I purchased a Nacra 5.2 this summer and am having a great time sailing it from my family Lake cabin on a very large and very windy coastal lake! I still have much to learn and am excited to progress as a cat sailor.
My brother and I have been flirting with the idea of taking the cat out in the open ocean and sailing down the coast line once we have enough skill/experience. I was hoping to have a few more experienced cat junkies chime in on this one. I would expect our maiden voyage to be around 15-20 miles down the coast line and eventually tackle a multi day voyage..... We have even kicked around the idea of sailing to San Francisco from the central Oregon coast.
This probably seems ambitious for a new sailor, but I will be the first to admit that that it is a goal I am shooting for in the future, not something I would attemp before being ready.
Any help is much appreciated and honest criticism is welcome!
Thanks!
Long Distance Ocean Sailing?
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- Rank: Lubber
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 03:37 AM
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:16 AM
Make sure you and your boat are in very good condition. Select pre-determined locations to come ashore and have a tracker vehicle meet you with food, water, tools, spares, camping supplies etc. There may be some former Worrell 1000 participants here who can give you advice on surviving such a journey. I think I might look for a waterproof cell phone or two way radio too.
edited by: sunvista, Aug 25, 2009 - 02:18 PM -
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:30 AM
20 miles down the coast is not a "long" trip by any stretch, but depending on the path,.. it could be tretiourious...
there are many required items on sea races (like the tybe 500, and others).. this would be a good place to start on what gear to carry...
http://www.tybee500.com/n…tybee_nor.pdf?1242081088
8. Safety Equipment
8.1 US Coast Guard (USCG) approved life preservers will be worn by each sailor while
racing and each boat will have a minimum of one USCG approved throwable device
aboard while racing. All life preservers will be in reasonably new, undamaged condition.
8.2 Each sailing crewmember will have, secured to his person, a small knife, a whistle,
a 406 MHz EPIRB (with a valid & current NOAA registration and a battery with valid
date stamp), a personal safety strobe, a waterproof flashlight, and a safety line that can
be readily attached to the boat. Note: 121 & 243 MHz epirbs are no longer acceptable.
Proof of NOAA Registration of the 406 MHz EPIRB must be provided to the Principal
Race Officer.
8.3 Each boat will have a waterproof VHF radio, marine grade compass, three day /
night flares in date, charts comprising the entire coastal area of the race for that day,
and a cellular phone in a transparent, waterproof bag. The Race committee will be provided
with the number of the cellular phone. Communication between sailing and
ground team members is permitted during the race; however, communication with any
vessels on the water is not permitted.
Ground crew and family "Flight plans" are a good thing as well...
and i like to try and sail with "on shore" breezes when possible so my bloated, blue, dead body will wash up on shore (vs. out to sea as shark bait)... :)(or your "broken" cat can drift to shore, not to japan)
that being said.... anything out of your "comfort zone" should be well planned, practiced, and you really better be able to repair ANYTHING that can break on such a trip... -
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:30 AM
PS - http://www.ocean-express.…dex.php/fre/cartographie
edited by: andrewscott, Aug 25, 2009 - 09:31 AM -
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 09:34 AM
The Oregon and Northern California coast is a very rough, cold stretch of water. Not a lot of "beaches" to stop at and a lot of rocky coastline. A Nacra 5.2 sounds like a small boat to try this journey on to me. I would recommend having your maiden voyage be a sail in the ocean where you start and end at the same point. Maybe go 30+ miles in the day total but stay in the same general area. Go out and stay on the water for 5 hours in one sitting and see what you think.
Enjoy your adventures.
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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 10:03 AM
I think there is a book about a couple who tried to sail around Australia in a small catamaran. I don't recall the name of it but it may have good info. -
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 10:06 AM
Oh yeah , it's called Keeping Australia On The Left -
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Posted: Aug 25, 2009 - 10:55 AM
Something to consider that I noticed....I have left the bay with 12-15 mph winds (on a monoslow...not a cat), after getting offshore just a mile or so the winds died down to just a few mph...
Here is a trip I have wanted to do but never got around to it this year. Its 40 miles one way, without any tacking etc. To be honest it would be difficult with the wind coming out of the SW as it usually does. I do know of one person that has done this trip before.
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Posted: Aug 27, 2009 - 12:20 PM
I would take a look at the race photo's from previous Worrell 1000 races. Getting in and out through the surf can be a very dangerous and costly proposition.
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Flightlead Bimare F18 HT SpaceCoast
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Posted: Aug 27, 2009 - 12:38 PM
THere are lots of pics of this years Tybee 500 where they had issues with the surf.. (broken rudders/boards) etc
http://www.catsailor.com/…ee500/Tybee09/Tybee5.htm -
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Posted: Aug 27, 2009 - 01:30 PM
I have seen boats coming in get turned sideways, flipped and crushed by the waves. Ocean surf is nothing to take lightly.
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Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
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Posted: Aug 27, 2009 - 09:31 PM
I have been part of it sailing the surf in 18+ with 5+ soup surf in the Gulf. Some waves actually broke across my H18 at the spreader. It was an on-shore that day and we sailed ten miles along the coast to Galveston. As I look back it was one of the best days of sailing ever. That's because no one got hurt and the boat made it. To sail in open surf is a blast but it's so hard on everything, crew, boat and health... Crew support on-shore is huge, make sure you have a target spot and crew waiting.
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