Preparation for Passage On our sailboat to Zanzibar. Dangers for Sailboat in Africa – Patrick Childress Sailing videos #34. Preparing for a passage, on our cruising sailboat, a Valiant 40, one sailing preparation we do on a coastal passage as well as an offshore passage, is a complete sailboat engine room tour. We stow everything as though there will be a surprise storm at sea for our sailboat, check the weather and tides, plot our course, and leave at first light, one of our coastal sailing tips for all sailboats. Preparation for Passage is something we take seriously, whether for a coastal passage or an offshore passage.
What are the dangers for sailboat in Africa? For one cruising sailboat, cruising at night without radar, sailing in East Africa is dangerous. Were the navigation lights too dim? Maybe he did not see navigation lights at all.
How dangerous sailing in Africa some people would say! But what are the dangers for sailboat in Africa? What are the dangers for sailboats at sea anywhere? Are sailboat crashes common in East Africa? Are Yacht accidents common everywhere in the world?
What happens when you hit a tow line? This cruising sailboat, while coastal sailing at night, when a boat hits a tow line, it is almost dragged under by the tow line during this yacht accident with a tugboat and barge. This is one of Tanzania’s most recent sailboat crashes, but the captain is hoping to win the battle with the tug boat’s insurance company. But who’s fault was it?
Get an education before you leave the dock…Here are a couple of FREE online courses…Sailing Courses
The Valiant 40 is a classic around the world sailboat that changed the concept and construction of ocean crossing sailboats, forever.
Here goes…a tour of our 1976 Valiant 40. What we like about it, and what we don’t..or more specifically what Patrick Likes about it and doesn’t like about it. Maybe we should do one about my opinion about this…it wouldn’t necessarily be the same 😉
For me..I’d like a bigger more inviting cockpit. I think that’s my biggest complaint. I guess that isn’t too bad…
Make sure to subscribe here and/or on YouTube so you get to see the inside too. That is sure to be a bit embarrassing…I am not the best housekeeper 😉
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Bulletproof Bluewater Furling Units that we do barely any maintenance to and they just keep going and going. Not to mention superior customer service. We are EXTREMELY pleased with these units. Even when it was totally our fault when something went wrong, they replaced it with no fuss.
Our first Tides Marine Sailtrack broke after 18 years when we dismasted and the mast folded in half. The slugs are still good though! We loved the Sailtrack so much we replaced it with the same one 8 years ago. It’s still going strong, though as with anything plastic, it’s on the list to replace witching the next few years p, just to be sure.
Brick House…the “Yellow Rose” came with an early model Monitor Windvane. With some huge number of improvements over time, we ended up replacing the unit in 2007. The only thing that we have replaced on it so far has been the lines. After 60,000 miles and 12 years, that isn’t too bad. In my opinion, it’s probably the single best thing we have on Brick House!
Patrick doesn’t love our KISS because it doesn’t produce much of anything in less than 12 or 13 knots of wind, and it overheats in what I would call about 25 knots of wind. But that is the most common wind we have, and if more than 25 knots, we can always just tie it off at an angle that it doesn’t see the 25+. What I really appreciate about it is that if it breaks, or we want to rebuild it, we don’t have to wait for parts…all of the parts can be sourced at any auto parts store anywhere, for under $30 How to overhaul a KISS Wind Generator
Here is the Manson Supreme 60lb Anchor that we got nearly 2 years ago. It has not dragged, even slightly ever. (Amazon has an amazing price on these, with free shipping!)
Patrick didn’t mention the Raymarine Radar you saw, the Raymarine Autopilot that steers us when there is no wind for the Windvane, or the Raymarine Wireless Wind, Depth, Speed Instruments…Raymarine is a major player on our boat, due to the great products they make, and the way they stand by their products.
It was September 30, 2007…the day we untied the docklines and finally left to go cruising! This is what I wrote in the journal that day. Both as we untied the lines, and as we arrived in our first port that evening. And then as we began our sail down the coast stopping to say goodbye to friends along the eastern seaboard of the USA. It seems like yesterday, but yet a lifetime ago too.
We have lost touch with almost all of our friends in Rhode Island now, though one the other day told me we are still the topic of conversation at their backyard barbecues. Their children who were in grade school are having children of their own now, and my parents are both going quite grey, while Patrick’s parent have now both passed away. A lot has changed. But a lot has stayed the same too.
This post is dedicated to those friends who still remember us and follow our blog and travels in Rhode Island…
This post is dedicated to our family back home, that although I didn’t shed that tear as I departed in sheer joy, I cry for you every day, and greatly feel the separation that my travel bug induces but that I can’t seem to shake.
