Crusty Chief
Guru
We got a few requests to post this from our blog. It is a summary and lessons learned during our recent cruise up North. It is primarily intended for those that have not made a similar trip. If you have any additional info that I may not have covered, please post. Hope this isn't to long and boring.
Trip Summary and Lessons learned
We have just finished our first extended cruise that started from our homeport of Salpare Bay Marina in Portland Oregon and traveling up the Washington coast up through the inside passage of Canada as far north as Kitamat before turning around and heading south, ultimately returning to our homeport 171 days later.
For us, this was a major learning experience on traveling in a boat in the open ocean as well as inland cruising.
You can read all the books, tech manuals, instruction books, discussions on forums and picking the brains of all those that have done extended cruises before. But until you do a cruise of this distance and time you have no idea what it takes. And yet, we met so many people that do this type of cruise year after year.
So what does it take to prepare for a trip like this? Ask anyone (who have done it) and they will tell you that you can never prepare enough. We spent 10 months prepping and could have easily spent another 2-4 months or longer. From servicing virtually every system onboard, replacing a few also, to choosing and procuring the clothing, emergency equipment, spare parts, food and drink supplies, cleaning gear and many other items. The key here is, you can spend forever trying to prepare for every possible thing you might need, but until you leave your homeport and cruise, you won’t know.
We met so many really good people before, during and even after this cruise and we would like to say Thank You to them all. If your name and boat are not listed below, please let us know, because without you, this trip would not have been so enjoyable.
Jeff Merrill, our broker and good friend, jmys.com
Larry and Marcia Crass, Nordhavn 43 Hale Kai
Bill and Wendy Brown, Selene 4314, Sea Badger
Tom and Kay Teseniar , Camarge 48, Alaskan Sea-Duction,
Chris and Brigette Breuer, Chb 40, Endless Tymes
Jerry and Jenny Nelson, Selene 43 , Forever Young
Tom and Mary Ann Liebert , Ocean Alexander, Friendship II
Tom and Nita Sitterly, Ocean Alexender, Cygnus Argent
John and Darlene Topliss, Selene 57, Ocean Osprey
Mike and Debbie McNeill, Carver 40, Baquet 8
Bill and Yvonne Carver, Tollycraft 43, Donya
Jon Stewert, S/V Doghouse
Mike Dunlap, S/V Faith Ryder
Jerry and Suhwa Tompsett, S/V Calypso
Clark and Nina Wagaman, Custom S/V, Rikki Tikki Tavi
Days we traveled 171
Number of ports visited 62
Nautical Miles traveled 3,362
Gallons of Diesel fuel 1368
Fuel burn rate gallons 2.94 includes generator and heater-
Main engine hours 464
Generator hours 528
Days at Anchor 55
Days in Moorage 116
Days buddy boating 51
Total expense 33K
Trip Summary and Lessons learned
We have just finished our first extended cruise that started from our homeport of Salpare Bay Marina in Portland Oregon and traveling up the Washington coast up through the inside passage of Canada as far north as Kitamat before turning around and heading south, ultimately returning to our homeport 171 days later.
For us, this was a major learning experience on traveling in a boat in the open ocean as well as inland cruising.
You can read all the books, tech manuals, instruction books, discussions on forums and picking the brains of all those that have done extended cruises before. But until you do a cruise of this distance and time you have no idea what it takes. And yet, we met so many people that do this type of cruise year after year.
So what does it take to prepare for a trip like this? Ask anyone (who have done it) and they will tell you that you can never prepare enough. We spent 10 months prepping and could have easily spent another 2-4 months or longer. From servicing virtually every system onboard, replacing a few also, to choosing and procuring the clothing, emergency equipment, spare parts, food and drink supplies, cleaning gear and many other items. The key here is, you can spend forever trying to prepare for every possible thing you might need, but until you leave your homeport and cruise, you won’t know.
We met so many really good people before, during and even after this cruise and we would like to say Thank You to them all. If your name and boat are not listed below, please let us know, because without you, this trip would not have been so enjoyable.
Jeff Merrill, our broker and good friend, jmys.com
Larry and Marcia Crass, Nordhavn 43 Hale Kai
Bill and Wendy Brown, Selene 4314, Sea Badger
Tom and Kay Teseniar , Camarge 48, Alaskan Sea-Duction,
Chris and Brigette Breuer, Chb 40, Endless Tymes
Jerry and Jenny Nelson, Selene 43 , Forever Young
Tom and Mary Ann Liebert , Ocean Alexander, Friendship II
Tom and Nita Sitterly, Ocean Alexender, Cygnus Argent
John and Darlene Topliss, Selene 57, Ocean Osprey
Mike and Debbie McNeill, Carver 40, Baquet 8
Bill and Yvonne Carver, Tollycraft 43, Donya
Jon Stewert, S/V Doghouse
Mike Dunlap, S/V Faith Ryder
Jerry and Suhwa Tompsett, S/V Calypso
Clark and Nina Wagaman, Custom S/V, Rikki Tikki Tavi
Days we traveled 171
Number of ports visited 62
Nautical Miles traveled 3,362
Gallons of Diesel fuel 1368
Fuel burn rate gallons 2.94 includes generator and heater-
Main engine hours 464
Generator hours 528
Days at Anchor 55
Days in Moorage 116
Days buddy boating 51
Total expense 33K