Preparing for an Ocean Passage
Small Details that Make a Large Difference Are Often Overlooked
Mar 23, 2009
Common sense and the experience of others most usually dictate how a sailor prepares for an ocean passage. Everyone knows about life saving equipment, rafts, man overboard gear and stocking food for a passage. Often, however, it’s the small things that are overlooked that can make a passage more enjoyable.
Eye and Skin Damage from Sun Exposure
The most overlooked concern in preparing for a passage is sun protection. It’s not enough to pack sun block or zinc oxide to coat areas especially vulnerable to sunburn, like the nose. It's extremely important that one pack extra sunglasses, even more so if the lenses are prescription. It’s very easy to break a pair of glasses on a continuously rolling, pitching vessel. Even in calm seas, these items can fall overboard, easily sliding off one’s well oiled face.
Not having adequate eye protection can ultimately lead to the development of a Pterygium, a fleshy growth on the eye’s surface caused almost exclusively be excessive sun exposure. For this reason, it’s crucial that one use the strongest filter available if using a sextant for meridian passages.
While the sun is crucial for the development of Vitamin D, too much sun can be damaging to the skin, particularly the tender skin on the face and head. For this reason, have several extra hats along, as well as some form of shade in the cockpit of the vessel.
Specialty Items for Ocean Passages
Even though one may be a food purist, passage-making is a good time to bend the rules a bit. In the stowing of galley necessities, remember to stock treats. Having a favored food item on board can give a sailor something to look forward to, either every day, or at least at major passage points. Packages of licorice and hard candies keep well. Chocolate can melt in the tropics if one does not have adequate refrigeration. Canned juice makes a good treat, as do baked goods. Get a cookbook that will be suitable for easy onboard cooking that will have easy desserts or baked items.
Keep a few games on board to help pass time. Games not only keep children occupied, but they provide entertainment for adults as well. Look for games where the pieces don’t slide around. Cribbage is a good choice, and so are games where the playing objects are embedded in the game board.
Don't forget extra batteries for all the electronic toys children may take along. Also, be sure to include lots of art supplies. These will be appreciated by just about everyone on board.
Along with games, a good library is a must on a boat. Now that electronic readers, like Kindle, are available, one can go to sea with over 200 titles already downloaded and be able to download more in ports of call that get cellular service.
Many south sea islanders are willing to trade produce and handmade items for Western products. Check and see what the latest craze is. Whether it be CDs, levis, bras, pens or jewelry, having items on hand to exchange for goods and services benefits all.
Navigational Equipment
A sextant may seem painfully out of place on today’s modern, electronically furnished vessels. The problem with electronics on boats, however, is that it’s difficult to replace or repair items when one is in the middle of the ocean or on an undeveloped island. By all means, learn how to navigate with a sextant. A good, heavy duty, plastic sextant can be very accurate, and lifesaving.
A hand held compass is another valuable item to have on board, as is a battery operated RDF (radio direction finder) and an old fashioned, albeit expensive, taffrail log for mechanically measuring distance traveled.
Prescription Medications for an Ocean Passage
Finally, don't forget to take extra prescription medication along. Most doctors will also write extra prescriptions for pain medication, antibiotics and other medications of this sort if they know it is for an extended time at sea. Take a First Aid Afloat class, and get a good dental and medical check-up before leaving port.
It's possible to get medications in almost all of the larger ports of the world, so replenish whenever landfall permits. Exposure to exotic organisms will often require local knowledge and medication to overcome, however.
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