The Zen of Blue Water Sailing

[sctpc]

Entertaining I really liked the way you captured the high and low pionts.
Id like to see more, keep up the good work.

[SeattleYacht]

This is excellent. Very honest and inspiring. I especially like the hard Bimini cover. Gonna have to figure out how to craft one of this myself.

[ka4wja]

Curtis,
Nice video....thanks for sharing...
I only wish my videos were as nice....(I didn't do too much narration and my camera work sucks!!)
See a couple of my videos, from two of my Atlantic crossings, below...

So, Curtis, Thank You again!!!!



And, while I agree here with Don 100%...

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

You will learn more about offshore sailing in 25 minutes of watching this video than you will in a month from the armchair sailors. He tells it like it is.

I do hope those looking to "learn", while grasp the teachable moments in Curtis' video...in addition to the mechanical breakdowns and various weather conditions, there are some things highlighted that are in the "what not to do" category....
--- Not knowing where the seacock is for the genset (or where all the seacocks are)???
--- Not knowing the high fuel consumption of our engine (I have a Yanmar turbo diesel as well, and while it does sip fuel at low "ocean cruising" rpm's, about 1/2 gal/hr....it gulps fuel quite veraciously once into the boost range, and at 3600rpm it swallows over 3 gal/hr)
--- Not figuring out / properly designing and installing a self-steering system before leaving port on an ocean passage...
--- Possibly not understanding the drastic effect of shading on solar panels (low, to no, output)....and not moving the boom out of the way, when not using the mainsail, and thereby unshading the panels..
--- Not planning for adequate cockpit drainage, and/or other less likely but critical occurrences...
--- Possibly not planning for food for many extra days, or at least accepting "camping out" for a few days should you run out of "the stuff you like"....(this point can be hard for those with large crews, but for single, or double, handers on most 45' boats it isn't too hard)


PLEASE understand I'm NOT trying to be critical of Curtis...NOT at all....
I just wanted to point out some of the teachable moments, that those looking to learn may want to be reminded of....





Now, if anyone wishes to see my crappy camera work....have a look at these videos...

Sailing Across the Atlantic, from S. FL to Gibraltar, June/July 2007 - YouTube

Sailing Across the Atlantic, from Gibraltar to USVI, Nov/Dec 2007 - YouTube

Fair winds....

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[seasick]

@John, KA4waj Re: teachable moments,

I fully agree with your comments.

I put forth a little bit of the back story, not so much in my defense but rather to explain why I found myself in these circumstances:

After approximately 200,000 ocean cruising miles including a circumnavigation and many years as owner / operator of the S/V Unicorn, a 135' sail training vessel, I thought my long-distance sailing voyages were behind me, that is until an old friend called me up and gave me his 43' ketch which had been sitting on the hard on Nanny Cay for nearly four years.

WARNING A free boat is the most expensive kind.

A month of long days, toiling in this steaming, mosquito infested shipyard with not one but two bouts of Dengue Fever had me so ready to shove off for anywhere that many things were overlooked or were considered repairable along the way. Next stop Panama. My wife of 33-years came down with Dengue en route. Thought for certain I was going to lose her, totally comatose, diverted to Cartagena, she improved, we carried on to the Colon of Panama. She flew home for medical help, I battled the bureaucrats and got across the canal and stopped only long enough in Panama City to take on fuel and "mount" the vane (6-hours.) I was less than familiar with the vessel and on a mission to get as far away from Central America as my abilities would allow.

A better prepared person should not have been confronted with the myriad of mishaps I encountered. The flip-side of this are the countless people who prepare until death and never leave the dock.

I dealt with every situation as it arose, when it arose. There was never any particularly life threatening situations. I had food enough to carry on another two months, just not my favorite foods. Some provisions that I exhausted like coffee, tobacco, sugar, butter, rum, to name a few, were things worth taking a break from... well maybe not the rum.

If I had a point here it would be this: know how to fix everything on your boat or know how to get along without it.

I have made all the mistakes several times already and through Divine intervention I am still here. To my way of thinking, long-distance voyaging is very similar to long-distance hiking or mountaineering (my 2nd love) in that there will always be the best of times and the worst of times, they are self-imposed, and being self-reliant is a must. The rewards are equal to the time, distance and effort expended.

And that really is all I have to say about that.

[Sulaire]

The flip-side of this are the countless people who prepare until death and never leave the dock.

+1

Thanks for the vid and comments, brought back fond memories of solo ocean crossings... The best of times!

Charlie.

[rebel heart]

@seasick

I would hop on a boat with you anytime. The realities of pressure, illness, and simply wanting to get the f away from some place might not be in a sailing text book but they are the realities that motivate many situations.

Great video, great commentary. Glad you had a successful run and I'm sure this will help to set the correct expectations for anyone going offshore.

[ka4wja]

Curtis,
Thank God, your wife survived!!!
What a harrowing experience!!

Originally Posted by seasick

A month of long days, toiling in this steaming, mosquito infested shipyard with not one but two bouts of Dengue Fever had me so ready to shove off for anywhere that many things were overlooked or were considered repairable along the way. Next stop Panama. My wife of 33-years came down with Dengue en route. Thought for certain I was going to lose her, totally comatose, diverted to Cartagena, she improved, we carried on to the Colon of Panama. She flew home for medical help,

Originally Posted by seasick

A better prepared person should not have been confronted with the myriad of mishaps I encountered. The flip-side of this are the countless people who prepare until death and never leave the dock.
If I had a point here it would be this: know how to fix everything on your boat or know how to get along without it.

Very well said!!! And, I agree completely!!!






Curtis, thanks again for sharing....

Fair winds..

John
s/v Annie Laurie

[boatman61]

Wot e just sed..^^^