Preparing to go offshore includes both the inspection and upgrading of a vessel with the addition of any necessary equipment for the planned voyage. Comforts on board are very important, but consideration must also be given to survival in extreme conditions, even though getting caught in a hurricane at sea or being rolled is extremely unlikely. Hull and Deck Construction Quality from boat to boat varies greatly, meaning that careful inspection is necessary for those vessels purchased with offshore passagemaking in mind. Choose a boat whose sisterships have proven themselves offshore. Have the vessel surveyed by a competent surveyor who knows you plan to be crossing oceans. Don't fall for a huge boat just because it looks comfortable at the dock, as it maybe be unmanageable at sea. Anyone who has experienced 50 knots plus at sea will tell you the forces generated by the wind are tremendous, and handling or changing sails can be extremely difficult. Hence, the vessel's ability to cope in extreme conditions also has to be considered, especially when there are only two on board. If you already own a boat, there are several areas to inspect before going over the horizon. The hull to deck joint should be permanently bonded, not just bolted. The bulkheads should likewise be properly attached all around their perimeter, not just to the hull. Rig loads need to be properly transferred to the hull, and all ports, hatches, deck lockers should be stout enough to take a knockdown.
A breakdown in this part of the boat has
the potential to cause serious delays abroad. In distant locales,
having the right spares onboard can be priceless. Because they're critical components for safety, rudders warrant special attention. Spade rudders require a massive rudder-post. One of the reasons we chose a Beneteau is that their rudders are engineered robustly. Our spade rudder has served us well and twice, when needed, we were easily able to drop it when afloat. The first time was in Madeira, after another boat had lifted our anchor and Bagheera drifted back on to the sea-wall smashing the rudder from the stern. The second time was in Thailand, when we had to get our prop-shaft straightened. Removing the rudder when anchored in 40 feet of water was quite exciting, particularly as it is quite buoyant from the foam filler!
Groundings and collisions with objects at
sea can dole out tremendous strain on rudders. Rudder posts
need to be robust enough to take the worst-case scenarios.
Rudders mounted on the back of the keel are well protected from collisions, but just as vulnerable as any other to damage from dragging back into shallows. They are generally impossible to remove except when the boat is hauled. And, with any rudder design, it is important to prepare a strategy for steering the vessel to safety should the rudder be lost.
Experienced cruisers know that a huge amount of cargo will be carried on a long trip. All this extra gear, such as the increased number of batteries, extra fuel, multiple anchors and chain, provisions, tools, spares, books, and more will make the boat float lower. Therefore, for offshore passagemaking, antifouling paint needs to be well above the waterline, so the bootstripe may have to be raised. We have redone ours twice! It was the souvenirs that did us in, such as the rocks and fossils collected by our son Colin and the 12-piece dinner set I purchased in Singapore! Check All Fittings All suspect fittings on the hull and deck should be resealed. All stanchions must be inspected carefully as a crewmember's life could depend on their integrity. Lifelines over 10 years old or visibly damaged should be replaced. Plastic coated wire needs special attention as corrosion may be hidden underneath the coating. If this is suspected, err on the conservative side and replace these before they break. Cockpit lockers should have strong latches that will hold them closed in a knockdown, and should be sealed, if possible, to prevent the ingress of water in the event of being pooped. Anchors and anchor lockers merit special attention. Both must be securely fastened at sea, with the locker sealed to prevent water entering. Drainage may need to be improved. Arrangements for the mounting or stowage of such items as the liferaft, dinghy, outboard, solar panels, radar, or wind generator need to be made. It is not safe to have heavy items rigged to the lifelines. Strong points for attaching jack-lines along the deck and in the cockpit may have to be added.
