30 Days

[RTB]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I don't want to to be easy, that may sound strange, but if it's too easy, then it will become boring.
Nothing worth having is easy, something my Father told me a long time ago, but he told me too soon. I had to discover that myself later in life.
But in order for something to be an accomplishment, it can't be easy.

Mother Nature will never allow cruising to be "EASY". You gotta cut the lines and go. Personally, I prefer easy, and I'm not not bored yet after five years. Cruising doesn't need to be an accomplishment. It's just another way of life with new rules that (just maybe) your Father was not familiar with....

Ralph

[barnakiel]

Yep.

I too would go sooner rater than later and fix (or forget) the optional extras somewhere along the way. Maybe your water tanks are big enough and you do not need that watermaker. etc. ?

Standing rigging is a must, but a week's job at max. Chainplates will be pulled and if they are fine, reinstalled. New shrouds and stay are just done by the rigger and replaced in situ. If you think you will need new chainplates, shop for material and manufacturing beforehand to know who makes what and how. Level: very easy.

Re-consider the SSB too. We have a receiver only (USD300, no installation, no power drain, no ground plate). And I would buy a sat phone (no installation, cheaper than SSB too) and forget about it.

Adjust what I say for your sailing style.

When we departed our boat was as bare as it takes: the only things we added was a solar panel and an Bombard AX3 ...

When you get going, you keep going. A day cruising is better than a day shopping for parts and arguing with the dealers.

Cheers,
b.

[ErBrown]

Congrats A64.

We may be coming through your area about the time y'all are shoving off. We where originally aiming for late April/ early May but discovered a last minute holding tank issue...not fun.

So we've been busting out but getting the old holding tank out, a major ordeal. While we where at it pulled all the old hoses and replaced them. Now we're working to get the boat back together and aiming to leave Texas in the next couple weeks.

We're still not sure on how we'll make our way to Florida. It would be nice to just hope across the gulf but the wind/waves are against us and we know many people that have made that first hop and gotten the crap kicked out of them, so are considering wither shorter hops or even the ICW.

Either way, our plan is still to get to Florida and around Florida and then head north up the East coast for the summer before dropping back down to the Bahamas and Caribbean this fall.

What are your plans once you head out?

[pdxsailordiver]

Congratulations A64 you are 19 days ahead of me.

[a64pilot]

We are going around or maybe through Fl to Stewart where Mack Sails is going to replace chainplates, rigging, rewire mast and some other work while the stick is down, antenna and the like. From there we are going to Brunswick, our Daughter will do her first College year there and we want to make sure she is set before we abandon her, by then it will be late this year and we will head out to bum around the Bahamas, after Hurricane season. After that I don't know if we will return to the US and do the ICW or head further South. My dream is the South Pacific, however I feel it's way premature to make that statement, it is a long way away.
We carry 157 gl of water, and could likely get by with that, however I see water as a luxury, a watermaker as unlimited luxury. Wife is kind of a clean freak and life is just better clean, and not being concerned about water consumption is well, luxury. Nothing wrong with a little luxury I don't think.
HF has been bought, just not yet installed. We may purchase a used Sat phone, I have used them before for voice, never data and think a Sat phone would be a nice supplement to a HF, but not a replacement. I do not yet have a Pactor modem.
We have never spent unlimited time on the boat, longest was three weeks, and the whole time I was counting days we had left, dreading the end, so that just can't be the same as truly cruising.
It has also never been just the wife and I, it has always been with at least one kid.

ErBrown,
You are not going back with an aluminum holding tank are you?
I just replaced mine with a custom plastic one and added another bung and a macerator so I could pump the tank myself. On the 38 the waste tank is very easy to remove, it's not like that on a 40?

[weavis]

A64

I have to say this.

EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE FINE.

I dont mean that there will blue skies every day, occasional problems will need addressing and learning to live aboard and do boat things will require adjustment. However.... I believe you have the ability to enjoy the journey more than the arrival. There will a lifetime of journeys ahead.

Enjoy every second. You earned it.

[a64pilot]

Eb,
I'll PM you my telephone number, if time works out depending on where you are going we may go together? I'm sure your 40 is faster, but maybe not by a whole lot?

[MV Wanderlust]

Huge milestone, pilot! Congratulations. The dread is understandable. Take it one item at a time, work the problem, and move on to the next thing. Before you know it, it'll all be done and you'll be cruising.

[ErBrown]

Nope, no more aluminum holding tank for us, we went with a plastic one from Duraweld. The old one was crazy hard to get out but my wife and I did it ourselves, so saved a ton of $$. We also have a macerator though ours is on a Y valve with the pumpout. Wish I'd thought to add another connection so it could have been dedicated.

We've now been living aboard for about a month, but unfortunately it's been almost all work and very little play. We had been planning to wrap up the electronics upgrade and then go, but the holding tank replacement is cramping our style a bit. Challenging to tackle while living aboard. But fortunately, it's not too long a walk to the marina bathrooms

Thanks for the number, I'm responding back with mine. We'd definitely be game to get together if timing works out. Either way, sounds like our path will cross at some point, sounds like we're both planning for the Bahamas in the same timeframe.

Good luck to y'all.

[robert sailor]

South Pacific is a good goal, it's not the cheap seats anymore but some of those islands are drop dead gorgeous. Try to visit the Western Caribbean, it's been our favorite in all of the Caribbean, it would be a shame to miss it. What wonderful adventures lie ahead for you and your bride.

[chuckr]

A64 you are getting there and the apprehension will continue to grow - believe me at least mine did. But I worked at it always wondering if I was good enough but kept my mind on the task at hand.
On the night before I left I threw a party on the dock and all the friends came over and we had a great time.
The next morning reality really set in when I stooped down to release the dock lines. Friends came over and one handed me a knife and an old line and i attached to a cleat and did a ceremonial line cutting - a huge cheer went up and i headed to the cockpit where the engine was running and put in reverse to back out of the dock and did the turn to open water - my mind was racing 100mph but now the focus set in - it was done over a new life awaits and wow what a ride.

We are incredibly anxious to read your postings as you join our family and we look forward to arriving in an anchorage and find you there and sundowners on us.