General advice on a "wack" sailing idea

Benny17441 · Jun 21, 2015

I would advise against it unless you take the year that you have projected for the purchase/retrofit of the boat and go out and take some sailing courses and gain some experience in cruising. Talk to someone who has crossed the Atlantic and get an accurate perspective of what it is to cross an ocean in a small boat to see if it meets with your goals and expectations about the trip. The learning curve for the required knowledge and experience will be quite steep for a year; think of it as going for another PHD.

Johnb · Jun 21, 2015

To me this can be split into two parts

1 Make sure the boat is fit and fully equipped for the intended use. This can be achieved by having someone competent check it through.

2 Consider taking someone experienced with you for a while until you have built enough knowledge and confidence to go on your own.
There is so much to being able to make this kind of a voyage. Boat handling, boat care, navigation and most of all to know how you are going to react to extended time at sea with the constant motion, sleep deprivation and responsibility. I know of too many people who did not know what to expect getting a major butt kicking from just ordinary conditions.
That said, many of us who are not superman(woman) have done it and it is certainly within an average persons capabilities.

Also, why start from Denmark when you are already in the Med?

Joe · Jun 21, 2015

Go for it.... by the time you get the boat back to Denmark you'll know enough to adapt your plan to your reality. Depending on your own sense of ability and challenge you might try to find an experienced crew to help you get the boat home. Study the cruising guides. I like that you're going to go back to Denmark first... then you can make the season sensitive Caribbean tour after thoroughly shaking down the boat.

But heck... to me it sounds like a lot of fun... wish I could join you. Good luck. BTW don't let negativity discourage you.... If it's your dream.. don't spend all you time getting ready to get ready... Just do it... but of course, have a budget plan if the boat breaks on the way home.

Maine Sail · Jun 21, 2015

PeterGade said:
Dear sailors!

This is my first post on the forum, i hope that my questions are not too far out.

My girlfriend and i are currently taking our Ph.D.s and is set to finish in May 2017 and November 2017. We have just taken a general course in boating, but we do not have significantly experience in sailing besides me. I have been a deckhand on a sailboat for a week 10 years ago. That´s it.

We have a the following plan. When we finish our study in November 2017, we would like to sail to the Caribbean from Denmark and back. We have set between 6 to 12 months for that.

We have looked at a boat in Greece a Hunter 466, and plan to buy the boat next year and sail i to Denmark, for retrofitting and such. I know that it seems like an ambitious plan and we lack practical skills.

We are doing everything we can to gain experience, and are set for practical sailing courses here in Denmark. Is the overall plan to reckless? And should be postpone the idea some years, what are your thoughts?

Do you have your ICC License? May want to check into what is required in terms of licensure before setting off inter-country. I believe that under 50' in Denmark means no license retirement but counties between Greece & Denmark may ask for an ICC..

All U Get · Jun 21, 2015

Hi Peter,

Welcome and see if my comment makes sense. You are studying to get a PhD for an area of expertise and have been doing so for a few years. Consider sailing on the ocean like sailing at the PhD level. That's a big jump from beginner. There are plenty of books to read and online videos that will help you understand how to sail, read weather, provision, etc. I never expected to spend much time doing repairs to the engine and generator or learning electronics and electrical problems. The bigger the boat, the bigger the problems that could occur.

You can get the learning and experience, but don't hold strict time limits. Sail with someone who has that experience and take classes that are experience based. There will be plenty of good days on the water and don't get discouraged if a few aren't. I will be waiting to hear when you make your trip. Best of luck.

All U Get

Scubagirl62 · Jun 22, 2015

Sounds like a movie

Watch "Captain Ron". That will give you perspective! Best of luck.

captjim1 · Jun 22, 2015

I see you have several replies already and they are good ones. If you decide to have a person to show you all things you need to do on board, get credentials. Find people that will backup the person you feel safe with, Captjim.

seadaddler · Jun 22, 2015

Weather

Weather is the most important thing to learn to read and of course making sure
the boat is in good condition and all good working equipment needed for the trip and learn and
have some experienced sailors help you.
All good advice here for sure and I sailed my Hunter 36 from NY to Gulf coast of Florida with experienced crew on my first all ocean trip from NY to east coast of Florida and than I did sail
around to Gulf coast of Florida by myself.
I know a couple with not much experience sail around Carib for 7 years and did learn alot.
Have fun and Good Luck.
Nick

mrjfortin · Jun 22, 2015

Indeed all good advice. Practice, practice, practice. And yes try to take an old salt with you, try meet him/her a long time before hand, get to know him/her his/her experience, get references etc......
And no it is neither crazy nor stupid.
I sail all over the place, warm waters usually

And you have no idea about the amount of times I hear, "Oh My God you are so lucky, I wish I could do what you do". My response is always the same. "What stops you ?"
Go for it, Do what feels good for you, stop listening to those that goes to work day in and day out, always in the same rut. Just do it.

bananabender56 · Jun 22, 2015

PeterGade said:
Dear sailors! This is my first post on the forum, i hope that my questions are not too far out. My girlfriend and i are currently taking our Ph.D.s and is set to finish in May 2017 and November 2017. We have just taken a general course in boating, but we do not have significantly experience in sailing besides me. I have been a deckhand on a sailboat for a week 10 years ago. That´s it. We have a the following plan. When we finish our study in November 2017, we would like to sail to the Caribbean from Denmark and back. We have set between 6 to 12 months for that. We have looked at a boat in Greece a Hunter 466, and plan to buy the boat next year and sail i to Denmark, for retrofitting and such. I know that it seems like an ambitious plan and we lack practical skills. We are doing everything we can to gain experience, and are set for practical sailing courses here in Denmark. Is the overall plan to reckless? And should be postpone the idea some years, what are your thoughts?

