that they were buddy boating with so-and-so, who would watch the boat while they were gone. Short of being an emergency, it's an awful lot to ask of someone as there was reef close behind the boat.


MAKING IT WORK Having open communication about


plans and goals for buddy boating helps to ensure clear expectations. It's important to make sure the boats involved talk about their goals. What ports will you visit, and for about how long? We joked with Capaz in the cockpit one night that it's best to think of buddy boating with a bungee, instead of a chain. Our priorities sometimes diverged, and we'd part with plans to meet up later. Do you have compatible patterns for your days, i.e. early risers versus night owls? What if priorities change? Nobody wants to feel locked in, so establish inflection points in the journey where you may continue together or part on good terms. It can help to have boats with


similar cruising performance. Totem and Capaz are well matched, and had very similar transit times for our coastal


cruising jaunts in Mexico. Of course, it can be nice to have an advance scout, too – the faster boat can report back on anchorage conditions and any hazards for the following boat.


BLUEWATER CHALLENGES For the majority of bluewater


cruisers, it's unrealistic to stay in close proximity on a longer passage. Staying within VHF hailing range takes meaningful effort. Australian cruisers on s/v Nika joined the ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers) this year, and marveled at a start line with 168 boats on it. Twenty-four hours later there wasn't a single boat visible from horizon to horizon. Their experience is typical. Despite our performance similarities with Capaz, it took adjustments for us to stay in radio range for our 250 mile crossing from Baja to mainland Mexico. When we left together from Mexico on our nearly 3,000 mile passage to the Marquesas, we were out of VHF range in less than a day. The day-over-day distance spreads and subtly different courses only multiply, putting boats farther and farther apart. There can be exceptions. Friends on


Full Moon Jazz Cruise Aboard the


Historic Steamship Virginia V Thursday, September 23rd


Celebrate the September’s Full Moon with a Jazz Cruise aboard the Virginia V


Virginia V departs from Seattle’s Heritage Park


(South Lake Union) 860 Terry Avenue North for a cruise around Lake Union and Lake Washington Call 206-624-9119, tickets@virginiav.org


or www.virginiav.org/events


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Ask Us about Our NEW Hybrid Asymmetrical Spinnaker!


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www.yagersails.com (509) 928-1964


48° NORTH, SEPTEMBER 2010 PAGE 39 Mainsail


m/v Oso Blanco recently stayed within visual range of sistership m/v Mystery Ship for the duration of their passage from Puerto Vallarta to the Marquesas. They report enjoying being able to talk on the VHF periodically, a welcome perk for the watches at night. Although they did not make herculean efforts, Freezing Rain and Sula were able to stay within approximately 50 miles of each other during most their Pacific crossing.


During the past two years, we've


cruised alone and buddy boated. We like both. Buddy boating can be enriching and fun, and at times comforting to have a known entity in an unknown place. The one thing buddy boating is not is a substitute for self reliance. This is incumbent on each boater: regardless of the skills of your friend or neighbor, most of the time you're the one who will be fixing what's broken.


This month, the “Totem” crew


is particularly nostalgic about the beauty of fall sailing in Puget Sound, but enjoying the islands of Tonga and Fiji just the same. Follow along at www.sv-totem.com!


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We build our own CUSTOM SAILS & CANVAS COVERS for large & small sailboats at a reasonable price!


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