10 Questions for Georgia

Paul Lever and Chris Hunter have been cruising since 2010 aboard Georgia, an Outbound 44 hailing from Seattle, WA, USA.

They left the Seattle area and traveled down the west coast of the US, Mexico and Central America to Panama. After transiting the Panama Canal and visiting the San Blas Islands, then went to Florida and up the ICW of the US to the Chesapeake and then on to the Canadian Maritimes. They then went to the Bahamas and back up the East Coast of the US. Then they traversed the eastern Caribbean, ending in Bonaire and Curacao. They left the ABCs and went back through the Panama Canal to the Pacific. Most recently they have transited the S Pacific and spent last cyclone season in New Zealand. They have just completed the passage out of NZ and are currently in Fiji.

You can learn more about their cruise on their blog.

Why did you change boats and what do you see as the major pros and cons of your changeover? 

The short answer is so that I could stay married:) I'm a big fan of taking the boat you have to cruise in. We had a nice J/37 that was easy to handle offshore, fast and reasonably comfortable. After a couple of years of cruising we decided we were going to be out for a long time and we wanted some more creature comforts, not the least of which a larger galley. The Outbound is a really well thought out offshore vessel with a decent turn of speed. Con is having more money tied up in a boat-- a depreciating investment.

Having cruised both the Atlantic and the Pacific, how do they compare?

The Atlantic side is so much more crowded than the areas we've traveled in Pacific. The Pacific islands and island people are very interesting and generally extremely friendly. The distances you have to travel are much greater in the Pacific, but the coral reefs make it all worthwhile. On the Atlantic side, outside the US, you tend to see boats that are redoing their passages - like in this is the 5th time we've done XYZ. On the Pacific passages it is often the first time for everyone, making it easier to develop a cruising community.

What mistakes did you make in your first year of cruising?

Every cruiser needs to work out what cruising style is best for them. Are they commuter cruisers who spend 6 months on the boat and 6 months back home? Do they get to an ex-pat hangout and just want to enjoy the ease of being in the tropics and forget sailing? Do they want to get in as many stops, anchorages and ports as is possible, collecting all the t-shirts on the way? Is making distance and passages what it is all about? Are short jaunts from home the way to go?

I think we started out moving too quickly and trying to make distance. Our cruising style has worked into making significant jumps to get to a cruising ground and spending more time in one area rather than trying to see it all.

What is the most important attribute for successful cruising?

Its all in the attitude. The attitude you have with your partner. The attitude you have toward officials. The attitude toward locals. The attitude and respect you have for the weather. And the attitude to working through all of the repeated maintenance items and jobs of daily living that are never ending on boat. If you are going to let these items get you down, then cruising is just not for you.

I am pretty good at fixing things quickly on the boat. I'm even OK with doing the same job over again. I do tend to get a bit down when its the third time on the same 'fix'.

Share a piece of cruising etiquette 

That's just too easy a question. Use a long painter when you tie up your dinghy at a dock and leave the outboard down. A far more difficult one to answer would be proper anchoring etiquette. As far as I can tell, that totally depends on what your nationality is.

What piece(s) of gear would you leave on the dock next time? Why?

We left with one of those large, Conestoga Wagon covers for the boom. Although it's important to have shade in the tropics, that cover was too much effort to put up, take down, store and deal with when the winds got crazy.

How did you (or did you) gain offshore experience prior to leaving?  

I've done the early retirement thing a few times and took an Alberg 35 from Annapolis to Venezuela in my younger days. Chris and I have done the Inside Passage to Alaska and back down the outside. Also, while we were waiting to get our finances in order and sell a house we helped friends bring their Cal 40 down the Pacific coast from Washington to San Francisco.

Everyone who plans on taking up long distance cruising should take the opportunities available to crew on a few offshore passages. You'll learn a ton and be much better at setting your own expectations.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?

The first thing that pops into my mind is not killing or being killed by my spouse while living in such a close 24/7 environment. The second is Gin and Tonics.

Cruiser rant: What is something that drives you crazy?

Cruisers that start the blame game and yelling when an anchoring situation occurs. Its amazing how a tiny bit of courtesy and cooperation can make what looks like a bad situation calm down and work out for everyone. Being told that I dragged upwind with a string of F-bombs at 3am just doesn't help the situation get better.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

How long do you plan to cruise?

We left with an open time frame. After a couple of years it was clear that we were going for the long run. Its now been 7 years and we are half way around the world having covered about 33,000 miles (more than enough to make it all the way around). We still take it one year or one season at a time. Its important to us to have the boat out of the Cyclone and Hurricane belts during the season as we are not one to tempt Mother Nature. We started out as full time cruisers, but now try to spend a few months each year back in Washington with our new, above average granddaughter. We'll keep going as long as its still an adventure and our health holds out.

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10 Questions for Sunstone

Tom and Vicky Jackson cruised from 1997 until 2015 aboard Sunstone a 1965 McGruer built, S&S designed one-off - timber-built with a varnished hull - hailing from Nelson, New Zealand.

