Your first cruise is sort of a grown-up version of that night you took the family car after getting your driver's license. It was a bit scary, a lot exciting, and something you'll remember for a lifetime. But now you've had your boat for a while, and your weekends are spent on the local waterways with your family and friends - cruising, fishing, waterskiing, or just picnicking on your home waters. Maybe the newness is slowly starting to fade, and you find yourself gazing at the horizon wistfully. There are islands and harbors out there to explore, but where do you start? The idea of planning for a weekend in distant waters can be daunting, but remember the response of a famous sailor who circumnavigated the world. When asked how difficult it was to achieve that feat, he smiled and replied, "You can spend a day on your boat, can't you? Well, it's just one of those days after another." And that's the way it is with your first cruise. But you'll want to make more preparations than you would simply for an afternoon cruise. Let's look at some ways to make your first cruise an enjoyable one. The key to any cruise - whether it's an overnighter to a nearby island or a vacation-long voyage - is planning. Not only do you need to plan your itinerary, but you need to prepare your boat, your crew, and your own skills to handle the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Where To?

The first question is an obvious one: "Where shall we go?" The answer is equally simple: "not too far." Too many first-time cruisers try to do too much too fast, and wind up feeling frustrated. Select a destination not too far outside your normal boating area, which will allow you to hone your skills without posing too many major difficulties for a novice. Four hours of running time is probably farther than you've been, but not so far that it seems like a foreign land. If, for example, your boat cruises comfortably at 25 mph, then you can look for a destination about 100 miles away. That time and distance will give you a sense of having accomplished something on your cruise, but you won't be exhausted when you get there. Besides, you'll have plenty of time to settle in and explore your destination, and you'll have a margin of safety if you encounter bad weather and have to run slowly.

Preparing Your Boat

Now is the time to have your engine tuned and checked, because you'll be using it more than normal, and you don't want your cruise shortened by problems. Charge the batteries completely, and make sure your electrical system is in tip-top shape. It seems obvious, but don't overlook the navigation lights - you don't want to discover at dusk (and far from land) that your running lights aren't working. As a precaution, you should carry spare parts for common problems: engine belts, light bulbs, engine and transmission oil, etc. Since your needs will vary depending on the boat and engines, check with your mechanic about what he recommends for carry-along spares. And, of course, your tool chest should have all the necessary items to install those spares.

How To Plan

Once you've picked your destination, it's time to get serious about planning your voyage. Simply climbing aboard your boat and setting out is the fastest way to get into trouble, especially if you don't have a lot of "sea time" on the water. Your first task is to buy a chart of the area you'll be cruising. Sure, you may have a nifty GPS with all the built-in charts, but what happens when the batteries go dead? Don't go to sea without carrying a chart of the area. Examine the chart to see what sort of obstacles are between you and your destination. You'll probably find that there are headlands to go around, shallow water to navigate, or perhaps you'll be venturing out of sight of land for much of the trip. If you aren't sure of your navigational skills, now is the time to take a U.S. Power Squadrons or U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary boating course to give yourself confidence. On small boats, you may not want a large chart because it's hard to handle. There are Small Craft charts that fold up neatly, or you may prefer one of the many chart books available that reproduce government charts in a convenient book form. Whatever you choose, familiarize yourself with your voyage before you cast off any docklines. It's a good idea to plot your course, mark any important areas with Post-It flags, and pencil in the various magnetic courses so you'll have them ready when you need them. One point that most first-timers overlook is contingency planning. Just as an aircraft pilot always has alternate landing fields in mind in case of trouble, you should have alternate destinations chosen (and charts available) for harbors that you can use if you have engine problems or encounter rough weather.

Navigation

Navigation is likely to be one of your toughest challenges, so don't add to your difficulties by overlooking this area. At a bare minimum, you should have a parallel ruler, a pair of dividers, and a few pencils. With these basics, a navigator can keep track of where he is and how to get where he's going. Your most important navigational tool, however, is a compass. All the fancy navigational gear and stacks of charts are worthless if you don't have an accurate compass. But, you say, I'm going to be following the coastline to our destination - why worry about the compass? What if fog rolls in, or you get delayed and have to run at night? Your compass should be properly corrected (called "swinging") to balance out any magnetic or metallic influences aboard your boat. Knowing the course you're steering is essential not only to getting where you're headed, but for staying out of trouble as well.

What To Wear

It's often hard to plan ahead for the vagaries of boating weather. A summer weekend may require everything from a bathing suit for a mid-afternoon swim to a foul-weather jacket for that evening thundershower. Good advice is to take half of what you think you need, because you'll probably find that you still took too much. The three things that are likely to make you uncomfortable on your cruise are being wet, feeling cold, or getting too much sun. A waterproof jacket can take care of spray or rain, and it can double to keep you warm. Layer your clothing so that you can either peel off sweaters or jackets as the day gets warm, or you can add them for evening chills. And don't forget plenty of sunscreen and a hat, because reflection on the water increases your chance of sunburn. A good pair of sunglasses can take the squint out of afternoon water glare, too.

