Question for all you seasoned cruisers/water-dwellers!!!!

[divinggirl]

Hi everyone,

Since I've gotten to "know" those on the HAL boards best, I thought I would throw a question out there...

My DH and I have decided, for our next trip, to "make our own cruise", and in the 10 days we'll be basking in Bocas del Toro, Panama, 5 will be spent aboard a 35' houseboat as we sail the Bocas archipelago, just the two of us. Does anyone here have any experience with houseboats and houseboat cruising that they would care to share? Any tips, hints, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Of course, we won't have the same level of service I had the pleasure of experiencing on HAL, ;) but a $6 lobster dinner really can't be beat!! :D

Thanks all!!

Nikki

[lcruiser]

Hi divingirl, that sounds like a lot of fun. Here is my 2 cents.

I have done 1 week in a 65ft houseboat in lake Powell may years ago.

I made sure I took the Coast Guard Navegation Safety course to refresh myself (make sure you know the rules of navegation, in your case international).

Do not be shock when and if you have to fill the gas tank and pump the waste.

Hopefully it has 2 motors, get some practice navegating dual controls.

We where several couples so we divided duty per day, ie. one couple had common area cleanup duty, another had cooking duty, another had bathroom duty and one couple had nothing duty their time to enjoy the day. Navegation was given only to the experience ones, everybody help securing the boat when beaching, etc.

I hope this helps. As to the area I have no idea.

Have fun and lets us know how you your experience.

[divinggirl]

Thanks lcruiser!!

We're staying within the Bocas archipelego (Admiral's Bay), no open water cruising for us. Filling the tank, sure, but I hadn't thought about pumping waste!!

Where did you take the Navigation course? That is something worth considering...my DH knows what he's doing, but I've been perusing "Boating and Sailing for dummies" :) That is quite helpful, actually!!

Thanks again, any other thoughts would be appreciated!!


Nikki

[CaptData]

Get a good GPS unit and spare battries. Ensure your first aid is up to date too and CPR. Check your fire equipment. Have insurance for everything including a foriengine (sp) lawyer. Ensure everything on houseboat is full and working before you leave. Check your needles are up to date for any area you will be in. Get a Hep A& B shot since you may have to use local water if something does go wrong.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Panama - on your own - take malaria pills.

[divinggirl]

KK-

Cholroquine is already in the works, malaria is not really a problem in Panama, EXCEPT Darien and Bocas, it figures!!

CaptData, don't know if we can afford to purchase a GPS for 4 days, unless there's some affordable one out there I don't know about. Local water on Bocas is safe to drink, but we'll have bottled water anyway. First Aid/CPR refresher course planned for next month! I'll have to look and see if uor travel insurance covers boats...if nto, I'd be interested to know if anyone knows where I can get that. The houseboat renters used to offer insurance, but not anymore.

Thanks all!!
Nikki

[cactuslady]

Diviggirl --

Lucky for you that you live in Baltimore, a fine old seaport! You have a lot of information on boating locally available. I think the U.S. Power Squadron may have boating safety classes in your area. I recommend taking one, and/or the Coast Guard class. Also, it wouldn't hurt to have a little hands-on class time -- check with a local boating or sailing school. Even if you can find only sailboat lessons, you will learn a lot about maneuvering, docking and general boat handling.

A good way for you to find learning resources would be to drop by one of your local marine supply stores. They often have lots of brochures available, and perhaps there is a local boating newspaper that will contain lots of ads and other information. Plus, they have tons of books on boat handling and navigation. The store's staff can be very helpful in pointing out places to start.

Plus, the store will help you get the proper marine charts of the area, and can help you find out if you also need current (as in tides and currents, not as in "recent") information (just as essential as charts in some places, like the Pacific Northwest). You should check with the outfit you are chartering from to see if they provide charts. Even if you have a GPS, the charts are a great backup and can help you figure out where you want to go. The store may also have cruising guides for the area you plan to go, which will have suggestions on where to go, what to see, what to avoid, where to get good gas, etc. The outfit that you are chartering from may also have this kind of helpful local information.

Even if you have a GPS, make sure you learn how to use a marine radio. Be sure the chartering outfit provides proper safety equipment -- life jackets, life raft, etc., and trains you on how to use their particular boat. The operation of some things, like lighting the stove or using the head, may be a surprise to you.

You didn't say how soon you are going on this trip. If you can, it would be a great idea to charter a boat of some kind for a short time locally (with or without a crew to help you), so you can get the hang of things in local protected waters, and where you can ask for help in English.

Be safe, be smart, be adventurous, and have fun. :)

[cactuslady]

Of course, we won't have the same level of service I had the pleasure of experiencing on HAL, ;) but a $6 lobster dinner really can't be beat!! :D

Nikki
P.S. -- Don't forget the lobster trap and you have it for free!

I also forgot to ask you if the chartering outfit will be provisioning the boat for you (this means groceries). Find out what they are supplying, and be prepared to bring along or obtain locally whatever else you want. And be prepared to haul lots of ice. Last but not least, take along a cookbook or at least your favorite simple recipes if you're not confident that you'll be able to whip up fabulous dinners on a 2-burner alcohol stove. (What kind of stove are you getting?)

[divinggirl]

Cactuslady--
THANK YOU for all of your insights and suggestions! It's exactly what I was hoping fo rby posting on this board.

As my name implies, we're avid divers and we can take lobsters while diving if we can catch them, as long as they're adults! We'll try, but I have a hard time looking at something alive, and then eating said creature! :rolleyes:

The chartering outfit does indeed provide us with charts. The allowed sailing area is pretty small, and traffic consists mostly of dinghys and taxi boats, as there is only one road on Bocas (ahhh....) I invite you all to check it out at bocashouseboats.com (I hope that's OK to write) However, this is a relatively new venture in this area, which fortunately speaks mostly English, not Spanish. Navigation is mostly visual and we don't plan on working too hard, just drop anchor here and there to dive, and have our own little private island for a day or so!! We will have to provide our own provisions, but everything there is pretty cheap, except gas ($3/gallon)

Another great aspect of this is that we'll never have to dock, we just drop anchor offshore and dinghy in. The outfit is based in FL and the boat registered in DE, so everyone associated with this venture speaks English.

I will certainly look into these marine classes, you're right in that I should have no problem finding them around here!

Fuel for the fridge and stove are provided, and it looks like I have a four burner stove. The trip is in Feb, so we may be able to do a trial run before then, but it's getting COLD here in MD, unlike AZ! :D

It sounds like you've done this before!!

Nikki :)