They describe their route as "too complicated to describe generally". It goes: UK, Spain, Canaries, Caribbean, New England, Nova Scotia, ICW, Bahamas, Panama, Galapagos, French Poly, Cooks, Niue, Tonga, Fiji, NZ, Aus, New Cal, Vanuatu, Aus, NZ, French Poly, Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Easter Is, Chile, Falklands, Argentina, Brazil, Argentina, S. Africa, Aus, NZ, Vanuatu, New Cal, NZ, Fiji, Wallis, Tuvalu, Kosrae, Pohnpei, Guam, Japan, Aleutians, Canada, Hawaii, Samoa, NZ, Marshall Is, Aleutians, Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, Tonga, NZ. Also lots of offshore racing among the cruising, including the Bermuda Race, Sydney-Hobart, Swiftsure, Round North Island and Round New Zealand.

They say: "We did lots (about 50,000 miles) of cruising as well as offshore racing in NW Europe before we actually stopped work and left to go long-term cruising, which was in 1997. Our last long cruise ended in 2015 and we are now shore-based, but we intend to continue cruising in the South Pacific."

You can learn more about their cruise on their website or by email.

Having cruised both the Atlantic and the Pacific, how do they compare?

We don't really feel this question has a useful answer at least not in terms of significant differences or contrasts. For us a more useful comparison is between temperate and tropical or semi-tropical cruising - or perhaps between wilderness cruising and cruising in more inhabited areas. Certainly the contrast between the latter two is sharp. Wilderness cruising, whether in the Aleutians, Patagonia or the Line Islands is demanding in terms of preparation, navigation, sailing/anchoring skills and, most of all, self-reliance. In temperate zones there is also the volatility of the weather. These are in contrast to cruising in more inhabited areas, where the availability of service and support is much greater and thus the demands on cruisers generally less.

Finish this sentence “One thing I’ve learned about navigating is…” 

'The eyes have it!' Whatever electronic means you have, eyes are the most important navigating instrument you have. If things look wrong they almost certainly are, so . . . 'If in doubt, turn about.' Go back the way you came until you have worked out the right and safe course. Oh, also 'Two navigators are better than one.'

What is something you think potential cruisers are afraid about that they shouldn't fear? 

Pirates. Pirates are the muggers of the sea. They can kill you or rob you just like muggers, but there are far fewer of them and they only operate in fairly well known areas. Avoid those areas and it is very unlikely you will ever see a pirate. You are far more likely to be mugged, injured or robbed ashore somewhere.

And what is something potential cruisers don't worry about that perhaps they should? 

Having poor quality sails and not knowing how to use them! Cruisers should race. Racing teaches you not only how to make your boat go quickly in a variety of conditions, it also teaches you about boat handling under sail in conditions you might actually avoid if cruising, namely light and heavy air and tight situations with other boats. These are also necessary skills for a cruiser. Too many cruisers spend a lot of money on devices to make living aboard more like living on land - and then they skimp on sails, buying second-hand or poor quality sails. In fact, many cruisers have little understanding of what constitutes a good, well-made sail which will stand up to tens of thousands of miles of use and still have a shape which will adequately drive the boat to windward when that is essential.

Many potential and novice cruising couples do not adequately consider what demands will be made and changes will occur in their relationship to each other. Before heading off on a cruise few couples have spent 24 hours a day, every day with each other in a constantly changing and potentially risk-filled environment. In shore-based life most of us can spread our anxieties, frustrations and tantrums across a range of colleagues and friends as well as our partner. That is not the case when crossing oceans in a small boat. Achieving a complementary balance and trust in your relationship is essential and at first it may be hard work. Many apparently stable long-term relationships founder and sink under the demands of the cruising life. However, many others thrive and grow on the development of new skills, the stronger need for trust and the shared sense of achievement in the face of novelty, risk and difficulties.

What is your most common sail combination on passage? 

This depends so much on the nature of the passage that there can be no single answer. When down-wind passage-making in trade wind conditions we normally use the mainsail held with a preventer and a 125% genoa held to windward by an over-length spinnaker pole. In stable, broad reaching conditions, we often also set our inner jib (non-overlapping, but bigger and further forward than a cutter staysail) to leeward on its Solent stay. However, when the wind is forward of the beam and over 15 knots (true, not apparent) we mostly use our inner jib with any reefs which might be necessary in the main. As we do a lot of cruising in temperate waters, we use the latter configuration a good deal. As we always stand our watches on deck, fully dressed for the weather, we are able to reef early when conditions require it. We generally reef or change head-sail single-handed unless conditions are very bad. 'Sunstone' is set up to make this easy. We very rarely use our genoa part-rolled, but rather change to our jib if conditions require it.

What is something about the cruising culture you like and what is something you dislike?

We are not really aware of any one 'cruising culture'. There are many different styles of and attitudes to cruising and the different styles diverge markedly. What we look for in other cruisers whom we like and respect are curiosity, openness, friendliness, honesty and, most of all, a desire, determination and ability to be self-reliant. Though we don't condemn them for it, we are puzzled by cruisers who actually don't much like sailing and have little interest in improving their ability to sail. These tend to be the same cruisers for whom cruising is just another form of travel. They reach New Zealand, park the boat and buy a car, rather than actually cruising the country.

Tell me your favorite thing and your least favorite thing about your boat.

