Cruising practice

[Solarwinds]

Have you been wanting to go on an overnite with your Daysailer but just haven't been able to get your head around the logistics / equipment that one needs to do it?
Wouldn't it be great to be able to go out with someone on a Daysailer, do an overnite or an extended weeklong trip to see how they handle the cooking, sleeping, sanitary requirements of a trip?
Disclaimer: I have no association with this Company.
I just came across this site:
http://www.marshandbay.com/
What they do is why I'm selling my Catalina 25 and what I'm looking forward to doing this summer on my DSI.
If I can't get organized in time to do it on my own boat, hey, I'll just call them and let them show me how it's done.

[TIM WEBB]

Very cool! However, there are any number of groups with whom you can cruise for free, such as the WCTSS among others, as well as organized raid type events such as FL120, OBX 130, TX 200, etc ...

There are some very good suggestions on the FL120 yahoo page as to gear lists, menus, yadda yadda yadda ... ;-P

[GreenLake]

I think it breaks down into two separate items.

The sailing, and the camping.

Both need separate preparation. If you know you can beach at your destination and camp ashore, any of your land-camping experience translates directly -- that is, if your land-based routine does not depend too much on having a car and purchasing food or eating out along the way. That said, the DS is quite forgiving in terms of overpacking - especially if you are planning to be out only a single night or two.

My experience includes weeks long bicycle treks with limited re-provisioning. I found that most of what I practiced there could be totally applied to camping from a DaySailer. The new issue was how to keep stuff dry -- even in case of a capsize. The variety of dry bags on offer has radically increased since my earlier adventures, which makes it a bit easier. I scoured all the marine, hiking and outdoors stores in the area and assembled a nice mixture.

Generally, I use the bag-within-bag method, so that a leak in the outer bag or its closure doesn't drench everything. For the inner bag I used the thin nylon bags. They are light, not bulky and come in small sizes. Anything sensitive (like spare batteries) would further go into a freezer bag.

For the outer bags I used one PVC coated one as the "main" bag. They are pretty durable and can stand up to a lot of handling. For tent etc. I used another thinner bag. A more heavy duty version of the Nylon bags. Rip-stop fabric, coated on the inside. Saves on weight, still pretty durable. Both around 65 liters. In any climate where nights (or cloudy days) can be cool, I may have needed additional stowage for warm clothing.

Pot, eating utensils etc. don't need to be packed waterproof; they filled a small satchel, which also contained anything I would need to access during the day, suncreen being uppermost on that list.

For the tent, a small two-person tent (per person) gives lots of room, yet is easier to set up than a single bigger tent and stays lower to the ground (wind). (And, in an emergency, it's not an "all-or-nothing" situation if one of the tents gets lost or damaged).

If you are out of practice, just plan a camping trip on land, where you make to fit everything in a few waterproof bags. It will help you narrow down the essentials better than any prepared lists will do. And you'll learn what works for you.

If you want to sleep on your boat, then the logistics takes on some entirely additional dimensions, avoiding which would seem to be prudent for a first time out.

Food etc. deserves a separate post.

[GreenLake]

Food is a much more individualized issue.

I tend to bring very little on a daysail, unless it goes over four hours or so. For cruising longer distances, during the day, while sailing, I'm fine with any snack food that's not so sweet/salty as to make me thirsty. Fruit are great, too. Plenty to drink, including juices or sports drinks on longer, hotter days, or a thermos with coffee on colder ones. All of these stored somewhere on the boat where they can be accessed w/o problems while under way.

If your destination is a bit off the beaten path, bring extra rations, esp. water, for a day (or more).

Compared to bicycling, sailing burns much fewer calories In hot weather, it can mean no big appetite for dinner, once on land. I found that I tend towards bigger breakfasts, if anything, when I'm spending the whole day outdoors. I always bring some kind of stove, single burner, propane or gasoline, not super skimpy so it doesn't take forever. Can't live without morning coffee and where evenings are cooler, hot soup.

Some people like pre-packaged meals that can be eaten cold or heated up. I tend to go for hot cereals for breakfast, filling but sidesteps dealing with keeping eggs or bacon fresh. Generally, I tend to get by without cold chests, ice, etc. Just another complexity, and doesn't work for more than 24h or so, that is, not on any weeklong cruise without having to hit civilization. UHT milk in pint-size works well without refrigeration.

