Sight-seeing While Cruising

[Sailboatman]

I was looking online at all the wonderful places that my wife and i could go and started thinking about how we would travel inland for a few days.

I have nightmares now about leaving my boat on a moring. i don't know how stressed i would be to leave her at anchor or in a strange marina.

What do you do to feel comfortable when going ashore for a day or a week?

Thanks for all your comments.

Rick and Deb

SV Amanti

Islander 41

[Trim50]

This is a question I have found myself thinking about as well. I've come to the conclusion that I need the best anchoring system I can afford and slightly oversized, a securely locked vessel, solar power to keep the refig cold and batteries charged and a REALLY good insurance policy.

[svjacaranda]

Hi Rick & Deb

Many folks leave there boats and travel inland. You're not alone with those concerns.

When we leave the boat at anchor or a mooring and travel away from the boat for more than a day we do the following:

Anchor or Mooring

1. Start talking to other cruisers before you arrive at your destination and see what the rumor mill has to say about safety, break ins, etc. Try the local SSB cruiser nets, Ham nets etc. ask the long time cruisers that maybe anchored there.

2. At anchor we usually let out more scope than normal and really back down.

3. We always sit at least 24-48 hours in this location to see how the boat swings, etc.

4. Even if people say its safe we always ask friends that are close by to us to keep an eye on things. We give them our lock combo, emergency way to get a hold of us (email address or cell phone). Show them where extra rode is, spare anchor, etc.

5. If it's a mooring we usually try to dive on it if possible to inspect the connections.

6. Take the large awnings down before you leave and secure the decks.

7. We usually hang the dingy on a bridle and grab a ride ashore from someone close by.

8. The discharge for the large bilge pump is in the transom. We usually stuff a small piece of red spinnaker material with a grommet on one end. Attached to the grommet is a light line tied to the stern pushpit. If our friends see this red piece of spin material blowing around they know they need to investigate as the bilge pump has kicked on

In a marina

1. Again we try to do many of the steps from above

2. Enlist neighbors in the marina to keep an eye on things if possible

3. Hire a local boat watcher to check the lines, bilges, etc.

4. Give the marina a contact number if you have a cell phone with instructions to call collect if the need arises.

5. Same with the bilge pump flag

We have left Jacaranda a number of places in Mexico, New Zealand and Australia both on the hook and in a marina. A Mexican man in Marina Mazatlan is currently looking her after while Linda and I are in Boston for a few months. Ruben came with stellar reports so we have no concerns. Plus our neighbors report he is very attentive.

Leaving the boat at anchor in an anchorage when there are no other boats anchored would cause me some concern. Unless you know its super safe place I would not do it.

Depending how long we will be gone we usually leave the solar panels plugged in and the fridge on. If we are planning to be away from the boat for 3-4 weeks or longer we usually turn the fridge off and clean it out.

Trim: Yes I agree heavier anchoring gear would apply to anyone going cruising not only if you're leaving your boat.

Don't worry about this aspect of cruising there is enough things to be concerned with as it is. If you do your homework ahead of time you should be just fine.

Regards

Chuck

Jacaranda

www.jacarandajourney.com

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by svjacaranda

Hi Rick & Deb

Many folks leave there boats and travel inland. You're not alone with those concerns.

Don't worry about this aspect of cruising there is enough things to be concerned with as it is. If you do your homework ahead of time you should be just fine.

Regards

Chuck

Jacaranda

www.jacarandajourney.com

Hi Chuck & Trim

Thanks for very good info !!

I can add cruisers experience here in S.E. Asia, where many Yachts are left during the S.W. Monsoon Season of heavy rains:-

Leaving in Marina on a berth : make sure that bilges are clear of rubbish and the pumps are working and have volts available - Marina office to have access to boat.

Marina on the hard: here rainwater is the problem - Awnings brought down and hatches and companion way covered , again power supply to pump batteries ensured. Over the years reported "breakins" in Marinas are very very rare.

At anchor make sure that someone will watch , that volts are supplied , that a means of communicating problems is set up.

In Malaysian waters - Tioman island not a good place to leave the boat unattended.

In Thailand - Au Cha Long anchorage in Phuket has reputation for breakins.

On the North West Coast of Borneo and round the corner to Sandekan - chain your outboard to your Rottweiler (leave the dog with plenty of water and food !)

Otherwise and elsewhere in S.E. East Asia boats are left in anchorages for months at a time without a theft problem.