'Sunstone' was our home for over 30 years, so picking out one thing we particularly like about her is almost impossible. High on the list is that she takes care of us. Some boats require constant, expert attention to perform well or even keep you safe. 'Sunstone' responds to such attention, but does not require it. In conditions when we are cold, wet, tired, hungry and even a little frightened, 'Sunstone' reassures and takes care of us. This is partly the nature of her design, whose compromises have made her just about perfect for the different kinds of sailing which we have done. These include serious racing and long-term cruising as well as living aboard, while working full time at 'suit jobs' in a temperate climate. 'Sunstone' is a very sound, strongly built yacht with a sea-kindly motion, even in storm conditions.

Unfortunately, one of the compromises which makes 'Sunstone's' design so good for living aboard, her accommodation arrangement below, requires an offset companion way; this makes it impossible to mount an effective dodger which would give protection in the cockpit. Cruising on 'Sunstone' requires several very good sets of foul-weather gear as well as a tolerance for being wet and cold!

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?

No gear on 'Sunstone' breaks often!! In the last 20 years we have cruised about 150,000 miles. During that time we have only had to wait in port once for repairs (engine gear box). There are three fundamental keys to avoiding breakages: buy the best you can afford; keep it simple; maintain it. Listening to other cruisers the items which most commonly keep them in port are: gen sets, autopilots, installed refrigeration and water-makers. 'Sunstone' has none of these. The closest we come is a small camper fridge which we can do without quite happily if we have to. Otherwise, the fundamentals of engine, rig and sails can be the cause of problems. All three can be kept going by regular inspection and maintenance. Our small Yanmar engine has done 10,000 hours in 19 years without a rebuild, despite being used as our primary power generator. How often do most cruisers go aloft to inspect their rigs or replace rigging wire? In the tropics, rigging wire should probably be replaced every seven or eight years. Rigs need inspection after any heavy blow, before any long passage and then after it. Sails need regular inspection and 'a stitch in time saving nine' or more likely 100! If a piece of gear seems prone to breakage or failure, there may well be something wrong with the way it is used or its suitability for purpose. If a piece of gear is inevitably subject to constant abuse, like the heads pump, carry a spare which is always ready as a replacement.

What (if anything) do you wish someone had told you before you started cruising?

How to catch fish and how to stay warm sailing in the Bering Sea.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy? 

Having our faith in the fundamental goodness of human nature reinforced!

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it? 

After living afloat for 35 years, we suppose that we expected to be asked (as we often are), how different it is to live ashore or how we've adapted to the change. We guess that the most fundamental answer to the latter question is that if you weren't adaptable before living afloat and cruising, that life is likely to make you adaptable. Moving ashore and buying our first house to live in after 41 years of marriage has just been another adventure - and we still feel at home when aboard 'Sunstone'.

The other bigger question is what made us start it all in the first place. Why would we choose to live first on a 31' boat and then 'Sunstone' while pursuing responsible jobs. At first the answer was easy. We couldn't afford both a boat and a house. We had to have a boat, so we didn't have a house. But there was more to it than that, because we did actually have our own version of a pre-nup: we both agreed that the only basis on which we would get married was if we lived on a boat. From the very first we agreed that if we really wanted something, we would pay the price. We wanted to go sailing as much as possible. If the price was living in cramped, damp, cold quarters with no appliances, TV, stereo, running water or shower, we would pay the price. We even decided to live that way ashore for the few years while we saved enough for our first boat. We learned to live without 'stuff'. Paying the price has got us the life we wanted. And in the circular way that all things so often work out, what we got, namely 'Sunstone', has shaped not only our sailing lives, but the whole nature of our lives together. 'Sunstone' has taught us a lot and helped us to learn about each other.

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10 Questions for Domino

JP and Marie have been cruising since 2010 aboard MV DOMINO, a 65' Malcolm Tennant Power Catamaran flagged in Pago Pago, American Samoa.

Since 2010, they have cruised from Paraguay to Argentina, Uruguay, the entire East coast of South America, Caribbean Islands, Cuba, Yucatán, the entire East coast of the US and the Chesapeake Bay, Central America (Caribbean side), Panama, Galapagos, Marquesas, Tuamotus, Tahiti and its Islands, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, and now New Caledonia.

JP and Marie built DOMINO themselves and they left behind 6 children and 13 grandchildren when they headed out cruising. DOMINO is currently for sale

Read more about their journey on their blog.

Finish this sentence. "Generally when I am provisioning...". 

I look for the freshest produce and canned goods with the least additives, enjoying the opportunity to discover local flavors.  At the town market, I often ask the ladies how to prepare the produce they sell.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?  

Doing nothing.  I never thought I would enjoy just sitting, meditating, looking at nature, doing nothing at all.

How did you (or did you) gain offshore experience prior to leaving?   

Uh... we didn't.  Just hopped on the boat and left.  1 day passage, followed by a 2-day passage, and so on.

Share a piece of cruising etiquette

To guests who come and cruise for a while: don't bring roll-away suitcases.  Backpacks and soft bags do not scratch the decks and are easier to stow away.  To dinner/happy hour guests who kindly bring drinks on board: please, take your rubbish with you as you leave.

In your own experience and your experience meeting other cruisers, what are the common reasons people stop cruising? 

