Novice sailor sails to australia. Crazy?

[Pauline SA]

Originally Posted by LongFirstTrip

Hi everyone. I need some advice from experienced sailors. I'm 29 years old and i have this dream of sailing from home (Montreal, Canada) all the way down to australia through panama. I fell in love with sailing on a trip in fiji where i sailed a 6' tiny catamaran. I also met someone travelling the world, sailed one more a bit in montreal in one of those tiny boat again. So i mean i have practically no experience sailing. I have a great opportunity in the summer of 2015 to realize this fantasy of mine.
My though is to buy a boat in june 2015 ( I can afford boats i've seen 30 to 39'), sail it around the st-Lawrence for a couple month and then embark for the great journey. So i would pick up a couple month experience in calm waters then sail the US east coast gaining experience on the way with blue waters before i cross the pacific.
I am definitely someone adventurous, but i would like to ask advice to see if it's a complete suicidal idea?!
I also considered if it's too crazy, to get someone experienced on board in exchange for a free ride.
Please let me know your thoughts on this!
Thank you

I bought mine over the web. Subject to survey and sea trial. Took her from France to Brisbane. Read a lot of books prior to and did plenty of courses. Took it slowly and learnt as I went. By the time I got to Galapagos:whistling I was comfortable to do pacific crossing solo. Awesome life experience. Spiritual.
My best advice is to ask lots of questions from the experienced sailors, be conservative, treat your boat gently.

[Capex]

Originally Posted by LongFirstTrip

Hi everyone. I need some advice from experienced sailors. I'm 29 years old and i have this dream of sailing from home (Montreal, Canada) all the way down to australia through panama. I fell in love with sailing on a trip in fiji where i sailed a 6' tiny catamaran. I also met someone travelling the world, sailed one more a bit in montreal in one of those tiny boat again. So i mean i have practically no experience sailing. I have a great opportunity in the summer of 2015 to realize this fantasy of mine.
My though is to buy a boat in june 2015 ( I can afford boats i've seen 30 to 39'), sail it around the st-Lawrence for a couple month and then embark for the great journey. So i would pick up a couple month experience in calm waters then sail the US east coast gaining experience on the way with blue waters before i cross the pacific.
I am definitely someone adventurous, but i would like to ask advice to see if it's a complete suicidal idea?!
I also considered if it's too crazy, to get someone experienced on board in exchange for a free ride.

Please let me know your thoughts on this!
Thank you

Take it from me that you are starting on that perilous journey that leads to the lifelong disease of loving sailing and boats - even when you find out how much they cost to keep seaworthy.
May I suggest that you first follow previous suggestions to get as much experience on other boats as you possibly can before even thinking of purchasing your own boat.
Once you have done that, I suggest that you look at the newest boat that you can afford and that it should be at least 39-40 feet long. This length of boat will have a far more sea kindly motion due to the average wave chord length of about 40 feet. Smaller boats pitch a lot more due to this factor.
My reason for suggesting the newest boat is that from experience I have found that older boats have been in the water for a greater length of time and will always have absorbed more water into their fibreglass layups and will be more prone to localised osmosis. All boats absorb water as gelcoat is only 95% impervious to it. (I am a surveyor and past commercial boat builder).
The rest will come from the marvellous experiences you will have and the people you will meet. Fair winds and safe sailing.

[wugwa]

Nope tis not crazy.

To get the notion to sail to Oz, well........................ many have got the same idea, and many have sailed to Oz. That's how the 'first fleet' got there.

The question is, would you be the next one to fail in the effort and that is the big unknown.

Sure some experience at sea would be a good investment and a vessel that can go to sea. One needs to be able to navigate. (That are infamous stories of such people who get a boat and intend to set sail with just a school atlas) and they usually don't get that far. They don't know where they are usually and U gotta know that to be able to define a course.

The Pacific's Polynesians used catamarans that would have never survived the Atlantic and they went all over the South Pacific in them. They had their own nav systems that were years before the clumsy and slow explorers from the old country. But their vessels were sea worthy Etc Etc.

Take time and follow the dream.

[Tiki2]

Crazy? Well crazy would be not to go and spend the next thirty years planning to do it. Your boat will be your home and life for many years and getting the right choice will be essential. If you do not love her and feel proud to own her then you will not give her the love, time and attention required for you to be safe and happy sailing the oceans. If you neglect her she will kick you in the butt at the worst time possible. Start looking now, look at as many cruising boats as possible, find some sailors who have ocean cruised on yachts for years and listen to their thoughts and opinions. ask them to accompany you on viewings and let them talk their way around a yacht so you find out what's really important for making your own decision. You will learn that sailing is an amazing and supportive community, beyond what you imagine and there is always someone who is happy to help you achieve your ocean cruising plans with guidance, experience, practical help and be excited for you and with you every step of the way. Enjoy the journey.

