Pre-Cruising Projects and Preparation (non-Sailing stuff)

Prepared by Maryanne aboard Begonia

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Aside from learning to sail, understanding oceanography, weather, how to anchor properly, all those knots, how to use a cleat, and the rules-of-the-road and all the other sailing 'stuff' - once you decide to go cruising, once home becomes wherever you set the anchor, you will be grateful to have prepared well for these new paradises. Here are some tips I'd suggest to spend your time on BEFORE you set off on your cruising life. You can work on these even years/months before, and even if you have yet to find the boat to take you cruising.

We've been living aboard since 2002 and have sailed many oceans, countries, and seas, we are happy to share with you some of things we think you'll find worth the effort while you are waiting to go cruising.

• You can start to LEARN a lot of useful stuff ahead of time
  • Languages of any countries you plan to visit (or pick at least one other useful language to study). There are plenty of apps (some work offline) and podcasts that can help you here. It is fun and useful to have at least the basics in your repertoire!
  • Musical Instrument - If you already play something - great, if not consider something you can imagine enjoying. Sharing a music session with other cruisers and locals on your travels can be a real highlight (or maybe you have some other skills/talents that are fun to share?)
  • Medical First Aid & Wilderness Training - because you never know! I actually volunteered as an ambulance medic (which came with training) for a year before we started cruising.
  • Diesel Engine Maintenance (and most likely outboard engines too) - find a good book and possibly plan a basic course (a weekend one is perfect, they are simple things)
  • 12V electronics - find a good book, and consider a basic night class if available.
  • General 'boat fixing' skills - fiberglass/gel-coat - the book 'This Old Boat' by Don Casey is full of instructions (and mini-projects to test your skills) on such things for absolute beginners
  • Using a Sextant (not essential at all, but fun and very sailor-like)
  • The Phoentic alphabet (useful for talking on the radio or even to spell things out via the telephone, or face-to-face when language skills are mismatched).
• Digitise your Paperwork & Photos. Spend some time to scan in and store (don't forget backups!)
  • Passports, birth certificates, insurance documents, banking, pension stuff, etc
  • Old Photographs (you don't need to be carrying around a box of old snaps, and once scanned you can use them as your screen saver.) Be sure to spend time adding information to your photos (as your apps allow), faces, geography, etc.
• Digitize your Entertainment (don't forget backups!)
  • Music - Transfer your music from CDs to MP3s (or whatever the modern equivalent will be)
  • Movies - Transfer your Movies and TV shows from DVD to storage on a remote hard disc (great for sharing and keeping separate)
  • Podcasts - Identify and start downloading Podcasts that you can enjoy (they don't have to be sailing related)
  • Books - Start downloading all the books that you figured you wanted to read some day - I manage my books using Calibre (free software) that talks nicely with my Kindle (and other eReaders) and there are millions of free books available for download (and systems in place to allow you to pay for more modern books too).
• Digitize Other useful stuff (don't forget backups!)
  • Recipes - Family favourites, and digital cook books are all good to have to hand (and easy to search when you are looking for a recipe for some ingredient you need to use up!)
  • Boat manuals! Once you know your boat, download all the appropriate manuals and spares lists you can find - from rigging, engine, electronics, the dinghy, EVERYTHING. Go through and identify EVERY item that might possibly have a manual and then FIND it online
  • Non-Boating manuals - identify all your non-boat specific stuff you plan to take aboard (cameras, printers, sewing machine, EVERYTHING) and go on-line to find the manuals and parts lists
  • Software help manuals - identify the software you use and download manuals for offline reference.
  • Wikipedia is available to download and use offline (free, using an app like Kiwix) - but it takes a big investment in downloading the data so you need a fast/reliable connection (but worth it for me). To save space you can download a picture free version. We find this gets a LOT of use while we are cruising in areas with no internet, from looking up the name of some actor, to the specifics of the cruising grounds we find ourselves in.
  • As you make purchases of ANYTHING with a warranty - scan in the receipts as proof of purchase so you can make use of that warranty down the line (never easy when you are travelling, but may at least come in useful for insurance claims).
  • Your address book - keep a record of all your existing (and new) contacts - keeping it electronically means you can have it to hand (with backups) on your phone, computer, etc.