• They get on each other's nerves
• They have gone as far west as they dared
• They miss family and land possessions

Tell me your favorite thing and your least favorite thing about your boat  

Favorite: Parties 60, dines 8, sleeps 2.

My least favorite thing?   Umm.. no washing machine!  Of course, we have the room for it, all the electrical and plumbing, easy ventilation for the washer/dryer combo, but no machine!  I think JP uses this as leverage... after 10 years of doing my laundry in an oversized sink, spinning it in a high speed spinner and drying it in the sun, I still hope that some day I won't have to depend on the weather to do my laundry!

What are some of your favorite pieces of gear on your boat and why?  

• Refrigerator- I can't imagine cruising without one, and mine is quite large, enough for 6 weeks of fresh produce.
• Bread machine - We're French, therefore eat a lot of bread!
• Our big 6' radar array antenna.  We see targets clearly and early... peace of mind.

Where was your favorite place to visit and why?  

The Galapagos.  There is nothing like it, above or below water.  Unique!

What mistakes did you make in your first year of cruising?  

Plenty! Racing the Brazilian Coast Guards entering Rio de Janeiro while ignoring the proper entrance channel, as the coast guards had fun pinning us on the rocks is my favorite!

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?  

How do you not get on each other's nerve when you live in confined quarters 24/7?   

Headphones, private space, yoga, and a sense of humor!

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10 Questions for Mico Verde

Tanna Island, Vanuatu

Warren Johnson and Stephanie Parry cruised from 2004 to 2007 aboard Mico Verde, a Westsail 32’ hailing from Seattle, WA, USA. They left Washington, heading down the US Coast through Mexico as far South as Zihuatanejo and then across the South Pacific from the Marquesas to Australia and through Indonesia and Singapore. You can learn more about their travels on their website or via email (micoverde@gmail.com). They say: We started cruising when we were both 29, and ended when we were 33. We stopped cruising in Singapore where we sold Mico Verde. Two months after leaving the boat, we moved to Beijing, China where we worked, got master’s degrees, and had a baby (not necessarily in that order). Still in China as of December 2010.

What did you do to make your dream a reality?

Bought a small, cheap 25’ boat on which we practiced sailing and moved aboard so that we could save on housing expenses. We moved aboard in the spring and had all summer in Seattle to enjoy living on board but with fall and winter looming, we wanted to be living more comfortably aboard the cruising boat by the end of summer. So we kicked our research/shopping around into high gear. We decided on a Westsail because of the price (at the time they could be had for ~$50k), the offshore seaworthiness, and the look. Warren visited a few Westsails on the west coast and we decided on one that was in San Diego, CA. We had her put on a trailer and towed up to Seattle. She had been cruising in Mexico relatively recently so was in great condition and we really didn’t have to do too much work on her through the winter and summer. We had always planned to leave Seattle sometime in August 2004 and get down the west coast to California by September, and we were able to stick to that schedule.

Finish this sentence. "Generally when I am provisioning..."

I have been in the country I’m provisioning in for a couple months, and the port I’m provisioning in for a few weeks, so I know what is available. I list 15-20 meals that can be made with items in the local markets and then build a matrix assuming that we will feed ourselves from those meals for 3 months. The meals I plan are usually the main meals you’d consider for dinner planning, so I also have a list going of what we’ll need for breakfast and snacks. Lunch stuff just seemed to come together on its own and was less of a planned affair.

Then, I make a massive list and it usually takes a few trips that result in several full carts. Warren came along as a pack mule but I wouldn’t let him influence my list or decisions once in the store or he would try to cut back, always thinking that we were buying way more than necessary. But in the end it was usually just about right. Sometimes we would buy too much of something that in the end we didn’t like (canned broccoli – sounded so practical, tasted so awful) but we could usually find people that would trade for it.

I’d often cook from my meal plan, especially on passage, but in port dinners were much more improvised based on local restaurants or whatever was available fresh.

Over the years, how much time do you think you spend at anchor, at marinas, sailing and motoring?

Lizard Island, Australia, anchorage

This is hard to answer because different cruisers have different lifestyles. Some ports have people living aboard their sailboats that are anchored, and have been so for years. Those people will say they spend 100% of their time anchored. But does that sound like the kind of cruising life you’d like to lead?

Our cruising style was generally not to be in too much of a rush. We were very careful to make sure weather would be favorable, we had the charts for our destination, and that we both felt up to making a passage. Warren also loved to get to know a place, whereas I was always champing at the bit to see the next anchorage. But because Warren was the captain, his pace generally won out. So I would say we generally were at the end of the pack during the cruising season, and might not always get to the most remote or un-charted anchorages.

With that said, on passages we sailed as much as we could – if we had 8 knots of apparent wind, we’d sail unless we wanted to reach an anchorage before night and needed to move faster in order to do so.

If anchorages were comfortable, we’d always choose to anchor. We only pulled into marinas to make life easier, for instance if we needed to do some work on the boat or if the anchorages were non-existent or extremely uncomfortable. But if an anchorage is really uncomfortable, we’d usually move to a better one unless there was some reason to go into shore, like to check in or get provisions.

Is there a place you visited where you wish you could have stayed longer?

