Q. How long
are you going to be gone?
A. Our trip
is open-ended. We’ve committed to sailing for at least a year, but will
continue for as long as we are still having fun.
Q. How can you afford to cruise?
Are you rich?
A. No, we’re
not rich; but we have been planning and saving for this trip for a long time. We
plan to sick to budget of $1,000 per month by living simply, anchoring-out instead of
staying at high-priced marinas and eating local foods instead of dining in
swanky restaurants.
Q. What are
you going to do about a job?
A. We
are not
planning to hold regular jobs as we cruise, but we may supplement our
cruising funds using our rigging, varnishing, and computer skills. We’re also
considering developing our writing skills and possibly selling some articles.
Q. Aren’t you
going to miss your family & friends?
A. Yes! Come
visit us. In the mean time, we’ll stay connected by this website, email,
SSB
radio, & occasional visits home.
Q. Aren’t you
afraid you’ll get seasick?
A. Ever
get car sick as a kid? Bet you grew out if it. One of us is hoping
it will be similar for sailing. The other has an iron stomach and may only
suffer when the wave heights exceed 12 feet. To cope when we're afflicted
ginger may soothe us and we'll indulge in a prescription when the symptoms
are intense.
Q. How long were you seasick???
Does it goes away eventually?
A. In
general, we believe that it eventually goes away / gets better. That said, it is
important to note that everyone is different and has their own tolerances.
Although Mark at times has felt queasy on this trip, he has only been seasick
twice in his life (once for 3 days sailing in 12 foot seas on Lake Huron and the
other while sailing in 20-30 foot seas during 3 day gale off Cape Mendocino,
California.) Linda, on the other hand, is easily susceptible to seasickness and
was consistently ill for our first two months of cruising (we were doing a lot
of day hops, so we didn't have many solid three-day blocks to get fully
acclimated). Once we got into Central Mexico, however, the waves got a lot
smaller and Linda's seasickness has gotten a lot better, but has not completely
gone away.
To combat seasickness, we've found the following helps:
1) stay on deck in the fresh air
2) keep your eyes on the distant horizon or on a far off shoreline
3) avoid reading, watching movies, or other up-close activity
4) avoid facing backwards
5) preparation - get a good night's sleep and avoid alcohol the night before
6) stay active to keep your mind distracted from the seasickness
7) keep hydrated and keep eating
8) while sailing, avoid foods that upset your stomach (acidic, spicy, etc)
9) eat foods that settle your stomach (ginger ale, saltine crackers, etc)
10) avoid strong, nauseating smells (bilge, diesel, exhaust, head, etc)
We carry an assortment of anti-seasick drugs aboard but have never used them do
to possible side-effects (mostly a drugged, fatigued feeling) but others we know
use them without problems. Linda has used the electronic wristbands in the past,
but has stopped.
Finally, its always important to always keep a seasick person clipped onto a
jackline so they aren't lost overboard.
Q. Are you worried about storms?
A. We'll
try to avoid them but will encounter them occasionally. The boat was
designed for ocean sailing and is more likely to withstand a storm better than
the crew.
Q. Are you worried about pirates?
A.
Pirates are a real threat in the Red Sea and the Straights of Malacca which are
areas we will NOT cruise. The "pirates" we are likely to run into are more
like petty thieves that may swipe stuff from the boat rather than inflict bodily
harm. We will mitigate this through common sense and other precautions
people take when traveling in a foreign country.
Q. What kind of food will
you bring?
A. We
have stocked Attu with our favorite foods, baking items, canned goods, and
snacks. We have learned how to grow sprouts and look forward to visiting
the farmers markets to stock up on fresh produce regularly. Mexico won't
be a challenge. They have a Wal-Mart and a Costco.
Q. Are you
cooking at sea and how is that going?
A.
We cook at sea, but not when it's rough. A gimballed stove helps a lot and we
try to keep meals simple when we're out.
Q. Do you sail at night?
A. Yes.
We will alternate watch every 3 hours when sailing at night.
Q. What will your
longest passage be?
A. We
will be coastal cruising for the first year and our runs will be 2 - 3 days
long. Eventually we will be making some ocean blue-water crossings that
could take 3 - 4 weeks.
Q. How far off
shore are you going to sail?
A. Most
of the time we will be 7 - 20 miles off shore, far enough to have favorable
sailing conditions yet close enough to land to enjoy it. Ideally we will sail beyond the
shipping channels to avoid traffic.
Q. Will you travel with
other cruisers?
A. We’ll
always be on the lookout for buddy boats.
Q. How did you
learn to sail?
A. Mark
has been interested in sailing since he was a small boy. He learned from
his father aboard the17-ft Chrysler Lone Star kept at the family cottage in Burt
Lake, Michigan. Mark taught Linda to sail on a fast 1976
Sailfish. She also completed traditional courses with
Tradewinds Sailing School.
