Need tips for prepping a long set in a SPac Bay

[CptCrunchie]

As many have read in my posts, Wifey and I are gradually getting everything together to sail away, to spend 4-6 months at a time in foreign bays, as we gunkhole the South Pacific. What we need is information from anyone who has spent a long period of time anchored in an isolated bay, somewhere.

We have learned about storing eggs, have a ton of canned goods, mostly the various meat that we enjoy, are avid fisher...persons, and know how to preserve. We both dive, so we will be harvesting ocean greens ...as we currently do. We both LOVE seafood too.

We also understand the whole parts bin for the boat, so we don't need help with that. We already have things like a heavy duty sewing machine, sail stitching gear, spare lines, patch kits, all the basic maintenance stuff.

Here are some questions:

What did you forget to pack that you wish you had brought?

What where you glad that you brought?

What did you bring that you now wish you would have left at home ....crew, family or significant other aside?

Other than electronics, (which we have an abundance of, including a small Faraday cage) when you did it, you used ____, but are glad that technology has given us _____.

[Cheechako]

We used to make fish jerky. It's good to have a wire rack like a cookie rack for that. You just brine it like you are going to smoke it, but then put it on the rack in the sun. Great stuff.

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

We used to make fish jerky. It's good to have a wire rack like a cookie rack for that. You just brine it like you are going to smoke it, but then put it on the rack in the sun. Great stuff.

Oh kewl! I make Indian candy from salmon bellies, but after I flavor them, I put them in my cold smoker. Since there is no room for it, I will definitely try that! We LOVE our smoked fish as the centerpiece on a seafood Cobb salad, or in a morning scramble. Excellent!

I've also been looking at solar cookers to save propane. I've seen the Fresnel lens type, the curved mirror type and the concave dish type. Anyone use these?

[JPA Cate]

Captain Crunchie,

All those isolated S Pac bays belong to someone. If you're going to be harvesting from one for 4-6 months at a time, you will have to find out which group owns the bay and make arrangements.

There are a lot of unattended fruit and vegetable (breadfruit) trees throughout the SP, but they all belong to someone, and helping yourself is stealing from them, from their point of view. It is not a paradise put there for yachties to plunder.

The locals do trade, so trade for their goodies, please to not steal.

Ann

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Captain Crunchie,

All those isolated S Pac bays belong to someone. If you're going to be harvesting from one for 4-6 months at a time, you will have to find out which group owns the bay and make arrangements.

There are a lot of unattended fruit and vegetable (breadfruit) trees throughout the SP, but they all belong to someone, and helping yourself is stealing from them, from their point of view. It is not a paradise put there for yachties to plunder.

The locals do trade, so trade for their goodies, please to not steal.

Ann

That is so good to know, Anne. Never been there, so this is sage advice, which is exactly what we are looking for and will use.

I'm all about trading. Whether it is woodwork, help, swapping skills, or directly trading products, they will do well by us.

In fact, when I was in Balboa, Panama, we offered the moie(sp) the choice of US$10 or a 6 pack of US beer for taking us back and forth for the 4 days we were there. He and his helper chose the beer. So, ever since, we keep beer on the boat, even though Wifey doesn't imbibe, and I'm into well aged port and dark rum.

Speaking of, not sure if they are still doing it, but Panama still makes/sells original Coka Cola. Everywhere else we traveled sells the fake 'Classic' stuff.

Trading beer was especially beneficial when we swapped another 6-pack with a shrimp trawler out of Costa Rica. They gave us ¾ of a 5 gallon pail of fresh caught colossal shrimp. They were HUGE! And all we did was wave the bucket and the 6 pack. Even though none of us spoke their language, they pulled up right alongside, and smiled widely the whole time, ....but not as big as our smiles!

There's another good question for this thread:

Other than boat parts, what do you usually trade with locals, or other boats you meet anchored in a bay? In other words, what should we stock up on?

[JPA Cate]

Usually, in the So Pac, the locals are very generous, and will gift you with things, and then, you gift back.

One friend of ours learned to make an origami "ball", and she'd take the paper ashore and show the kids how to fold up their own, and play catch with them. Some cruisers like to give the children lollies (sugar candy). The parents like clothes for kids. Women like nice smelling soap and "frocks" ; men like small fishhooks. I made a few wraparound skirts as special gifts. (Most of these places like women's shoulders and knees to be covered, and I wore the wraparound skirt over my shorts). The kids sometimes need pencils, pens, paper, and occasionally, tutoring. The elders can do with "reading glasses" to read their Bibles, and warm things. Although the tropics don't get cold to us, they do to the elders who live there. All ages like our cakes and cookies. I once showed a Fijian lady how to make popcorn, which a cruiser had left for them.

