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Cavemansailor

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I'm still looking for crew for my sailboat. I ended up spending most the summer docked at the Corpus Christi Marina by myself. I met lots of other sailors (mostly older and retired, however), crewed in yacht races on 24 and 54 footers and spent the rest of my time sailing and netting mullet for income (on my last trip out I made $140 in 4 hours and am heading back out tomorrow for a week!).

Anyway, gettin pretty lonely, and I also REALLY need crew--to share the tasks of watchkeeping (vital in the Gulf with all the shipping traffic) steering, and most importantly, camaraderie.

I hauled the boat out last week to do a little work, but should have it back in Corpus in two weeks or so, where it would be awesome to sail in the Wednesday yacht races.

I plan to sail across the Atlantic as soon as hurricane season ends, with stops in Florida, the Caribbean, Azores, Morocco, Spain, Italy, and wherever else the wind takes me. The boat is small (about the size of those used in the Mini Transat) but much more seaworthy--small, self bailing cockpit, super thick solid hull, heavy-duty mast, foam flotation, self righting, and has lots of additional reinforcements that I have made. I have 2 jibs, a genoa and main and am going to make my own storm jib and trysail as soon as I get my hands on some dacron cloth. I have a solar-powered computer and GPS, and if that goes out (which it has before) I have a sextant and am pretty darned good with it.

I'll stock up on high-calorie canned and dried foods and water (contributions by crew appreciated but not necessary), plus, whenever we are close to shore, I can keep us well-fed with my cast net and crab traps.
 
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Bl3wbyyou

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Hah id be game to jump aboard when ya make it to florida.I'd love to hit the ocean i've done it all beside sailing and i think that'd be the shit.I'm a pretty dang good mechanic so if ya need someone to turn wrenches and fix things then ill join ya.I've got food stamps that i could throw in id love to check out the rest of the globe via sailing.I think that'd be breath taking!

Been stranded and almost swept out to the gulf of mexico once at pine island that damn place has a fast ass current and our backup 3hp motor wasn't doing shit with the current moving so fast out the pass.We spent 3 days stranded with no water or food since i left the cooler in the car lol.I have a fear of getting in any boat with a mercury outboard lol.

I have solar power as well for charging phones and whatever usb devices ya need charged.

Lmk hit me up man.I'd love to do this.

Later
Chris

Drop me a text at my textfree number or PM me.
 

Tude

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Wow - looks like you have some interest here! Sounds lovely - and you need to update us on your progress and your travels!!
 

ByronMc

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can I take my bicycle ?
 
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James Huxley

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That sounds like it'd be all different kinds of life-affirming. Fuck all if I don't know a thing about sailing. Best of luck, brother.
 
C

Cavemansailor

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Thanks for all the rapid replies! I'll try to answer all the questions: I would want to have at least 1 crew member for each leg of the journey, but the boat has bunks for 3, and 3 total (including myself) would give us plenty of time to kick back and enjoy the ride. If you can disassemble a bike, yes, bring one along! Experience is definitely not required. The control systems are simple and you can "learn the ropes" of this boat in a day. Navigation, sail trim for maximum speed and balance and storm tactics are what require experience, and I'll take care of those as the crew learns along the way.

I should hit Florida sometime in late October or early November (Depending on the weather), where I'll keep an eye on weather forecasts and try to pick a good window to cross the Atlantic, which should take about a month and a half to 2 months.
 

Ayurveda78

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Would definitely be interested in something like this heading out of coeur d Alene this morning s by se. Will get back to you when got an extra min. Keep in touch with updates on your movement hopefully we can meet up somewhere
 

ByronMc

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awesome,am going to send my app,for passport !
 

Bl3wbyyou

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Im curious about the legalitys surrounding taking a trip like this.I have no passport so i am going to assume i couldn't get off the boat and step foot on land.Well i could but it'd be only a matter of time before i get asked to see my passport which i don't have anyway lol.

