Holy cow.... That's really good to know! Never would have guessed that it would be something seriously insane like that. Very insightful wisdom and I appreciate it!
Possibly wrong boat, but dreaming.
- Thread starter sv_regulus
- Start date
Gotcha! I'll work on that to keep the boat from getting more decrepit. She honestly looks pretty good on the inside and her deck isn't rotted, which was very nice! Same leaky windows and hatches though!
Without knowing the numbers on your boat I have no idea.
When are you posting pictures of your boat and the work you are doing?
dj
6 months? I thought you said 2 years in your opening post. What is your rush? I'm not sure, but I thought you indicated that you are 70? I'm getting close to 71 so I know how age is a factor (Are you physically up to a challenge like this?). Why do you want to sail to Hawaii? Is it because it just sounds like an epic adventure? Where are you starting from? Where is Bayview? California/SF Bay? Washington/Puget Sound? Oregon/Alsea River? You haven't really discussed any definitive plans for gaining experience. It sounds like your focus is on the boat and making it ready. It sounds like your own experience and aptitude with the boat is an afterthought. Why not get the boat on the water and actually do some coastal cruising before making hard plans for sailing to Hawaii. You might consider that coastal cruising in some place like the San Juans and Vancouver Island area is far more interesting and doable than an offshore trip to Hawaii. incidentally, I've been to 3 islands in Hawaii and don't see very much focus on sailing. I think there is a reason because it is so remote and once you are there, cruising the islands just isn't a thing because of limited accessibility & difficult passages between islands.Thank you for the encouragement! I plan to literally sail the crap out of it after the refit. Right now it's through holes, sea cocks, and rig. 6 more months to go!
I'll suggest that adjusting your sights, or at least not being so focused on a pinpoint destination, might lead to more satisfying experiences in sailing. Every sailor knows that deadlines and schedules are the most dangerous feature in sailing. Many (most?) sailors don't even know where they are going next, let alone in 6 months or 2 years!
Lol 6 months until I can sail since it's winter up yonder way in Idaho. Ice isn't too kind to hulls and paint jobs. Oh it's a health factor, that's why I'm trying to do it in 2 years. I'm also 27, not 70. XD
It does sound like an epic adventure, and it's a worthy goal to shoot for no matter what. Could also say that I'm sick of society as a whole and want a break. Also Bayview, is in Idaho. I bought the boat in Portland and brought it back to do the refit and at least be able to sail it on the lake here for a bit while I'm doing it. Then back to the coast. Couldn't just move out there, too much money.
That's 100% part of the plan. Also crewing for a few trips for some locals on the coast to get experience. Still not 100% on taking the Ericson any further than 100 miles off shore, but apparently people have made the crossing in that very boat, so it's not unreasonable.
I agree! We'll see how it goes in the next two years with this boat.
Some web hosting servers can not handle the Gmail account. I had been trying to findout why this was, I was using Drupal CMS, I thought it was the fault of Drupal. After I moved to an other web hosting Co. It all worked well.
I had the same issues and just thought the didn't like me or something... Going to try to make a different account now!
Few pics of the boat. Including how comically small my truck is compared to it. General interior condition, that nasty bolt i refered to, investigating the health of the engine, and removing winches for rebeding and servicing.
Attachments
Mostly in lake Ponderay, or scoot over to Montana and sail flathead lake which is a bit cooler.
Gmail requires a SPF text record in DNS minimally before it will accept email from any domain. It can be checked at mxtoolbox.com using the supertool
In terms of wind and weather, the Great Lakes have experienced both in severities like the open ocean. Waves are the real issue. It takes two things to build big, dangerous waves: time and fetch. Fetch is the distance over which the wind can work on the water to build waves.
But it is the time that defines coastal cruising. If you are within 30 miles of a coast, you can very likely get to a refuge port on the coast before waves have enough time to grow from OK to dangerous. As depth decreases beyond 10 times wave height, the coast can turn a gentle, 10 foot swell into a dangerous breaking wave. But there will always be time to respond to growing waves, and get to a port. On the open ocean, there is no such refuge.