Suwarrow, Cook Islands, was probably the only single anchorage where we wish we could have stayed longer. Because of weather and visas, we had to leave French Polynesia, but we’d go back to all the island chains in FP again in a heartbeat. Wish we could have seen more of the Puget Sound.

Describe a positive experience you have had with local people somewhere you have visited?

There were so many, it is hard to just list one. In Indonesia, we stopped at a town called Bima. A man and his son approached Warren and asked him if he’d like to come home with them. Warren went home with them, met the rest of their family and their pet monkey, and agreed to come meet the man’s class of students at the local business vocational school. The next day both Warren and I went with him to his school where we each gave short talks to the students (who all had a fair understanding of English) about what we did in our careers, and then took questions from the students. Some students asked very thoughtful questions, like “How can we attract more tourists to Bima?” while others asked some questions exhibiting their curiosity about other cultures, like, “Do you have children? Why not?” It was a lot of fun to be able to interact with this small sampling of Indonesian teenagers.

What do you miss about living on land?

We missed: a rectangular mattress, steady flow of electricity, showers, being able to walk on land without a dinghy ride first.

What do you do about mail?

When we knew we’d be in a place for a while that had a post office or an address we could use (e.g., a marina), we’d ask our mail service to send us everything that had accumulated to that point. Our mail service was really bad and would often not send us mail even after we’d requested it, so eventually we learned to deal without mail. Occasionally friends or family would want to send us something, but I suspect now you could get away without mail at all, or very rarely, as long as you can get email or an Internet connection every once in a while.

How did you secure your valuables (in and on your vessel) while going ashore? And your dinghy?

Padlock on the main hatch of the boat, and closed the rest of the hatches from the inside. We had a padlock on the outboard that made it difficult to remove from the dinghy. The dinghy itself we usually didn’t lock up, though I seem to remember once or twice we had a really clumsy system with a chain and a padlock securing it to the dock. After Cabo San Lucas, we never left anything in the dinghy. Someone stole our flashlight out of it when we went ashore there at night. Our last night at anchor (in Indonesia, before heading for Singapore) someone stole Warren’s flip-flop shoes out of the dinghy. We had the last laugh because Warren’s feet were so big we had a really hard time finding shoes in Indonesia that would fit him. I’m sure the thief got home with his new pair of shoes and realized they were several sizes too big for him, or anyone, to wear.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?

Warren working on the engine in Darwin, Australia

For me (Stephanie): the sailing. Don’t get me wrong, I never liked the sailing all THAT much, but when conditions are in that perfect state – downwind, calm seas, fair weather – it can be pretty awesome. I’m not sure what Warren would say – he’d probably say the satisfaction of knowing his Perkins 4-108 intimately and being confident that it would see us through thanks to his hard work.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

After 3 years of living on land, do you still wish you were cruising? 

We were pretty burned out when we decided to stop cruising. We went cheap and low-tech so we could do it sooner rather than later. But after a while, modern convenience started to look really nice. We have no regrets about it, and of course the hard times recede into distant memory while the good times stand in stark contrast to the every-day-ness of living on land. But that cruise did teach us that living simply is possible and desirable, that being close to nature is something we both love and miss, and that missing a shower or two isn’t that bad if you can live in a bathing suit most days. We’re starting to talk about the next cruise and how important it is for our daughter to get to experience some of it. We’re still in the negotiation phase (Warren later, me sooner), but I think it made such an impression on us that we do want to do it again. It’s a great life.

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10 Questions for BeBe

Bill & Judy Rouse named Bebe, their 2003 Amel Super Maramu (16m) hailing from St Thomas, because it was their granddaughter’s nickname. They left Texas, USA on May 1, 2006 and are still cruising. Over the years they have traveled the Caribbean (2 circles) from USVI to Trinidad, across Venezuela to Bonaire & Curacao, Cartagena & Panama; Galapagos Islands, French Polynesia, Niue and Kingdom of Tonga from Vava’U through Hai’pai to Tongatapu; south to New Zealand; north to Vanuatu & New Caledonia, Australia; Indonesia; Singapore; Malaysia (37 countries total including SE Asia land travel). You can learn more about them on their blog.

Is there something you wish you had bought or installed before starting cruising?
No. Our boat was fully equipped for round-the-world cruising when she left the factory. This is the standard quality of Amel. The only thing we added was an AIS receiver in January 2008, which was new technology since our boat was built in January 2003. The AIS receiver is not a necessity, but it certainly is nice to know exactly where that big ship on the horizon is going to be in 10 minutes so you can adjust your course accordingly.

How would you recommend that someone prepares to cruise?
The standard recommendations are still the best advice.

1) Get your captains license or sailing school training or some kind of certification. Some places, like New Jersey and Greece, now require proof of competency or special licensing in order to operate a vessel in their waters. Having your captain’s license also usually provides a discount on insurance.

2) Attend training class for the specific engine in your boat. Even people thoroughly acquainted with diesel engines can benefit from a class geared specifically for their model engine.

3) Obtain offshore medical training, even if just a weekend class. The emphasis in this type training is quite different than standard EMT training. The offshore class teaches you what to do in case of an emergency when no help will be arriving anytime soon. The standard EMT training assumes you will arrive in a hospital emergency room within 20 minutes. The scenarios are entirely different.

