Prepping For The Pacific Passage – Biggest Sailing Adventure Of Our Lives!
It’s nuts I tell you, nuts! We’re on the home stretch, the final days before we take off on the biggest sailing adventure of our lives. We’re going to sail across the Pacific Ocean!
Caffeine consumption is at an all-time high. We’ve been planning and preparing for a while and yet, our to-do list just keeps growing longer. Preparing the boat and ourselves for a 3,500 nautical mile ocean crossing is no joke and honestly a daunting task for a couple of newbies.
I remember the sleepless night before our first big hurrah, which was sailing across the gulf stream. I was too excited to sleep, like it was the first day of school and if I closed my eyes I would somehow miss it. It felt like such a big deal at the time, but now it seems like a walk in the park compared to the adventure ahead.
We’ve probably gone over the pacific voyage a hundred times in our head and talked through a bazillion “what if” scenarios.
Our longest passages so far have been around 800 nautical miles; approximately six days at sea. Our crossing to French Polynesia will be anywhere from 20-30 days. Ya know, only four times longer…gulp.
We’re not afraid or scared, that isn’t the emotion at all. It’s the nervous excitement that comes before any big adventure. And this is the biggest, longest, most remote, self-reliant adventure we’ve ever taken on. It feels like a big leap, a qualifying round that if successful, leads to a whole new world of possibilities.
It’s going to be just the two of us and the sea.
It’s okay, we’re underway!
The past month has been a tough one for us. Our stress levels have been all over the map with all the boat projects, banking issues and emotional farewells. To be completely honest, we were on the verge of burnout trying to make it all happen and keep up with our regular workload. Because there is nothing like a little stress to make the smallest hurdles feel like Mt. Everest. So, this departure was extra sweet.
I don’t know how to put into words the sense of relief, freedom and concentrated satisfaction that comes from watching the land slowly disappear. As we turned west and set sail towards the setting sun, it felt like the end of one novel and the beginning of another.
There is a lot that goes into preparing for a long ocean voyage. Float plans, routing, weather, emergency go-bag, provisions, safety gear, medical kits, boat maintenance, visas… It’s far more than I can squeeze into this post. But, if you are interested in knowing how we went about something specific, drop us a note in the comment box below.
One of my general favorite resources so far has been Captain Fatty. His book, Cruising Boat Basics gives a realistic overview of the lifestyle and things to consider. It’s just good, practical, useful information for any sailor looking to sail about the world. Thanks Fatty! See the book here: https://amzn.to/2vhGyW4
Watermaker Woes
We like our water maker, but it is over ten years old. Running into problems is never fun, but it’s understandable. Our high pressure pump failed and needed a rebuild. It’s not a difficult job…but another one of those tasks that is more challenging the first time round. Hopefully we won’t need to do that again for another ten years but if we do…should be a snap.
Alternator Belt & Battery Charger
We knew it was time to replace the alternator belt (what a pain that day and a half was) but we hadn’t anticipated the low battery. Sooo happy we purchased a battery charger (it works for AGM, Lead Acid and our lithium batteries) and we definitely recommend having one on board. Here is our battery charger: https://amzn.to/2OJRbJ4
The sailor way: If it doesn’t work, make it work. Creativity is king.
Curious About Our Camera Gear?
- We used our A7, sony pocket cam, drone and action cam for this video. All Our Camera Gear Listed Here: gonewiththewynns.com/camera-gear-review-2017
- Most all our fave gadgets and gear can be found in Our Gear store: gonewiththewynns.com/store
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