Onboard

By Margaret Pommert

As prime season for Pacific Northwest cruising draws to a close, I hope you’re reflecting on your great summertime boating adventures! I certainly am, having logged 100 days and 65 nights on our waters since June. You may be asking, “What next? How can I develop my skills for bigger cruising adventures?” Here are just a few ideas:

Marine Weather Recently, I assisted David Wilkinson, an American Sailing Association Marine Weather Instructor, with a pilot program offering a two-day Marine Weather Certification Course via Zoom. It went well and was comparable to a classroom session, with students being able to enjoy the lectures, share favorite weather websites, and ask questions from home. The class was offered through Seattle Sailing Club (info@seattlesailing.com) and will be available again via Zoom this winter. David will also be teaching a one-day Marine WX workshop for Washington Sea Grant (wsg.washington.edu) on November 14th that covers multiple weather topics, including determining the path and speed of squalls and how pressure gradients affect wind in Washington waters. There are no prerequisites and classes are open to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge base.

Boat Maintenance To learn more about boat maintenance, I recommend the Marine Maintenance Technology course at Skagit Valley College and the Continuing Education programs at Seattle Maritime Academy. Both programs are responding to COVID-19 by offering online instruction. If you’re thinking of DIY updates on your boat, I suggest that you follow the SVC Cruisers College blog. Here, you’ll find many interesting videos posted by the group who have been refitting the offshore sailboat, King’s Pride. They are also posting a comprehensive “to do” list, as well as a detailed list of expenditures. Check out their YouTube channel, SVC Skallywags. I especially enjoy the Offshore Sailboat Refit and Tech Tips playlists!

Offshore Cruising Training For decades, John and Amanda Swan Neal have been offering hands-on, liveaboard training onboard their Hallberg-Rassy 46, Mahina Tiare. They are famous in the Bluewater cruising community, having launched countless cruising students around the globe. Due to COVID-19, their plan to cruise in the South Pacific is on hold while their boat sits in New Zealand. Being a good cruiser is knowing how to turn lemons into lemonade. Lemonade experts John and Amanda have this nailed and have started to teach their offshore cruising courses in the Pacific Northwest. I was lucky enough to join them for their pilot course on board a 45’ cruiser that headed out to the Straits of Juan de Fuca into the Pacific Ocean for the training. It was an excellent experience as those who attended received hands-on experience using a variety of cruising skills, from nighttime watch standing to sail repair using a Sailrite machine. John and Amanda plan to stay in the Pacific Northwest through 2021, and will run nine-day teaching expeditions on a Garcia Exploration 45 from the San Juan Sailing fleet. Now is the perfect time to chart a course for developing your own offshore cruising skills!