Cruising on small craft
Photo: Sgroey, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This article is about travel by small craft, including both motor and sail powered vessels, where the vessel is owned or chartered by the travellers, and may be operated by the travellers. It does not include travel by large vessels, where the traveller is merely a paying passenger, and the operation and organisation are provided by the vessel's owners or operators; for that, see Cruise ships. The topic does not include live-aboard diving excursions, whitewater canoeing or rafting, boat fishing, or racing of watercraft, though these are activities which may be included in the "Do" section below.
Cruising means different things to different cruisers, but all cruising shares the following characteristics: living on the boat and travelling, often for extended periods of time. To reduce fuel expenses, the most common cruising boat is a sailboat.
Cruising for a few weeks or shorter times is common. Not all advice here is relevant if your home harbour is within easy reach.
Some cruisers are "long term" and travel for many years, the most adventurous circling the globe over a period of five to ten years. Others take a year or two off from work and school to experience the cruising lifestyle.
Due to the transient nature of cruising, cruisers form their own community. Cruisers commonly, upon anchoring in a new area, will stop by nearby boats (in their dinghy) to introduce themselves. Cruisers leaving an area are happy to trade charts with boats going in the opposite direction.
UnderstandSee the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me.
DestinationsThe world is your oyster. At least those parts which have enough water to float your boat.
Get startedHaving no previous experience of boating, you should usually start with somebody else being skipper, yourself just helping according to their instructions.
MoneyMoney is the main problem for cruises of more than a few months. Conservative cruisers have several years of savings, and plan to work about one quarter a year.
Equipment and tipsEven on short trips it is important to check that the boat and its equipment fulfills requirements for safety in worst-case weather. Are the life jackets the right sizes? Enough fuel?
Do
Eat and drinkThe cooking facilities on a yacht are somewhat limited, although usually better than in most outdoor cooking.
SleepThere are two common ways in which boaters sleep. Either the boat is big enough to have bunks, or at least somewhere to lie down, or you have a tent and spend the nights ashore.
BordersWhen entering a new country you are usually obliged to follow a customs' route to a port with a customs office (in some regions the office may have its own harbour earlier by the fairway).
WorkThere are many opportunities for travel as a paid or unpaid crew member on a cruising boat. These range from skipper down to deck hand, depending on the skills, qualifications and experience of the member of crew.
Stay safeAvoid falling overboard, as it is often fatal if you are not picked up – and picking somebody up in rough seas is a non-trivial feat.
Stay healthyThe most common health problem encountered by travellers cruising on small craft is seasickness.
ConnectNear the coast you may have access to the mobile phone network, depending on your phone and provider. To avoid exorbitant roaming fees, you may still have to limit its use, unless you have a local provider.
ReadThere are hundreds of books on the subject, and large numbers of websites and internet discussion groups dedicated to every aspect of small craft cruising.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Cruising on small craft" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Sgroey, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons