I know nothing of Sailing Can someone be so kind to HELP me please!

[Auzzee]

Originally Posted by thiago1979

Jimbo485

Thank you for your Reply!

I have a new Book that I bot in Amazon called " World Cruising Routes [Hardcover]
Jimmy Cornell" and I found the times of best sailing is in the Autumn and Winter months. What I plan to sail is the Summer months. Why would you sail just in SAFE months unless all you want is to get from point A to point B?

In safe months, there is less chance of violent weather, more chance of consistent winds. You can sail any time you want to, but venturing offshore outside of recognised sailing seasons without experience in foul weather could be disastrous. Even highly experienced sailors are worried about such animals as tropical revolving storms.

Generally books such as Cornells WCR, deal with voyaging. Day sailing is a different thing altogether and you need only to know the coming weather for a day.

As for the best cruising boat. Length is important only insofar as base comforts are concerned. A bigger berth in which to sleep, a larger galley, bigger toilet and cockpit.

But a good 26' cruising yacht will be far safer than a bad 45' sailing boat. Beam as a proportion of width, the type and length of keel and rudder, shape of the bilges, freeboard, stern configuration and sail plan all make a big difference to the way a boat handles at sea.

A beamy, fin keeled boat with shallow bilges and a spade rudder, coupled with low ballast ratio and tall mast may be great in the harbour, but offshore it will never stack up against a narrow gutted, long keeled, well ballasted, stout rigged cruising boat. Then you need to consider the size and style of hatches, ports and or windows and how the companionway can be closed off from a boarding sea.......

The good news is that sailing was developed by cromagnon man. A comparitively unsophisticated chap who, it must be said, was a few noodles short of the full platter by today's standards. Therefore, sailing is not so difficult. You can learn to sail in a weekend. The hard bits follow. That is navigation and learning and practicing what to do when things go base over apex..and you can be sure that is how you will spend about 5% of your time offshore.

For an understanding of sailing and the spirit with which it is infected, have a look for books by Lyn and Larry Pardey (There's a couple on special on Kindle at the moment).

Finally wherever you have the opportunity, opt for practice over theory. Theory is great whilst you're floating on a blow up crocodile in your swimming pool at home, but next to useless when a raging 50 foot greenie is threatening to break above your stern.

Cheers.

[Auzzee]

Docks and marinas are always expensive, usually hot in summer (the boat can't weather cock to the wind) and can be noisy, crowded and, in short, just like living in a trailer park.

In some parts of the world I understand it is no longer so easy to find free anchorage in sheltered waters nearby to towns and cities. But, there is no better way to start the day than a refreshing dinghy ride to the beach and back again later on.

Fuel can be easily carried in 20 litre jerries, as can water. Most fuel docks don't charge dockage as long as you are only going in for fuel...and many will charge a premium over and above the cost of buying your fuel at the local gas station.

If you are sailing rather than motoring, 20 litres of fuel will last a long time in a traditional style boat.

[Mr B]

Originally Posted by thiago1979

GaryMayo

Thanks for your Reply!
The reason I was asking the docking fee is the same as a car parked. Most of the time what I would like to use a dock is for Fuel refiling and to get some items in the Marina to eat. I have read somewhere on the net that to dock you have to pay 40 to 60 Dollars. The price in some Marinas are PER FEET and others a small fee of 4 dollars to dock and get fuel.

I will answer both your previous questions here,

The summer months have Cyclones and in your northern area, Hurricanes,
You really dont want to be sailing in either, Unless your on a cruise liner or a super tanker,

Per foot is for berthing in a Marina, as for getting fuel, there is no cover charge or other fees involved,

You just pull up to the fueling dock, get your fuel and leave after paying, You cant stay on the fueling dock for longer than it takes to fuel up,

For food supplies, You can usually sit on the pick and dinghy to the beach and walk to the shops,

Thats what I do, Most of them here, Supermarkets, Etc, are across the road from the beach, easily accesible,

I dont use Marina's at all, except to get fuel, and thats in and out, No extra charge,

[thiago1979]

Auzzee

Thanks for Reply!
My original plan to me is basic on some ends. My plan is to sail from Miami to the Bahamas, Caribbean, Brazil to pick up my cousin then head back up to Panama Canal and Galapagos Island, then Hawaii then Bora Bora, to New Zealand, Sidney Australia, Philippines, the Maldives, India maybe cross the Red Sea and go to Italy. That's what I want to do, now will I go to all those places, well some Yes, but with the Lords blessing I will go to them all. Right now I am register at a Sailing Club here in Coconut Groove in Miami. My hopes are to find out as much as I can about the specifics around Sailing and what comes with it. Sailing in the SAFE season are the best plan for a A to B person I would say at this moment. What pleasures are there when you get to point B? Will it be warm and full of sunshine? Will the waters be warm for snorkeling? I believe a safe passage is what everyone is suggesting for the regular Point A to point B sailing and from what I gather all these passages are in the Autumn and Winter months. Sailing here in South Florida in the Autumn is a pleasure, but other parts of the world Autumn is much dangerous. I have found so many books by Larry Pardey, have you read any that can be to my advantage (Newbie) ?. Thanks

[thiago1979]

Mr B
Thank you for your Reply!
True to the Sailing in the Summer months! There are definitive dangers in Sailing in warmth seasons.
If you think about it, what’s the joy of stopping around most of the Islands that comes by if it’s in the winter months?

[thiago1979]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Thiago.

Hello there! Thank you. I am still trying to figure how to put a picture here on my profile LOL. Perhaps a few more clicking around I would get the hang of it.

