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jamottep

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Good day,
My name is Philippe. I started sailing with the Redwood City sailing club in 2013. I've completed ASA101 to 104. I've sailed on their Merit 25 quite a bit, and enjoy single handling.

A bit more about me: I'm from Belgium, I'm in my mid 40s, I'm 6'6", married, father of one, work in IT.

My sailing experience is all in South Bay, small 25 ft boat, main and jib alone. No spinnaker experience yet.

I'd like to explore ocean crossing. There are a few schools that offer ASA106 but I'm being told that I should first check whether I'm sensitive to seasickness. I don't think I am but then I've never been on a small boat caught in heavy swell.

So ... I'd like to offer myself to anyone looking for crew. I want to learn more about sailing, single handling and sailboats in general.

In my current situation (working, married, father) I'm not sure how far I will take this but the idea of crossing oceans certainly has me dreaming ...

Let me know if anyone's interested in sharing their experience with a newbie. I'm open to cost sharing.

Philippe
 
Welcome Philippe! Keep inquiring about crewing and you'll find boats. There will likely be plenty of opportunities once everyone knows you're looking. I may need crew on a trip back from Channel Islands in July. Will post here when I have details. As to seasickness, most everyone I know can be sensitive to it under the right circumstances. I haven't done any really long, offshore, single-hand passages, but my guess is that being able to tolerate living inside your own head for extended periods might be the true test of whether you're suited to it or not.
 
Instead of trying to live inside my own head for extended periods offshore (which is incredibly confusing), I'm working on reliable means to achieve OBE's:

Linky

Method 1 is pretty reliable with the engine running (out of gear of course). Method 2 also works but my astral body ends up at the masthead and it's a long climb to reattach. I haven't yet tried Method 3. Method 4 is 100% reliable after 2-3 days offshore.


Philippe, are you sure you want to pursue singlehanded ocean sailing?
 
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I've been living almost exclusively inside my head for over 50 years and I can't really recommend it. Plus, I'm still not that great at sailing. At least the auditory hallucinations make for some light diversion.

I think Latitude 38 still maintains a crew list, you should also post on that, and also pressure-drop.us and even the crew list at Sailing Anarchy. Do what you can to get a ride on the Delta Ditch next weekend. If you can get your wife to drive and help ferry excess crew home, you will be doing a nice service.
 
Hello Phillipe,
I keep a 34 ft boat in Brisbane, just north of SFO. I do a fair amount of mid week testing on the Bay of electronics. If you want to go for a 1 to 2 hour ride let me know. I go out at a variety of times to seek a variety of conditions. Sometimes the spinnaker goes up, depends on what I am up to.

Brian
s/v Redsky
 
Gamayun said:
Welcome Philippe!
Click to expand...

Thank you.

Gamayun said:
I may need crew on a trip back from Channel Islands in July. Will post here when I have details.
Click to expand...

How long would that trip back be? I'm interested and would need to plan with the boss.

BobJ said:
... my astral body ends up at the masthead and it's a long climb to reattach ... Philippe, are you sure you want to pursue singlehanded ocean sailing?
Click to expand...

Well, Yes. Although the literature about offshore sailing and singlehanded sailing aren't particularly painting a rosy picture. Pitchpoling, limit of positive stability, falling keels, suicide ... I'm not sure anymore.

pogen said:
I think Latitude 38 still maintains a crew list, you should also post on that, and also pressure-drop.us and even the crew list at Sailing Anarchy. Do what you can to get a ride on the Delta Ditch next weekend. If you can get your wife to drive and help ferry excess crew home, you will be doing a nice service.
Click to expand...

I took a peak on latitude38 ... there are already over 400 crew members listed. I created a profile on findacrew.net and never heard from it ...

Do those really work?

brianb said:
I keep a 34 ft boat in Brisbane, just north of SFO.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the offer. How would we go about this? I can PM you my cell?


I realize everyone has a busy life and I'll admit that I'm asking for a lot. I'm reading a bit too (Nigel Calder's cruising handbook).
 
Thank you for the offer. How would we go about this? I can PM you my cell?


I realize everyone has a busy life and I'll admit that I'm asking for a lot. I'm reading a bit too (Nigel Calder's cruising handbook).[/QUOTE]

Sure, you can PM me with a cell phone number.

To get a good sense of solo sailing you might consider, "The Martian".
 
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jamottep said:
Pitchpoling, limit of positive stability, falling keels, suicide ... I'm not sure anymore.
Click to expand...

Extremely rare occurrences. I think you'll fit right in. We have our awards meeting for the Singlehanded Farallones next Wednesday night at the Oakland Yacht Club (which isn't in Oakland, it's in Alameda) at 7:30. If you can make it, come on over and introduce yourself.
 
Hi Phillipe

Welcome. There is a lot of information around here. Check the resources page on the main site. http://sfbaysss.org/main/resources/

I started small as well, O'day 22, sailing around the Bay. This year bought a Wilderness 30, an 80's racer. First boat with a spinnaker so lots to learn.

I sailed in the Singlehanded Farallones race last week and had my first OBE (overboard breakfast experience)
Seasickness and fatigue prevented me from finishing the course.

My plan is to go out more to try to adapt to the motion. I would be glad to call or email you if I am going out. Generally a couple weekends a month. I sail out of Richmond.

Greg
 
OBE confusion ?

Daydreamer said:
Hi Phillipe

Welcome. There is a lot of information around here. Check the resources page on the main site. http://sfbaysss.org/main/resources/

I started small as well, O'day 22, sailing around the Bay. This year bought a Wilderness 30, an 80's racer. First boat with a spinnaker so lots to learn.

I sailed in the Singlehanded Farallones race last week and had my first OBE (overboard breakfast experience)
Seasickness and fatigue prevented me from finishing the course.

My plan is to go out more to try to adapt to the motion. I would be glad to call or email you if I am going out. Generally a couple weekends a month. I sail out of Richmond.

Greg
Click to expand...

Bob J applies OBE to see beyond the mast head in search of cat paws on the water. Based on that I was up all night trying it out. Greg is using it to keep his GI tract contents minimized. Tired and confused.
 
jamottep said:
... I'm being told that I should first check whether I'm sensitive to seasickness. I don't think I am but then I've never been on a small boat caught in heavy swell.
Click to expand...
Don't worry...when you're in truly heavy seas you'll be too terrified to be seasick ; )
 
Harrier said:
Feeling so bad you wish you were just about anywhere else might be worse than "terrified'.
Click to expand...

Hello, Sir! Do you have a seasickness story for us? Or an antidote? Rick Elkins told us about a Navy study that suggested 48 hours of prophylactic bonine helped.
 
I find that drinking too much the night before departure can cause sea sickness, even before leaving the dock! Without such "stimulant", it doesn't happen to me.
If you do feel sick, don't try to fight it: Just throw up and things will get better in a hurry, never to return!
 
My recommendations...don't be jet lagged and eat the oyster stew at Sam's Chowder House the night before heading to the Farallones. And prophylactic Bonine is the thing that works for me -- when I remember to take it -- then I'll take it again on mornings when the sea state starts to kick up. It helps me even just a few hours before things go bad. I've been 4 days offshore with no problems when a storm sends my stomach sideways. So much for sea legs :)

As to the Channel Islands trip, it will probably be the week of July 20. I'll post my plan here.
 
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