i have a few questions

[jovensangre]

my husband and i are planning on getting a boat and doing some travling. he has always wanted to do this , but i can't swim and i'm very afraid of the sea. he has finally convinced me to go. so i am.
we have some questions. we would like to start off by just sailing around the coast.( we live in texas) from galveston to florida. maybe even to the coast of brazil and peru. we need to know where we can get information about, how near the coast are we allowed to sailing. (7 miles from the coast maybe?) we don't know. does it cost to dock at a marina or a port? (are they the same thing), to refuel or eat and rest, ect.. what do we need if we want to sail into international waters? do we need to radio in for premission first?
we are just now looking around for a boat(28' or bigger) there are 5 of us going on these trips. my husband has had some experience , but we still would like to take a class. we are also looking into that.
please e-mail me with any advice or laws that you might know of that would help us out. thanks for taking the time to read my post. i've really enjoyed this website these past two days. vicki

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[wishbone]

Answer to your 1st question, you only need to swim if you fall in........the main thing that I do when boarding a boat is stay onboard, here in uk north sea waters if you fall in and there is no one to save you, being an olympic swimmer would not save you in most cases. what about sharks in your waters! or other nasty things! don't fall in!!!!!!!!!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Wishbone
Rolling, rolling, rolling keep them doggies moving!
Where’s me chuck wagon gone?

 

[scarlett]

Do learn to swim as it will make sailing more enjoyable. To anchor for lunch in summer heat and throw yourself into the sea is one of the pleasures.

BUT do everything to stay on the boat as if you go over when conditions are bad the possibilty of salvation is very slim. If the water is cold as in the UK [ 5-10 C]you will die of shock or hypothermia.

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[Abigail]

Hi there -
don't worry about the swimming thing - the others are right about that.

On your broader questions it's really a good idea to take some courses. I don't know the equivalent of the UK's RYA but there are lots of accredited courses out there for anyone from beginners to experienced. And I really think it's a good idea for you to do them too, not just your husband, as you will never stop being at least a bit frightened unless you also know what's going on and how to manage the boat.

There are also tons of books around to read and plenty of people on this forum will have suggestions. I would certainly read Lin and Larry Pardey's books. The travel ones (eg the adventures of Serrafyn) give you a good feel of why to do this. And their how-to books - eg the self-sufficient sailor - are real wells of knowledge. They have a strong ethic of simplicity - eg they don't have an engine and very few electrics - which may not be your style. But hang around in chandleries and see what you find. Note titles and pester your library for them (they're all fearfully expensive.) And also hang around marinas looking for the liveaboard (scruffier (g)) boats and talk to them. Most of us are usually happy to yap about our boats to anyone!

Your main sources of navigation information (where to moor, depth of water etc) are from charts and from pilot books. You can get those in chandleries or on line. Where you can sail is dictated by firstly natural conditions (you need enough water ) but also local law. These vary in the US from here, as do the requirements for the kit you carry on your boat, but your local USCG will be able to tell you what you want to know. Once you are beyond territorial limits, where you go is up to you and the weather - that's part of the fun.

What you need for offshore sailing is one of the longest and most hotly debated topics around! Get a bit more experience and then start reviewing your own thoughts on the matter. Also go for crewing trips with other people (who you trust) and look at what they have. In the UK you do not need permission to leave, but in some countries you do - eg NZ will not let you go without checking your equipment first and making sure it reaches certain standards.

When you arrive in a new country you do of course need to go through immigration procedures, and the skipper needs to have the paperwork ready for that. What's required depends on the country, but it is always useful to have prepared a full crewlist, and insurance paperwork.

As for costs of docking - depends what you do. Anchoring is always cheaper than marinas, and is usually (but not always!) free. But of course you need to get water and probably electric power so sometimes you need to come into harbours. Broadly ports tend (here) to be commercial harbours but marinas are for leisure vessels. Marinas can vary hugely in both price and facilities - being in England is among the most expensive in the world I gather, but I'm sure there are plenty of costs in Texas too.

