Basic Requirements

[BobA]

Good evening all
as you may well understand from my previous posts I am new to the boating scene, at 51 my wife and I decided that we would like to take up boating, the only problem being i would like to learn to sail and she wanted the relative safety of a motor boat.
We compromised and bought a MacGregor 26X 1999 model with a 50hp Outboard. Having got this far safety is paramount, not only because we are new to the sport but we would like to take the children with us on our excursions.
The boat is fitted with a Silva DSC VHF, life jackets, tender (Yam inflatable with 2hp outboard), flares, etc.
I am booked on a radio course in a couple of weeks.
I know i need to organise a compass or would a GPS Plotter do the same, i am thinking about a Standard Horizon CP150.
Any suggestions as to what you consider is the minimum requirement to enjoy the Essex Rivers and Coast would be appreciated

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[snowleopard]

compass & gps aren't alternatives, you should have both. neither need to be fancy. a garmin 126 is a good reasonably priced gps. any compass you can mount in a suitable position will do. plastimo offer one which can be unclipped and used as a hand bearing compass.

let me recommend one indispensible extra- a course in basic seamanship and navigation, RYA day skipper won't take too long to do and could save you from a lot of embarassment and/or danger.

enjoy your boating but take it easy with the big motor!

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[BobA]

Thanks for that
I neglected to mention in my ramblings that i am also doing a course in navigation and basic seamanship over the winter

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[Avocet]

Have a look on the RYA website. They do a little booklet called the "Boat Safety Handbook" (code C8). it's only about a fiver and is a very good, concise and (extremely) comprehensive guide to what you should have on board depending on the type of boat and the type of sailing. I'll be the first ti admit I haven't got absolutely everything on the list but I know what to aim for!

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[ruff_n_tumble]

It may not be particularly nautical but a couple of fire extinguishers are absolutely essential (sorry if these are in the "etc"). And a practical course out on the water as well as the theory helps to make some sense of it all.

<hr width=100% size=1>Steve Marsh
Hunter 27 OOD "Ruff-n-Tumble"
Gosport

 

[ashanta]

A motor does not constitute safety over a sailing boat. As the previous replies have commented, training and H&S are the key issues. A standard compass is vital. Electrics have a habit of failing when you need them.
Try and get some practical training (after your theory classes during the winter) before you take children out on the boat. They have a habit of looking at your body language and facial expressions when things are not going to plan. They will become frightened if they sense your nervousness. Ig you achieve a confidence through training and experience they will all enjoy boating with you.

Good luck

Peter.

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[DMGibson]

As well as the compass you will need an echo sounder, especially for the Essex rivers and coast. That plus the local charts will see you through most of the navigation situations. If you want some extra comfort, get a simple GPS - at least that will tell you where you have got stuck.

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[tcm]

Hi bob.

I wd suggest that if at all possible you should take someone else along who is familiar with the area. If you post on the scutlebut (or indeed motorboat chat) forum you may get some takers. They won't neceasirly be super-familiar with your exact boat, but they will add confidence to your early trips. The normal deal is that they have a free trip on a boat, you get free informal show-how. This doesn't replace more formal learning for chartt work and so on. But this will get you to the level where you at least know what you *don't* know - in the same way as perhaps a new car driver knows what cars can do, and can't do, cos they've been in other cars. A notice on the local marina office or whatever mite also attract someone, or ask at the office or bar.

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[yachtcharisma]

Good luck and have fun! Conventional wisdom would be that the chartplotter should be a backup to using a traditional chart and compass, which you'll learn how to do on your DaySkipper theory course.

As someone else commented, an echosounder is essential, and a valuable guide to pilotage in shallow waters such as on the east coast - you can use the depth sounder to, for example, follow the centre of the channel up a river more easily than you could ever do with chart, compass or chartplotter (because channels shift and the chartplotter won't always be right).

