Single cruisers, a basic look?

[jlcnuke]

Thanks for the great feedback/info so far everyone

Originally Posted by akprb

The poor OP’s head must be swimming after ArmyDaveNY post!

Brought back a lot of memories! I cruised down the east river just last year and out to Sandy Hook enroute to FL.

Great part of the world.

Nah, not swimming at all. I am new to sailing myself, but I've got a bit of experience on the water including on other people's boats, my own PWC for a few years, and those 12 years I spent in the Navy. Avoiding other boats in shipping lanes is arguably harder when you're coming up and can only listen to them on your way to the surface vs being able to look at them and having a radar show them to you.

I do have plans to do the ASA 101, 103, and 104 courses as a minimum (and get the cert needed to charter in Europe as I understand it, just in case). Originally I planned to start them on Lanier, but I'm stuck outside of Houston for a couple months due to work so I may take 101 here if there's ever a nice weekend to do it (I recognize cruising won't be all nice days, but I can still be picky about when to sail while I'm stuck on dry land most of the time lol).

[Caleb C]

jlcnuke, enjoy the adventure! I agree with SailsWithFists and Skipmac comments.
Sailors, like us, are meeting great people everywhere we anchor or dock.

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by jlcnuke

Things you just can't do or need to hire/find a crew for?

I'll answer this one for you. If you ever need to replace deck fittings, rebed toe rails, or re-install a port light, you absolutely need extra hands. I've tried these things and they can (sorta) be done solo with vice grips, but you'll go crazy and get bedding compound on everything except where you need it to be. Just order pizza and chill the beer and invite a friend over for an afternoon (or two). Make sure you really, really trust said friend and haven't started in on the beer yet, if you need to go aloft and don't know how to solo climb your mast

[buzzstar]

A regular poster (I cannot recall a name) had a sign off that was something like, "sailing is like rock climbing, only different." OK, I may have it wrong, but my point is that racing and cruising are different. Racing, or just sailing, in crowded waters will teach a whole set of techniques, often very quickly and harshly. Good stuff. Cruising includes a different, but not completely so, skill set. Cruisers tend to pay less attention of minor sail adjustments and speed, but learn to repair many things along with diagnosing the cause. They learn weather, a broader sense of navigation, and heavy weather handling. Few racers find a need to heave to. Before anyone goes ballistic, my racing comparison is the relatively short distance and short time stuff -typically no more than a long day, and usually less. Sure, there are examples in both directions (cruisers cannot resist a race against a fellow cruiser for whatever time they are going the same direction, or perhaps heading to the same destination. I still think Lake Lanier was a good idea for the original poster, particularly since the Hudson and the Thursday night beer can races off Marina del Rey (do they still exist?) are so far from Georgia.

[hellosailor]

Dave, you left out the best part.

The Hudson River actually ends around Kingston. Everything south of that is the Hudson Estuary, a flooded estuary that extends past NYC and empties into the Atlantic. North River, East River, all misnomers for parts of the estuary.

Just to, you know, keep the cartographers and navigators happy.(G)

[kmacdonald]

I think some people try to pigeonhole cruisers and sailors into a tight knit group. They aren't. They are as individual as the general population.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by hellosailor

Dave, you left out the best part.

The Hudson River actually ends around Kingston. Everything south of that is the Hudson Estuary, a flooded estuary that extends past NYC and empties into the Atlantic. North River, East River, all misnomers for parts of the estuary.

Just to, you know, keep the cartographers and navigators happy.(G)

Good call. Few are aware of this. I figured it would be less confusing if I just called it the Hudson River. The East River isn't really a river. I believe it is a tidal straight but as you point out, it is all part of the estuary.

[goat]

Originally Posted by gamayun

Make sure you really, really trust said friend and haven't started in on the beer yet, if you need to go aloft and don't know how to solo climb your mast [emoji3]

This is the best advice I've seen on this, or any forum. Wise indeed.

[ketch05]

A lot of your questions were answered so I'll jump straight to the dive compressor. My petrol engine Bauer compressor has allowed me and my diving crew to enjoy first class diving in remote area where no one ever goes. If you are a keen diver I seriously recommend having one on board provided you have the space not only for the compressor but also the tanks, spare parts, BCD etc.