I respect and concur with the remarks on the dangers of entering some coastal ports, especially through barrier islands. Extra awareness and caution will be needed when that is the refuge available while cruising a coast.
Finally, weather forecasts, and radar make it possible to avoid dangerous conditions for any coastal cruising outing.
But it is the time that defines coastal cruising. If you are within 30 miles of a coast, you can very likely get to a refuge port on the coast before waves have enough time to grow from OK to dangerous. As depth decreases beyond 10 times wave height, the coast can turn a gentle, 10 foot swell into a dangerous breaking wave. But there will always be time to respond to growing waves, and get to a port. On the open ocean, there is no such refuge.
I respect and concur with the remarks on the dangers of entering some coastal ports, especially through barrier islands. Extra awareness and caution will be needed when that is the refuge available while cruising a coast.
Finally, weather forecasts, and radar make it possible to avoid dangerous conditions for any coastal cruising outing.
The problem with writing in shorthand is that it leads to confusion (I have no idea what "XD" means). I now see that you were talking about working 70 hours per week (I assume) rather than your age already at 70. Let me tell you how fast 40 to 70 goes! I don't know if I'm the only one, but I had no idea that you moved your boat from Portland to Idaho so much of the discourse was not understandable to me.
So, you are 27-years-old with a health condition that is creating urgency, it seems. That sounds like a tragedy to me, that you have concerns about your own mortality and I certainly have sympathy for you in this regard. Having purpose during this time is critical, I'm sure, and I'm happy for you that you have this excitement for sailing to keep you going.
Restoring the boat is probably good medicine. However, this boat does not look to me like a good candidate for your goat to sail to Hawaii in 2 years. I doubt you have enough experience in re-fit and the condition looks to me like it is a multi-year project (if you can work on it full-time), if even feasible. It will probably cost wayyyyy more than you can even imagine. There is an adage that the cheapest boat that you can buy is usually the most expensive, by far, when all is said and done.
On the other hand, you have done well to trailer it back home where you can work on it and you can probably turn it into a boat that you can sail on Lake Pend Orielle. You have suggested that society hasn't been good to you, sadly. I'll suggest that when you immerse yourself even in the local sailing community, you will find some restoration for your soul. At least that is my wish for you.
You've done well to locate a boat with a good trailer! I'll suggest that you eventually find yourself in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) waters near the San Juans. I know that you will find a sailing community that will embrace you there and it is probably one of the best jumping-off locations for any sailing dream. Buying an inexpensive boat and turning it into an ocean crossing adventure is kind of a NOOB dream. I'm not saying it hasn't been done. Just consider breaking it down into manageable goals and be open to real-life experiences that are fulfilling before blindly launching into something that may just be a dangerous and unrewarding travesty.
I'm going to make a few media suggestions: Read James Baldwin Atom Voyages. He has written at least 2 books (that I read) and has an on-line presence. I think you will connect with him. Try the movie "Hide Away" about boat restoration. It had lousy reviews but I found some really good moments in the film. Finally, take a look at the documentary "Chasing Bubbles" (you can find it on YouTube). It's about a young man with a troubled soul who improbably launches into circumnavigation with questionable experience and turns it into a no-holds-barred adventure. Sadly, the experience never does restore his soul and his continued restlessness leads to tragedy. It's a sad but inspirational message.
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jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,641
Sailing the Pacific is definitely a challenge. There are several books that may be helpful in educating the first time sailor with such an ambition.
Once is Enough By Miles Smeeton
Tranquility: A Memoir of an American Sailor by Billy Sparrow
Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics for Singlehanded Sailing
by Andy Evans
10 years, over 250 races, and 3,500 hours of singlehanding is what Andy considers “a reasonable start” to solo sailing. He shares his mistakes so you don’t have to make them too.
