6 Months preparation for long-term offshore cruising

By Winston Wiggins of Ullman Sails South Africa

This series covers what it takes to prepare to live aboard a yacht for long-term offshore cruising, live confidently at sea. Winston Wiggins, who has done hundreds of thousands of miles of offshore sailing, knows what it takes – both from his firsthand experience and from his interactions with countless individuals who have embarked on their own journey of a lifetime. 

In the second installment of this two-part series, Winston shares what you need to do in the last 6 months before departure in order to ensure you safely start your adventure. Part one, which covers what you need to do between 24 months and 6 months from your departure date, can be found by clicking here.

6 Months from Departure

For the past 18 months you’ve methodically ticked all the boxes, purchased all the gear and planned your dream – now you have just 6 months to go.  This milestone is often the most defining point in determining whether or not the trip is actually going to happen.  This is largely because as the voyage becomes a reality the seeds of doubt that have been planted grow and overshadow the potential of the trip.  Do not let this distract you! Being nervous is fine as long as you don’t let it stop you from attempting your dream.

On the flip side some individuals get over-excited, especially those who have never been on such a long excursion, and are tempted to leave the dock ahead of schedule.  We advise that you not get carried away and leave the dock in a rush.  Too often important tasks are forgotten and crucial equipment is left behind.  Stick to your plan – give yourself the best shot to cover all your bases and depart with the best weather possible.

Prepare Your Crew

By now you should have determined who will be sailing with you.  These individuals should be comfortable with you, the boat, the schedule and should start taking on various responsibilities (if they haven’t already).  Delegating tasks can save you a significant amount of effort and get the others more invested in the trip.  One of the most important responsibilities you can delegate is the provisioning of food. Have someone determine how much food is needed to start and investigate where you can buy more along the way, keeping in mind how long fresh food lasts.  Stocking up on dry and tinned products is advisable in case rations run low.

At the same time you need to check that your crew has taken care of their personal arrangements and paperwork so they do not inhibit the voyage in unexpected ways.  This means accounting for health issues, added emergency equipment or medicine needed, and double checking that everyone has their passports, visas, permits, vaccines, etc.

Know Your Route

A year from departure you were expected to know which countries you would visit and have a rough itinerary – that now needs to be pinned down.  Within 6 months of leaving the dock you must know where you are going to be at each stage of your voyage for at least the first year.  Set a schedule with a range of dates for arrival and departure for each port and know the specific anchorages you will use upon arrival.  Cross-referencing this schedule with expected weather and available reference materials for the various ports will set expectations and prepare you for how much food and fuel you will need at each stage.  Even if this plan changes later on, it is necessary to develop and review with your crew as a starting point.

Finalize your Boat

While your boat should have already been 100% ready to go 6 months ago, it is important to again verify that your vessel is seaworthy.  Any changes to the layout of the cabins or kitchen should be finalized; any last minute equipment you’ve received must be stress-tested.  And, most importantly, emergency safety equipment should now be purchased.  Given much of this equipment has an expiration date it is not advisable to buy it all until about 6 months from departure.  Don’t wait any longer – you risk being unable to secure certain items before your planned departure.

Some key items to have aboard include medicine, flares, lifeboat(s), life jackets, flashlights and batteries, emergency blankets, first aid kit, compass and sextant, and a knife.

Things to Avoid

• It is no longer time to be vague.  Be specific and decisive about key elements of the trip at this stage.
• Giving up!  It is normal to be anxious about the trip and its potential.  Take a few deep breaths and remember all the reasons you started down this path in the first place.
• Getting carried away and deciding to leave early. While you and your boat might feel ready to depart, wait.  This trip is not something that needs to be rushed into and inevitably there is more to do. Besides, you chose a certain time to leave because of the expected weather conditions and other factors –those haven’t changed.

Key Questions

• Have you set a date for leaving the dock? Have you considered the trade winds and how long they’ll last?
• Do you know who you’ll be sailing with? Will your crew change during your trip?
• Does your itinerary include restock and refuel points?
• Have you thought about participating in a cruising rally at any point on your trip?
• Are you and your crew prepared in case of an emergency? Does everyone know what to do if something happens?

Months from Departure

This is the time to start to wind down your current life. This means taking care of your home, car and other items you cannot take with you.  In some cases the best solution may be to sell your possessions, in others it might be to lease them to friends or simply find storage.  The insurance for the boat, yourself and any other worldly possessions should now be settled.  Lastly, set the date to leave the dock. It will cement your dream in reality.  Knowing when you’re leaving and where you’ll be heading will give you confidence now more than anything else you can do.

Duties Aboard

Now that your crew is settled and preparation tasks delegated, you should also divide the tasks for when you are at sea.  This includes everything from who will take care of the engine, the actual sailing, cooking, cleaning, navigating to updating the ship’s blog, etc.  You should also divide watches.  Given it is inevitable that you will be sailing overnight to various locations, it is essential to create an understanding of how rotations will work and what needs to be taken care of during a watch.

Equipment

Again, this hopefully is all taken care of, but it is impossible to over-emphasize the importance of having confidence in your ship.  Also, with your route and itinerary now set you can get the charts you need.  It is crucial to have backup charts, a chart plotter with a backup system in place, and paper charts for key areas.  The potential to lose power or have your electric equipment fail is all too real.  Be completely prepared to travel significant distances without electronics.

Things to Avoid

• Hesitation!  You’re almost to the starting line – maintain the excitement of what’s to come!

Key Questions

• Have you told everyone you’re going and how they can communicate with you while you’re at sea? Have you set up a blog for friends and family to follow?
• Have you discussed your route and implemented an emergency plan? Do you have all the safety equipment needed if something goes wrong?
• What will happen to your worldly possessions when you’re at sea?
• Do you know who will be responsible for what on board? Have you created a duty roster and watch schedule?

Departure Day

There will be something that has been neglected or all of a sudden needs to be done – take care of it and leave!  Regardless of the weather (assuming you don’t face outrageous conditions) and other excuses that come to mind, depart!  Actually casting off is the last step needed to make this dream a reality.  If for some reason this is not possible on the scheduled day, don’t get too negative. Instead, quickly find a way to turn it around and leave as soon as possible.

Things to Avoid

• Not leaving the dock. Go!  Start the adventure of a lifetime!

Key Question

• Have you left yet? Leave!!!

Conclusion

The last 6 months before you embark can go by in a flash. Knowing where you’re going, what needs to get done and counting on others to share the responsibilities will give you both confidence and a feeling of accomplishment.  Once you’re at sea there is nothing greater than seeing a dream realized in which you have invested so much of yourself.  I wish you the best of luck on your adventure, safe travels!

Have you had a successful long-term offshore cruise? How did it go?  Did we miss anything here?  What might you do differently? Let us know here!

About Winston Wiggins
A native South African, Winston grew up in a very active sailing family and has been aboard boats since he was five. Having worked in many parts of the yachting industry, including building boats, coaching, sailing professionally, and doing many long distance yacht deliveries, Winston’s experiences have made him an authority on offshore sailing and how to travel safely abroad. Winston currently works as a salesman for Ullman Sails South Africa.