4) Get going ASAP. Once you have the first 3 items mentioned and are sure your boat is seaworthy, start cruising. Don’t spend time trying to make your boat perfect; just go. Then don’t make any changes on your boat until you have been cruising for at least a full year. It takes that long to know what is important to you.

Have you found "trade goods" to be useful on your cruise? If so, what kinds?
Only once. Before heading out across the South Pacific we purchased numerous items with intentions of trading in the remote islands. We carried ladies sandals, lipsticks, nail polish, sewing items, fish hooks, men’s shirts and similar items. The opportunity to attempt trading never happened. In the Hai’pai Group of the Kingdom of Tonga we gave the men’s shirts to a man whose home had burned and he had lost everything. We ended up giving the rest of these items to people in Indonesia who approached our boat requesting “gifts.” No one wanted to trade; they just wanted gifts.

The only opportunity we encountered for trading in the South Pacific was at a small atoll in the Tuamotus of French Polynesia. A small boat containing 3 men approached our boat at anchor. They spoke only French and we spoke only English, but they managed to convey that they wished to trade black pearls for rum. (After all. the French word rhum sounds just like the English word rum.) We did not have rum to trade, but we did have cases of beer. We ended up trading 3 cases of beer for 21 black pearls. We had purchased the beer in Panama for only $10.50 per case, so this was a good deal for us; and the men were delighted to receive the beer. All forms of alcohol are extremely expensive in French Polynesia. At the local price equivalent of $60 USD per 6-pack for beer, in their opinions they had received $480 USD for the 21 black pearls. Yet our cost was only $31.50.

What do you think is a common cruising myth?
A common cruising myth is that this lifestyle is inexpensive. There continues to be a myth that people can cruise for as little as $500 per month. This is totally unrealistic unless you are eating nothing except beans and rice and letting your boat fall into ruin by failure to do routine maintenance. Our costs have been much, much higher. A complete breakdown of our cruising costs for the first 4 years can be found on our blog.

Another common myth is that you can “self insure” the boat rather than carry proper insurance. That might have been true in the old days, but that is very unwise today because all countries are more environmentally conscious. If your boat is involved in any type accident, you will be responsible for any environmental damage. That cost could quickly exceed the cost of insuring a boat for years. One boat we know was lost when they hit a reef at a small Pacific island. Not only had they lost everything, they were not allowed to leave that island until they paid $10,000 for damage to the reef, plus the cost of  removing the boat.

What is the key to making the cruising life enjoyable?
Having a boat that is designed and equipped for round-the-world cruising. We are spoiled with a watermaker that produces 180 liters per hour, a washing machine and 2 large lockers than can be set as either freezers or refrigerators. These items make all the difference in creature comforts when cruising. We cannot imagine cruising without these conveniences. Also equally important is enjoying the full-time company of your partner and learning to kick back and enjoy quiet times alone.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
Nothing. Hope this statement doesn’t jinx us, but none of the normally problem-prone equipment such as generator or watermaker has caused us any problems. We almost feel guilty as our cruising friends work on their boats and we continue to have almost no problems. Amel makes a quality boat that comes direct from the factory fully equipped for crossing oceans in comfort. We have had only 3 pieces of equipment fail during our 4 ½ years of cruising. Our Furuno GPS antennae failed once; we had numerous GPS back-ups so it wasn’t that big of a problem. Our NMEA multiplexor failed once when crossing the Gulf of Carpentaria; replacement also solved that problem. The linear drive on our autopilot failed during one long passage; but Amel had installed 2 drives with an A/B switch, so we simply switched it to the chain drive and continued on. We almost felt guilty when this problem was so easily solved for us. Three other boats we know also had their autopilots fail during this passage north from New Zealand, and they had to hand-steer for days. We solved the problem by simply flipping a switch.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?
Meeting people who have become lifelong friends. Having the time to read as much as we like. And occasionally playing games with other cruisers. Neither of us is a game person. But we have learned to enjoy playing Mexican Train Dominos and Rummy Cube; not because of the games themselves, but because of the camaraderie spending a few hours with friends.

Which spares do you wish you had more of? Less of?
We are fine in terms of spares. We had asked someone who was 2/3rds through his circumnavigation in a sister ship for his list of spares. He gave me his complete list reflecting deletions and additions. We followed that list and have been happy with the results.

What was the most affordable area you have cruised and the most expensive? What was affordable or expensive about each area?
The most affordable areas were the San Blas Islands (Kuna Yala) of Panama and the Kingdom of Tonga. The San Blas were inexpensive because there was nothing to spend money on except moderate anchoring fees and molas for souvenirs or gifts. Just beautiful anchorages to enjoy. In Tonga there was very little to purchase so we spent very little. The most expensive place we have cruised was French Polynesia. Literally everything was expensive. The only things we found affordable in all of French Polynesia were the baguettes, which are price controlled. We grew so tired of the high prices of everything in French Polynesia that we left Bora Bora 2 weeks before our 90-day visas expired. Many cruisers want extended visas or multiple visits to French Polynesia. This beautiful expensive place was not a highlight for us. The second most expensive place was Australia. If we had it to do over again, we would skip Australia altogether.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

When you first set out cruising, did you have a cruising plan? If so, has it changed?
 
