee Mingming and http://thesimplesailor.com/voyages.html

Alain

[svrodeorm]

Originally Posted by Hydra

. Just begin with sailing in winter in your present area, wherever you are.

That's a very valid piece of advice. I grew up at 64 north and did about 90% of my sailing between 60-67 degrees (of latitude that is)

I am Swedish so I am talking about the Baltic Sea, not quite like Drakes Passage, but being cold, and wet, particularly while down below, is quite terrible and makes moral sink like a stone....

Though the Baltic still remains the most varied and fulfilling sailing ground I know of, and the weather on summer CAN be fine for weeks, I believe it has molded me for life...

I guess that's why I have enjoyed the tropics now for almost 7 years. Clear water where I can free dive and snorkel for hours without even a wetsuit is paradise on earth for me. A couple of years ago, an older cruiser said to. Em that one can get tired of tropical islands, and since I love remote places and beefing far from signs of civilization, I do catch myself looking at comfy, insulated alu or steel boats who have already spent a year or so down south. It may be true that one can grow tired of tropical islands.... we will see

[AiniA]

Get a lot of experience before heading to high latitudes. Going out the St Lawrence as a new(it) sailor and then turning left is a very bad idea. If you want to do a lot of high latitude sailing you would be best off with something more robust than the boats you mention. Steel or solid aluminum construction would make a lot of sense as would inside steering and good fuel tankage for motoring and heating.

[deblen]

Spend a few evenings watching this young couple transit from Halfax,NS thru the NW Passage & down west coast of Canada. I couldn't find episode 1 & 2-perhaps you can. I have watched nearly 30 episodes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj-YqwDZzrM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LqVWC_bY-w

Cheers/ Len

[maxingout]

If I ever get caught doing high latitude sailing, it will be totally by accident. Broken compass combined with a broken GPS is the only thing that would get me into the high latitudes.

[deluxe68]

At what point would it be mandatory to add a heater? Not talking about comfort, but for keeping mold away. Not sure how easy it would be to add some temporary insulation to my boat in case we decide to head down to the South Pole.

[Snowpetrel]

Originally Posted by deblen

Spend a few evenings watching this young couple transit from Halfax,NS thru the NW Passage & down west coast of Canada. I couldn't find episode 1 & 2-perhaps you can. I have watched nearly 30 episodes.

Cheers/ Len

The videos don't stress it, but Chris had a lot of sea miles under his belt though it was his first run as skipper.

Yeah, insulation is the key, makes a huge difference.

I hardly ran my heater on the first trip down to save my precious diesel. We coped ok, remember if you are smart it is summer that you go to the high lats.

But they sure make life much more pleasant.