  • Keep a digital record of the anniversaries and birthdays of family and friends - You are bound to be missing some key events, but you can at least remember to send a card, email or make a call home. Most digital address books can manage this AND send you reminders.
• Record all the model and serial numbers for any electrical equipment you plan to take cruising - keep a spreadsheet. Now is also a good time to also record the type of batteries each item needs. (Watches, flashlights, cameras, weather stations, binoculars, etc all seem to want different batteries and not all batteries are easy to find when cruising).
• Research your intended cruising grounds/area/countries
  • Identify the likely cruising guides/apps
  • Identify the useful tourist guides (I like Lonely Planet, and if you buy direct you also get the digital version for free). Take a trip to your local library and scan through a bunch of different guides to see which you like best.
• Identify Apps you will want to use - Books are useful too, but take up space. Here is a selection of what I use
  • Boating apps - from knots, to help using your sextant, navigation, cruising tips, there are 1000s of them, and every year things change. I regularly use Navionics, Zulu Waterways (especially the offline version), Ovital Map, Marine Traffic, Anchor (an anchor alarm), and a host of marine reference apps (Nav Rules, Celestial, Seamanship, etc)
  • Land based maps - that work offline if you pre-load the data - I use Pocket Earth which shows contours and trails, street names, grocery stores, restaurants, etc.., even has Wikipedia entries.
  • Geocaching can be a fun hobby in new places - there are plenty of apps out there (require subscriptions?)
  • Language Stuff
    • Translation apps - that work offline if you pre-load the data - Google Translate can even translate sentences offline (if you have pre-downloaded the language within the app).
    • Dictionaries (various translation dictionaries to cover all countries you might be visiting. Useful to have a standard English dictionary too).
    • Cruiser specific Translation Books - If you are not totally fluent and travelling to countries that don't necessarily speak English widely, these boat repair and maintenance phrase books are so useful! They translates both ways, with pictures, all those strange bits you won't find in a standard dictionary (like engine parts, rigging parts, even medical emergencies, etc...), they even help with pronunciation so you don't need to know ANYTHING of the language. You can take them with you to the hardware store, chandlers, hospital, etc. - see Useful Book List
    • Medical Dictionaries for translating between english and the approrpiate foreign language are useful too (can often find as apps)
  • Games (that work offline) - ASA has a fun sailing game app, I have Yatzy, Drop7, Solitaire and various word games to keep my occupied.
  • Health / Fitness / Recipe apps
  • Weather apps - aside from the usual, you can include barometer apps, lightning apps, etc..
  • A Postcard app (e.g. Touchnote or MyPostcard) - these let me send a 'real' postcard to family and friends, made from photos I've taken myself - I love it!
    • I primarily use Touchnote with a credit of postcards to use as I travel, there are also monthly plans - you you want to join this Promo Link and get $10 off (and I get 5 free cards).
  • Wildlife identification apps (that work offline) - I especially love identifying the birds we see on our travels and try to find the best bird app based on the country I'm visiting (same for plants/flowers/mammals/etc).
• Consider your Communication Options (especially if you are likely to go outside your own country, or out of standard cell phone coverage anywhere)
  • Wifi Boosters can be useful (saving you a trip to shore if you can access the local wifi from the boat at anchor).
  • Cell Phone Boosters can also be useful (ideally one that works with multilpe channels and so is good for multiple providers)
  • Know how to swap out your SIM card (or maybe your phone has space for 2 sims?).
  • Keep an old phone as a back up 'just in case' and make sure it is loaded with all the apps you generally use
  • Setup an email for cruising (separate from your 'normal' email)
  • Satellite phone (or services such as Iridium Go) - if you are planning on using one, take some time to research and (when you have your boat) install and test it all works before you depart.
  • If you have (or intend to get) an SSB radio - then look at Sailmail, and if doing any business or transmitting on Ham bands, be sure to get your HAM radio training and license too
  • Consider apps such as WhatsApp, Skype, Messenger, Viber that can allow communication with your friends over an internet channel (they won't want to be calling you internationall).
  • Receiving Mail (post)
    • Firstly do everything you can to reduce the mail you receive
    • Identify where you can have mail sent while you are away (trusted friend/relative?). I use a mail service (USA Based) that scans envelopes (and on request content of mail) so I can manage my mail online (St Brendan's Isle, in Florida). I'm sure similar options must be availble in other countries.