Sailing from Denmark to the Caribbean and back in 6 to 12 months is pushing it. How long do you expect to be cruising the Caribbean?

enorfleet · Jun 22, 2015

Go for it, but get ready first

You have 2+ years to prepare. That's plenty of time, if you use it wisely. That means getting offshore experience. Try Offshore Sailing School's Coastal Passage Making and Offshore Passage Making classes. I did Coastal and it gave me a ton of confidence to get more adventurous. Will do Offshore as soon as I can. Also John Kretschmer offers heavy weather sailing cruises to people who want to learn ocean passage making. Read his book, "Sailing a Serious Ocean", to learn more about it. Another great way to gain experience (on the cheap) is to volunteer as crew for some regattas. A lot of the regattas have volunteer sign up forms on their web sites.

kenomac · Jun 22, 2015

Your bigger challenge will be getting the boat back to Denmark across Portugal, the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel. If you accomplish that, then crossing the Atlantic via the Canary Islands will be easy.

Kings Gambit · Jun 22, 2015

In my opinion one of the first things you need to do is to discover each of your respective immunities to sea sickness. After that--cold tolerance. It all sounds like so much fun--and it is--but not so much if you're having sea sickness issues. I bring this up b/c on my most recent trip down the Southern California coast of only 140 n.mi. overnight BOTH of my crew were suffering effects of sea sickness fairly soon after departure--both sailors who owned their own boats!! One or two days into a cruise across the Atlantic and back (after you've bought a boat), you don't want to find out that you or missey cannot go below to fix chow w/o heaving an hour later, etc.!

steve_hayes_maine · Jun 22, 2015

All of the advice re sailing experience and getting help is good, but there are other challenges, primarily learning the systems on the boat sufficient to be your own mechanic, rigger, electronics whiz etc. Things break, go wrong, etc. and problems quickly cascade, particularly if someone gets injured in the process. And they always seem to break at night. Every long distance cruiser I know travels with a full set of tools and spares and is able to readily diagnose and fix any problem, ideally at an early stage before things break. I joined the US Power Squadron primarily because it offered courses that taught engine mechanics and electronics (as well as weather, sailing, cruising etc.) I imagine something similar may be available in Denmark, and it's a great way to spend a winter. It makes a great deal of difference in your comfort level and safety.

Steve Hayes

Pura Vida 85 · Jun 22, 2015

Take the appropriate sailing courses and I suggest a "live aboard" course to get used to being on a boat. Take a shorter trip, perhaps a week, with a captain aboard. This way you get to sail the board, but have someone with experience aboard. That will also give you an opportunity to see if you really want to do this. Spending several weeks at sea is a challenge like nothing you have probably experience, and you will always be pushing the envelope which is why we sail afterall.

Gobsmacked · Jun 22, 2015

Wacky Idea is right

Do not --repeat, DO NOT -- attempt to follow your initial plan. The only sensible thing I can see that you have proposed is getting an experienced sailor to travel with you.
I once had the unfortunate experience of helping to recover the bodies of two inexperienced sailors who decided they'd buy a boat and cruise the Great Lakes, where conditions are much like on the oceans. They managed to get lost, despite having a GPS aboard, and ran the boat into a reef in heavy weather at night.
Two drowned, and two survived.
Get a good crew person to spend a few months teaching you how to sail in Greece and on the way back to Denmark. Spend another few months sailing in the Baltic in various kinds of weather however, I am not recommending deliberately going out into gale conditions.)
After a year or so you'll be ready for the transat trip (I've done two and loved them both.)
And remember that any idiot can figure out how to sall a boat in moderate winds with deep water well away from any object they can run into.
Real seamanship involves handling the rigging in heavier weather and maneuvering in tight quarters under adverse conditions of wind and tide.
In 60 years of sailing I've scared the crap out of myself enough times to realize that the sea does not suffer fools gladly. More than once I only got out of a mess because of dumb luck. But one thing those incidents did teach me was to avoid making the same mistake twice (although i have been known to make new ones.)
Lots of luck, fair winds and enjoy the boat.

seascoutship27 · Jun 22, 2015

Nervous

I agree with the person who indicated taking some one very experienced
Living on a boat with your partner can be eye opening, definitely try it for a while first as well as sailing under some extreme or Challenging conditions in Blue water,
Get Some thing besides a Hunter.

seascoutship27 · Jun 22, 2015

option -

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/1980/Csy-Csy-44-2606587/Greece
This type of boat will take you anywhere and back. They don't call them REEF WRECKERS for nothing. I know many folks who live on these and they are great. There is one for sale in Greece. They are getting harder to find. People get them and hang on to them.

PeterGade said:
Dear sailors!

This is my first post on the forum, i hope that my questions are not too far out.

My girlfriend and i are currently taking our Ph.D.s and is set to finish in May 2017 and November 2017. We have just taken a general course in boating, but we do not have significantly experience in sailing besides me. I have been a deckhand on a sailboat for a week 10 years ago. That´s it.

We have a the following plan. When we finish our study in November 2017, we would like to sail to the Caribbean from Denmark and back. We have set between 6 to 12 months for that.

We have looked at a boat in Greece a Hunter 466, and plan to buy the boat next year and sail i to Denmark, for retrofitting and such. I know that it seems like an ambitious plan and we lack practical skills.

We are doing everything we can to gain experience, and are set for practical sailing courses here in Denmark. Is the overall plan to reckless? And should be postpone the idea some years, what are your thoughts?