Q. What are you
going to do when you get back?
A.
Re-establish ourselves in the rat race and prepare to set sail again.
Q. What does Attu
mean?
A. Attu
is named after the last, most remote island in the Aleutian chain in Alaska.
The former owner of the boat named her because of the peace and tranquility he
found there.
Q. How fast does
your boat go?
A.
Average cruising speed is 5 knots (about 5.5 miles an hour) but under the right
wind conditions she can sail up to 7 knots.
Q. What do you
do for water?
A.
Water is readily available throughout California, Mexico, and Central America.
Attu carries 80 gallons of water, plus we carry two 5 gallon jerry cans of water
on deck plus another 5 gallons in a solar shower. We try to be conservative with
our water, so this amount usually lasts the two of us at least a month. We also
occasionally buy bottled water. Clean, free, fresh water is readily available
right at the dock at marinas. Outside of marinas, we use our dinghy to ferry our
jerry cans to shore. For additional protection when we fill our tanks, we use a
SHURFlow in-line water filter (available at West Marine for about $20) that
screws into a standard hose spigot. This has worked well for us - but most
cruisers we know don't carry use the local water without problems.
Q. Do you have a water maker?
A. We
have a towed watermaker, but have only used it once with marginal success.
Others cruisers (about 25%) we've met have traditional watermakers, but don't
use them often and most say that they are expensive, use a lot of energy, and
require a fair amount of maintenance unless they are used often. Were I to do it
again, I would not buy one. We're coastal cruising, so water is readily
available. If however, you have limited water tankage and will be doing some
major crossings (e.g. 3+ weeks non-stop) AND/OR have an unlimited budget and a
large boat (with plenty of power) then I might consider it.
Q. How are you keeping your produce? Do you have a 12 volt freezer for
meats?
A.
This is an item that we have debated about since we left. We currently don't
have refrigeration, but most cruisers we've met (well over 75% have a fridge and
or freezer) So, here's how we do it:
1) We carry a cooler and occasionally buy a few bags of ice. The following items
get thrown in the cooler: a few six packs of beer, yogurt, cheese, and
vegetables. We don't eat a lot of meat as the meat in Mexico and Central America
is not as good as it is at home. When we do buy meat, we tend to buy fresh meat
we eat that day, or buy canned meat or dried sausages. By the way, if you like
meat - stock-up on dried salami before you leave home - it lasts forever without
refrigeration and tastes sooo good.
2) We tend to buy food that lasts without refrigeration - pasta, rice, canned
foods, dried meats, gouda and other cheese wrapped in wax. These last months
without refrigeration.
3) We store our fresh goods in gear hammocks and hanging baskets. The important
thing here is to keep certain items separated - potatoes and onions, for
example, will deteriorate faster if stored next to each other than if stored
apart. The same with apples and bananas.
4) We store our eggs unrefrigerated in a plastic container, in our oven. They
usually last 2-3 weeks unrefrigerated in the tropics. This, however, won't work
with eggs you buy from home - they have to be unwashed, unrefrigerated when you
buy them (which is the way they are sold in the local stores in Mexico and
Central America.)|
5) For condiments such as catchup, mustard, mayo, relish, that are supposed to
be refrigerated "after opening": before we left the states, we picked several
cartons of these in single-serving squeeze packets like you find at fast food
restaurants.
6) In short, we've found that by using these and other food preservation
techniques detailed in numerous cruising books and cruising cookbooks (Voyagers
Handbook by Beth Leonard being an excellent example,) we've found it possible to
keep food fresh well beyond what we normally think of as "safe" back home
without refrigeration. At the same time, it sure would be awfully nice to have
an ice cold beer or a tumbler full of ice cubes whenever we wanted... hence our
debate.
As for which refrigeration/freezer unit we'd purchase, we haven't done all the
research - but I can say that we were highly impressed with the easy
installation, good performance, and low power consumption of the unit by Adler
Barber that our friends on Gaviota had installed on their boat.
Q. Do you have a liferaft?
A.
Yes - Before we left we purchased a six person offshore liferaft made by
Winslow. It's packed in a soft valise and stored in the lazarette (always on top
so it always accessible and is never buried beneath the rest of the junk that
lives in the lazarette.) I would not go with a deck mounted liferaft (even if
properly mounted with huge, through-bolted fittings) as there have been numerous
cases of liferafts mounted on exposed locations on deck being swept away by
boarding waves. We also carry an EPIRB.
Q.
When you leave your boat do you have someone watch her?
A. It
depends on where we are and how long we are going to be away. If we are at
anchor and will be returning sometime that night, we don't worry about it - in
fact we've found Mexico and Central America so safe, we usually don't even
lock-up the boat unless we're in an rough port. If we're in a really exposed
anchorage, I tend to stay in areas on shore where I can keep an eye on the boat.