Once is Enough By Miles Smeeton
Tranquility: A Memoir of an American Sailor by Billy Sparrow
Thoughts, Tips, Techniques & Tactics for Singlehanded Sailing
by Andy Evans
10 years, over 250 races, and 3,500 hours of singlehanding is what Andy considers “a reasonable start” to solo sailing. He shares his mistakes so you don’t have to make them too.
jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,641
I have sailed on Coeur D‘alene and Flathead Lakes in a small boat. They will help you learn the basics of sailing a boat.
You will discover you are not prepared to sail the Juan D’Fuca or the Georgia Straits when the sea is running and the winds are blowing. Not to even consider venturing out beyond Cape Flattery off the Washington Coast.
What can happen. Check out this video inside a Washington State ferry, taken by one of the crew, as it is crossing near the Juan D’Fuca in a storm.
You will discover you are not prepared to sail the Juan D’Fuca or the Georgia Straits when the sea is running and the winds are blowing. Not to even consider venturing out beyond Cape Flattery off the Washington Coast.
What can happen. Check out this video inside a Washington State ferry, taken by one of the crew, as it is crossing near the Juan D’Fuca in a storm.
Definitely going to be investing into some solid electronics and courses on weather, wave, current, and general sea going know how to at least have somewhat of an idea what I'm getting myself into. I've seen a lot of videos out there of things going wrong quickly, especially without careful prep and understanding of how the ocean interacts with all the forces moving it around.
It's definitely something that's on my mind. I've had issues for a while now, and they've been getting more pronounced as of recently. I had a small stroke when I was 21 that took a while to recover from. The same issues with my body are affecting my eyesight and causing me to lose vision in my right eye over time if it continues. Not saying any of this to get attention or pity, just to explain my motivations. Otherwise I'm healthy and continuing on in life.
I'm hoping I do at least make a solid lake boat out of her, and possibly a decent small outing coastal cruiser to at least learn on the ocean. She is a bit rough, but the bones are good and the repairs are mostly limited to time sensitive items like seals, hoses, sea-cocks, and standing rig. Spars are in good shape, keel looks good besides that one bolt at the back, electric and such needs a few tweaks, and her sails are in decent condition. She'll be okay to put in the water this coming summer I think! The group of guys in the local sailing club have been very good to me, so I'm glad I've found the start of a community I'm happy to be a part of.
I'm definitely starting to see more and more that this has to be bite sized goals to avoid rushing out unprepared. I still plan to move to the coast in two years, but I think by then I'll have switched to a more seaworthy craft, or at least a larger Ericson. I find them elegant and well made, but we'll see where the time takes me.
I appreciate the suggested media and I'm adding it to my next order of books to read and movies/documentaries to watch! Thank you!
I'm glad you opened up and brought these details out! This forum is easily the most compassionate group of sailors on the internet and all you need to do is ask questions and elaborate on responses in here because you will find a wealth of knowledge willingly offered without cruel judgement. We are generally an older crowd, but we have a wealth of life experiences that I think you can relate to. You will also find encouragement hedged with caution. Most of us (maybe all of us) firmly believe that sailing is essential for our health. Many of us continue to sail despite the various health emergencies that we have experienced. Your motivation is completely understood and we applaud you for your determination!
It's very hard to tell from your photograph of the bolt. I see what appears to be some kind of goop smeared all around the bolt that is concealing the condition. What I do see is a very clean nut and washer. Also, I don't see a sign of rust stains in the fiberglass. Actually the fiberglass looks very clean. It's very odd what is shown on the bolt above the nut. Could it be some kind of protective measure? It seems very odd to me that you have one bolt that has a condition very different from the others. Many manufacturers coated the keel bolts for water resistance, I think.
While the boat is on stands, with the keel supporting the weight, you can test each nut & bolt combination with a torque wrench. I removed all my nuts last winter and replaced them. It provide a good opportunity to look at the condition of the bolts.
While the boat is on stands, with the keel supporting the weight, you can test each nut & bolt combination with a torque wrench. I removed all my nuts last winter and replaced them. It provide a good opportunity to look at the condition of the bolts.