All tangs, fittings, swages, and other rigging
components need to be inspected closely before setting out
for the wild blue. Before every passage it's important to inspect the rig carefully, and at regular intervals all swages and fittings should be checked with a crack-detection dye kit. Every piece of standing rigging has been replaced since we purchased the boat 16 years ago, and we strongly recommend that before undertaking an ocean crossing any rigging older than 10 years be changed, even if it appears sound. Wire can harden with age and become less able to resist the constant changing loads of a storm at sea. Two grades of 1x19 stainless wire are commonly available: 316 grade rigging wire does not stain brown like 302/304, but is weaker and more expensive. Also, swageless terminals better resist cracking and are easy to replace. Most sailors forget this vital part, but
the gooseneck is a weak link in the rig and should be inspected
to ensure that it is both robust and can rotate to align with
the sheets. Clevis and cotter pins, tangs, turnbuckles, mast
lights, and all other fittings must additionally be checked.
Beware of large stainless fittings on aluminum spars as there
may be weakening due to corrosion hidden under them. If you're
planning on cruising in the tropics, consider fitting mast
steps, at least to the lower set of spreaders, for increased
visibility for sighting reefs as well as for facilitating
maintenance aloft. You may also have to modify the rig to fly storm sails. On Bagheera we have fitted a movable inner forestay, supported when in use by running backstays. This is used for a hanked-on storm jib. It's critical that sheeting arrangements for these sails should be worked out before you encounter your first storm at sea! Because they're often subjected to flogging, strong winds, and ultraviolet light, sails have a finite life. An overhaul by a sailmaker, with extra stitching at the seams, and adequate chafe patches may suffice. We recommend sails made from close weave, lightly resinated, supple Dacron with triple-stitching and double reinforced batten pockets and corners, as well as chafe patches. Before we moved to in-boom furling, we had a mainsail made for Bagheera that also had three deep reefs, each over six feet apart, and the clew was higher than the tack so that rain could be caught and funneled to the tanks from the forward end of the boom. This sail would have given racers a fit, but it moved the boat well (at least 150 miles a day) and it served us for 11 years and over 50,000 miles. A regular cruising mainsail should have slides, not bolt ropes, so that the sail stays on the mast when dropped. Racing gadgets like cunninghams, flattening reefs, and deep shelf foots are not needed on cruising sails. Boats without furling gear will need a range of headsails, but on Bagheera we now carry only a 150-percent genoa, a 110-percent genoa and a short-hoist 100-percent jib, all of which furl, besides the bullet-proof storm jib that hanks onto the inner stay. Our furling mainsail has full battens, and since it can be reefed down to any size, we do not carry a storm trysail. Light winds are far more common than storms and a cruising spinnaker rigged with a snuffer is easy to manage and can considerably shorten slow passages. As most crews share the watch keeping
it is important that the boat is set up for both parties to
be able to manage the routines of sail management on deck,
at least furling the genoa by themselves. Although this may
mean larger winches, or lines led differently, it is a much
safer way to sail. This is particularly significant for couples.
Not having to disturb the other person while they sleep will,
in the longterm, keep life much more pleasant—an important
consideration on a small boat that is in the middle of the
ocean!
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Regardless
of the distance from land, any voyage lasting several days
at sea can be termed offshore. For example, a trip from the
Pacific Northwest to San Francisco requires extremely careful
preparation, even though the 700-mile passage may take you
no further than 50 miles off the coast. The difference in
a trip like this and a prolonged voyage, such as an Atlantic
crossing, comes in the time spent away from supplies and professional
help. Lengthy offshore voyages require self reliance, mechanical
competence, and the use of quality equipment to ensure that
breakdowns are minimal.
Bottom
Paint Modern, co-polymer bottom paints are ideal for the offshore
voyager. These gradually erode away and perform best if the
boat is moving rather than tied to a dock. Co-polymer paints
can be applied in sufficient thickness to give prolonged protection
(some freighters have obtained up to four years from a single
application). Before leaving Australia, we applied four coats,
alternating light and dark blue so wear could be monitored.
Two extra coats were applied at the waterline, at the bow
and leading edges of the keel and rudder. Three years later,
only the waterline needed a touch-up.