Either way id be more then interested to meet ya wherever ya dock in florida at.I'm gonna guess you are gonna stop off at the keys which i haven't been to in ages.Would be a one hell of an adventure.

Ya got my attention fully but i wanna know about the passport crap and what i can and can't do if i don't have one.I have no legal problems its just i find it kinda dumb to buy one just a slip of paper that is gonna tempt to keep me from sitting foot on another country is BS lol.
 

strobelight

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I would definitely go along with you and anyone else who joins your crew. I don't know much about boats or sailing but if someone showed me what to do and taught me then i could do it. I have always wanted to sail, no matter where it is, so I have the heart for it. I'm not sure how much I could contribute to food and water but I could at least feed myself with canned food and beef jerky, so I wouldn't cut into anyone else's supply. I'm pretty good at fishing, and I do it often, so that's a way i could get food.

I'm pretty interested in doing this, so if you haven't fully found anyone to go along with you throw me a message or something. I don't have any obligations where I am at right now (western, NY) so I could leave at any time.
 

Matt Derrick

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damn, i'm loving all this interest in sailing that's been coming out lately.

if you happen to swing by key west, i have some friends there you should hang out with!
 

xylon

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Hello. I would like to know id you still got room on your boat? I have been living and working on a 154 ft 4 masted schooner for the past month here in bar harbor, Maine. I'm looking to branch out and get to new places. But I know a decent amount of sailing and wan to keep doing it . Anyway. Let me know if your still on the lookout for crew
 
C

Cavemansailor

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Yesterday cut my foot wide open when my full weight landed on an oyster while casting for mullet (as in bits of connective tissue and fat hanging out), so I gotta wait a week before I can go out again. BUT, the good news is I've got a week to finish repairs to the boat and put together a crew!

Key West:
Just let me know if you'll be there around the end of October and I'll plan on stopping by!

Passports:

I am very flexible as to destinations. Although I have a passport, If the crew does not, we could just stick to the ocean and only enter ports where passports are not required (Puerto Rico, etc.) Hell, if I had enough fresh water, I'ld be content to spend the rest of my life drifting in the Sargasso Sea! If I sell enough fish in the coming weeks, maybe I can get a desalinator so I have to go into port rarely if at all.

Frankly, a big part of my decision to go to sea was to be free of bureaucrats, fences and churches. I've travelled from Alaska to the Amazon (landwise) and always had to keep an eye over my shoulder when harvesting natural resources without a "license" in the "wrong" season, occasionally sleeping in drainage tunnels because its illegal to sleep in the open, hiding vital cooking fires because there were "burn bans," and on and on. The sea can be brutal, but it is also indifferent--its not out to get you on a personal vendetta because you've never paid a penny of your taxes, don't follow every artificial rule in a vast encyclopedia of bureaucratic insanity or disobey an ambiguous prohibition from a 3,000 year old book of superstition!

Sorry bout the rant--but I hate artificial rules! I'ld rather face the ferocity of a hurricane with its fixed, logical rules of wind, current, gravity, buoyancy, etc. than wither away slowly in a prison, mental hospital or worse yet, in the prison of the mind, being repressed by ever changing mental viruses. In fact, the time I felt most alive was when hit by a sudden squall with full sail up--50 mph wind, hanging on to the bow pulpit and pulling the jib down as the boat heeled 90 degrees, being pelted by rain driving sideways that felt like hail, lightning striking all around and static electricity sizzling off the mast.

Room:

The boat is 19 feet long, 7 feet wide, with plenty of sitting headroom in the cabin, 2 quarter berths and v-berth for two. The cockpit is very small (which I consider a safety feature, since it can't hold too much water). I've sailed with 6 people aboard on a day trip, but that was too many. Only 2 average sized people can sit in the cockpit due to heeling and tiller maneuverability. I think three is best both for chores and comfort. There is LOTS of room in the cabin for a boat of this size, but it gets pretty hot in there during the day, so generally the folks I've had aboard have preferred to sit or lay on the deck during the hottest parts of the day.

