Who is a 'bluewater skipper'? What is 'bluewater preparation'?

[DMF Sailing]

Inspired by Don C L's contribution , post #437 in the multiyear 'What exactly is a bluewater boat' thread that refuses to die,

I ask you: What makes one a 'bluewater skipper'? Your stories, your tales, your successes and failures. I can read books and articles, but nothing is as riveting as having you all go at each other.

And me! Got at me! I'm an inveterate coastal cruiser who's probably got more hours at the helm of a keelboat than a lot of you, but has Zero (0) ambition to go more than 30 miles offshore. However, one can always learn new tricks, and they do have some wind and waves and trouble out there where I am, so I'm sure I'll learn something new.

Bonus question: What do you do to prepare your boat for 'bluewater passages?' We've all read a ton about AWB making passages... those of you have done it, what, if anything, did you do to feel comfortable/in control out there on your jennie/bennie/hanse/bavaria?

Feel free to use smilies and dismissive putdowns on me, the OP, but please try to be nice to each other.

[aqfishing]

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

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I can read books and articles, but nothing is as riveting as having you all go at each other...........................
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These anecdotes would be different how?



I agree:

Furthest I've gone offshore = 25 nm to the Farralone Islands off San Francisco.

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

These anecdotes would be different how?



I agree:

Furthest I've gone offshore = 25 nm to the Farralone Islands off San Francisco.

I gotta believe, given the diversity of the 440+ posts about what exactly a bluewater boat is, there ought to be plenty of variations on these questions.



As you know, there's blue water 25 miles of shore, but that's not what anyone means! (there was a "what is blue water" thread a while back)

[beetle]

It's a pretty simple definition in my book - coastal cruising means you can pick and choose the weather to move around in and plan to get back to a safe port if the weather deteriorates. water sailing">Blue water sailing involves passage making when you can't call the weather and therefore have to contend with whatever comes your way.

Nothing to do with stories, etc. - it's simplistic way to denote if hops are short enough to take advantage of forecast weather windows, or if the duration is longer than forecasts are accurate.

[JPA Cate]

Our first offshore passage was from San Francisco to Oahu in Jim's Yankee 30. We deemed it necessary to take a 20 lb. sack of onions with us. This was based on an estimate of 1 onion per day per person, for all the days at sea. No idea why we didn't buy separately, for the trip over, and then for the trip back (Maui onions are super).

Here's another chuckle for you. That boat had an ice box. Well, the ice was always gone by day 7. Here's a question you may never have asked yourself: what happens when the lid to the tomato juice pitcher comes off, the pickle jar spills, and the lid comes off the mayo while you are beating to weather to get around the Pacific High? It was a pretty disgusting mess, I can tell you, and Jim volunteered to clean it up by himself. The icebox had a teak grating in the bottom, so it required sanitization, too. Yes, we learned about making sure everything has been secured.

Ann

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Our first offshore passage was from San Francisco to Oahu in Jim's Yankee 30. We deemed it necessary to take a 20 lb. sack of onions with us. This was based on an estimate of 1 onion per day per person, for all the days at sea. No idea why we didn't buy separately, for the trip over, and then for the trip back (Maui onions are super).

Here's another chuckle for you. That boat had an ice box. Well, the ice was always gone by day 7. Here's a question you may never have asked yourself: what happens when the lid to the tomato juice pitcher comes off, the pickle jar spills, and the lid comes off the mayo while you are beating to weather to get around the Pacific High? It was a pretty disgusting mess, I can tell you, and Jim volunteered to clean it up by himself. The icebox had a teak grating in the bottom, so it required sanitization, too. Yes, we learned about making sure everything has been secured.

Ann

1) Onions! You were thinking of scurvy! See, I never need to worry about that on the 50-mile hop to Provincetown!

2) Tomato + aspic + mayo... there might be a decent sauce in that, if you, say, broil bluefish in it. The mayo sucks out all the oils that give bluefish an icky taste, and the tomato-aspic combo might be tangy and fun. Serve with onions and fried pickles!

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Our first offshore passage was from San Francisco to Oahu in Jim's Yankee 30. We deemed it necessary to take a 20 lb. sack of onions with us. This was based on an estimate of 1 onion per day per person, for all the days at sea. No idea why we didn't buy separately, for the trip over, and then for the trip back (Maui onions are super).

Here's another chuckle for you. That boat had an ice box. Well, the ice was always gone by day 7. Here's a question you may never have asked yourself: what happens when the lid to the tomato juice pitcher comes off, the pickle jar spills, and the lid comes off the mayo while you are beating to weather to get around the Pacific High? It was a pretty disgusting mess, I can tell you, and Jim volunteered to clean it up by himself. The icebox had a teak grating in the bottom, so it required sanitization, too. Yes, we learned about making sure everything has been secured.

Ann

This is one of the best posts I’ve ever read on any forum. Absolutely hilarious (in retrospect) and well written too.

Thanks, Ann

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

1 onion per day per person, for all the days at sea. what happens when the lid to the tomato juice pitcher comes off, the pickle jar spills, and the lid comes off the mayo while you are beating to weather to get around the Pacific High?

Ann

Yeah, I was going to say too it sounds like just break out the chips!

So.. I am very curious about the onion a day thing...

[StuM]

Originally Posted by DMF Sailing

As you know, there's blue water 25 miles of shore

Or 5 NM in my case, but we have to go nearly 10 before we get more than 1000 metres under the keel.

[Fore and Aft]

DMF Sailing as a marine surveyor I have met countless blue water skippers and I would say balls, luck and ignorance are probably the most common traits. Not to often do I meet a well experienced skipper who then goes "blue water" I probably do but it is the characters that stick in your mind.
Same with "blue water" boats, if it floats then that is good enough to cross an ocean it seems.
Cheers

[DMF Sailing]

Originally Posted by StuM

Or 5 NM in my case, but we have to go nearly 10 before we get more than 1000 metres under the keel.

Whereas I'd have to go 100 NM to get more than 1,000 feet under mine!

O, the perfidy of oceanographic topography!

[TeddyDiver]

Sailing offshore is not a special skill compared to equipping and storing the stuff for a long passage.. just my exp..

[goboatingnow]

The sailing is usually quite straightforward off shore in my experience.

[double u]

..it used to be somebody who planned his/her way around the world with "Ocean Passages for the world" & Pilot/Routeing charts & found it using a sextant & tables & paper charts...
alas, no more...