Captain's Log

Every November we bring you a special editorial section on fitting out a production boat for the cruising life and offshore sailing. You will find our offerings starting on page 56.

The fitting out process is a journey in itself since you are confronted with so many decisions on what gear is essential and which brands of gear will serve you and your crew best. At the end of the day, we all become systems experts as we wade through the best in safety gear, anchor systems, sails for all conditions, engineering to supply the necessities of life and much more.

Aboard our last boat we had three large binders filled with the manuals for all of our major equipment and spent much time thumbing through these as we made repairs, upgraded systems and carried out routine maintenance.

The one aspect of fitting out a boat for cruising that often gets neglected by newcomers and veterans alike is the fitting out of the crew itself for life aboard and passagemaking. Every year at the start of the Caribbean 1500, which Blue Water Sailing sponsors, we meet skippers and crews who are rushing through the installation of some final piece of equipment-often a SSB.

They have been working on their boats all summer and have just arrived in Hampton, Va., for the start. They may have made a coastal run or two on their way to Virginia, but many have not yet put their boats and crews to an offshore test of two or three days at sea during which they can see what is working and what is not. And most don’t have their sea legs under them.

Sailing to the Caribbean or Mexico for the winter is a wonderful cruising plan and is not especially difficult nor dangerous. Yet, out there on the open sea, we are self-sufficient, even when sailing in a rally like the 1500 or the Baja Ha-Ha. So we have got to get prepared.

Gear, despite its complexity, is the easy part. Getting ourselves ready takes time and experience. That is why we always recommend that crews-experienced or not-really put in some sailing time and many days and nights aboard before heading off to sea.

We should put our boats and ourselves through a good shakedown before heading seaward. It takes about three days at sea to fall into the rhythm of living aboard a constantly moving boat.

And it takes time and the experience of different weather conditions to build confidence in ourselves, our abilities and our boats. Apprehension or even fear is a real factor in the fitting out process; it can lead to a lack of sleep, to bad decisions and to that cascading series of small events aboard that can lead to a bad situation.

That is why we are pleased to offer this month an excellent article from Suzanne Giesemann, "Managing Fear at Sea" (page 32), that recounts her own experiences as she became a seafaring sailor and offers thoughts and solutions for all who follow.

Fitting out for ocean sailing can be an all-consuming process. Just as there are few boats built ready to go to sea right out of the factory, there are also few sailors ready to go to sea the moment they step aboard their new boats. So, before you got to sea, fit yourself out, too, by getting as much sailing experience as you can.

Fair winds,