    • Notify all your organizations (banks, insurance, etc) of your new address.
    • Start to divert all your exisiting mail to the new address and see how the process works BEFORE you set off
  • Getting News away from Civilization - I subscribe to various news feeds so I can get at least the headlines via our satellite or SSB mail. It is worth looking in advance to see what possible news subscriptions you might appreciate
• Setup your phone/contact lists to use international dialing codes - that way they will continue to work once you are using your phone from different countries. Example - if you Mom's phone number is XXX-XXX-XXXX in the USA - change it to add the +1 at the front (+1 is the international dialing code for the USA), so it becomes +1 XXX-XX-XXXX in your contacts. Make sure you us the '+' as many countries have different codes to dial out of the country (but + always works). Also, it will still work while you are in your home country.
• Dependents
  • Kids joining you? - find and join a cruising with kids (Facebook?) group, and plan ahead for entertainment, craft projects, home-schooling and medical check ups, vaccinations, etc. Start researching the best life-jackets for kids.
  • Pets - find and join a cruising with (Facebook?) Cats/Dogs group - Know what is required before you depart your 'home' country and for each of the areas you intend to cruise (often pets are not allowed ashore, or may need extra chips/treatments, etc). Start researching any life-jackets suitable for your pet.
  • Elderly parents - consider how you will keep in touch, what you will do if there is an urgent need to visit them?, prepare them for your absence (it helps they know you will be sending regular post cards, and/or calling frequently).
• Financial affairs & Banking
  • Switch as much as you can to on-line bill pay and automatic payment, and check (record) expiry dates on cards
  • Aim to be debt free - pay off your debts starting with the ones that charge the most interest.
  • As you connect to your online accounts, verification is often required - be sure you are setup to verify your account WITHOUT using your local phone number (e.g. if you get a foreign SIM, the bank can't text you the code). Our bank doesn't allow verification codes to be sent via email, so we have a SKYPE phone number ($ annual fee) registered as our contact there allowing us to received the voice message wtih the code wherever we are in the world. More recently Google Voice allows for a phone number that will follow you around (but test you can add it to your bank before relying on it), and GoogleFi allows for a phone number internationally provided you don't leave the USA for more than 3 months at a time.
  • Keep a list of all the subscriptions (auto-renew) you might want to cancel before you depart (Marina fees, magazines, cell phone, newspapers, car insurance, Netflix, whatever) - start now and it will be easier not to miss something once you've left
  • Add your bank and credit cards to your smart phone wallet - you can now use them without taking your card ashore (where tap and pay is accepted) - also - if you cannot 'connect' with your card while travelling, you can have a trusted friend give you the details and input the card manually into your digital 'wallet'
  • Add all your financial institutions into your contact lists (especially contacts numbers for overseas calling, etc).
  • Identify and install (& test) apps for all your banks, credit cards, and currency storage apps (plus Xe to see current rates between currencies).
  • Credit Cards
    • Switch as much as you can to automatic payment so you wont ever miss a payment due to poor data connections. (You can normally select to pay the minimum, or the full amount owed - I recommend the full amount, but you should understand your own finances).
    • Be sure to source multiple credit cards (mix of Visa and Master card) - it is common for cards to expire while you are away, and for cards to be cancelled due to fraud - you don't want to be stuck without at least one working card
    • Source Credit cards that have no additional international and foreign currency fees
    • Source credit cards with no annual fees
    • Source credit cards that will include basic car rental insurance for your travels
    • Know any requirements to report to your cc company each foreign country you visit (with dates).
    • Keep a log of your spending, or AT LEAST check on your (on-line) statements when you can - if there are any fraudulent charges, you can ONLY claim up to 6 months afterwards. Most cards can send automatic email notifications of ALL spending, so you can keep track that way too.
  • Banking & Cash Withdrawals
    • Set-up automatic payments for as many of your bills as possible
    • Understand ATM charges (especially international charges and fees) - ideally have an account with a bank that gives ATM fee refunds where applicable (we get this with our Charles Schwab Trader account)
    • Notify your bank of your intended travels (once you have a plan).
    • Check in on your statements as regularly as possible (and/or setup notifications to email you of all transactions so you can keep track for fraud).