Think Ahead

There's an old nautical saying: "Never take your boat somewhere your brain didn't reach five minutes earlier." When it comes to your cruise, make that days ahead. As an example, if your destination is a quiet cove, you might be anchoring for the night. To keep from dragging your anchor (and to give yourself a good night's sleep without having to check the anchor every hour!), you need to plan ahead. You should know what type of bottom (mud, rock, grass, etc.) the cove will have and, even more important, if you have the right anchor to bite securely in that bottom. If not, plan to buy or borrow the right anchor. You'll find that information marked on your chart, or noted in a guidebook. A good cruising guidebook can be helpful in answering many of this type of question, as well as providing information that you may not think to ask. At Catalina Island off southern California, for example, not only is there an unusual method of mooring to buoys, but the absence of dock space means that you'll need a dinghy to get ashore. You can often get a lot of useful information by contacting the visitor's bureau or local chamber of commerce at your destination beforehand. Not only will you find out about attractions and sights to see, but they may even provide discount coupons that can reduce your cruising costs. You can make a game of "thinking ahead" with your family by verbally walking through your trip. "We arrive in the harbor and anchor the boat, so we need the right anchor and enough rope. Then we go ashore - Do we need a dinghy or is there a water taxi? Once we get ashore, we need to check in with the harbormaster - Where is that office?" That sort of planning - going down a list of "what-ifs" - can minimize any problems you may face on your real cruise.

Living Aboard

Now we come to one of the big differences between day-cruising and overnighting: You're actually living on board your boat. Rules and organization make all the difference here because, after all, even a large boat is still small when compared to a house. Putting a family aboard a small boat for a weekend is like a culture-breeding flask in a laboratory: Small social irritations can quickly become major infections. The basic rule - and one that everyone must abide - is that everything has a place and must be in it. Leaving old clothing on the dinette or shoes strewn on the floor is not only dangerous, but likely to be a red flag to someone on board.

Cooking Afloat

It's been said that more cruises are ruined by bad food than by bad weather, but I don't think I want to go there. For many boaters, a good cruise has more to do with eating well than it does with exploring, so it's important to both you and your crew to get this part right. A starting point is to simply ask your crew - whether they are family or friends - what they want to eat. If the unanimous vote is hot dogs on the barbecue (don't forget charcoal and matches!), then you'll have a more enjoyable time if you leave the recipe for veal marsala at home. Remember that you probably won't want to cook while underway, so plan your meals accordingly. Sandwiches and finger foods are perfect snacks to eat while cruising, and you can make those items ahead of time to save yourself time in the galley. Try to make foods do double-duty, too. Left-over chicken from dinner can turn into chicken salad sandwiches for the next lunch, and an extra dinner steak is great with eggs for breakfast. Food storage is always a concern, particularly if you rely on ice rather than a refrigerator. If you have room, an extra ice chest in the cockpit can get all the soft drinks out of the refrigerator to make room for "serious" food, and they'll be more convenient there, too.

Ventilation

Since a boat is designed to be watertight, it stands to reason that it doesn't have many openings. The result is that you have to make your boat well-ventilated, which is one of the necessities of living aboard. Warm weather can be uncomfortable unless you have opening ports and hatches that provide breeze, but remember that you need protection against evening showers, too. Investing in a wind scoop can make it comfortable as well as dry on the warmest evenings.

Dinghies

Serious cruising - to places where there are no docks or marinas - means you'll need a dinghy. Inflatable dinghies have advantages, but are pricier than fiberglass. Whichever you choose, know how to tow or store it before you set out. At night, tie your dinghy close to your boat since it's nearly invisible to late-arriving boats. A good place to do this is at the stern, since tying it alongside the boat can make noise if your boat moves or wakes bounce the dinghy around.

Bad Weather

Inevitably, the best weather is found either the day before your cruise starts or the day after you return. That said, it's a good idea to prepare for clouds during your cruise. The most important thing to remember is that your cruise is intended to be fun. Slogging through growing wind and waves is not fun. So don't be shy about saying "nuts to this" and heading either for nearby shelter or back to your home port. It is always - Always! - better to be on shore wishing you were out on the water, than to be on the water wishing you were on shore. The wise seaman always heads for smooth water and a safe harbor when conditions deteriorate - follow their lead. The same applies if you happen to have bad weather on the day you planned to return. Plans can be changed and, at worst, you can always leave your boat and take a plane or rent-a-car home if you have to be at work in the morning. Return the next weekend and retrieve your boat rather than taking risks in poor weather.

The Fun Stuff

Now that you've heard about the basic precautions and warnings, it's time to talk about the reason we cruise: the fun stuff. First of all, be sure to take some games along. Staging the Inter-Galactic Monopoly Championship can fill an entire evening, and board games are a good way to spend a rainy afternoon. Cards are easy to stow, and there are plenty of games such as charades that don't take up any space at all. Observe the evening "happy hour." A tradition of cruising is gathering in the cockpit to enjoy sunset and dusk. It's a cocktail hour with simple hors d'oeuvres and pleasant conversation, as well as a chance to admire your surroundings. If there are boats nearby, invite their crews to join you, and you'll find yourself making lifelong friends. Smell the roses. If you're anchored off a beach, don't miss out on the simple pleasure of beachcombing for shells. If the shore is rocky, look for stones or driftwood as reminders of your cruise. Be mysterious. Nearly every boat has a cassette stereo, so tapes of classic mystery tales from old radio shows can be an evening delight. You might have someone read from a book of short stories, and ghost stories are always a tingly way to end a pleasant day.

One Final Word

For first-time cruisers, the most important advice is to keep your sense of humor. Boating is fun, after all - it's not some deadly serious test. So what if the anchor doesn't bite on the first try? Who cares if there's a little drizzle in the morning? Shake your head, grin, and enjoy your cruise. If it were perfect, you wouldn't have any good stories to tell, would you?

November 2000