Ready to Cruise By Gary Dickinson

By Gary Dickinson

Iwas talking to my brother the other day and mentioned that I was getting the boat ready to go cruising. He said, "You told me months ago that you were all done working on the boat." He is right, and the statement got me to thinking.

There is a huge difference between the equipment on a boat that you take out for day sails and one that you are going to take for extended cruising. If you plan to stay at a dock every night, and I have never met a cruiser who did that, the equipment you will need for safe, comfortable cruising, is substantially different from a boat you just use for day sails. The last time I cruised I was gone for six months. During that time, I was tied to a dock only one night, and that was because the other boaters I met up to make a crossing wanted to leave from that location.

For me, cruising on a small boat is very much like camping. The items that other sailors add to their boats for cruising is as varied as the boats they sail.

Take showers for example. One end of the spectrum are those cruisers who use a one-gallon tank sprayer, while others choose a "Sun Shower" so they can have a hot shower. My cat had propane instant hot water, for the shower, galley and even had a shower in the cockpit for washing off after a swim. For my friends Doug and Karen of S/V Voyager, having a way to get around in port is important to them. They added folding electric bikes that have a 20-mile range to the cruising equipment they carry on board. The bikes store into watertight bags so they can be stored on the deck and also make them easy to put in the dinghy when they go exploring.

I just received an update from Wendy and Dave aboard S/V Elysium who have been cruising for the past eight years. They just arrived in Australia. Their boat has every amenity you could think of because it is their home!

Instead of listing all of the thing’s cruisers install on their boats I want to just mention the additions I made to my pocket cruiser for the upcoming voyage.

As a first step I had a safety inspection for my vessel, next I went online and printed manuals for my boat and equipment. Once that was done, I added tools and spare parts I might need.

Because I had only used my boat for day sails, one of the first item I needed to add was a dinghy. I have had both hard and inflatable dinks in the past but with my small craft an inflatable was the best choice for me. It came with a storage bag which I will lash behind the mast until needed.

The single six-gallon tank for fuel was plenty for getting out of the canal to the Gulf for day sails but I added an additional tank just in case I run out of wind on a passage.

I updated my charts and downloaded them so I could access them when I was not online. I also utilize boating apps such as "Navionics," as a back-up in case my chart plotter goes out. The app uses GPS and will operate without cell coverage. I take time to look at the charts and find good places to stop and explore during the voyage, which can change from day to day.

When sailing down the Pacific Coast other cruisers said I should explore the "Delta". To get to the Delta you sail across San Francisco Bay through two other bays and enter the San Joaquin River valley. I was planning on going there for a week and spent a month. It is good to not have your plans in stone and enjoy each day!

It is important for me to be able to keep in contact with friends and family during a voyage. If I am out of cell phone coverage, I use a "spot" messenger which sends information to my contacts through satellites. When I am outside of the United State and have access to the internet, I can email others and I use "Skype" to make internet phone calls.

On land it is easy to take electricity for granted, that is not the case on a boat. You need a system to power and keep the electronics charged. One of the first additions most cruisers make is a way to produce and store power to run all of the equipment they have.

On previous boats, I have installed both wind and solar power in addition to deep cycle batteries to store the energy they produce. I also install an inverter so I can have 110V power to run things like a microwave and refrigeration. This time I only installed solar power and hope I made the right choice, if not I try plan "B".

Another difference between day sailing and cruising is what to pack for the trip. When on vacation did you ever forget to pack something? If you do that when cruising it may be some time before you have the chance to stop at a store.

Preparing and eating well balanced meals on a boat can be a challenge but I actually look forward to cooking and especially eating. One of the most challenging things in preparing for a cruise is deciding not only what food to bring but also making sure to have all of the ingredients needed. There is nothing more frustrating to me than to start cooking and discover that one of the ingredients is missing. Now when I make up a menu, I look at packages and cooking directions and make a list of what extra things might be needed. The next challenge is where to put and how to store all of the food for the trip.

I put Zip Lock bags to good use in storing packages that can't get wet. I also label the top of cans with waterproof markers, so I don't end up with mystery cans.

Once all the preparations are complete and I have checked my list twice the real fun begins when I release the dock lines and the adventure begins.