Richard

[Harbor_Pilot]

Good topic, and excellant answers!

[Pelagic]

Great advice from all of the above especially networking with other cruisers and yacht clubs in your area about security issues. If there are other yachts around, we usually help to baby-sit each other’s boats.

Chuck’s list is excellent with not much to add except perhaps the obvious; to hide or put bellow some of those tempting items on deck like jerry cans, dive tanks, etc.

If you are heading off the beaten path and plan on anchoring to make an overnight inland trip to some tourist destination, research with the local resorts/Hotels near your anchorage about organising that trip for you and ask their help in finding a reliable security solution for your boat. All this will cost, but it is a good investment if no other yachts are around.

If we are doing extensive gunk holing in an area with just the 2 of us on board, we sometimes hire a recommended boat boy to come along with us. Primarily for local knowledge, cultural enlightenment and communications, but also the security benefits of not leaving our tender unattended ashore.

Trust your instincts and vibes about a place! In 3[sup]rd[/sup] world villages I usually go ashore, try to beach near the biggest building (usually a store/restaurant) go in, be friendly, buy some stuff then sit in the shade nearby the tender with a cool drink and take in the way the locals deal with their own security concerns. If it feels desperate and excessive and you get bad vibes, we make arrangements for the store/restaurant to guard the tender, do our provisioning and leave. That doesn’t happen often, but once in a while.

[Gallivanters]

Hi Rick & Deb,

We know exactly how you feel and we are never really completely at ease when away from our boat... regardless how far or how long we're away... especially in remote places.

All good suggestions above and the common link is the value of having someone you trust looking after your pride & joy. All I can add is to take the time to pay homage to the local chief and ask for his suggestion in selecting the safest place to put the boat and to recomend a trustworthy person to keep an eye on things on your behalf. Invite him and his family out for a sail and you will be well looked after. The village chief always has the best view of his empire.

I believe it's a good idea to select a place of high profile, as opposed to remote backwaters (out of public view) to anchor for any length of time... a place where a lot of people will notice if someone is messing with you or your boat. As mentioned in Pelaegic's post - Trust your Instincts.

Richard - did we meet at Pulau Gaya (off Kota Kinabalu) and later at Labuan in 2000? We were westbound on a pilothouse sloop named Polly Brooks.

To Life!

Kirk

PS - I apologize if I sound sexist here ... but I've yet to meet a female village chief ... other than my wife.

[Trim50]

I really like the bilge pump flag idea! That is truly innovative.

I had a really bad experience once when I left my boat at anchor for a week. When I returned, there were 6 ft long scrape marks down the side of the hull. I later learned that a fishing vessel came into the anchorage late at night and ran into the side of my boat then left. The people on the other boats said it happened so fast and it was so late, that none of them got the chance to get the name of the boat. They said it sounded like the boat was having a party and everyone was drunk. Some things you just can't prepare for and insurance is your last hope.

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

Richard - did we meet at Pulau Gaya (off Kota Kinabalu) and later at Labuan in 2000? We were westbound on a pilothouse sloop named Polly Brooks.

PS - I apologize if I sound sexist here ... but I've yet to meet a female village chief ... other than my wife.

Hi Kirk and Chieftainess Cate,

No, unfortunately not this Richard. Although I am familiar with Polly Brooks the sloop you bought from Carol Post.

And very familiar with your current boat a Hylas 47, having helped deliver a new one for a friend from Taiwan to Hong Kong in the late 80s. During initial sea trial the Gooseneck fitting tore itself off the mast - Ali rivets gave way - replaced by monel - no probs after that. That boat won many races in its class from Hong Kong to Macao and to Philippines.

Does Gallivanter look something like this :-



Richard

PS . I also remember problems with the Yanmar Injector Pump - which the agent in HK replaced for free.

[Gallivanters]

She looked exactly like that when we bought her four years ago, Richard.

Since then we've added a stepped transom (from a Hylas 49), hard top bimini & massive stern arch /davits covered in solar panels. I'm getting a little carried away and my neighbours are now referring to Gallivanter as a Hylas Hummer.

Do you know Carol Post? What a gal, eh?!

We're getting off topic here... must be time to go cruising again.

To Life!

Kirk

[MMNETSEA]

Originally Posted by Gallivanters

Do you know Carol Post? What a gal, eh?!

I will send a picture - email (maybe not same one ?)

Kirk