Well, keep in touch everyone, and although I can't take you all aboard at once, I would love to have the opportunity to sail with you all during some point in the journey!
 

strobelight

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I don't have a passport, but I wouldn't want to stop anyone from seeing a beautiful country that they've never seen before. I don't really believe that a few pieces of paper should make a difference whether someone can go to a different part of the earth or not. If I was in a different country without a passport, I would just try to blend in and act like the local people do. That would be the easiest way to see a new country without "the proper paperwork".
 

outskirts

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Sailing to the Azores, Morocco and Spain? Nice! If didn't have other plans for this winter I'd be down to cross the Atlantic with you. I don't have any sailing experience but I am a quick learner. I just got my passport in order last year so I have plenty of time, maybe on your next trip.
Well, to you and your future crew... enjoy the freedom of the sea.
 

Matt Derrick

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Yesterday cut my foot wide open when my full weight landed on an oyster while casting for mullet (as in bits of connective tissue and fat hanging out), so I gotta wait a week before I can go out again. BUT, the good news is I've got a week to finish repairs to the boat and put together a crew!

Key West:
Just let me know if you'll be there around the end of October and I'll plan on stopping by!

Passports:

I am very flexible as to destinations. Although I have a passport, If the crew does not, we could just stick to the ocean and only enter ports where passports are not required (Puerto Rico, etc.) Hell, if I had enough fresh water, I'ld be content to spend the rest of my life drifting in the Sargasso Sea! If I sell enough fish in the coming weeks, maybe I can get a desalinator so I have to go into port rarely if at all.

Frankly, a big part of my decision to go to sea was to be free of bureaucrats, fences and churches. I've travelled from Alaska to the Amazon (landwise) and always had to keep an eye over my shoulder when harvesting natural resources without a "license" in the "wrong" season, occasionally sleeping in drainage tunnels because its illegal to sleep in the open, hiding vital cooking fires because there were "burn bans," and on and on. The sea can be brutal, but it is also indifferent--its not out to get you on a personal vendetta because you've never paid a penny of your taxes, don't follow every artificial rule in a vast encyclopedia of bureaucratic insanity or disobey an ambiguous prohibition from a 3,000 year old book of superstition!

Sorry bout the rant--but I hate artificial rules! I'ld rather face the ferocity of a hurricane with its fixed, logical rules of wind, current, gravity, buoyancy, etc. than wither away slowly in a prison, mental hospital or worse yet, in the prison of the mind, being repressed by ever changing mental viruses. In fact, the time I felt most alive was when hit by a sudden squall with full sail up--50 mph wind, hanging on to the bow pulpit and pulling the jib down as the boat heeled 90 degrees, being pelted by rain driving sideways that felt like hail, lightning striking all around and static electricity sizzling off the mast.

Room:

The boat is 19 feet long, 7 feet wide, with plenty of sitting headroom in the cabin, 2 quarter berths and v-berth for two. The cockpit is very small (which I consider a safety feature, since it can't hold too much water). I've sailed with 6 people aboard on a day trip, but that was too many. Only 2 average sized people can sit in the cockpit due to heeling and tiller maneuverability. I think three is best both for chores and comfort. There is LOTS of room in the cabin for a boat of this size, but it gets pretty hot in there during the day, so generally the folks I've had aboard have preferred to sit or lay on the deck during the hottest parts of the day.

Well, keep in touch everyone, and although I can't take you all aboard at once, I would love to have the opportunity to sail with you all during some point in the journey!

i don't have hardly any sailing experience, but isn't 19 feet a bit small for ocean travel? i mean, i was getting tossed around pretty bad in a 26 ft in a light storm in key west, i would be hesitant to do it on anything under 30 ft.
 
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C

Cavemansailor

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19 feet is a mansion compared to some boats that have sailed much farther. Many of the larger more expensive fiberglass boats have thin hulls compared to their size. Plus, the little boats can be propelled by oars or solar-powered electric trolling motors when there is no wind and literally pushed off by hand if they run aground.

