I'm 17 Years-Old and Need Some Advice with Regards to Circumnavigation

[amessick]

I've grown up with a heart filled with love for the sea. I've finally decided it's about time I head to sea. I've read books and seen all the diagrams in the world, and I know when I spend 5 minutes behind the helm, I'll be able to make a sailboat do what I want, when I want. My proposition- sail by day along the coastlines of major continents, sleep by night. I'm not out to set a record or anything. I'm not even trying to do this so that I can say i've done it. I just want to do it, because I want to sail. And so I end this post. I don't ask for donations f rom individuals, I'm just asking if anyone knows of someone who would be willing to sponsor me. I'm also asking for any advice or comments that anyone may have on this subject.

[Ocean Girl]

At 19 I ran away aboard a sailboat, and never looked back. Life with the sea is a wondrous and beautiful thing. Boats are even more fun, in a quirky kind of way.
I didn't have any money so I crewed on boats. At first I crewed for free, but as I learned and got a reputation for good watch keeper, hard worker , easy going etc, the paying jobs started coming in. So within a year of dropping out of college, I was being paid to sail the carribean and the Atlantic!
So my advice is to go crew. If you are a female I strongly recommend a family boat with husband wife and kids. There is less of a chance that the captain getting ideas, also the boats tend to be better maintained and less risk taking.

Good luck on your adventure,
Erika

[Adelie]

Unless you are doing something special like being the youngest or oldest to do this, overcoming some disability, etc, or are doing it to benefit some charity I don't see you getting much sponsorship.

If you really want to do this:
A) Learn to sail, get a Laser and start wherever you happen to be right now, unless it is the middle of a desert, there will be a lake nearby.
B) Find a partner of some sort, the coastline plan won't get you around the world. While singlehanding is an option, double handed works a lot better for most people.
C) If you are willing to live on a small boat and give up a lot of expensive habits like tabacco, alcohol, most meat and all but occasional communication with the outside world then you and a partner should be able to do this on $30-50k to buy, outfit and cruise the boat. That's assuming no more than 3yr to go around.

[zeta]

+1 on crewing.

[Don1500]

Get some life under ye.

[tropicalescape]

I left home at 15 and never looked back..ive been around the world twice in two diff .directions on my own dime ...If you have manners ,intelligence,and desire, you can do it ..remember kindness is not a weakness.....its your greatest strength and these things will take you far if you seek out like minded people... avoid negative people and think POSITIVE..read Norman Vincent Peeles (the power of positive thinking),The education of little tree..(forget the author), the books by Richard Bach(johnathan livingston segull and the Reluctent Messiha) for inspiration and you will concour YOUR world..best of luck.. PS finish school so you can at least spell words correctly good luck and fair winds and far places..Daryl... another ps, and no offense to Don, if you wait to get some life under you you will miss the boat (pun intended)Run you fools (Gandolf)

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by amessick

..... My proposition- sail by day along the coastlines of major continents, sleep by night. ...... I'm also asking for any advice or comments that anyone may have on this subject.

What the others have said + I have to add that this aspect (quoted above) is possibly the most dangerous way to circumnavigate.

Coasts and bottoms, not oceans, kill boats.
You will have to spend many nights in ports, harbours and anchorages of dubious safety. Yes many ports, harbours and anchorages are safe but then again many are not. There are many places where you can't sail only in the daylight hours.

Yes, lean to sail, learn to cruise and learn to cross oceans and remember its landsmen who seek safety in the land but its sailors who seek safety in the ocean.

[spostamento nobile]

Just do it yourself so the only person you have to answer to is yourself. You can have a boat in a year.

[amessick]

Adelie- As far as there being something special about me making this particular trip, the only thing I can figure is maybe being the first from my state, or even the youngest from my state to undertake that kind of expedition. Thanks for giving me something to consider.

Wotname- I suppose I should have elaborated a little more on my plan. By following the coastline, I realise that I'll still have to cross open water, but I minimise the amount of water sailing">blue water sailing I'll actually be doing. The Bering Strait, and island hoping from Britain to Iceland, to Greenland, and finally to the Labrador Coast are the only really major distances I see.

