Questions about going ashore while cruising

[CaptJimFrei]

And don't forget that in many places, the crew cannot go ashore until the captain has cleared everyone thru customs if in foreign waters.

[clakiep]

This is the big advantage of not sailing alone ! At anchor in a unknown area you can always keep one person on board, be it for weather changes or unwanted visits. You won't miss company so much at sea as you will getting to shore.


Capt. Claus - ocean tramp of the eighties

[danstanford]

A layer of complexity worth considering is the element of Immigration and Customs. If your character is cruising through the Caribbean from island to island they will have to check in on arrival and out on leaving the country.

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by bkwdayton

Hi.

I should start by saying I'm not a sailor. I don't have a boat. I'm writing a piece of fiction for myself about circumnavigating Australia in a 45-foot sailboat.

I have searched and searched and searched for general or detailed information about the cruising lifestyle--sailing one or two days from one point to another--and what is involved in, or possible when going ashore. I can't find information that answers my questions anywhere.

I have gleaned that cruisers tie up somewhere when they want to go ashore. It may be at a dock in a marina, or it may be at an anchoring buoy in a marina or protected bay (?), or it may be by anchoring an unspecified distance offshore.

I have gleaned that cruisers often use a dinghy or other watercraft to get from their offshore-anchored boat to shore, be it a beach, dock or marina, etc.

What I haven't been able to glean is how long you can stay ashore and under what conditions you can do so.

I want my characters to be able to go inland to explore, to take part in various activities, such as, say, skydiving, hiking, zip-lining, overnight camping, visiting zoos or museums, etc.

How realistic is it, or what are the considerations for extended (overnight, or multi-day/night) stays or excursions ashore?

I get that people go ashore to get supplies, groceries, meals, boat parts, etc. But I can't seem to find info about people going ashore and for how long for recreation and exploration.

Thanks for any info and enlightenment you can pass along.

Brian.

My college English professor taught me to write about what I know.
Yes, and I know that if everyone did that it would be a lot fewer fiction books out there to read.

Al, S/V Finlandia

[svfinlandia]

Originally Posted by contrail

As is the case with many works of fiction, in specific fields, such as sailing, it is very hard for someone who doesn't really know the subject to write something with any air of authenticity. Of course, if the target reader doesn't know the subject, either, it does not matter, but my suggestion would be to find an experienced sailor or two to run the plot by, and, perhaps at intervals during the writing, but certainly at the end, have that or those person(s) read the whole thing to point out anything glaring that is just not realistic at all. That kind of mistake really ruins the read for anyone who knows the subject. Best of luck....hope it's a good story!

At least a couple of sailing movies also come to mind in that category.
Filmmakers should have advisers who know the subject. Some obviously don’t.
Once you’re book is complete you may want to have a cruising Sailor proof read it for you

Al, S/V Finlandia

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

I think you should go watch some of the YouTube sailing channels, you'll find people doing exactly the things you're looking for.

I like SailBoat Story, nice little family in the Bahamas. Or Beau and Brandy Sailing. Or Sam Holmes, the guy is super down to earth real.

Don't watch mine for that stuff, I haven't gone anywhere yet ! Lol

I was thinking the same thing. “ Saiing Zingaro” would be another excellent choice. They did a lot of sidetrips on their series.

[Pedro -Dawn-]

Originally Posted by bkwdayton

Hi.

I should start by saying I'm not a sailor. I don't have a boat. I'm writing a piece of fiction for myself about circumnavigating Australia in a 45-foot sailboat.

I have searched and searched and searched for general or detailed information about the cruising lifestyle--sailing one or two days from one point to another--and what is involved in, or possible when going ashore. I can't find information that answers my questions anywhere.

I have gleaned that cruisers tie up somewhere when they want to go ashore. It may be at a dock in a marina, or it may be at an anchoring buoy in a marina or protected bay (?), or it may be by anchoring an unspecified distance offshore.

I have gleaned that cruisers often use a dinghy or other watercraft to get from their offshore-anchored boat to shore, be it a beach, dock or marina, etc.

What I haven't been able to glean is how long you can stay ashore and under what conditions you can do so.

I want my characters to be able to go inland to explore, to take part in various activities, such as, say, skydiving, hiking, zip-lining, overnight camping, visiting zoos or museums, etc.

How realistic is it, or what are the considerations for extended (overnight, or multi-day/night) stays or excursions ashore?

I get that people go ashore to get supplies, groceries, meals, boat parts, etc. But I can't seem to find info about people going ashore and for how long for recreation and exploration.

Thanks for any info and enlightenment you can pass along.

Brian.

I think this types of questions absolutely have their place. I often wandered that as well. Also, in my case, the same questions led me to adjust my kit from the get go. Instead of a rib, i opted for a fiberglass dinghy which would allows me to row to shore. This limits my exposure while leaving the dinghy in more sketchy places and allows me to stay away longer.

Think about what you want to do, and try to make arrangements around that. Seems like you really need that land connection.