If getting to that remote island and putting on a spread is part of your plan, don't let me hold you back. I've seen people pack a grill, and coals and serve bacon wrapped shrimp and cobbler in the middle of a five day cruise on something just a bit larger than a Hobie 16. If that's you, all the more power to you.

Again, all of this is something that a land-based camping trip can help you gauge - as long as you stick to the food (and water) you brought.

If you find you brought something that you didn't use, you know what to leave home next time; conversely, if you really forgot something essential, and had to buy it on your shake-down camping trip, better put it on the list.

Happy Cruising.

(Sailing issues related to cruising we should take up over at "Seamanship and Boat Handling").

[ChrisB]

My 2 cents worth,

+1 on what both Tim and Greenlake said. If you have no experience with backpack, car, canoe, or bike camping, this experience could be extremely helpful. If you have experience, it's all in the adjustments. Dry bags have never let me down by allowing my gear to get wet. I also use plastic totes that fit inside the cuddy. Organized groups are great. Just this past weekend on a trip to the 10,000 islands with the WCTSS, I experienced a failure of the fuel shutoff valve on my outboard (necessary for this particular trip) just as I was ready to launch my boat. A fellow WCTSS member had a spare 2 hp Suzuki that he loaned me for the weekend. Had it not been for the loaned motor, I would have had to un-rig the boat and go home. Also, cruising with groups gives you the opportunity to see what everyone else does and have one of those "Gee, I never thought of that" moments. My boat cruises thus far have been limited to pitching a backpacking tent ashore each night but Tim has fashioned an impressive boom tent and sleeps aboard his DS II. For food, I draw on my backpacking experience and pack foods that are dry, cook quickly, and require no ice. I never cared much for the dehydrated backpacking foods and came up with my own ideas. Breakfasts are dry cereals, cereal bars, instant grits or instant oatmeal, or bagels with jelly. Lunches are typically crackers with cheese, crackers with tuna, or PB & J on bagels (if I didn't have a bagel for breakfast). Dinners are rice/noodle dishes that I mix with canned chicken. I always take an opportunity to stop along the way for a waterfront restaurant lunch if one is available. I have a one-burner, "pocket rocket" clone butane stove and a small cookpot. A one-cup coffee brewer finishes my kitchen gear. I even find the room in the DS for an substantial quantity of firewood and a camp chair. There's nothing better than a little Maker's Mark over ice around a campfire!

[jeadstx]

As Tim mentioned there are a few organized camp cruising sailing events like the FL120, Tx200, and the OBX130. The Everglades Challenge which takes place in March is a 300 mile race and I noticed there are two Day Sailers registered, but the EC is more difficult than most want to do (definately not a first time event). The WCTSS has monthly weekend cruises on the west coast of Florida. Since you are on the NE coast you might want to check out the OBX130 which will be August 24th to the 28th this year. The OBX130 is a camp cruising trip on the outer banks area in North Carolina and will be trailerable small boats both homemade and production. You can find out about that one on Facebook where their discussion group is located. The FL120 is (I think) the 3rd weekend in May, starting on a Thursday and going till Sunday.

The Tx200 is probably too long of a drive for you, but it is the second full week of June. The Tx200 is the event I have sailed 4 times successfully (3 times in my Day Sailer) and once unsuccessfully (my first attempt). It is about a 200 mile sail up the Texas coast. This year we will be sailing for 6 days and camping for 5 nights. Discussion group for this event is also on Facebook under "Texas 200 Sailing Club". Lots of good discussions going on there right now with sailors new to the event. The website http://www.texas200.com/ has a lot of good information archived in it's forum which has been largely replaced by the Facebook discussion group. The website also has previous events archived by year including the articles I wrote for the Day Sailer Quarterly for the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 (those are the years I sailed my Day Sailer).

If you look on this site and the internet I know there is an article about a Day Sailer circumnavigating the Baja Peninsula in the late 60's. There is also an article about cruising the east coast and some videos about a Day sailer cruising around Newfoundland in a Day Sailer. In addition to what the others have said to use to camp cruise, these additional sources should help. The Day Sailer is a very capable camp cruiser.

As far as food goes tho, I'm no help as I don't eat much when I go on these sailing trips. I too, use the dry bags and have had very little problems with them other than the time I improperly sealed one, my fault. On the Tx200 it is recommended to drink one gallon of water per day, it might vary in places not as hot as Texas.

John

[TIM WEBB]

All very good input!

