These are our recommendations for preparing for a longer trip on a new-to-you boat, including getting mentally prepared, familiarizing yourself with the boat, spare parts lists, trip planning, and a sailing pre-departure checklist.
Get mentally prepared
ASSESS YOUR SAILING SKILLS
First think realistically about the distance, location, and time of year you plan to sail and consider your previous experience. If you’re not sure you’re ready to take your trip safely, then consider bringing more experienced sailors along for the trip or hire a professional captain to take lead.
LEARN UP
If you’re feeling hung up on worries and the “what ifs?” then reading and getting a sense of what to expect and what questions to ask will go a long way. The Voyagers Handbook by Beth Leonard is a favorite with a ton of useful information, plus it got us so stoked for liveaboard life. YouTube can be an amazing resource – search for videos of other people who have sailed a similar route to the one you plan to take.
Get familiar with the boat
If you have the option, ask the previous owner to walk through the boat with you to explain any operating quirks and where things are.
Some key questions to ask:
- What is your process for starting the boat engine, and where is the key?
- What’s the typical cruising speed and at what RPM? Do you know the fuel burn rate at that speed? (Answers to these questions are incredibly helpful for planning how much diesel to carry.)
- How do you check the tank levels (water, fuel, and holding tanks)?
- Where is the bilge pump switch, and is it functional?
- How do you operate navigation and sailing instruments?
As much time as you can spend getting familiar with the boat, where things are, and how things work will serve you well. We spent three days before leaving on our first big trip to get the boat prepped and ready, and another couple of days would have been helpful.
If you have the option, take the boat out for day sails a few times before your trip.
Gather spare parts and safety gear
Having spare parts on hand is crucial, particularly when the boat is new to you. Here’s a comprehensive list of the spare parts we purchased in preparation for our sail up from California to Washington.
ENGINE
- Fuel filters (Lots of them!)
- Engine and gearbox oil
- Impeller replacement kit
- V belt
- Alternator
- Engine oil filter
- Coolant
- Funnel
- Unless you’re a diesel mechanic, it’s a good idea to have a book on hand for troubleshooting. We recommend Marine Diesel Engines by Nigel Calder.
ELECTRICAL
- Zip ties
- Crimp connector kit
- Multimeter (highly-recommend – get oriented with how to use this ahead of time)
- Electrical tape
- Wire strippers
- Duct tape
- Wire of various lengths and gauges
SAILS
- Sail repair tape
- Sewing palm & thread
- Extra line
OUR EXPERIENCE Our main sail ripped from leech to luff while leaving San Francisco at 1 a.m. in some big wind and waves. We had the following on hand but didn’t attempt a sail repair ourselves – instead, we reefed the main sail so the tear wasn’t under load and wouldn’t get any worse.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT
- Fire extinguishers (or if the boat has some, check they are in certification)
- Manual/portable bilge pump
- Medical kit
- Handheld VHF
- Spotlight
- Binoculars
- Flare kit
- Whistle and/or airhorn
- Life raft (optional, but recommended for offshore)
- EPIRB and/or a Garmin InReach (OUR EXPERIENCE We got the InReach Mini and signed up for a plan that allowed us to send some messages. We were happy to have it when our engine died offshore! We were able to text a diesel mechanic friend and get the engine running for long enough for us to get to an emergency stop on shore)
- Backup navigation software (such as TimeZero and Navionics)
- Tethers for each person on board
- Coast Guard approved PFDs for each person on board
- Jacklines for each side of the deck
OTHER
- Diesel jerry cans
- 12V cordless drill
- Drill bits
- Hand tools (screwdrivers, wrench set, pliers, vice grip, wire strippers, diagonal cutters/dikes)
- Grease (for hardware and winches)
- Hose clamps
- Space heater
- Fenders and dock lines
Plan your trip
ROUTING
Trip planning for a delivery is mainly driven by weather and how much fuel you can carry.
For our trip up the coast, we had a limited time frame due to weather, work commitments, and crew availability. Sailing without the engine for portions of the delivery wasn’t an option – we needed to be able to predict how far we could get in how many days and how much diesel we needed to get there. This is why you need the answers to these questions:
- What’s the typical cruising speed and at what RPM? Do you know the fuel burn rate at that speed?
Do your calculations to predict how much fuel you need to get to your next stop, and make sure you carry extra.
When routing, do some research on any obstacles you need to avoid. For example, the U.S. west coast has a current line that carries big logs and dangerous debris. Since we would be sailing throughout the night, we stayed around 18-20 miles offshore to make sure we were away from the current line. Does your delivery area have crabbing or other commercial fishing? If so, have a lookout for floats when sailing in depths where crabbing is open. Where will you encounter commercial traffic? Make sure you have sharp eyes on watch at these points.
PICKING CREW AND ESTABLISHING A WATCH SCHEDULE
If you’re planning on sailing through the night or in heavy weather, consider having extra crew on board to take a shift on watch or at the helm. For our trip up the coast, we asked two friends with sailing experience to join us. We didn’t take shifts during the day, but once the sun set we took watch in four-hour shifts, always having two people awake at the same time.
If the boat doesn’t have autopilot, consider having more crew, specifically those who would be comfortable taking shifts at the helm.
Sailing pre-departure checklist
- Fill propane tanks
- Flush and fill water tanks
- Fill diesel tanks and extra jerry cans
- Pump out heads
- Check all navigation lights are working
- Check bilge pump is working and set to automatic (if the setting is available)
- Stow anything that could fall off surfaces
- Provision food (including extra water)
- Change engine oil
- Change fuel filters
- Check/replace impeller
- Check the battery charging position
- Install and inspect all safety gear (fire extinguishers, jacklines, flare kit, life raft, PFDs, etc.)
- Check your anchoring and/or docking gear
- Run a hose over the deck for several minutes to check for any leaks
- Close anchor locker vents
- Put Vaseline on porthole gaskets, especially if the rubber looks cracked or old
- Safety walk-through with all crew
- Make sure all boat paperwork and documentation is on board
- Check the weather forecast