Is working in boat delivery a good option for a sabbatical?

Hi all :)

Like many of us, I've been drawn to the freedom of a life at sea but don't currently have the funds or the balls to really commit to it. I'm currently finishing my dayskipper and have been toying with the idea of taking a 3 month sabbatical to do some boat delivery. I have seen some companies offer free board and living expenses to help them deliver boats, which sounds fun and is a cheap way to travel.


Has anyone done it? How hard do you have to work?


Thanks in advance!

https://redd.it/1rye6ad
@SailingX

My anchor is painfully heavy for not having a windlass.

On my new 34 feeter I have a 16kg Bruce anchor on the bow. Old owner had 5m chain + 50m rope which i feel is not much, given, the sea bottoms in Norway are mostly sand or mud and hold exceptionally well. I normally anchor with a 3:1 scope in upto20kn winds (no waves) and neverhadthe alarm go off.

Now i got 20m (8mm) chain for some peace of mind but manually retrieving the anchor first thing in the mornin is brutal, even in no winds. I do put it through the winch sometimes which helps but.

I was thinking of switching my alu fortress thati have as spare for the bow but i read it's not great at resetting and I love how great the bruce is at that, as ovenight most of the time the boat WILL swing and the anchor will have to reset. Which i guess it's why the bruce is by far the most used anchor up here.

So now I'm thinking of either get back the 5m chain, and maybe use fortress when there's strong winds an i know i will most likely not swing, or just suck it up and say goodbye to my back health.

Ofc I'd love a windlass, especially since i am single handlinf all the time, but that and the new battery and wiring and installation is going to be real expensive and it's a bit further down the list of upgrades..

Any opinion on this?

https://redd.it/1ryqz6i
@SailingX

How do you actually catch a mooring ball solo without looking like an idiot?

Been sailing for a few years but always had someone on the bow to grab the ball. Now Im planning some solo trips and honestly the idea of picking up a mooring alone stresses me out. I know the theory get a boat hook and a line ready approach slowly etc. But in practice how do you manage the boat while youre up at the bow.

Do you just bump it into neutral and hope the wind doesnt push you off before you get a line on. Also whats the trick if the ball is low in the water and hard to reach. Feel like Im overthinking this but Id rather ask than look like a clown in front of the whole harbor.

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@SailingX

Dinghy and davits

What's the minimum size boat that can reasonably carry a centre console dinghy while sailing in a 25kn & 3m swell?


Reason Im asking is that I want to buy a sailboat to tour the best kitespots around europe. Some of the anchorages are several km from the spot.

https://redd.it/1rysoy8
@SailingX

Heat?

Going to be overnighting this weekend and it's going to chilly. Does anybody know of a heat source that can be used safely on a 23 footer? I've got 100 aH battery but doubt that would run any electric heater for 2 nights.

I know there are diesel heaters but dont want to make the investment for the once or twice Id use it per year.

Im skeptical that there's anything except a warm sleeping bag, but figured I'd through it out there.

https://redd.it/1ryyezr
@SailingX

Spring

Time to take the cover off

https://redd.it/1ryze0z
@SailingX

How realistic is the goal to sail through all 11 South Sandwich Islands?
https://redd.it/1rz55fj
@SailingX

What level of Karen am I allowed to be?

https://redd.it/1rza1n9
@SailingX

questions from an absolute beginner

hi folks! I just returned from a vacation to St. John USVI and went on two excursions on a catamaran. It was life changing for me and made me realize that I want to sail and I'm no longer settling for a life in a landlocked state that I don't much care for. I am in grad school and when I'm done in May, I want to take a course to learn to sail.

I already signed up for the boating safety course in my area because it was the first thing I could find (and $15), but I found a course for $5,300 in the VI for 7 days that would have me walking away with my ASA 101, 103, 104, and 114. I spoke to an employee who recommended that I take the ASA 101 in my area, as then I would get a $300 discount on the VI program, but the ASA 101 in my area is $700.

I know y'all can't make decisions for me, but I'm curious if you'd recommend that I start with the ASA 101 in April and decide if I want to invest in the VI course later in the year, or if I should dive in whole hog?

For the VI course, there's a select option and a premium option, with the premium being $1k more expensive. The employee said the difference is essentially the premium option is a newer boat with guaranteed AC. Do y'all think that's worth it? I just spent a week in St. John without AC and it wasn't fantastic but it was fine. I think I'd be doing it more for the newer boat, if you think that would benefit my learning. But also maybe it's way hotter below deck than I'm aware...

Finally, I can take the VI course in July, right before hurricane season, or in November, right after. Would there be any benefit to choosing a particular month?

Thank you so much for your help!

ETA: I do travel to Monterey frequently and could take a course out that way if anyone has a place to recommend.

https://redd.it/1rz95pn
@SailingX

Land-based noon sight problem

Ahoy,

I've been trying to practice my celestial navigation here on land with a sextant and an artificial horizon, taking noon sights, but something isn't quite right. I keep determining my latitude is about 30' south of what GPS says tells me.

For example, today, 20 March, happily on the equinox, I have a sextant height of 78 degrees 26 minutes. So I should be able to just halve that, subtract it from 90 degrees, and that should be my latitude, since declination is zero today. Right? Is there some other correction I need to be making?

It's possibly the sextant could be out by that much, but it seems unlikely. More likely is some sort of skill issue on my part, but I'm not sure what it is.

https://redd.it/1rz6xp8
@SailingX

Start em young!

https://redd.it/1rzguqt
@SailingX

Sailing Destination w/kids

We’re looking for a sailing destination for next year for our family of 4 plus another family of 3. All kids are pretty young so we don’t need too many activities for them. We just want beauty, quiet anchorages, and a small amount of things to do on shore. The world is our oyster, where would you go for a 7-10 day sailing itinerary?

https://redd.it/1rzfnyt
@SailingX

Cartopping a minifish alone

I have a Subaru Outback with roof bars, and everything fits. I got the boat OFF the rack, but I don’t think I can get it back on.

What are some strategies to get this thing on top of my car alone? It’s a one-person boat so the goal is to be able to use it alone. What kind of tools can I get to help? 🥲

https://redd.it/1rzfjlo
@SailingX

Are sailing communication headsets really a marriage saver?

Hey everyone, I’m thinking about getting a communication headset, but I’m not sure if it’s worth it.

My wife, daughter, and I go sailing on weekends. I’m at the helm, she’s on deck, and communication often fails - sometimes we even end up arguing.

Has anyone used these headsets while sailing? Are they really better than hand signals, or just regular Bluetooth earbuds?

I’d love to hear your honest experiences before I spend the money!

https://redd.it/1rzn75u
@SailingX

Designed ability to raise/lower the sail from the cockpit (Sunfish)
https://www.reddit.com/gallery/1s00h1a

https://redd.it/1s00lct
@SailingX