We do not leave the boat attended overnight at anchor - although I know plenty
of cruisers who do. For overnight trips ashore, we pull into a marina where I
know the boat will be safe. For example, we left the boat at a marina in
Huatulco, Mexico when we traveled inland for a week and again here in Puntarenas
when we traveled back to the states for two weeks.
Q. When you are at anchor do you have a alarm or do you stand watch?
A. At
sea, we always stand watch... but at anchor, no we do not stand watch or set an
alarm. When we first started cruising, I would normally wake up and check the
anchor often, usually two times a night for 2-3 nights a week. Over the months,
however, I have become accustomed to spending the night at anchor and usually
only wake up to check the anchor if something unusual happens (e.g. gusts of
wind above 25 knots, large waves, or unusual noises, etc) In a new anchorage,
however, after I'm anchored up I'll usually plunk in a new waypoint on my gps to
mark our position in the anchorage. That way if I do wake up in the middle of
the night to check our position, all I have to do is turn on the gps to make
sure were near our original position.
Q. What type of anchor do you have? Have you had any anchor break outs?
A.
Every cruiser has got an opinion on this one and I've spent many nights
listening to cruising buddies extolling the virtues of their particular system.
So here's what Attu (which weighs 11 1/2 tons) carries:
1 Primary bow: 45lb CQR on 100' of 3/8" chain and 300' of 3/4" gold double braid
2 Secondary bow: 45lb Bruce on 25' of 3/8" chain and 300' of 3/4" nylon three
strand
3 Stern anchor: 15lb Danforth on 150' of 5/8" nylon three strand
4 Storm anchor: 75lb Yachtsman fisherman anchor
5 Sea anchor: 12' Fiorontino sea para-anchor on 300' of 3/4" custom double braid
6 Drogue: 48" Delta drogue on 20' 3/8" chain and 150' of 3/4" three strand
7 Dinghy/kayak: 10lb mushroom anchor on whatever line of sufficient length that
happens to being lieing about on deck when we need it
We use the primary bow anchor 99% of the time. We've used the Bruce once(as a
stern anchor) but found it just weighed too much for this application. We've
also used the stern anchor twice to keep the bow pointed into the waves in rolly
anchorages where the swell and wind were coming in from different directions.
We've used the drogue to great effect for three days whilst running before a
storm off Baja and the kayak anchor about a dozen times.
Our rationale for this set up:
1 Primary bow: This is the setup the boat came with as set-up by the former
owner who lived aboard and cruised for 19 years - don't change what works.
2 Secondary bow: I wanted a second anchor in case the primary was lost. I choose
the Bruce because it rated well in Practical Sailor tests and was well respected
in the Pacific Northwest.
3 Stern anchor: Again, was installed on the boat when purchased... seems to work
fine
4 & 5 Storm and sea anchors: Never used and I hope that I never have to dig out
and assemble, let alone use them. Choose because was a set-up recommended in
various cruising books, primarily Pardy's Storm Tactics and Coles's Heavy
Weather Sailing.
6 Drogue: Prior to our trip, I had used a bucket as a drogue before on the
Oregon coast, but wanted something more robust for our trip. I chose the Delta
Drogue for its construction, easy to maintain materials, and Practical Sailor
recommendation.
7 Kayak/dinghy: Cheap and light. Works great for a day of snorkeling or reef
fishing!
As indicated, we typically rely on our CQR. We have never dragged anchor, but
have had a few occasions where we had to try 2 or 3 times to get it to set.
There's not much I would change in our ground tackle set-up. In general, you
want to oversize/over-do-it in this category. Additionally, a few other things
to think about:
1 Get a good, strong winch. I have an old simpson lawrence that is strong and
reliable. Without a good winch, dealing with heavy ground tackle will be
back-breaking, almost impossible task.
2 Prearrange a set of anchoring hand signals so that the person
deploying/retrieving the ground tackle doesn't have to shout at the helmsman.
For example, we use 1 finger for forward, 2 fingers for reverse, 2 fingers
flashed times for hard reverse (to set), fist for stop, point left for steer
port, and point right for steer starboard. This cuts down on a lot of the
shouting and goes a long way toward keeping the marriage good.
3 If you have a bowsprit, consider using a bowsprit anchoring snubber system
(see Brion Toss's Rigger's Apprentice and the Pardey's books for details.) Attu
has a 6' bowsprit and with our bowsprit anchoring system, we ride at anchor so
much better and with so much less noise and chafe than without, I consider it
one of our best systems
4 Before you go cruising, go out and practice anchoring together in a variety of
conditions. Spend a few nights on the hook. After each time, discussed what
worked well and what should change. If you work at it, after a few successful
tries you'll get a system that works for you and you won't look half as bad as
all the other screaming couples anchoring around you... most of the time.