Finally, if you've not done any sailing before, you might like to find a practical course to teach you the basics rather than trying to pick them up on your own boat with the wife and kids around as well. You certainly can learn from reading and then just having a go (I did), but you need the time and freedom to make mistakes without feeling under pressure to get to where you're going anytime soon. If you do choose a practical course, you might think about the RYA dinghy sailing course (they also do these for keelboats) - DaySkipper practical will not teach you to sail, merely to skipper a boat.

Enjoy your sailing.

Patrick

<hr width=100% size=1>Sailing a Victoire 25 on the Scottish West Coast

 

[BlueSkyNick]

My immediate reaction is to suggest you swap the outboard for something half its size - it won't make any difference to the top speed of the boat because that is governed by her length, not the power of the lump on the back.

Having traded down, I would spend the money on all the comfort and safety gear, etc recommended by the others, and if any cash I'd just keep it !

<hr width=100% size=1>PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE-- The art of whacking the crap out of a device to get it to work again.

 

[chriscallender]

From memory MacGregor is a planing hull under power so the top speed is not dependent on waterline length and 50HP would be a lot better than 25HP which might struggle to get the boat onto the plane at all. I think a 50 is what is usually fitted to ones that I have seen in the marina so don't trade it in - you'll need to find another source to finance the safety gear!

Chris


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[Mirelle]

The coastlines of Essex, Suffolk and North Kent are, to put it mildly, rather flat!

This means that you can very quickly find yourself out of sight of land. To make matters worse, if you can see a prominent landmark, such as Bradwell Power Station, or the Naze, it may be on a bearing which takes you over a shoal.

The one bit of kit that you absolutely must have, on this coast, is a magnetic compass, and you must be comfortable with the idea of steering a compass course. It is really not safe to rely on a compass which needs electricity, like a fluxgate compass. This is even more important than an echosounder.

On the same principle, it is a good idea to carry a lead line as well as an echosounder - modern echosounders are reliable, but they can go wrong.

I notice that you have a DSC VHF, and it would be a good plan to become familiar with it and with the means of "plumbing it in" to the GPS, otherwise there is not much point in having it. Once you have it sorted and plumbed in to the fixed GPS it is the best possible safety aid, because it will tell the Coastguard your position even if you don't know it.

There are two dangers which are less obvious, but are amongst the biggest, espescially when you are starting - these are petrol and gas, which are far more dangerous in a boat than anywhere else. This is because the fumes, and any spillages, cannot escape, but, being heavier than air, accumulate in the bottom of the boat. The gas regulations are very strict, but it is easy to be over-confident with petrol - leaving a fuel can somewhere where it may drip into the boat rather than outboard, for instance.

As a 51 year old with a young family myself, the other bit of advice I would like to offer is - go gently. The rivers and creeks have been there for centuries, they will be there next year, and in five years' time, but if your family are scared off by a "too exciting" start, you may never get to see some of them! An awful lot of people feel that they are under some sort of pressure from their families to show them something or to get them somewhere, and they end up scaring their wife and children off - permanently - which is a shame.

Good luck.

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[peterb]

You're right about the echo sounder being useful for pilotage down channels, but don't try to follow the centre of the channel. Stay to one side (normally the starboard side) so that if the water shallows you know which way to turn for deeper water.

When I took my Yachtmaster Instructor assesment, one of the candidates had to come into Chichester Harbour (Itchenor) in fog (real fog, no GPS, no radar). He insisted on telling the helmsman to stay in the deepest water. When the helmsman asked what he should do if the water shallowed, he said "Turn towards the deeper water". He failed (and not just on this account).

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[BlueSkyNick]

Many apologies - I stand corrected. I wasn't aware of the design - I did start my post with "My immediate reaction...."



<hr width=100% size=1>PERCUSSIVE MAINTENANCE-- The art of whacking the crap out of a device to get it to work again.

 

[Laurin]

Practical course on the water for both you and SHMBO..... but my experience is you'll both get more out of it if you do it seperately, and in the area you want to sail. Plenty of schools do all female courses if SHMBO prefers.

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