Sven Yrvind rounded Cape Horn in a 20 ft sailboat he built in his mom's basement and now is trying to round all 3 Capes in a TEN FOOT boat even though he is getting pretty old! yrvind.com

Shane Acton sailed around the entire planet in his 18 foot sailboat SHRIMPY for EIGHT YEARS. He left without any sailing experience (but had experience in the Navy) and a couple of pounds in his pocket. His book is a great read for any would-be boat punks--he pulled all sorts of crazy scams and stunts to fund his voyage along the way (his biggest challenge seemed to finding enough cigarettes!)

Kenichi Horie sailed from Japan to San Francisco in a 19 footer WITH NO PASSPORT.

In fact, there is an entire culture in sailing around these boats-- microcruising--http://www.microcruising.com/

Tania Abei (a street punk forced-to-be sailor by her maniac artist father) circumnavigated the globe singlehand at age 18 in a 26 footer.

I am docked and sail out of Corpus Christi, which if you look at a map of wind speed and wave height, you will see it has the highest average sustained winds and steepest waves anywhere on the Gulf Coast. Almost every day, the wind builds to 20 knots with short period breaking seas of 4 to 6 feet. Its like sailing in pounding surf.

The moral of all this, big boats may be faster, but are not necessarily safer. In spite of all the talk about "nearly free" boats over 30 feet, I've never seen one in Texas for less than about $1,500, and ones that needed some very expensive and serious repairs at that.

Plus, its only me. I've never met any other boat or any other kind of punks/wanderers in Texas and have no friends. The little boat is a lot easier to single-hand, even though it is not set up with lines to the cockpit to do so. (I lash the tiller and dash madly up to the bow to do whatever I need to do).
 
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ByronMc

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19 feet is a mansion compared to some boats that have sailed much farther. Many of the larger more expensive fiberglass boats have thin hulls compared to their size. Plus, the little boats can be propelled by oars or solar-powered electric trolling motors when there is no wind and literally pushed off by hand if they run aground.

Sven Yrvind rounded Cape Horn in a 20 ft sailboat he built in his mom's basement and now is trying to round all 3 Capes in a TEN FOOT boat even though he is getting pretty old! yrvind.com

Shane Acton sailed around the entire planet in his 18 foot sailboat SHRIMPY for EIGHT YEARS. He left without any sailing experience (but had experience in the Navy) and a couple of pounds in his pocket. His book is a great read for any would-be boat punks--he pulled all sorts of crazy scams and stunts to fund his voyage along the way (his biggest challenge seemed to finding enough cigarettes!)

Kenichi Horie sailed from Japan to San Francisco in a 19 footer WITH NO PASSPORT.

In fact, there is an entire culture in sailing around these boats-- microcruising--http://www.microcruising.com/

Tania Abei (a street punk forced-to-be sailor by her maniac artist father) circumnavigated the globe singlehand at age 18 in a 26 footer.

I am docked and sail out of Corpus Christi, which if you look at a map of wind speed and wave height, you will see it has the highest average sustained winds and steepest waves anywhere on the Gulf Coast. Almost every day, the wind builds to 20 knots with short period breaking seas of 4 to 6 feet. Its like sailing in pounding surf.

The moral of all this, big boats may be faster, but are not necessarily safer. In spite of all the talk about "nearly free" boats over 30 feet, I've never seen one in Texas for less than about $1,500, and ones that needed some very expensive and serious repairs at that.

Plus, its only me. I've never met any other boat or any other kind of punks/wanderers in Texas and have no friends. The little boat is a lot easier to single-hand, even though it is not set up with lines to the cockpit to do so. (I lash the tiller and dash madly up to the bow to do whatever I need to do).
I thought for a second,19' was too small,but having read about your hull,knew you feel good about your boat !........I really want to go with you,but am not sure,I can meet your deadline,at the moment ! I'm getting my teeth worked on,at MCV,thru a program !And need money to get the work done & don't have money for my passport now. But,with a huge yard sale,can move forward !
 

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