[thiago1979]

I was just looking at the time frame it would take me to get to Tobago. I don't know how fast a regular 30 footer goes like per say a 1968 Alberg 30. To be honest let me calculate simple here and say it would take me 100 days to get to Tobago Islands. 100 Miles per day. Maybe 3 to 4 months, is this right?

[carstenb]

If it takes you 100 days to sail from miami to tobago you'll need to do it by way of round iceland.

Buy and read beth leonards"the voyagers handbook". It will tell you evrything you need to know. If she doesn't discuss it in her book, you probably don't need to know it

[sctpc]

thiago1979 before you spend money on a boat any boat test the water go out with someone. I went sailing in winter in a storm for a week so I was wet, cold, tiered so when I got back if i liked it I could say I will sail my boat not just leave it on the hook.

If you are going to live your dream you will have to like the bad parts also 6mt waves in bass strait I was shiit scared but my captain said the boat had seen worse and now its over I loved it just not at the time. good dreams now you just have the hard work to do.

[Mr B]

Thiago, You want experience, The best way to get it is to watch Youtube video's.

Sailing in extreme weather conditions, This is not to put you off, Just to make you aware of the conditions you can encounter,

I got blown ashore on anchor just north of Sydney, wrecking my boat, When the wind changed, It was all over in ten minutes, From dead calm, to on the rocks, 4 AM in the morning,

It does happen,

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by thiago1979

What I plan to sail is the Summer months. Why would you sail just in SAFE months unless all you want is to get from point A to point B?

If you are planning to sail the Caribbean in the summer months the problem is hurricane season. Not as dangerous these days as it was years ago due to satellite weather but still it is a pretty big gamble to sail in or even to be in the hurricane zone in the summer to early fall.

Lots of people do and manage but you need to be aware and prepared. I lived in south FL and the Caribbean for about 10 years and owned boats so due to circumstances I was in the hurricane zone. With a little luck and by really watching the weather I never took a direct hit from a major storm but I did spend a lot of days very anxiously watching hurricane tracks on the TV.

If you're just sailing point A to point B it will depend on where point B is. If you go far enough south you will be below the hurricane belt or if you're going north you could be above it. If the course from A to B runs through the hurricane zone there's still a risk as storms can sometimes pop up quickly so you have be prepared to run or hide if you can't get out of the way fast enough.

Another practical problem, summer is really hot in the Caribbean and sometimes don't have as much wind for sailing.

[carstenb]

People sail in safe months because they want to get to point B alive. Hurricaine season on the water is no joke. I've never been out in a 'caine, but i have been out in 45 knot winds. Unless ya gotta do it, you don't want to be anywhere near it

[Cormorant]

Thiago -- not to rain on your round-the-world dream, but you can escape civilization and have some pretty amazing "Blue Lagoon" moments just by crossing from Miami to the Bahamas. Spend a winter there, see if it nourishes your soul. Then the way forward may be a bit clearer.

[maytrix]

As its already been suggested, go out for a sail first. You are going to need some experience before you start your journey, so start getting it right away. You might want to consider starting with a basic keelboat course.

Even once you get a boat, do some local sailing before going offshore. I've done a fair amount of sailing, including 7 charters in the BVI with an upcoming trip to St. Lucia and I still wouldn't rush to do an offshore passage yet.

[chuckr]

just my 2 cents for what it is worth - in dec 2000 i stepped on a sailboat for the 1st time after seeing the volvo boats come thru baltimore and thought that does not seem like a big deal - took some asa sailing courses and bought a new 40' jeanneau in 2003 and found i did not know how to sail - thanks to friends in miami and the biscayne bay and sailing almost every weekend i was able to learn a few things - my goal was to get to the bahamas and back safely - i took off in 2008 (i think) single handed and headed up the east coast (off shore) to woods hole and along the way got adopted by an old cruising couple who showed me how to cruise.
i am now in trinidad after sailing from miami to mexico, belieze, honduras, guatamala, panama, colombia across to jamaica, dr, pr bvi and down the chain to trinidad to wait out hurricane season.

we have met a lot of folks along the way and one i remember well was a couple who had a world class boat and wanted us to go thur the canal and across the pacific with them and this was their 1st year out - we were not ready and said no - 2 years later we ran across them headed back to the usa to sell the boat and move back on land - and this is not an unusual story -
there are some blue lagoon moments out here and fortunately more of those than not - but to disregard safety is pardon the language - simply stupid - i am an old mountain climber and safety is always paramont -

my suggestion would be learn to say in the bay - charter a boat in miami for a run to the bahamas and spend a week or two trying to get around - the charts are perfect the water is generally great the anchoring is good for the most part but water and food are minimal and when the winds kick up from the wrong direction you get a small feel for what a bit of a bouncy anchorage - if that goes well then go look for a good blue water boat as there are a lot of them out there at reasonable prices

as for the cost - we share those and if you search under my name you may find some of the data we share - but generally we spend about 2k a month and that includes insurance and at least one major upgrade on the boat a year -

we are NOT good sailors but we do manage to get from point a to b safely and usually comfortablly but not always - when doing an overnight at a squall moves in at 35-40k with lightening everywhere and one strikes near your boat and knocks out your electronics at 0300 and you have problems tell up from down or north from south it is a challenging issue that must be dealt with -

and then of course the everyday maintenance of the boat -- i joke that it would probably be cheaper for me to get a real live french mistress instead of the one i have - friends laugh and say it would be cheaper but i would not live as long

final thoughts keep you dreams - read study learn - charter to bahamas and go from there

just our thoughts and opinions and they are worth what you paid for them

chuck patty and svsoulmates
in trinidad WAITING OUT hurricane season