You might be tempted to bring .22 shells to the Marquesas. The reason they want them is for goat hunting. [The dogs kill the goats, or someone dispatches them with a knife.] However, you risk losing your boat over it, as it is against the law to give them to the locals, and bush telegraph is alive and well. We would not do this, nor did we do tobacco, although other cruisers did. For us, it is about respecting the local laws, and their health. However, what they do is use newspaper for rolling papers, and the ink has poisons in it, too, so I suppose you could make a case for cigarettes. However, just for us, we didn't ever do cigarettes, and would not now.

The point is to be open, adaptable, and genuinely friendly: they will respond in kind, and they know we're weird. They've had lots of experience with yachties. It's not 1700 any more.

Ann

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Usually, in the So Pac, the locals are very generous, and will gift you with things, and then, you gift back.

The point is to be open, adaptable, and genuinely friendly: they will respond in kind, and they know we're weird. They've had lots of experience with yachties. It's not 1700 any more.

Ann

Thanks, Ann. We are making notes.

We also opt for the healthy style of trade, .....even with beer.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by CptCrunchie

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Here are some questions:

What did you forget to pack that you wish you had brought?

What where you glad that you brought?

What did you bring that you now wish you would have left at home ....crew, family or significant other aside?

Other than electronics, (which we have an abundance of, including a small Faraday cage) when you did it, you used ____, but are glad that technology has given us _____.

Here's a very good review of boat things from a friend, sailed from Vancouver, BC to MX, gone for two years. Pertinent to your questions. 3 reports, 1500 mile, 3600 mile and 5000 mile.


https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5270.0.html


Safe journey, have fun.

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Here's a very good review of boat things from a friend, sailed from Vancouver, BC to MX, gone for two years. Pertinent to your questions. 3 reports, 1500 mile, 3600 mile and 5000 mile.


https://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5270.0.html


Safe journey, have fun.

Excellent threads, Stu! Thank you. I've printed them out so I can highlight areas.

[Frugal]

If you are intending to go as far west as the Solomon's and PNG you will do well in acquiring fruit, fish and vegetables trading with fish hooks, news paper and sugar. But most manufactured " Western " goods are trad-able. A small gift to the local Chief helps smooth the way. Unless you have a strong relationship with the locals anything within reach on your boat is fair game! As mentioned by Ann everything is owned by someone.
Keep in mind it is not "if I hit a reef" but "when I hit a reef."
Cheers and good sailing.

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Frugal

Keep in mind it is not "if I hit a reef" but "when I hit a reef."

One of the reasons we are buying a shoal draft boat.

Thanks, Frugal. Notes taken.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by CptCrunchie

One of the reasons we are buying a shoal draft boat.

Thanks, Frugal. Notes taken.

Shoal draft boats will not keep you safe from reefs. More, it is moving on days of good visibility, so that with polarized sunglasses, you can see well into coral head infested water, and steer around them. If the sun angle is low, or in your eyes, the dazzle can blind you. Also, if it's an overnighter, the morning may be overcast and glassy, and you can run into a reef without seeing it.

Ann

[CptCrunchie]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Shoal draft boats will not keep you safe from reefs. More, it is moving on days of good visibility, so that with polarized sunglasses, you can see well into coral head infested water, and steer around them. If the sun angle is low, or in your eyes, the dazzle can blind you. Also, if it's an overnighter, the morning may be overcast and glassy, and you can run into a reef without seeing it.

Ann

We have the glasses, and now the knowledge. Thanks again, Ann.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by CptCrunchie

We have the glasses, and now the knowledge. Thanks again, Ann.

Now all you need to do is apply the knowledge

[Jim Cate]

while polarized glasses help, getting up in the rigging helps far more. Consequently, mast steps at least as far as the first spreaders are a huge help in navigating in coral waters. I spent a lot of hours standing on the spreaders, guiding Ann at the helm. We used toy headsets to ease communications, and there are far better sets available now.

Setting up such a system on your boat will do a great deal to keep you from coral misadventure.

Jim