Sail camping:

I have learned a lot from folks like ChrisB and others in the WCTSS, John A and the TX200 group, folks who've done the EC, as well as from doing these types of trips for almost 3 years now. I had camping experience prior, but it was a LONG time ago, and I've found myself re-learning lessons from those days. Main lesson: less is better. The way I look at it, there is the stuff you have to bring yet hope you won't need (which also happens to be the stuff you need to be able to get at the easiest/quickest!), then the stuff you will really use. I've gotten my "system" down to just one plastic tote, and the rest in labeled drybags, which I find much easier to get into and out of the cuddy. One has the stuff I like to always have aboard, whether I'm going 120 miles in 4 days or just out for an afternoon sail. Mostly extra parts, safety items, raingear, etc. Another contains the boomtent/poles and tent cot. These items don't necessarily need to be kept dry, but it's just better if they are. Another has sleeping bag, self-inflating air mattress, and pillow. Definitely want to keep those dry! Another has clothes, all synthetic stuff that dries quickly, but prefer to keep dry in the first place. Another has items that I only bring on overnight trips - things like an LED lantern, bungees to keep the halyards quiet, surfmocs, etc. The last drybag is labeled toilet, and contains the wagbags, TP, towel, washcloth, toothbrush/paste, etc.

Menu:

The tote contains most of my stuff for not starving. I'm still dedicated to not having open flames aboard TRW, so I'm still working off the 12V system. To that end I have a RoadPro stove and kettle. These are designed for over-the-road truckers, but also work great on a small boat w/ a 12V system. The stove will heat anything up to about 300 degrees, and the kettle will bring water to just about boiling. And they draw a lot less juice out of my deep cycle AGM battery than you might expect. I always pack a few canned stews and soups to heat up, but have also made Hot Pockets, burritos, rice dishes, scrambled eggs, pancake mix (comes out as more like a pancake loaf!), pasta sides, pre-cooked sausages, instant mashed potatoes, you name it. The tote also holds associated items like a bowl, sporks, aluminum foil, blue towels, ziplock bags, Dawn dish soap, Wet Ones, etc.

These things are in constant flux, and are changed/amended/refined after every trip I do. Yes, I keep checklists for both gear and menu, and during a trip I'll scribble notes on them, then one of the first things I do when I get home is make those changes accordingly ...

[GreenLake]

Of Alexander McKenzie, the explorer of the Canadian rivers up to the artic, it is told that he had a system like this:

He would sit down, and make a list of all the necessary items.
Then from that, he would take half, leaving him with essential items only.
Of that, he would take half again, and thus bring only the truly essential.

Wildly paraphrased, this is.

Whatever his system, he clearly traveled light, and that made him fast. So he could make it across the watershed, down to the arctic shore and back again in a single season. In canoes, with portages.

The DS is a bit more forgiving, especially if you don't plan to do any portages with it.

However, having stuff that's truly extraneous means you have to dig past it every time you want to get at anything that you do need.

That includes some cruising-specific items that relate to the needs of the boat, not yourself. Tim mentioned some, but perhaps they deserve a separate thread.

[GreenLake]

Items to bring for your boat on a (long) cruise, that you might not bring on every daysail.

Anchor and rode. Even if you plan to beach, you'd secure your boat with an anchor "set" on shore. If you plan to anchor for real, a length of chain will increase holding power. The balance can be rope. A Danforth or similar folding anchor, generously sized, stows well and, in mud and similar bottoms holds well, too. (Not sure about needing a second anchor).

Extra rope, both to replace anything that should break or chafe through under way, as well as for unforeseen circumstances, like towing or being towed, tying things and as part of jury rigs or any description. If you include an old main halyard and mainsheet, that should allow you to replace any part of the running rigging. Generous amounts of smaller diameter stuff. Shock cord, parachute cord, a roll of whipping twine.

Lighter, for sealing rope ends after a cut.


Screwdrivers/wrenches for all screws/bolts on the boat. Plus pliers or vice grips. A multitool. Collection of all the misc hardware, bolts, nuts, washers, shackles, pins, rings, etc..

Spare blocks, spare cleats, spare turnbuckles, gudgeons, pintles - anything that could conceivably break, yet is accessible enough that id could be replaced while under way.

