Coastal sailing trip coming up. Need advice.

January 13, 2020 10:39 AM

Helping a friend sail a 60 ft sailboat up from Puerto Vallarta to San Diego in February. I've done a lot of sailing years ago but asking for advice on what to bring for the approximately 10 day long trip. Things like: clothing, how to handle medications, personal safety and comfort items, etc. Thanks!
posted by Rad_Boy to Travel & Transportation (3 answers total)

Is it just the two of you? Are you going to be docking every night? Or doing it in one push?

I would hope there’s at least three of you, if not four - just to make it easier. If it’s just the two of you, well, you have your work cut out for you. There’s a lot to do on a boat and when it’s just the two of you, just that much more to do.

I would bring warmer clothes, long underwear and thermal shirts, as well as ‘real’ foul weather gear (which maybe you can borrow?).

How the trip is structured, how the captain is planning on the trip going would guide a lot of my decisions - but in general terms (as someone who has spent a lot of time in and on sailboats of all sizes) I would treat it as a little vacation with some special clothing requirements.

Personal safety - don’t drink alcohol until you are tied up at the dock, don’t leave the cockpit without at least a personal floatation device, in rougher weather a harness and line.

Games are more fun than electronic devices.
posted by From Bklyn at 12:02 PM on January 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

It's going to be very cold at night on deck. Dress in layers. Seconding harnesses... definitely after dark, maybe 24/7 if it's just the two of you. I think you'll be going largely into the prevailing winds, so bring anti nausea meds, and take them early so you get started on the right foot. I like bonine.
posted by Horselover Fat at 12:55 PM on January 13, 2020 [1 favorite]

An auto-inflating PFD with a built-in harness is cheaper than buying the two items separately. If something goes wrong you could be stuck in Mexico for a few days, so bring meds for 20 days at least. Chances are excellent that most of the trip will be made under power.
posted by SemiSalt at 5:13 AM on January 14, 2020