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On 12 May 2005 19:51:57 -0700, wrote:

After my aborted cruise, I want to bring my boat back from Sarasota to
Shell Point in N. Florida (Just south of Tallahassee) for hurricane
season. It is 185 miles straight across the northern Gulf of Mexico
and I estimate this is about 36-48 hours sail. My only crewmember
currently is my 14 yr old son who isnt really qualified to do a watch.
I do not want to do the several days coast hopping route as I have done
that too many times and just want to get her home (a 28' S2). So, I am
wondering if I should venture to do it with just my son or if I really
need another crew member. Strange but I no longer know many qualified
sailors, most I know are beginners who would just get in their own way.
"Ragtime" is a 1981 8.5 M S2 with new standing rigging, running
rigging, sails etc, Epirb, etc so is probably well equipped. What do
Y'all think?

If the son can't stand a watch, he's just dead weight for a passage.
So the question isn't how old/qualified *he* is, but how old/qualified
*you* are to do an essentially solo passage. In fact, the son could be
a liability if you're worried about him puking or falling off in the
proper ocean, as opposed to under three miles off the shore.

I'm sure in Florida you could pick up some young person (or get a
recommendation from another cruiser) for free or cheap or cost of
food. My buddy's delivering boats from Lake Ontario to Huron this week
and the wind's been 30 knots out of the east, which is fast, but he's
got the owner as crew on a new Beneteau 37, because it's a nearly
three-day continuous run with locks at the Welland Canal.

You'll go faster and safer with a real crew, and your son can start to
learn the skills he should have to even merit coming along on passage,
because if he can't stand a watch, do basic nav or cook all day, he's
ballast.

R.

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