  • Consider an account that lets you have a cash balance in multiple currencies (e.g. Transferwise, OFX)
  • Get your affairs in order. Sailing is relatively safe, but now is (always) a good time to get yourself organized in such matters as follow.
    • Share your banking information with a trusted friend/relative
    • Prepare your will (you should do this regularly even if not cruising)
    • Check (or setup) any automatic distributions on your death actually match your current wishes (e.g. from pensions, insurance and savings plans)
    • If you have an pension type distribution coming due to you - be sure to be aware of what is expected of you to set this up - do all you can before you depart (or at least set everything up so you can do it online when the time comes).
  • Switch to doing any government required tax returns online and/or consider how you will manage such obligations while cruising.
• Downsize (organize) your
  • Power Tools - consider rechargeable tools (min 18v) and how/if you can recharge in countries with different power (V and Hz)
  • Good tools should be kept if they can be useful aboard, but they also need to be stored so they can be functional when you need them - start getting organized now - items should be easy to find, and protected from the salt air. Small bags/boxes (different colours) are often useful.
  • Once you know your boat, be sure you have all the range of sockets, spanners, allen/hex keys, etc that you will need
  • You will also need a host of 'odds' - screws, cable ties, hose clamps, bolts, so if you already have these (especially marine stainless quality hardware - test that a magnet isn't attracted to it), don't discard.
  • Household generally - unless you are keeping a home while you travel, you will want to dump/donate/gift all your 'stuff' to avoid storage cost (I'm guessing you have no need for a lawn-mower aboard?). If you really do have some precious/special items that you must store while you travel, keep them to a minimum and if you are lucky a good friend my store them for you.
• Galley
  • Downsize your Kitchen Gadgets. Unless you have a big boat, there will be a ton of stuff you won't be able to take with you - so get used to managing without (or with smaller alternatives) now.
  • De-power your gadgets if power is going to be an issue aboard. You can get really good pull cord choppers (Tupperware), and for most 'stuff' there are manual equivalents.
  • Consider alternative Cooking options - A pressure cooker?, Solar Cooker, BBQ bread? Get familiar with such things.
  • Be aware that boat ovens are often very much smaller than home ovens, many of the standard (and large) baking trays simply won't fit in a boat oven.
  • Storage space is a premium aboard, you can purchase high-quality nesting saucepans as an option (keep an eye out for special offers, or add them to your xmas wish list).
  • For the stuff you will take cruising, be sure you have any spares required (or know how to get them) - e.g. I find it useful to have spare gasket for my pressure cooker.
• Downsize - Clothing
  • Start to organize and reduce your clothing, shoes, etc, keeping just what you expect to use on your travels (and can store aboard)
  • Favour clothing that is quick dry and easy care (you may need to do laundry by hand laundry in some places)
  • Be sure you have a selection for appropriate protection (wind, sun, foul weather, etc). Make the most of special sales and offers.
• Hair care
  • If you have long hair, you will find living aboard sheds hair EVERYWHERE, I think it is becuase we're not hanging out in the shower daily and hairwashing as much as in a house. You'll soon be finding long single hairs in the bilges, EVERWYHERE. If you are not wanting to switch to a short-cut style, the best solution I've round is to simply be sure to brush your hair well EVERY DAY, let the brush catch all those hairs and dispose of appropriately; the victorian 100 brushes myth has some value aboard.
  • If you dye your hair, think about how you can maintain that while you travel (or make a plan to transition to your natural colour). If you have a colour you especially like, it may be worth buying a few extras to keep aboard and to learn how to self-dye your hair (or rope in some of your crew to help).
  • Have the tools and skills to cut your crew hair. My husband simply shaves off his full head of hair every few months (with electric hair clippers, followed by a razor), and I had him watch a few YouTube videos so he can trim mine from time to time.
• Exercise - Start the switch to exercises you can do aboard, and away from the gym: Running, kayaking, yoga, resistance bands, etc.
• Medical
  • Optician - get a current prescription and a spare set of glasses/contact lenses.
  • Dental - Get your check ups (and if possible a digital copy of your most recent x-rays)
  • Prescription Medications - plan for how you can source the meds you need for your cruising plans
  • Medical Check ups - Do what you can from your home base before you leave, things will only get harder! Make a note of any regular checkups you might need and then see how you can fit the into your cruising plans.