Fair winds,

[jlcnuke]

Originally Posted by ketch05

A lot of your questions were answered so I'll jump straight to the dive compressor. My petrol engine Bauer compressor has allowed me and my diving crew to enjoy first class diving in remote area where no one ever goes. If you are a keen diver I seriously recommend having one on board provided you have the space not only for the compressor but also the tanks, spare parts, BCD etc.

Fair winds,

Having the space is one of the main reasons I'm leaning more towards something closer to 40' instead of low 30's. As I understand it, an extra 6-7' in length equates to (generally) a significant increase in available storage and/or locker space with little/no change in what is required to be on-board (i.e. no large change in quantities of spares/tools/food/etc etc).

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by jlcnuke

Having the space is one of the main reasons I'm leaning more towards something closer to 40' instead of low 30's. As I understand it, an extra 6-7' in length equates to (generally) a significant increase in available storage and/or locker space with little/no change in what is required to be on-board (i.e. no large change in quantities of spares/tools/food/etc etc).

True, but the costs do go up.

[Tinleg]

Originally Posted by jlcnuke

Thanks for the great feedback/info so far everyone



Nah, not swimming at all. I am new to sailing myself, but I've got a bit of experience on the water including on other people's boats, my own PWC for a few years, and those 12 years I spent in the Navy. Avoiding other boats in shipping lanes is arguably harder when you're coming up and can only listen to them on your way to the surface vs being able to look at them and having a radar show them to you.

I do have plans to do the ASA 101, 103, and 104 courses as a minimum (and get the cert needed to charter in Europe as I understand it, just in case). Originally I planned to start them on Lanier, but I'm stuck outside of Houston for a couple months due to work so I may take 101 here if there's ever a nice weekend to do it (I recognize cruising won't be all nice days, but I can still be picky about when to sail while I'm stuck on dry land most of the time lol).

JlcNuke,

I am also in the Houston area. May I recommend Bay Area Sailing school in Kemah? The guy there is super nice, and the instructors have fun with it. They teach without taking themselves too seriously.

I took 101-105 there and really enjoyed it. 101 is a bit... basic. Particularly if you already know knots and have a head for terminology. Which you certainly do, since you were on nuke subs.

The navigation class - though being classroom only - was actually fairly interesting. I was lucky enough to be taking it with only 4 other people who were able to keep up. No slowpokes slowing everyone down. I haven't had a chance to return and take the test, but once I do am looking forward to 106.

[jlcnuke]

Originally Posted by Tinleg

JlcNuke,

I am also in the Houston area. May I recommend Bay Area Sailing school in Kemah? The guy there is super nice, and the instructors have fun with it. They teach without taking themselves too seriously.

I took 101-105 there and really enjoyed it. 101 is a bit... basic. Particularly if you already know knots and have a head for terminology. Which you certainly do, since you were on nuke subs.

The navigation class - though being classroom only - was actually fairly interesting. I was lucky enough to be taking it with only 4 other people who were able to keep up. No slowpokes slowing everyone down. I haven't had a chance to return and take the test, but once I do am looking forward to 106.

I have them bookmarked already, good to hear someone's personal experience with them too though. I plan on doing 101 while I'm here (never hurts to go over the basics and I'm sure I'll learn some stuff, plus it's a decent value when you take into account the cost vs. the cost to sail for the equivalent amount of time), but the 103/104 combo is unlikely since it's 3 days long and I have to work M-F each week, no long weekends available to take the course while I'm here.

[jlcnuke]

Well, finished the ASA 101 course today. Wasnt terribly informative (did learn some stuff though). However, the "getting hands on" experience was very helpful. Watching, seeing, and reading about doing stuff just doesn't make up for actually doing it yourself (at least to me). I did go with Bay Area Sailing and I'm very pleased with them so far. There value of their 101 course I think will be very high, especially after taking advantage of the free mentor sail AND the free charter after that. With this tossed in by the, it's ridiculous how cheap this course was. They're also going to work around my schedule (which is probably getting extended some) so I can do the combo 103/104 with them as well. I'm really looking forward to it.

[zeehag]

hudson river goes to north troy with estuarial flows. i sailed that part for many years. 1955-1968. yup estuarial. not as strong as near the city, but it is estuarial.
can mess ye up if you donot understand that bit of info.
just try to get back into catskill creek in an engineless sloop when tide flowing out and wind light.

of course, the way things change these days, that issue may have been corrected hahahahahaha