[ben373]

Look me up when you get to Sydney. I will buy you a beer listen to your stories and show you the sights.

Sent from my G630-U251 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Benz]

If you plan to leave from Montreal, you can do the inland waterways that begin at Sorel-tracy and come out at NYC, as long as your boat draws 6' or less. That way you would learn how to handle your boat in tight quarters, how to anchor, how to account for tides and their effects, all about buoys, piloting, fog--all sorts of useful things that are harder to learn out at sea in rough conditions. Plus you would save many, many hard miles getting out the St Lawrence and around Nova Scotia. Plenty of time to learn how to reef in a gale and seaway; how to manage life when the boat is every which way but right side up, how everything should have been stowed, when you can do it in warmer waters.
Just a thought. By the way, the Chambly to Champlain to Hudson is unvelievably scenic.
Ben
zartmancruising dot com

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by LongFirstTrip

Hi everyone. I need some advice from experienced sailors. I'm 29 years old and i have this dream of sailing from home (Montreal, Canada) all the way down to australia through panama. I fell in love with sailing on a trip in fiji where i sailed a 6' tiny catamaran. I also met someone travelling the world, sailed one more a bit in montreal in one of those tiny boat again. So i mean i have practically no experience sailing. I have a great opportunity in the summer of 2015 to realize this fantasy of mine.
My though is to buy a boat in june 2015 ( I can afford boats i've seen 30 to 39'), sail it around the st-Lawrence for a couple month and then embark for the great journey. So i would pick up a couple month experience in calm waters then sail the US east coast gaining experience on the way with blue waters before i cross the pacific.
I am definitely someone adventurous, but i would like to ask advice to see if it's a complete suicidal idea?!
I also considered if it's too crazy, to get someone experienced on board in exchange for a free ride.
Please let me know your thoughts on this!
Thank you

Not its not crazy.
There are only 5 things you need to do.

Get Lessons
Get some experience ( on other peoples boats to learn what boats you like)
Get a boat
Get rid of all that crap you have been storing and wont ever need (the less you own the better)
Get going

Thats it. Thats all you have to do.

Warning, when you get to Australia, some of us may accidentally confuse your accent for an American accent. Apologies in advance - it happens:-D

[Yukon Cornelius]

Originally Posted by Benz

If you plan to leave from Montreal, you can do the inland waterways that begin at Sorel-tracy and come out at NYC, as long as your boat draws 6' or less. That way you would learn how to handle your boat in tight quarters, how to anchor, how to account for tides and their effects, all about buoys, piloting, fog--all sorts of useful things that are harder to learn out at sea in rough conditions. Plus you would save many, many hard miles getting out the St Lawrence and around Nova Scotia. Plenty of time to learn how to reef in a gale and seaway; how to manage life when the boat is every which way but right side up, how everything should have been stowed, when you can do it in warmer waters.
Just a thought. By the way, the Chambly to Champlain to Hudson is unvelievably scenic.
Ben
zartmancruising dot com

Agreed - The Gulf of St. Lawrence is among my favorite cruising grounds, but it is challenging (and cold!) and is not the best route for a novice (especially one with his heart set on Tahiti). Instead, you can do Montreal to NYC in less than two weeks via Lake Champlain/ Hudson River - faster, safer, and warmer.

[captain58sailin]

Welcome to the forum, LongFirstTrip. I can speak from experience regarding the Marquesas, and French Polynesia. Sailed there my first time when I was 18, in 1977, spent the rest of my life going to sea and am currently gearing up to go back there. I was hooked and was not worth anything, but for going to sea again. Be careful what you wish for, it can become a life long addiction.

[BluewaterBound]

I am planning a very similar voyage and starting off with little experience in similar circumstances. I'm leaving from eastern US cost and will cruise the Caribbean and South America for a couple of years. However, before doing so I am going to crew on a guys boat from California to Australia. I'm jumping on board in April and will crew with him until we get to Australia. Then, I will either crew a boat back to the US or just buy a plane ticket home. I've been reading through these forums for several months and it seems to be the recommendation of everyone to get experience before buying a boat, which is what I plan to do. I looked at Chapman School of Seamanship courses, which is in Florida, but found it to be much cheaper to crew a boat. Chapman wanted almost $7,000 for a two month course. I looked at other schools in Florida and California and there were a few cheaper options, but the Chapman courses seemed to be more comprehensive than other schools. It wasn't hard to find people wanting a helping hand with shared contributions. From what I've read on the forums, hands on experience is more practical than sitting in a classroom for a month. However, I have been doing a lot of reading and studying. So, I hope with the book work and the hands on experience I will be as ready as possible before cruising down the east coast. Best of luck!


Greg