Secrets of Successful Cruising

“What’s your secret sauce?” is a question I get asked frequently, and not just about the scrumptious creations I whip up in our galley, even in the lumpiest, bumpiest of seas. Usually, curious cruisers are wondering how our transition from being landlubbers to full-time sailors appears to be as smooth as the surface of the sea on your first morning in the doldrums. How did we buy the right boat? How did we take off across the Pacific a mere five months after buying said boat, with very few ripples in our plans, relationship, and lives? And my personal favorite, how the heck did my husband talk me into doing all this crazy cruising nonsense?

That last question is surprisingly the most straightforward to answer, so I’ll start there: my husband didn’t have to talk me into any of this crazy cruising nonsense. We reached the decision together and work hard to remain a team of co-captains rather than competitors trapped on a small sailing vessel with no escape from each other. To cruise successfully and harmoniously as a couple, you too must find balance between work and play, his and her passions, and safely navigate the different learning styles we all have. Which brings me to one of the most important secrets to successful cruising: men and women learn differently. And if you want to set sail for distant horizons, there is a lot of learning to do.

A good place to start is learning to sail, which shouldn’t be a secret but often seems like it is. To this day we credit our exceptional ASA 101 instructor for his relentless patience as we slowly learned the language of sailing, trying not to let the oppressive heat of the Arizona desert melt our brains or enthusiasm. Who knew there was a whole separate language, let alone code of conduct on the water to learn before we were competent enough to skipper a boat of our own?

Once you’ve learned the lingo and the basics of sailing, a great next step is purchasing a sailboat of your own. And I don’t mean the dream boat that you intend to sail away on, or even a racing dinghy. A little trailer sailor you can take out on the weekends or burn all your vacation time using will serve you much better in terms of preparing to voyage to far-flung places around the globe.

Your goal should be to learn this boat inside and out. We spent nearly two years sailing our 1976 Windrose 18, Moxie, nearly every weekend after we decided to go cruising but before we left our jobs. The quick responsiveness of a small, light boat helped us both hone our understanding of boat handling and sail trim without risking safety or sanity on a bigger boat where far greater forces are at play. Being able to take Moxie out whenever we pleased kept us engaged, motivated, and excited, even when our departure date felt forever away. Plus, you’ll earn boat ownership brownie points which could help you qualify for insurance on your next boat. Ladies, as soon as you are comfortable (or perhaps even a little before that), invite your best gal pals out for a spouse-less sail. There is no better way to build your confidence as a skipper which is essential to your success if you’ll be sailing shorthanded.

Can you fix everything on your boat with what’s in your brain and on your boat? If not, that’s your next step, and one of our greatest secrets to successful cruising: true self-sufficiency. When you are cruising in truly remote places or on an offshore passage, you are your own little island of existence in the deep blue sea. And there are responsibilities that come with that awesome reality; to yourself, to your crew, and to your boat. That’s why when you are out in the middle of the ocean your best and only resources are what’s in your brain and what’s on your boat. If you can’t fix or figure out anything that goes awry with the skills you’ve acquired or the resources you’ve stowed in the depths of your lockers, it’s highly likely that your cruise will be cut short and made more challenging by pressing maintenance needs.

It may seem counterintuitive, but investing in high-quality preparatory training is yet another secret that we find continues to pay dividends year after year. At a minimum, you should both take a sail repair workshop, sign up for a hands-on engine service workshop, and attend an electrical troubleshooting class. There simply is no substitute for hands-on learning on how to turn wrenches, properly crimp wire terminations, perfectly tension a halyard, or quickly grind in a reef. Pay close attention to the books and resources used so you can start building your onboard reference library. We find that couples who attend workshops and trainings together tend to enjoy doing boat maintenance more and are better equipped for success when it comes to repair projects. Attending events like these will also help you build your network of other like-minded soon-to-be cruisers, which becomes vitally important as your departure date draws near and the relative comfort of land life tightens its grip on your seafaring spirit.

Are you sensing a theme here? There is no better way to set yourself up for success than by spending time on boats fiddling with sail trim, enacting repairs, and learning how to cook your favorite meals in a galley that rarely stays still. You’ve got to get out there and just do it, but in an environment that allows room for growth and development. Make it your mission to return home with a solid foundation in ocean sailing and seamanship plus more salty souls to add to your cruising network.

You can’t go wrong by focusing on practical preparation, which is probably one of the best-kept secrets of cruising prep. The sooner and more often you work on becoming a self-reliant sailor, the better you will be equipped to tackle the challenges of extended cruising and boat ownership.

The timeless mantra of keeping it simple rings true for all successful long-term cruisers. Keep your boat and its systems as simple as you can. Endeavor to keep the remnants of your land life simple too, but always leave yourself a means to return when you need to. Whether it be budgeting for breaks ashore, maintaining a part-time residence you can return to, or just a nest egg reserved for when the time to plant roots again comes. It takes a lot of effort to achieve your cruising goals, and you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your hard work. Keeping it all simple and giving yourself an “out” will help you relax and appreciate the cruising life even more. Hopefully with a smile and frosty beverage in hand!

There are of course many more ingredients to create your personal recipe for successful cruising, such as identifying your individual cruising goals, selecting the right boat to match your agreed upon goals, and keeping the promise you made to yourself to actually GO.

We’ll be sharing loads more of our best secrets for successful cruising during our three-hour American Sailing Seminar at the Annapolis Boat Show on October 11 from 9am-12pm. Hope to see you there!

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Learn From The Experts During This American Sailing Seminar