My list to check before lifting anchor and sail away.
The longer you stay the harder it is to get away
I bought Watergeus in 1998. The boat was at that time on the hard in Rockport Texas. I came in July to work on the boat and in October I left. When I finally left, I got best wishes and congratulations of all the workers in the shipyard.
“We never thought you were going to make it, that’s why we put you in ‘death row’”, they said. They were happy surprized that I left.
I didn’t know I was in ‘death row’ until then, and I wonder how they made their guesses about who is going to leave or not, but I was green and thougth my boat was perfect to sail, so I left.
I sailed from Rockport, Texas to the Rio Dulce, Guatemala and I discovered some malfunctions on the road. I also had a list of things that could be better. Nothing serious, just some work to do.
In the years following I followed more or less the same principle. Maintain the things you really need and if there is tiIme left, do some enhancements. On the way to Guatemala, in Veracruz I changed my bowsprit for a stainless steel one. I’m always working on my boat. There is no end to it. I don’t regret it, it just comes in the package. Sailing is never without taking care of your boat. But it doesn’t mean you have to stay forever somewhere. Most of the work you can do wherever you are. If you are really good you plan your work with the places you go to. But it never should be an excuse to stay somewhere forever.
I don’t like to ‘overstay’. Six months is most of the time the limit, but I prefer to limit of planning the work to three months. Less stress to plan our next trip. Much more flexible.
Down to the basics
My Checklist:
- Good water in the watertanks
- New oil in the engine
- Do I have a spare impellor
- Did I check the sails
- Do I have the charts for the area we are going to
- Do we have good food for 3 months
- Do we have 2 extra filters for the engine
- Windlass is working
- Lines are good, including backup
- Standing rigging checked
- Windvane working
- Handpumps working
- GPS working and GPS-backup working
- Do we know the SSB weather forcast channels
- Harnasses fit and ready to use
- Propellor is clean
- Gooseneck good (I always have a problem with that thing)
- Enough fishing lures and lines
- Gasbottles filled
- Battery water checked
- Nav lights checked
- Cash money for the next country
Just before leaving, but most of the time it takes the 24 hours after leaving, is what I call ‘the 180 degrees project’.
Put everything at ease at what ever angle we are. No rambling noises, no falling books, no doors that open. The interior of the boat should be silent, just to hear the noise of the wind and waves around us. And the rattleling of the line when I catch a fish…