Also, I suppose I should clarify this for everyone, I'm not actually looking to buy a boat. I found the plans for the Light Schooner, a Phil Bolger design, and I'm currently trying to actually start building it with my dad. Thats one of the reason I seek to stay close to land. Its shallow draft would be great along the coast, but even with a daggerboard, I'm not sure how she would fare in open water. Hence the idea for minimal blue water sailing.

Also, I really just want to see the world. I dont just want to sail around to world, I want to stop at places a long the way, see the sights, meet the natives, etc. That may be the dangerous part though.

Tropicalescape- Thanks for the positive reinforcement. With those words of advice, I'm starting to become a little more confident, though my confidence isn't going to keep me from taking in all of the excellent advice thats been offered to me so far.

Nobleshift- again, thank you for the confidence. You mentioned having a boat in a year. Any ideas on how that might happen? I know I said I was going to build my own boat, but if I can take a prefabricated one out instead, I will.

Ocean Girl- I'm not actually a girl, so thanks for the advice, but...well, it won't quite work for me. Also, I have considered becoming a crew member of some local yacht owner, but " I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul," and I'd rather not be surprised by someone else about where our next destination is, I'd rather surprise myself. Thank you though

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by amessick

Wotname- I suppose I should have elaborated a little more on my plan. By following the coastline, I realise that I'll still have to cross open water, but I minimise the amount of blue water sailing I'll actually be doing. The Bering Strait, and island hoping from Britain to Iceland, to Greenland, and finally to the Labrador Coast are the only really major distances I see.

This plan points out the need for a bit more study. What you describe is referred to as "high latitude" sailing. High latitude meaning far north or south of the equator where the latitude numbers are larger. Generally the further north or south the worse the weather. While the ocean distances to cross the Atlantic are shorter by the route you describe you will have to consider the possibility of much stronger winds, higher waves, fog and storms, even in the summer. Also, the winds in that region blow mostly towards Europe so the crossing is much easier going from the US to the east.

Same issues with the Bering Straight plus Russia is not cruiser friendly and you might not be able to get permission to cruise that coast.

As was pointed out earlier, land can be more dangerous to a boat than water. An ocean crossing the right time and place would probably be safer than some of the routes you propose.

[Ocean Girl]

Originally Posted by amessick

Ocean Girl- I'm not actually a girl, so thanks for the advice, but...well, it won't quite work for me. Also, I have considered becoming a crew member of some local yacht owner, but " I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul," and I'd rather not be surprised by someone else about where our next destination is, I'd rather surprise myself. Thank you though

Good on ya, go for it. Read more up on boat designs, especially for those waters.Size of vessel isn't as important as a stout well balanced boat. Look at the folk boats, beautiful and simple.

I know it has been said but saying it again, land is the true danger, the taker of sleep, the inducer of fatigue. But that doesn't mean you couldn't smart out a good route to minimize all that.
Godspeed to your dreams young man.
Erika

[amessick]

Given all your responses of the dangers of coastal travel, I think I'll try and plot a course that will enable me to cross closer to the equator, possibly touching at Hawaii on the Pacific leg of my trip and passing among the Canary Islands and any other small land masses in the Atlantic, such as St. Johns Rock. Thanks all for the advice

[HopeFloats]

Hiya amessick,

Check out Matt at Solo Around the America's Under Sail | An audacious attempt at sailing the Northwest Passage and circumnavigating entirety of both continents, to benefit Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating for inspiration.

Most laughed and gave him a hard time .. boat too small, hadn't sailed that boat before, fibreglass production wasn't a custom built steel etc. etc. This is your life, keep you eyes on the horizon and don't be too disappointed when you get back again.

Most naysayers are so for good reason.

[w1651]

Most will say your nuts. A few will sigh when thinking about living on a boat because they don't have the nads to do it. A very few will tell you to find a good old boat. Check charities and other places likely to have them at a great price. (The internet is great for this search) Every state has charities and boats that have been abandoned.
In the meantime read and crew. Learn from books and the sea, You can take a course on surgury but it doesn't mean I want you cutting on me. Like the Pardey's say the only way to be a sailor is to go to sea.
When you get your boat finally it will need some work so have a job and savings built up for refitting it.

Then Go! You can work,Learn,and enjoy along the way.

[w1651]

By the way
Goprisko wants a crew to go from Puerto Rico to Florida. You will have to pay your own expenses but he has circumnavigated twice. He says it will be about 2 weeks of cruising.


goprisko@publicresearchinstitute.org