We had no specific cruising plan when we started. Bill would have been quite happy to spend years in the Caribbean, but by the second year in the Caribbean Judy wanted to seek out new horizons. So we headed farther westward in spring 2008 and should complete our circumnavigation in 2012 or 2013. Then we plan to sail the Caribbean for several more years or until we no longer enjoy cruising – and that might take many more years!

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10 Questions For Raptor Dance

Bill Finkelstein & Mary Mack have been cruising since 2004 on Raptor Dance, a Valiant 50 cutter hailing from Tiburon, CA, USA. During those years they have done laps between Zihuatanejo Mexico and the West end of Vancouver Island including the inner waters to 51N. More information and contact information can be found on their website and blog. Bill & Mary are married and as two retired type A personalities, didn't know if they could stand each other 24/7.  After 6 years of cruising they still love it.

They say: “We've written a lot about cruising and what we recommend.  You can find many of our articles on our website. We've written on a wide range of topics from getting ready to cruise, to how to optimize your Winlink/Sailmail operation, we also collaborated on a free cruisers guide to the Barra de Navidad/Tenacatita area.  We invite you to check out the resources available and drop us an email (see "Contact Us" on our website) if you have any questions! Fair winds!”

What is your most common sail combination on passage?
Mainsail (vertical stabilizer) and Engine!  Seriously along the Pacific Coast, you will do a lot more motoring than you think - especially if you want to get to the next anchorage before sundown.  When we do have wind, it's our 115 Jib and main.  If the sail angle is conducive, we LOVE to fly our Asymmetric Spinnaker.  When the wind really starts blowing (25+) We reef down and use our Staysail.  Our preferred heavy weather configuration is a double reefed main and Staysail.

What piece of gear seems to break the most often?
Anything we don't have a spare for!  And if you have a spare and it still breaks, it means your spare is the wrong size!  When you are cruising stuff is constantly breaking, so get used to always fixing something.

Actually the one item that broke most often was our hot water heater.  Surprisingly, most of the marine hot water heaters sold today have aluminum tanks.  If you are a live aboard cruiser who always keeps their hot water hot, the aluminum hot water tank doesn't last that long (a year or two at most).  We went through 4 hot water heaters in 7 years until we switch to a water heater with a true stainless tank (Isotherm).  Earlier we were bamboozled into buying a Stainless Steel hot water heater that we thought had a Stainless Tank - it didn't, just a Stainless cover!  It only lasted 2 years.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy?
The most enjoyable part of cruising for us is meeting all the fellow cruisers and socializing.  You get to meet people from all walks of live with a wide range of experiences and interesting stories.  That's the best part for us.

Also, meeting the local people and culture of the areas where you are cruising we found extremely rewarding.  Often we would be the only boat in an anchorage during Christmas or a local fiesta and celebrated with the local families.  Great fun and a very enlightening experience.

Yes, being in a tranquil anchorage is great - but once you get over your post work/retirement burnout it's great to have interesting folks to talk to.

What is your favorite piece of boating related new technology?
Automatic Ship ID (AIS) - we have just the receiver, but it's a great comfort on those night passages in areas with lots of commercial traffic.  Not new technology, but we consider a Marine SSB Radio to be a necessity and not an option.

In your own experience and your experience meeting cruising couples, can you convince a reluctant partner to go cruising and if so, how?
In short, NO.  If you're partner has no interest and isn't "hookable" on the experience, forget it.  Try by taking them sailing or for short cruises and make it enjoyable for them, not a pain.  Get them involved in doing something, not just being a passenger.  Make sure you have sea-sickness medication on board!

What is the most difficult aspect of the cruising lifestyle?
Boat maintenance.  Even with a very well maintained vessel, stuff is still going to break and if you're in a remote area, you better have a spare or a good way to jury rig and have the skills to fix it yourself.  We do, but it is the major source of cruising stress for us.

With the benefit of hindsight, what are the boat selection criteria you would use to purchase a boat for long term cruising?
We're happy with our choice of a Valiant.  They are proven Blue Water Cruising Sailboats.  Even though some of the major brands produce more boats in a month than Valiant has in 30 years, more Valiants have circumnavigated than any other recreational vessel.   Our Valiant can take a heck of a lot more than we can!

Was there anywhere you visited that you thought was overrated (not as good as you had heard)?
Cabo and Zihuatanejo.  We much prefer: La Paz, Nuevo Vallarta and Barra de Navidad.  Cabo is like Vegas - not a real experience and Zihuatanejo harbor is very "nutrient rich"!

While cruising, what do you do about health & boat insurance, medical issues, banking and mail delivery?
Medical: We have good (but pricey) health insurance back in the US and Medivac insurance from Divers Alert Network if we need it.  But generally the quality of health care in Mexico where we spent the bulk of our time is outstanding and the prices low enough to just pay cash and not worry about insurance.  We've had friends with major health problems taken care of in Mexican hospitals with first rate care for a tiny fraction of what the cost would be in the US.

Boat Insurance:  We have full coverage through IMIS (Jackline).  Cruising Couple worldwide is available and we had it for a number of years, but the last few we've saved money with one of their coastal policies.

