Essential gear for circumnavigation

[tarian]

How long is a piece of string. There was a guy doing the world arc with 10 I pads for redundancy, or their are otherswith the basics , some on here will not go anywhere without the latest fully geared boat. Others will go and keep the cash.
Do some reading do not ask on a forum and cross reference what your needs are ,
In regards to auto pilot and windvane , a windvane is a great piece of kit , but we talk about redundancy and the eletrical auto pilot is a good idea to have as back up
Everything else is your choice
A vhf and a handheld compass and basic gps and papers maps will get you around the world
Some people tow a barge for all the so called essentials
Too much money and low risk aversion and reading forums will set you years back

[JC Reefer]

A Popcorn machine [emoji897]

[emoji57]

[TomThumb]

Originally Posted by sailor4life7777

Thanks for all the fantastic replies everyone!!

Would you need an electronic autopilot if you had a monitor windvane? Is the windvane very reliable in that it's unlikely to break down (and hence not require a spare or backup?)

I would prefer the windvane to reduce my reliance on electrical system which can potentially break down.

An autopilot holds a specific course, a windvane keeps ships head relative to wind, so as it backs or veers the boat follows. They are complimentary. So some thoughts to consider:

1. Windvanes do nothing when you are motoring / motorsailing which you may do for days when wind is absent. If you need to leave the wheel or tiller you need an alternative.

2. Windvanes take some finesse and understanding to get right and can be temperamental, but awesome once setup well. Also not very cheap.

3. Autopilots certainly use power but solar and an alternative power generation method (generator or engine-driven alternator) (also wise for days without sun) should be part of your considerations anyway. Think about the total / worst case power draw you will have underway and include the autopilot draw. Depending on the system the autoilot will follow a route, turning at waypoints which may be a very useful prompt when you get busy/distracted. That means you follow a nav plan not just the wind and sail blithely onto a submerged reef. Yes, you are responsible for keeping a proper lookout and navigation of your vessel, but an autopilot can take the task of handing the wheel off you so you can actually do a better job of these and not get fixated on the compass rose.

4. Well balanced sails are a skill everyone should aspire to as it reduces load on any self-steering system, but can't be relied on or when needed to safely leave the cockpit (on deck or below) for very long. Same goes for lashing the wheel.

All up, that probably means, for me, that an autopilot has more value if I was choosing one over the other but I would like both. Hope that helps.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by sailor4life7777

Hi guys, what are the most essential gear you would need to circumnavigate (not high latitudes)? My list would be good sails including light wind and storm sails, good anchors, sea anchor, vhf, autopilot, diesel engine, chart plotter and GPS, satellite phone or ssb, outboard for dinghy, epoxy for repairs, gale rider, life raft, depth meter, and tools to make any repairs.

Could you get away with having a windvane autopilot as opposed to an electronic autopilot?

I plan to have a laptop and tablet, would a dedicated marine chartplotter and GPS navigation system be advisable as well?

Also what tools would you bring? Would you bring a jigsaw, circular saw, router?

Thank you for your time I truly appreciate all the wonderful members on this forum!

I presume you have a good offshore boat to begin with...if not get one.

Priorities are hull/keel, rudder, sails, rigging, tankage, and engine respectively.

Inspect all major systems and consider overhauling or replacing anything in question before you leave. Read some books/articles on passages to get an idea of what they experienced and you might need...youtube videos are not very good for that, just tourist stuff. Carefully consider how you would handle the loss/malfunction of each item that might need parts or a backup and the tools/knowledge to repair them.

Yes, have a windvane as primary offshore and autopilot secondary/inshore.

If you have a laptop plus backup with charts you don't need to spend a bunch on a big/expensive chart plotter at the helm, all you need is a handheld GPS for course keeping...that's what I do; you'll be overwater most of the voyage.

Reliable source of weather information and communication; SSB, satellite, or both. I used both.

Reliable and current life raft.

Redundancy and some overlap of function is a winner.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[ussvdharma]

Wind vane is FAR better than electric autopilot...autopilot WILL fail, Martha, my monitor wind vane served me for 19 years with no complaints 'cept on frayed line.....BUT YOUR HAVE FORGOTTEN MOST CRUCIAL ITEM FOR A CIRCUMNAVIGATION......THE BOAT DE w7kfi
!

[Minggat]

The questions you ask might depict the OP as inexperienced, and planning to go from that to circumnavigating.

Suggest you get out cruising and go to any of the swap meets that the cruising community holds. Pick up stuff on your list from others who thought they wanted to circumnavigate.

Circumnavigation has never been a goal of mine. But I sure have acquired a lot of “must haves” just the same. Planning now to move up to a bigger boat to hold all the “must haves” that I am unwilling to let go of, no matter that I never use them.

[ussvdharma]

12 GA. MOSSBERG MARINER PLUS 30-06. YOU WONT OUT GUN THE PIRATES, BUT THEY WILL REMEMBER YOU DE W7KFI

[Cpt Mark]

A place to store everything. You go offshore that means lots of extra food JIC, water. Clothes for when it's really cold to way too hot. Somethings to be able to cook and clean with.

Tools. Lots of basics. Know how to use them.