Final thought - 28' is not big even for two doing a long journey - and it's certainly small for 5! Are all 5 of you adults? Will you all be living on board or only some of you/none of you? Will you mostly stick to day sails or aim to do long passages? Lots of questions that are worth thinking through before you buy a boat to live on - though of course if you buy one and it's not right you can always sell her!!

Best of luck and enjoy it lots. And if you are really not sure about overcoming your fear of the sea, why not do a deal with your husband - that you'll spend x amount of time (somewhere between 1 and 5 years) doing this, and at the end of that time, if you still hate it, you both give up, no further questions or debate! I've known it work for others.

Keep us posted on progress and best of luck.

Sarah & Pip
s/v Roaring Girl
Ipswich
UK

<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah & Pip

www.greatlittleboats.com
UK & Ireland distributors of Swifgig

 

[robert_gainer]

Vicki,
Learn to swim, it easy to do and adds a lot to the experience of cruising.

How close you sail to the coast is determined by what you are doing. If you are going from one port to another and they are just a short distance apart you will sail along the shore. If you are going several hundred miles you will go offshore and do the trip. Being close to land is more dangerous then being at sea. Some waters are restricted and you will see that on your chart.

Unless you have lots of money you will find that most of the cruising boat will anchor out instead of staying at a marina. Some ports will charge a fee to enter or clear (leave) the port. Almost all countries will change a fee for customs service and cruising permits. Check with the embassy of each country you want to visit for the current rules.

From the United States you don’t need permission to go into international waters. If you stop at a country and return then you need to clear customs when you get back to the US. Some countries require permits before you arrive. Again check with the embassies of each country you want to visit.

If you are sailing with 5 people, a 28-foot boat may not be large enough to carry all the things that you need on a trip like this. Why don’t you charter a boat first and see if you like it and get a feel for how big a boat you will need.

The Yahoo group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LowCostVoyaging/ is a great source of information and you might want to try your question there.
All the best,
Robert Gainer


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[Sea Devil]

Sailing out of Texas you would possibly want to head towards Florida and the Bahamas then the Carribbean. You need to be able to read a chart so you know where you can safely take the boat -

If you spend the night in a US marina it will cost at a minimum $25 per night to a staggering $90 in one marina in Key West - If you anchor (mainly) it is free of charge. Marinas have showers and hook ups to electricty and the internet.... On anchorage you need a good dinghy and possibly an outboard.

If you decide to go a foreign country you 'clear' out of the country you are in - certificate of clearance - you need this when you get to the next country in order to clear in. They want to know where you have come from.

The best way to learn is to join a sailing club and take advice from the local members. There are some excellent US coastguard courses/exams you can take which will answer all your questions. I think talking to your local coast guard - they have a web site - might be the way to go at first.... Really useful people.



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[Marsupial]

Vicky

Try to learn to swim, I cannot - I am terrified of water -on the plus side such a shortcomming it's a good incentive to keep the boat afloat! - see other posts about survival in cold water.

(I ve been successful at keeping the thing afloat for 42 years)

Do a few courses, crew with some experienced skippers and gain confidence.

Cheers


David


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[AndrewB]

Welcome, Jovensangre. I sense from your posting that you have little or no experience of sailing, and are nervous about it. You need to start by getting that experience, and be sure you have overcome your fear of the water, before even beginning to think of committing yourself to serious voyaging. Just sailing around Galveston Bay would be a good place to start, don't even think about a passage as far as Florida yet. And don't worry too much, yachting is very safe with proper knowledge, whether or not you can swim, and the starting steps can be the most fun!

There are a good many regulations covering boat licensing, safety requirements, and skipper certification, that you need to know before you can really get started with your own boat (actually not quite as many in Texas as some other states). Attending a class would be an excellent way to get going and find the right answer to many of the questions you put. It takes a little while to learn all you need to know. Doing this <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=Galveston+sailing+school>Google Search</A> will give you plenty to choose from.

Alternatively, it is worth contacting a local yacht club in the Galveston area where, if you are keen, I am sure they will be willing to help get you started.

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