Banking:  Not a problem.  As a retired Banking executive, I know that your best and lowest cost option is to just take money out of a local bank ATM using your US (or Canadian) Bank ATM Card.  You get the best rates and lowest fees that way.  That's all you need.  Credit Cards overseas are socked with generally a 3% Foreign Exchange fee and many overseas merchants charge up to 10% more if you use a charge card.  Also, with Internet Banking, you can pay bills and manage your finances back in the US safely and securely (I know, I invented Internet Banking!).  We've paid most of our bills remotely using either direct deposit or Internet Banking.

Mail: We use and are very happy with St. Brendan's Island.   They will scan the envelop of the mail you receive and have it available for your review on the internet.  You can then have them scan the contents of the envelope, forward it, hold it, or shred it.  You can also have them pay bills for you - unfortunately, they pay the bills with YOUR money ;-)

On request St. Brendan's will ship your mail to you in a big package on demand and as often as you wish.  They have a lot of experience so they know what works best for each country.  Note that we found this to be prohibitively expensive in some countries, like Mexico: our last 5 pound package of mail and magazines cost $150 via DHL.  So what we've done the last few years is find a fellow cruiser or relative coming back down and asked them to bring our mail in their luggage.

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What do you wish you knew before you started that you know now?

Before we set out, we had the usual romantic notions of what cruising would be like. The reality was quite different. We found that we much prefer the social aspects and visiting local cultures. The passage making and sitting in remote anchorages quickly lost it's charm for us. So this caused a reassessment of our long term plans and a change in strategy. So be open to changes! You should be cruising for enjoyment! We found we were leaving the notion of achieving goals behind. In our opinion, goals belong in the workplace, not the cruising life.

Slow down and take your time. Our biggest mistake was only allowing a single season in Mexico before continuing on. A year later we came back and spent another 4 years in Mexico. The only schedule you should pay attention to is the weather.

People meet their basic needs around the world - you don't need to stock up with 6 months of food, 2 year supply of tissue, etc. Local provisions are fine. If you have particular gourmet likes, treat yourself and bring your favorite wine or chocolate along - but remember the local cuisine and drink is usually fantastic! Overseas the food tastes better than in the US as it's not the factory farm trash available in US markets. For example, chickens overseas actually taste like chicken, not Styrofoam!

Bring spare boat parts, they're hard to get or pricey to get in many countries.

Relax and have a great time! Leave your type "A" behavior at the workplace!

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10 Questions for Puff

Brian Pucella, Captain, and Jeannette Pucella, Admiral, commenced their cruise in 2001 in Puff, a Bayfield 32C hailing from Ocracoke, NC. So far, they've cruised the US Southeast coast, the Bahamas, and the Eastern Caribbean. More information about them can be found on their cruising website or their Bahamas travel site.

What do you enjoy about cruising that you didn't expect to enjoy
When we first started cruising, we expected to enjoy everything! We were idealists. We eventually discovered a few things we didn't enjoy, like seasickness, gear failure, and having to take breaks from cruising to go to work, so we can do it again.

Do you have any specific advice for couples cruising
Be very forgiving of each other, grudges just don't work on a boat. Just let it go! Also, give each other space. A day of from each other can work wonders.

What piece(s) of gear would you leave on the dock next time
We can't think of anything we would leave behind. We didn't have a lot of money for our first year cruising, so our boat wasn't heavily outfitted. It was just the basics. Over the years, we've put a lot of thought into every piece of equipment we decide to bring on board. We're still minimalists.

When you are offshore, what keeps you awake at night (that is, what worries you most)?
When we're offshore, the only that worries us at all is the danger of colliding with a freighter. However, we keep a vigilant watch and are comfortable with sighting ships at sea, so it doesn't worry us that much.

Do friends visit and how often?
We never have visitors. Our boat is just too small to accommodate them. If we know we will be in one spot for awhile, then family or friends can stay in a hotel and visit us.

Share a piece of cruising etiquette
Do not anchor too close to your neighbor, it's intrusive and unsettling! Please give other boats in the anchorage as much space as possible. We don't all like to travel in packs. Speaking for ourselves, we enjoy our privacy. We don't want to be in shouting distance of another boat, that's what the VHF radio is for!

What do you miss about living on land?
We would love to live on land part time, so we can have a garden and a place for visitors to stay. We've been living on the boat for ten years, so we are ready for a house at least for part of the year.

Why did you decide to cruise?
It was an irresistible adventure for us, and it still is.

Describe a negative experience you have had with local people somewhere you have visited.
We have had very few negative experiences with local people. The only one that comes to mind is when we were visiting a remote shore on the island of Martinique. We were not only completely ignored, they stared through us and kept walking, people gathered their children and ran away from us. Surely it was some sort of cultural barrier or misunderstanding. Maybe we were just having a really bad hair day!

What question do you wish I would have asked you besides the ones I've asked you and how would you answer it?

What about pets aboard?

We have a dog and a cat. When we sailed through the Caribbean islands, we chose to leave our dog with family members because the British and French islands do not allow dogs on land. We would have been very limited. We sail with our animals in the Bahamas and they love it

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