If you add dive equipment etc. right now you have a ton of stuff to store. I see so many nice boats that have no place to store anything. Example, and yes it's true lol. I was interviewing yacht builders for a client. Specifically for a 115' wooden yacht. I had spoken to one builder and he invited me out to see their latest creation. 125' long sailboat. He let me on board and then left me to evaluate. When he came back he asked the obvious question, "what do you think". "do you want my honest answer?" was my reply. He said yes and I told him I hated it. He was shocked. Don't get me wrong the workmanship was beyond stellar but as I went through the yacht I noticed there was virtually zero storage space. It was all open space for socializing. At his point he told me "oh no, you don't understand what this yacht was built for" Oooookaaayyy, enlighten me. He told the owner was a rich guy who had a megayacht with helicopter that he travelled in. This yacht was to go to specific ports where the owner would leave the megayacht and go play golf. He'd come back to this yacht with his friends for lunch or dinner and then they'd leave to go back to the megayacht. This one sails to the next golf destination. Therefore, no storage needed!

You don't mention when you are leaving. It might be good to buy/partner into a cheap boat that has a diesel engine and dinghy with gas engine and get lots of experience on that. Then as things break you'll get the experience of learning how to fix them.

[wrwakefield]

The following tomes by two different and extremely experienced and capable circumnavigators will authoritatively provide perspective and answer most- if not all- of your questions:

The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising
by Beth A. Leonard

Steve and Linda Dashew's tomes [all generously provided for free]

Absorb the above and you will be better prepared than most.

Best wishes with your persuits.

Cheers! Bill

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Regarding auto-pilot, I would have both wind vane and electronic - if you have to choose because of money, wind vane, but I would have both. Yes I would have a chartplotter, and I would have AIS to look for big ships (they won't necessarily look out for you).

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by sailor4life7777

Thanks for all the fantastic replies everyone!!

Would you need an electronic autopilot if you had a monitor windvane? Is the windvane very reliable in that it's unlikely to break down (and hence not require a spare or backup?)

I would prefer the windvane to reduce my reliance on electrical system which can potentially break down.

Wind Vanes are a great idea, unfortunately they don't adapt easily to some hull shapes. Not mentioned yet is a water maker. For circumnavigation in the tropics, I'd consider this essential as many of the atoll nations rely on catchment systems for their fresh water - if they're not catching enough rain water it probably means you're not either and you won't be filling up at their docks (assuming they have docks).

[hafa]

Originally Posted by grantmc

..The trouble with power tools is that they need power, so add in a gen set.

Modern 20V cordless hand tools are every bit as powerful as their corded counterparts and can be effectively and quickly charged with a small inverter powered by a relatively modest solar array and battery bank.

Originally Posted by ussvdharma

Wind vane is FAR better than electric autopilot...autopilot WILL fail...
!

Odd, our electronic autopilot is still going strong after ~30 years. By the way, full sentences are amazing things; you may wish to try them!

Originally Posted by AJ_n_Audrey

I would have both wind vane and electronic

[Hoodsail]

Would also review the safety checklist on the marion to bermuda race site. Race is less than 700 nm, so obviously not including all needed for a circumnav, but a nice checklist that is useful as a review of systems. Has anyone noted suntan lotion & well-stocked 1st aid kit? especially bandages, analgesics, duck tape, and antibiotics...good luck to you. Send pictures when enroute.

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by sailor4life7777

Thanks for all the fantastic replies everyone!!

Would you need an electronic autopilot if you had a monitor windvane? Is the windvane very reliable in that it's unlikely to break down (and hence not require a spare or backup?)

I would prefer the windvane to reduce my reliance on electrical system which can potentially break down.

Some sailors prefer APs. Others like windvanes. Some have both, and few have none.


It is sometimes a budget thing, at other times a design thing (big boats do not use windvanes.



I like using a windvane - our boat is steered with a tiller and the windvane is silent. A tiller AP is very noisy and I have very bad noise tolerance. The AP models we have had (Ray and Simrad) all broke and they also used quite some energy. But they were nice to use when we were motoring.


A windvane can break too, so you need to know the one you have, understand how it breaks - and either have the spare parts, or else be able to fix yours on the passage.


A good windvane will be often more expensive than a comparable AP. Still, if I could afford a new best quality windvane, I would buy one without any hesitation. (We are talking about say 5-6k USD).



Please mind again my boat is small and she is steered with a tiller.
If you have a big boat and one with a wheel, you may prefer an AP. (And a spare one).

barnakiel

[HBrew]

As mentioned above, the simplest answer is to read the Voyager’s Handbook and/or similar.

Before you leave...
Get trained (navigation etc), get experience, get your blue water boat ready - after getting the first two you’ll be able to figure out the third.

When you leave...
You need money and time. You decide how much money, but I think a circumnavigation without plenty of time to spend would be a bad experience. You need to be reasonably fit and healthy.

Underway...
You’ll need patience (e.g. your whole plan gets put on hold for a year because of a virus). A sense of humour goes a long way and a love of adventure and learning are highly recommended. Also, it’s better with good companionship.

It’s a journey and for many like me, the journey of a lifetime, so enjoy the ride