Tape: electric, seal amalgamating, duct, sail repair... A knife on your person and one on the boat. Hacksaw. Hose clamps. Cable ties (beefy ones). Fiberglass repair kit. Epoxy that you can use underwater. Both for gluing and as part of fiberglass repair. Various concoctions for caulking, filling holes. Marine Tex or similar epoxy paste. Faster curing than epoxy, and quite useful is 3M High-strength marine filler.

Rubber gloves. Alcohol or vinegar to clean up epoxy.

A small drill. Some sandpaper (coarse, for shaping). File.

Spare rudder/tiller, esp. for endurance-style cruises.

Not really stuff that's always left at home for daysailing, but would upgrade for cruising:

Boat cushions rated as throwable PFDs as well as to shove under the mast in even of a capsize to keep boat from turtling.

Fenders for tying up, including tying up alongside another boat for towing or assistance. Bring, even when not planning to dock.

Auxiliary propulsion. Both mechanical as well as manual. Oars work better than paddles. Gas/Propane has more range/power than electric.

Bailers of every size and description, from 5-gal bucket to water bottle with top cut off. Manual pump, sponge.


Did I leave anything out? Some aluminum tubing of the dimensions used for spreaders (or a spare set of same). Seizing wire (stainless) in two diameters.

[GreenLake]

The list in my previous post seems rather extensive. Is it getting too extensive?
Worth a discussion, I think.

For example, why did I include hose clamps and cable ties?

One trip I broke a spreader, at the hinge near the mast. I threaded a few of the heavy duty cable ties behind the hinge pin and used hose clamps to hold them to the spreader. Finished the hole off with some electrical tape. Saved the trip. Fun part is, the repair worked so well, it's still on the boat. (When I broke the first spreader, I dutifully did a correct replacement. That lasted only one month before it broke again).

There are some other items like that that are great for jury-rigging something under way, but aren't normally used anywhere on the DS.

Fiberglass repair seems ambitious but I've seen boats sustain damage that they were able to fix on the beach and continue the next day while on a multi-day cruise.

Many of the items on the list are like insurance - you hope you never need them. But you know when you do.

A big factor is how far your cruise will take you off the beaten path, and the kinds of challenges you can expect. (Note, I haven't even touched navigation/communication equipment, or clothing items yet).

What have any of you guys used in the past, wished you had brought, or always take along?

[ChrisB]

Last year on the 10,000 Islands cruise, for unknown reasons I lost a blade from the prop on the outboard. I say "unknown" because I don't remember hitting anything while under power. A plastic prop was $28, aluminum was about $100 so,I bought two plastic and carry the spare with me. Other than that, the usual assortment of spare,shackles, pins, cotter,rings and, of course, duct tape. The cable ties and hose clamps are a good idea and will be going in my toolbox.

[TIM WEBB]

+1 on spare everything for the motor: prop, shear pins/cotter pins (those live right on the motor on a Honda 2, on a clip under the cowling), sparkplug/wrench, safety stop clip, and emergency recoil starter rope.

I always have a selection of SS hardware and fittings aboard. So far, these have been more beneficial to fellow sailors than to TRW ... ;-P

I've carried zip ties on every trip since my 1st FL 120 - saw them on one of the suggested gear lists. Just make sure you also have something to cut them with (not just trim off the running end)! Multitool works well.

The drybag that is always aboard TRW also contains first aid kit, binoculars, flares/horn/signal mirror (old CD), and all the extra spectra line, duct tape, ziplock bags, bungee, waxed tacking cord, mini 'biners, etc. etc.

[GreenLake]

+1 on the first aid kid.

But that should really be part of what you bring even for a daysail.

When I injured my hand (on a cleat no less) a while back, I had to stop a motorboat because I didn't have anything to stop the bleeding. Band-aids had long been in the pocket of my life jacket, because small cuts seem to just be inevitable. But this was suddenly beyond band-aids, and I was not prepared. (Ended up needing 12 stitches from a friendly emergency room practitioner who regaled me with tales of her relative who had to be rescued off his yacht on his way to Hawaii.)

This happened during an afternooon on a local lake, never more than half a mile from shore, but that's a long way if you have to sail it solo while bleeding all over the place...

[ChrisB]

It's a touchy subject for some but a tip I picked up in a "field first aid" class said to keep a maxi pad in your first aid kit. Paired with duct tape, the tape helps close the wound and the pad will help stop the bleeding.

[TIM WEBB]

+1 on the first aid kid.

But that should really be part of what you bring even for a daysail.

Correct GL, that's why I wrote "The drybag that is always aboard TRW also contains first aid kit ..."