Driven by Necessity

[usmc_mickey]

Hello all. Most people call me Mickey. I have read posts here often and found them quite informative. Thanks. I do have a question - All you sea salty veterns may need to pause to laugh while reading this- my warning in case you are eating or drinking.
I have just purchased a 20' Balboa and am in the process of giving her a makeover and and making her workable. I have always wanted to own and sail a sailboat. I know she is tiny, cramped, and me being 6' and 200+ lbs makes it a little to get used to! Anyway I hope to sail her to the east coast of the African Contenient. Tanga, Tanzania to be specific. Need lots of ADVICE. I have some property there I have purchased and will be building a ministry center there. I have little money and flying is WAY to expensive. I cannot afford to purchase a bigger boat (which I would LOVE) so I thank God and will give it a go in what I have. I guess the best way to get there is from USA to Burmuda - Azores - Med - Suez canal- Indian Ocean.
I don't have a problem living off beans and rice (not my fav but it works) But I do need to get a grip on how much I will have to have and all the stuff I need to take with me. Also I have to figure a return path - thought of rounding the southern tip and back across or maybe just the rest of the way round the globe. And yes it would be benificial if I survive the trip
Please help

[KayKay58]

Hi and welcome to our forum! That's quite a trip your planning, and I'm sorry, but I don't have a lot of experience yet in provisioning for a long passage, however, I'm sure there will be lots of Cruisers on the forum who can help you out. I look forward to hearing about this adventure, and God Bless.

[bvh]

Ahoy Mickey, youve taken on a bit ,but obviously with the Lords help(and the right advise from the forum) anything is possible, I too,like KayKay58, havent yet taken on such an adventure but a quality compass and bucket loads of fresh water wouldnt be a bad start to provisions im thinking.
Good luck with the mission.

[skipmac]

I think once you add up the expenses you will find that flying would be cheaper. First, the voyage that you propose would take months. Just the food and water for a trip of that length will add up. Also, clearing customs into or back out of many countries will cost. This is not even considering the cost of preparing the boat for the journey.

If you want to go for the adventure that's one thing. To undertake long distance travel to save money, probably not.

[usmc_mickey]

Oh yes, Adventure is a part of it. But really I have flown to this country and many others in my work. I have always had to raise my own funding for it (of which I am not very good at!) I know how expensive it is to travel by air. I know the trip will take several months to make - I figure about 2 1/2-3 months to my destination. I have a place to put my boat when I arrive. As far as arrival fees or such I have no clue. I have read several accounts of small craft going through the Suez canal - would it be better to go around the southern tip of Africa and up to Tanzania? I don't even know if that is feesable. Oh well, thanks for your input.

[DennisM]

Personally, I think you're completely out of your mind. Skipmac's advice sounds good to me.

[skipmac]

You can research costs for various countries on the noonsite website. For example, clearing into Egype $100-$250 depending on the port. Suez canal transit fees $300-$700 depending on the size of the boat. Many countries charge $100 and up for entry.

Going around the Cape of Good Hope is an option but you are then sailing far enough south that you are in a area with high risk of major storms. Also, the west coast of Africa is a high risk area for crime.

If you minimize the number of stops and countries you visit and live on the cheapest possible diet I think you are still looking at $2000-$3000 out of pocket costs and I think that is being extremely optimistic. Add the cost of the boat and necessary preparation, parts and safety equipment you will spend enough to fly there several times over.

If you do it for the adventure, OK but this is not a money saving plan. Also, in a boat of that size this is a very serious undertaking. I would not recommend it to someone with minimal sailing skills and experience. You might get lucky and make it with no problems but I hate to depend on luck in situations where the penalty for failure could be ultimate.

[usmc_mickey]

Right now it costs me about $2000 + USD to fly there each trip, when I need to stop in Egypt it's an additional $300 or so for airfare. Add in my entry visas and it's a few more bucks (not much for that though). At the pace things go for me now I'm looking at a minimum of two trips in a year upto four. or I take a vaca, spend a year or so and go by boat.
I know the boat is a little small, but from all I've read on it she was designed by Lyle Hess to be a single handed transatlantic micro-crusier. It is supposed to be one of the easier sailboats to handle and ideal for a novice (which I definitely am). That in itself was the biggest motivator of me purchasing her. She had (from my reading) 2 sister ships that safely made it accross the pond and 1 that went 'round the world. It seems to me that even though she's 40 years old, my skill and determination will be the make-it or break-it factors. The next year to year and a half to get used to her then...
When I was but a wee lad I watched a documentry of a 17yo who sailed round the world on a 17' boat! He inspired me to want a sailboat. Since then I have read of many that have sailed great distances with little. I'm sure I didn't read of those who didn't make it 'cause well, they didn't make it!

[boatman61]

Hi Micky.. good to meet you,
OK.. I'm gonna assume your serious about this so...
1st you've got to figure your gonna weigh a lot less than 200lbs when you get there so guess that's a plus...lol.