  • Insurance - how will you cover any medical emergencies and ongoing/general checkups while travelling. - Note:We like the Dan Boater insurance ($100US/year for a couple) which gives emergency support and MedEvac relocation to your 'home' country in an medical emergency - It doesn't pay for general medical care you'll need separate medical insurance for that (or go self-insured).
  • Protect yourself and the crew from Skin Cancer: Shade, sunscreen, hats, long sleeves/trousers, etc. Farmers and Sailors with their outdoor lives have the worst record for skin cancer and it is so easy to protect yourself in you plan ahead.
• Officialdom
  • Driving License - Check the expiry dates on your driving license, and if travelling to non-english speaking countries get an International Driving License ahead of time (and be sure it has the apprirate languages).
  • Passports - Be sure to leave with plenty of space (empty pages) and remaining time on your passport, and if necessary, have a plan to renew it as you travel.
  • VHF License - for using the boat radio
  • HAM License (if you need one for your SSB)
  • EPIRB registrations
  • Boat Registration & Insurance - suitable for the needs of your travels - consider how you will renew as necessary, read the small print so you know what is not covered and what areas you must avoid during hurricane/cyclone seasons. Be sure you know what insurance is required for each of the countries you plan to cruise in before you depart your home country.
  • Skipper license/qualification - not needed for all countries/areas, but some insist you have it before you depart so know the rules, and some are worth having anyway as part of your training, and possibly even for discounts on insurance.
• For each country I plan to visit, I go through a list of reminders (beforehand) to prepare myself - see Country Checklist.
• Start training your family and friends to quit buying you 'stuff' when it comes to gift giving times - if they insist on buying gifts, ask for consumables (chocolate, wine, etc), or things that are already on your wish-list.
• Invest in (or keep hold of) good equipment you will want while cruising (if you want, but don't have - consider adding to your gift-request list).. Be aware that each item requires storage space aboard.
  • Good binoculars - with image stabilizing
  • A camera - small with a good optical zoom, and image stabilizing, even better if it has GPS tagging. Of course modern phones are getting better and better, but I often use my good zoom (x30 optical) to read signs ashore from the boat, or to get close-ups of wildlife. In fact, I use it in place of our binoculars too.
  • Underwater camera (or housing) to capture all the cool stuff you see when you go snorkelling/diving (or to take photos of things broken below the waterline)
  • Headlamps - with red and white light options, ideally rechargeable rather than batteries you need to keep replacing.
  • Waterproof bags - Various sizes can be useful: small ones (to take a camera ashore), larger ones (to take your laptop ashore), etc.
  • And other boat-life toys you might want aboard, depending on your own preferences/budget/space. If you have time you can purchase during sales events or even find good 2nd hand equipment. Don't forget to also be investing in all the required spares and maintenance accessories.
    • Fishing gear
    • Kayak?
    • Stand Up Paddle (SUP) boardd
    • Snorkel Gear
    • SCUBA gear
    • Kite surfing kit
    • Surf Board
    • Wind surfing kit
    • Drone Camera
    • Folding Bicycle(s)
    • etc..

And if you already have the boat you plan to take cruising, there are a host of other things you can start to prepare...

• Digitise your Boat & equipment manuals and parts lists: find the PDF manuals, or (for spares) if there are no manufacturer pdf documents save the web pages as PDF files. I keep mine in a special folder on my computer, divided into sections for: Engine/transmission/steering, Anchoring, Communications, Navigation and Electronics, Paints, Electricity and Power, Refrigeration, Plumbing, Hatches, Propane, Heating, Household appliances (don't forget a backup)
• Go through all your boat and equipment manuals and make a note of all the recommended maintenance. I keep a spreadsheet that keeps track of what needs doing when (and when I last did it, along with the spares & tools needed for each job - e.g. do you have the grease gun and nipple adaptor you need to grease your steering and folding props?). At the same time you can check you have the correct tools aboard.
• Start to plan ahead for general, occasional maintenance - when will you need to replace all the rigging (and where will you do it?), anti-foul paint? changing zincs?
• Start planning for the spares you want to carry - for both regular maintenance and emergencies aboard.
• What adaptors might you need (Water hoses, power, propane, etc).
