Lets learn a thing or two about… Offshore Sailing
Lets learn a thing or two…
With our goals firmly set of taking part in the Down Under Go East rally this year, sailing from the Gold Coast to New Caledonia, we felt that we should try to learn as much knowledge as we can about sailing offshore.
The challenges of the great unknown I think are the biggest cause of fear in attempting to sail across oceans. The force of nature is unforgiving to us tiny little specimens and the ocean can be a relentless beast at times. The more we learn and the more preparation we put into our planning, will only be beneficial to us when we attempt to achieve our goals.
Of course we do not plan to sail into a storm, but we all know how quickly the weather can change. A squall could blow in, it may only last for 20 minutes, but during those 20 minutes, so many things could happen.
We have been meeting with other experienced sailors that have previously taken these challenges upon themselves. By listening to their stories and experiences, we have already gained priceless information. You can never know enough I reckon and because of all these factors, we have decided to join an offshore cruising course run by the ICA (Island Cruising Association). The instructors of the course are 20-year veterans of cruising, therefore should be able to share some wisdom with us novices.
