Little scared!

[BlondyKodiak]

Hello from Alaska.. So my hubby is going through midlife and on top of that he's the type that wants to do it all..At once! He is shopping for a sailboat (he has sailing experiance, I don't), so here I am looking through all your wonderful conversations to get advice, wisdom, courage, and so on.. Ohhh did I say a liveaboard.. Don't get me wrong I'm up for the adventure, I just don't like the unknown. We've traveled in our trailer so being in tight quarter's isn't an issue.. I'm not a girly girl most of the time so I don't need the hair dryer and curling iron, not gunna stock the boat with make-up and lotions cause I think I put maybe three things on my face and if I had it my way I'd go without shoe's and cloths but can't here in AK. So just here to read up on what I need to know before he takes the plung and buys.. Thank you all!

[Neo]

Welcome!

Advice: Take sailing lessons (not with the hubby).
Wisdom: Fear is a good thing.
Courage: Courage comes from preparation.

Good luck.

[Capt.Alex]

Please tell me you don't plan to spend your winters living aboard in Alaska??? generally it's a great lifestlye however I would would venture to guess (I have never been to Alaska) that Alaska is a very challenging (but not impossible) place to do it.

[Khagan1227]

Blondy,

Welcome to CF! It's a good place to start.

There are as many approaches to sailing as there are people and everyone seems to have an opinion. Listen to the advice, then do what works best for you, after all YOU have to live with the choices you make.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here.
Just start learning about the systems that are different aboard a boat such as head plumbing, how the shower works, where you get freshwater from, where does your electricity come from, etc.. and you'll have a great time.
Sailing lessons are great and learning navigation and rules of the road are good things to do so think about spending the cash to take a few courses.
kind regards,

[BlondyKodiak]

Keep the great advice comin... We have friends here that have a 35' Hunter that is more then welling to take me out. We found also a place in Seward that you can rent sailboats for a couple of days that we are thinking of doing.. We currently own a 24ft fishing boat that I've been learning the in's and out's about, I know it's not the same but it's a start with something that floats..lol Capt Alex, you would be amazed with how many people live aboard here in AK, but it will be our summer home when my hubby retires from the Coast Guard.

[ssanzone]

aspire to be better than your husband at everything.

once you know what he knows and can do what he can do, you become part of the adventure and can make suggestions and plans.

sailing is kinda the easy part and, within reason, the bigger the boat, the easier it is to sail.

have a blast.

-steve

[SVTatia]

Blondy - good advices above. Nothing else to add - except that I applaud your attitude to support your partner in life and go along with the adventure. If you start on the right path - learn as much as you can and don't go overboard (pun intended), you will not regret - its a wonderful and healthy lifestyle.

[rgscpat]

Welcome and good luck with your new life! Lots of good books and information has been put out about the cruising lifestyle. Maybe you could also get a good deal on an extended charter "try out".

[angelfish2]

I get scared, too, Blondy. It happens to the best of us and perhaps, it is a good thing. My hubby has gone through an "geezer" crisis and bought a sailboat that he has wanted for a long time.

I think it is all a learning process and one you have to do one day at a time. It scares me to death to think of all the stuff I don't know, but I don't have to learn it all in one day. Just take small steps. Going out with your friend is a good way to start. The best of luck to you both!

[roverhi]

Learn to sail on your own. Many places have sailing classes in small dinghies or other smaller boats. Get the feel of sailing so it's natural not what a book tells me to do. Take an interest in the running of the boat. There is something to be said for division of labor but you and he need to be able to do everything the other does. Otherwise, don't be just a passenger or a cook.

My wife made several long passages with me before we were married but didn't really know much about sailing the boat. I'd tried to teach her but there usually were other people on board and guys being guys usually jumped in to do the physical stuff which is basically sailing a boat is all about. When we were getting ready to head for SoPac, she decided she needed to be able to sail the boat herself. She took a couple weekend course from the Newport Beach City Rec. Dept. in Sabot dinghies. Two days of theory with sailing thrown in and a couple days of impromptu races and the light went on for her. I still did most of the sailing work but she felt comfortable in doing what she wanted to do and sailing the boat if I ever went overboard.

BTW, way warmer in Fatu Hiva than Anchorage. Having said that, hope to sail to Alaska one of these days. Did the cruise ship thing last year and really fell in love with the raw beauty. Got to be way better to see it from the deck of a sailboat than a monster ship.

[BlondyKodiak]

Today is one of those 50deg, raining sideways cause its blowing 65 with 9ft seas kinda day.. Living in Alaska in some places is an adventure all on its own.. Ohh did I tell you guys that I get seasick.. This is my first year not taking anything and I'm doing pretty good but I haven't made it out on our boat past 2ft seas yet.. but I'm trying!

[S/V Illusion]

It's the people who don't get scared that worry me - they blindly get behind the wheel totally ignorant of safety or seamanship once they buy the keys and those are the ones who inevitably get into trouble and often endanger others as well.

Use it as a motivation to learn and you will be a sailor in no time.

[captain58sailin]

Welcome to the forum BlondyKodiak, my Wife and I are in the process of refitting our vessel in anticipation of my retirement. We have a bit of an advantage on you, we are both commercial fishers, and while my Wife is not a sailor, she has spent a good portion of her life at sea. Our focus is a bit different than the average cruiser here. We have a commercial fishing element in our program so our vessel is multi use. One of the most important things to establish is what you don't want in a vessel. Of course the inverse is true as well, sail on as many different vessels as possible to get the best idea of what works for both of you. Do get involved with the local yacht clubs, it is an excellent place to start learning, with people that will welcome you. Good luck on your journey.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Neo

Welcome!

Advice: Take sailing lessons (not with the hubby).
Wisdom: Fear is a good thing.
Courage: Courage comes from preparation.

Good luck.

HI, BLONDY,

Two things: the above post is one I'd second.

I'd add that as you come south, you will be better off if you wear sunscreen.

I thought of another thing: I get seasick, too. I'd suggest you try out different remedies to see what works for you. What works best for me is Stugeron, cinnarizine HCl. It can be a pain in the neck to source, so start early, and be creative. There are some other recent threads addressing the issue of what to do about seasickness, here on CF, maybe you can peruse them and have a think. Incidentally, I've been prone to motion sickness all my life, but Jim and I have been cruising about 25 years, now. The good thing about it is that it does go away, even if it requires dry land to do it. But really, the Stugeron works a treat for both of us, and we've tried almost everything.

If you can do it, you can let your body teach you little tricks that help you with your seasickness. You learn to (for instance) drive the boat, which keeps your attention focused on the horizon, and your head relatively stable. Let your lower body sway a little with the motion, and keep your ears still. Don't go below and read or do chart work. Always come abovedecks at the first sign of seasickness. If you have to be below and are queasy, keep your eyes closed as much as possible. If you need to sleep, make sure your body is secure (won't be able to fall out of the berth) and don't get chilled.

By the way, I think you already have the courage, or you'd have tried to scuttle the cruiser plans.

Ann