We love you all, and being away from you is the WORST part of cruising.
The docklines are untied!!
30 September 2007 | Narrangansett Bay, Motoring out to the ocean!
Rebecca Childress
The wind blew from the north all morning which would have been ideal for our long awaited departure, but we still had a few more things to do.
Go pick up the strawberries and the Mikes hard LimeAid from last nights party, go get a new sheave at West Marine that Patrick decided needed to be fixed late last night, and a quart of milk so that we didnt have to unfreeze the milk in the freezer for cereal!
Hand over the car to my friend Tammy who let us keep the car she bought from us, right up to departure when she bought it from us weeks ago! What a gift that was to us.
We untied the docklines as people waved to us and wished us a happy safe journey…some of whom we had never even gotten to really meet due to being so busy this summer, upgrading the boat, and getting ready for this day…
We are leaving so many friends, family, yet I can not shed a tear…I am so excited to be finally underway! Im sure it will hit me soon just how long it will be til I see everyone again! Our final party last night was a “full moon” party, at our dear friends Bill and Dianes house. They have an inground pool that they heated up to 94 degrees, as well as a hot tub!
The best thing said all night to me was ” You told us a year ago youd be going in a year…and here it is – TOMMOROW! You didn’t find any reason not to go or to delay your departure..you set your mind to it and you made it happen! He was right on target with that! How nice it is to be with Patrick- he set his mind to doing this with me many years ago- and here we are, leaving the dock and motoring towards the ocean. We havent even decided where we are going yet! Block Island? Watch Hill? Pt Judith!? Nice to have no destination, no schedule.
Thank you to all of our friends and family who made living on the boat and getting ready to go so much fun! Thank you for following our adventures on this blog and in Blue Water Sailing Magazine! Your hearts, your faces, and all the good times we have had will stay in our hearts wherever we go, and we will see you when we return!
We arrived to our first port of call, New Harbor, Block Island tonight at 8pm
30 September 2007 | Block Island, RI
Rebecca Childress
We arrived in a very dark harbor tonight- the moon was hidden, in to Block Island – New Harbor earlier tonight. We had a wonderful Salmon dinner, spiced potatoes, and a fresh garden salad. We baked chocolate chip cookies for dessert and snacks tomorrow. Patrick is sound asleep and snoring. I am experimenting with electricity ( wind generator), and our fantastic wifi connection in the harbor here. The antenna and wifi card that I bought was money well spent! But what if they break!?!? Better get to bed soon…but wantt to let you know how the first day of our circumnavigation went!!…Patrick mentioned something about jogging the island all day tomorrow so I cant write too much! Its a good thing Tammy made chocolate chip cookie dough for times like these!! We will leave here Tuesday or Wednesday I think. Maybe our friend Bob will come out to sail to somewhere in Long Island Sound with us.
A couple of fun things on the way over to Block Island, out of Newport Harbor:
1. Came up on a little boat, from behind. It was Mariah and her friend Bob out for a daysail on their Oday 22 – the boat I used to own with Mariah. We waved, and said our goodbyes for 4 years. Cutter, her golden retreiver was on the bow with her. It was nice to see her one last time before departing. A million boats in the harbor, and we almost ran her down by accident!
2.I was so ecstatically happy and high on life leaving Newport Harbor, that a boat passed port to port, travelling in the opposite direction, but very close to us. It was a nice family with 2 young kids…I smiled and waved and said – “we are leaving to go around the world – and this is our first day!!!” They smiled and waved and cheered us on. Patrick and I grinned at eachother the whole way to Block Island. I just looked in on him, and hes smiling in his sleep! I’m not sure who is happier to finally be underway, witht he first day of our circumnavation completed..he or I. Its so great that we are both so happy though..its more than I ever dreamed would happen in my little old life! I am sailing around the world – one day at a time! Life could NOT be better! If you think Im really lucky to be doing this…you are 110% correct!
Its already warmer!
03 October 2007 | Westbrook, CT
Rebecca Childress
Yes, I know, we are only 100 miles away at best, but last night we shed 2 layers of blankets, and are back to flipflops this morning! Our friend from Connecticut didnt make the ferry, so he instead met us here to help us in to the dock, and take us out for dinner. He was very kind to us…two Black Douglas Tshirts, a very nice bottle of wine, and a fantastic dinner and wine at a local restaurant. It was a harbor with very shallow water to enter in the dark, but it was worth it for his nice welcome! Today we leave to travel further down the coast, maybe as far as Stamford Ct. The next day…New York City!