• Consider if your storage capacity is sufficient for your needs: Power (batteries), water, propane, holding tank, etc
• A boat stamp is rarely required but fun to have, you can stamp official documents, and also the inside of your books, etc. Consider having one made.
• Consider having 'boat cards' made that you can swap with all the new cruisers you are likely to meet (alternatively you can use your boat stamp on cut up old beer or cereal boxes to hand out). Useful to have pictures of the crew, names, boat name, MMSI, email, Facebook page, blog, etc... and useful if you have space to write on your local phone number
• Know and record in a prominent place your boat's beam, mast height (clearance with antennas, etc), and draught (metric and imperial) as you may well need this as you navigate under bridges, through lock gates, etc in alien cruising grounds.
• Consider purchasing (or printing/binding) a Log Book - both useful and a fun record of your travels.
• Consider writing check-lists for various boat handling stuff - especially useful if you plan to take on crew to share any of your passages (but useful regardless). We have one for pre-departure, arrival, and various odds for things we don't do so frequently aboard. They include such things as fuel valves, checking the swim ladder is up, etc.
• Boat Ovens
  • Boat ovens are notoriously hard to gauge the temperature inside. Test yours and if necessary invest in a good thermometer you can use until you 'know' your oven.
  • Be aware that boat ovens are often very much smaller than home ovens, many of the standard (and large) baking trays simply won't fit in a boat oven. Double check the size of your oven before you determine what home kitchen-ware to keep.
• Do you have space for a folding shopping carts and/or backpacks for carrying produce back to the boat, or your laundry back and forth. Bigger wheels are better.
• Keep digital copies of all your boating purchases, repairs and maintenance receipts (useful for reference, insurance, warranty claims, etc).
• Cruising Equipment - there is a host of stuff you want on your boat for safety once you start longer passages and long distance cruising, I'm not going to list them all here (but you should be aware of what you need, and what you might be missing). There may even be requirements imposed by your country of registraion.
  • Consider installing AIS if you don't already have it. A receiver can 'see' details (name, speed, etc) of other equiped boats and a tranmistter can send your information to other boaters around you that have a receiver. Great for busy shipping channels, and if you have one, you'll notice the cargo boats simply get out of your way at sea without you ever having to 'ask' or 'verify' their intentions.
  • Jacklines and tethers
  • Good life jackets (with built in harness)
  • EPIRB (needs registering too)
  • Flares (these expire so be sure you purchase wisely).
  • etc
• Consider setting up a blog or facebook-type page specific to your travels and separate from your 'normal' friend and family interactions. If you have the capacity and enthusiasm you can even start a you-tube channel.
• Keep a record (spreadsheet?) of everything that needs renewing/replacing so you are never caught out. Espcially include expiry dates for any critical stuff (passports, visas, bank and credit cards, insurance, radio licenses, EPIRB registration, flares, etc) and have a plan regarding how to renew these on your travels as necessary
• Invest in some good locks for your dingy, bicycle, boat lockers, etc.. If you plan in advance it is possible to get a set of padlocks with the SAME key so you don't have too many differnt keys to deal with.
• VHF
  • Know how to use it and what licenses are required (for users and boat/station). It is worthwhile to take a course if you are new to this, but at the minimum you should understand what stations are used for what (low and high power), and how to make and return calls over the radio.
  • VHF - What Mode(s) do I need to use for my VHF Radio (including handhelds)? What channels/frequencies are in use? Note Canada, USA and 'International' standards use different frequencies and channel numbers
• We use a dab of garish colour nail-varnish to help match keys-locks, cables to ports, tools to nuts, etc... We have a selection of colours to keep us sane!
• Test ALL your communications tools (boosters, satellite, SSB radio, etc) before you head off.
• Kids? Pets?
  • Consider extra netting to prevent them falling overboard under/between the lifelines
  • Get them familiar and used to wearing any life jackets and tethers you are planning on using
  • If you have pets aboard: Be sure to get your pet happy with toilet training aboard, and used to the motion of the boat. Consider where/how you will get routine pet checkups, and prep for any emergency contingencies. start using any tethers or life jackets so you pet can get comfortable with it.
  • Give them a space that is theirs for their toys and to sleep. Let them start using it.
  • Get them to practice self-recovery from the water (in nice calm warm waters) - try and make a game of it during the training process. Same for getting in and out of the dingy.

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