[bkwdayton]

Hi, Giro. Yes, the cardinal rule of thumb in writing, is "write what you know." And I know nothing about sailing. But it's fun to dream and that is what I'm writing: my daydream. The research is interesting and I hope my questions are pertinent to someone who may researching and learning ahead of chasing their own dreams.

Brian

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Jammer

Marina-- expensive, typically $1-$2 per boat foot per night; longer term (week/month) rates can be lower.

Depends, if he's writing about the proverbial $500/month total budget cruiser....yeah, it's expensive.

If it's a more typical cruiser, say on a 30ft boat, that's $600-1200/month and as you say, monthly rates are often much cheaper, so very reasonable for someone who may have $50-100k tied up in a boat.

Honestly, most people who leave the boat for more than a day trip usually get a slip. In some places, they may consider a fixed mooring bouy but even then there will be much discussion of chafe protection as there is only a single attachment to the sea bed.

Now if it's the Captain Ron type character, sure, they will kick the anchor overboard and be headed for shore before it hits bottom.

[JPA Cate]

We have also always left the boat in the marina before extended times off ship.

When we had two dinghies, we'd leave one tied to the boat (looks like we're at home) and take the other one ashore.

People look carefully at the local weather forecast and tides before timing their stay ashore. You need to find a safe-ish place for the dinghy (and this can be safety from theft, or from being carried away on high tide, or "accessible on return, relative to state of the tide. You see, cruisers get tuned into their natural environment, and that attention modifies their behavior relative to timing...as will local custom (siesta), visitors unwelcome till after noon? It is a different environment from the slums or suburbia, and different hours are kept different places.

Ann

[JAFO]

Originally Posted by OldManMirage

I think you should go watch some of the YouTube sailing channels, you'll find people doing exactly the things you're looking for.

I like SailBoat Story, nice little family in the Bahamas. Or Beau and Brandy Sailing. Or Sam Holmes, the guy is super down to earth real.

Since the would-be author is talking about a circumnavigation of Australia, it's worth mentioning that there's an excellent YouTube channel of a couple who've recently completed a circumnavigation of Oz in a 30 ft monohull, and documented the entire voyage on their channel. Free Range Sailing. They're very knowledgable, very down to earth, and well worth watching.

[merrydolphin]

I once had a Writer ask to crew for me from San Francisco to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, making long offshore legs. He was writing a book in which the captain was a woman. It was Tom Clancy type story. The writer was an ex-fighter pilot.

My wife and I usually don’t take crew. But he was interesting and a nice guy, willing to pitch in for the experience. The whole trip he kept asking question. What would happen if I fell over here and had my harness on etc. Turned out to be a fun time for all and an extra hand was nice. He had a good experience and time so that he changed the name of the female captain character to my wife’s name. He was impressed at how capable she was. He certainly gained great knowledge for his book. And had a good time as did we.

[pwstrand]

When we are out cruising, say for a two weeks trip, we mostly anchor out. We carefully choose a protected anchorage that has good wind protection and good holding and we use a trusted anchor, one that is the right size for the boat and won’t let the boat drag while we are away. To go ashore we use the dingy, we have an RIB, rigid inflatable boat, with an outboard. We keep ours on dingy davits on the stern of the boat. If there is a dock ashore, we tie the dingy to the dock for and aft. If we have to land ashore, we consider the tide change while we will be gone, anchor the boat out a bit and take a line ashore that we can tie to a rock. If your dingly is not too heavy, you can carry it up on the beach and launch it when you get back. You can generally stay ashore for hours, but it always easier to get back to the boat before dark. (The big boat does have an anchor light). If we want to tour inland we rent a temporary slip in a marina where we can safely tie the boat up. Then we can travel for as long as we like without worry. There is much to learn about the cruising life, cruisers are a friendly bunch and the lifestyle is amazing.

[bkwdayton]

Thank you, everyone, for your responses.

A question hit me the other day, once I learned that, yes, you can go ashore for multiple days.

When you go ashore for multiple days, or I suppose even for a few hours, what happens to your refrigerator and freezer?

What keeps the refrigerator and freezer going?

[bkwdayton]

Originally Posted by Pedro -Dawn-

I think this types of questions absolutely have their place. I often wandered that as well. Also, in my case, the same questions led me to adjust my kit from the get go. Instead of a rib, i opted for a fiberglass dinghy which would allows me to row to shore. This limits my exposure while leaving the dinghy in more sketchy places and allows me to stay away longer.

Think about what you want to do, and try to make arrangements around that. Seems like you really need that land connection.

"Seems like you really need that land connection."

:-) Yes. My "story" is just me daydreaming on paper. If I'm going to have the chance to go to Australia, I want to set foot on her soil. Sailing around the continent might be enough for my sailing cohort in the story; he's been to Australia and I, in real life, have not. So, part of imagining, is imaging going to Australia and seeing what's to be seen and doing what there is to do. In real life, I would be very unhappy if we stayed on the water, even if I learned to snorkel or SCUBA and did some diving. I would want to see more than the coastal towns, though I would enjoy seeing those as well.