Working on a consumption of 2.5 litres/day you have to be able to carry at least 100 litres.. 150-200 would be better.. if you can fit a flexitank under the v berth so much the better otherwise its 5L plastic water jugs.

Food is down to basics but work it out as a good mix of dried/semi dried fruit, plain and salted nuts, with sugar, long-life milk, Basmati rice and cereals(Oats, muesli) to make a tasty variety... condensed milk is good as well for a treat if you've a sweet tooth.

Protein you can get from dried meats(Bil-tong/Jerky), there's also some sausage you can get thats shrink wrapped and vacum packed and it lasts for months, any fish you may catch on the way are a bonus.. don't count on them in your "Provisioning". Stock up well with fresh fruit and consume those first, leave the semi dried for later.

As to your route.. I'd skip the Med etc... US - Bermuda - Azores - Madeira - Canaries - Cape Verde - Ascension - Angola - Namibia - Sth Africa - Mozambique - Tanzania...
Cape Verde to Ascension will be the toughest, beating into the wind.. the longest is from there to Luanda.. I would say Namibia's Walvis Bay but winds are usually SE so that is a no go..

Working on an average speed of 3 knots that's 72 miles a day.. you may do more on occasion, and you'll definitely do less more than once, so you've got to plan on a minimum of 35 days for the long legs..
Its do able.. what are you planing to use as a life preserver..??

[usmc_mickey]

Thanks alot. Life Preserver? Honestly hadn't given that much thought. Have been trying to figure out a plan for a dingy. Not much space so I guess I'd have to have an inflatable.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by usmc_mickey

Thanks alot. Life Preserver? Honestly hadn't given that much thought. Have been trying to figure out a plan for a dingy. Not much space so I guess I'd have to have an inflatable.

Just been looking at life rafts and it seems your market(US)is a rip off..
around $4000 for the cheapest whereas in the UK a 4-6 valise is under seven hundred quid... a dinghy would have to be a small one as it'll need to sit on your foredeck semi inflated.. towing it is a no no.. you'll not only slow yourself but you'll probably lose it in the first blow..

[MarkJ]

I was thinking about God earlier today.

Did you know he's (or she is) the same God for Christians, Jews and Muslims? Same one.

I was wondering, and I am not joking here, if he really does know about each one of us and if so does he really care if we go do something stupid?

Maybe he just tells folks like Skipmac and me just use our own methods to tell you to be careful in making your decision.

I think any person going accross an ocean in a 20 foot boat neads their head read (and not for dandruff!).
Any person who goes 'round the Cape of Storms ought to look at the line above re Dandruff.
Any person who thinks yachts arn't prime target in Somalia needs the Dandruff treatment too...

Remember that English couple that are near death in Somalia? Guess where they were headed.

You mention in one of your posts you don't want to die. Well going trans Atlantic in a 20 footer could put you in Davy Jones Locker quick styx.




Instead of the east coast of Africa cruise the east coast of the Americas. Theres a hell of a lot of people there who need gods message. Start in the USA! and chances are you will survive to tell it


Mark

[Adax]

Mickey, I am new here and know nothing . But I have seen a few Erroll Flynn movies and remember that going around the Cape of Good Hope ( it used to be called Cape of Storms at one point ) can be- let´s be British about this and understate - dicey .

My partner and I have a plan to go to Tristan da Cunha, but we are aware that it won´t be the first trip we do the day after we get a boat . We will do river trips on the Parana river and maybe short trips to Uruguay initially and for quite a while.

It might help everyone to advise you better if you summed up what experience you have preparations you are already planning and what your timetable is to start your journey. Navegation,route planning stuff like that . From what little I understand crossings in small boats have been done, but the smaller the boat the bigger the sailor has to be. Adventure is one thing , but be wise and know your limitations . Don't turn up in my sailingrelated google searches as yet another statistic,please .

PS : Famous Small Boats might be an interesting read .

[usmc_mickey]

Thanks a bunch Adax, good point. no real experience, but then all my greatest adventures came with no experience. This summer I am spending alot of time learning to sail on our local lake. I will wrap up the year with a trip from (probably) Mississippi to the Keys and maybe even as far as The Dominican Repubic to visit my friends there. That and my work schedual dictate weather I set out for Tanzania in 2011 or 2012

[boatman61]

Good plans Mickey... by then you should know your boat and yourself back to front.. and what you both are capable of.
Try and throw in some distance trips.. by that I mean 500 miles plus to see how/if you can handle it...
Its a special kind of person that takes these trips on... not physically but spiritually and mentally.
I've seen big strong men who went like **** off a shovel round the cans.. break and turn back 2 days from land... and that was with crew... solo is a whole different ball game.
Its a different world that you cannot force yourself into..
Meld into is the best way to describe it.. you need to be at peace with yourself and prepared to stop.. not fight, just ride it out..
If you find you don't enjoy the 500+ mile run.. no matter/in spite of what is thrown at you... catch a plane.. its not for you.
Machismo at sea is rarely rewarded.. and... on your own, there's no one to be 'Macho' for...