Caribbean Cruising 

A quick glimpse out of the window on a grim winter's day in Britain will have many of us longing for the crystal clear seas of the Caribbean.

 

Conceived as a fun event for cruising yachts, the ARC has become the most popular way to sail across the Atlantic. It created and has developed the concept of cruising rallies as a way to cross oceans and  holds the record as the largest transocean sailing event in the world, annually bringing together over 200 yachts from many different nations.

The World Cruising Club, which runs the ARC, explains: "The ARC has been running for many years and has obviously grown. The aim was always to make the Atlantic crossing safer, more enjoyable and more manageable for the typical offshore cruising sailor.

"Safety is a key consideration of the rally. Participating yachts must carry a comprehensive range of safety equipment including a liferaft, EPIRB and long range communications equipment.

"In addition to this, we have over the years come up with a pretty comprehensive list of things to take, from essential safety equipment through to handy luxury items."   

Here are some top tips for those considering an Atlantic crossing and an explanation of the ARC safety equipment requirements. Whether you're competing, or planning your own trip, this is an invaluable guide. 

The ARC takes place in late autumn of each year and can be followed via the rally website.

ARC Boat Preparations - Top Tips

Fit equipment well in advance so you can check that it works and you have confidence in it.  Preparation is key and there is no substitute for testing everything.

Remember the boat is going to roll a lot during the Atlantic crossing and making life comfortable down below will add to your enjoyment of the trip.  

Down Below

• Cupboard doors: check catches so doors stay shut when heeling over.
• Galley: make a chopping board that fits snugly into the sink.
• Gas: buy a spring balance for weighing gas bottles. Fit a duel propane /butane installation. Propane bottles older than 10 years old will not normally be accepted for refill.

Handy Items

Fix a knife and torch just inside the main companionway hatch.

• Handholds: do you need to fit additional ones to make moving around down below easier and safer whilst on passage?
• Heavy objects: secure properly - think rolling non-stop for 18 days!
• Infestations: fit bug/cockroach traps in bottom of lockers & bilges.
• Laptops: fit Velcro to laptop/saloon table/nav area so secure when at sea.
• Lee cloths: are they deep enough for the passage making you intend to do?
• Non-slip Mat Material: cut to fit the saloon table and galley work top surfaces.

It's also handy to have place mats which can be used randomly around the boat as required.

• Mosquitos: fit removable nets to your hatches, including main hatch.
• Night vision: fit red lights in saloon, galley & heads.
• Oven: make safe by fitting a retainer inside to keep dishes in place when the oven is opened and heeling over.

Rig a crash bar across the stove to avoid nasty accidents. Dig out those pot holders

• Radar: very useful for picking up tropical line squalls.
• Storage: store pans with paper towel in-between to prevent rattling and damage to non-stick.
• Upholstery: protect with removable, easy clean covers whilst on passage.
• Ventilation: very important as the weather gets hotter. Is there a good flow of air through the boat? Try a range of windscoops and consider fitting small 12v fans by bunks / in the galley.
• Water: fit a salt water pump in the galley & manually operated fresh water pump.  

On Deck

• Deck shower: the best way to shower when in hot temperatures and good for after swimming. A cheaper option is a solar shower, easy to store.
• Drinks: fix bottle clips (from Halfords for bike water bottles) around cockpit for convenience. Gardening gloves: for handling harbour warps and chains – keep handy.
• Heat/Sun: invest in a decent bimini and sun awning which cover the cockpit and coach roof.
• Set-up: If sailing short-handed, set your boat up so it can be sailed by the weakest crewmember.
• Shore Power: bring a selection of shore power electrical adaptors with you (e.g. splitters, doublers, 32 & 16 Amp plugs).
• Trolley: a small collapsible trolley is a must for gas bottles, diesel cans and provisions.
• Visibility: invest in a powerful candle searchligh operating from a 12v socket.
• Water: an easily stowed flat packed hosepipe, with a selection of fittings, will prove useful.  

Security

• Dinghy: buy a heavy-duty combination lock and wire to padlock ashore and to boat. Rig a three or four point lifting strop to enable lifting alongside when at anchor overnight.
• Outboard: make sure you can lock this to the boat.
• Main hatch: effective lock on washboards? Should be operable from below deck to enable a secure yacht at night when on board.
• Movement Detectors: portable battery operated units are cheap and easy to use when at anchor.
• Money: if keeping money on board, split it up and keep in different locations.  

Paperwork

• Equipment List: have a list of equipment on board with serial numbers.
• ID: carry plenty of passport photos.
• Ships Papers: photocopy all in advance.
• Carbon Paper: for all those forms that have to be completed in triplicate - invaluable!  

Miscellaneous Luxury Items

• Breadmaker: nothing beats painless fresh bread!
• BBQ: keeps the smells out of the galley.
• Cockpit beanbags: greatly increase comfort when on passage and protect the knees!
• Communication: walkie talkies are cheaper than handheld VHF’s, smaller and easier to carry/use. Great if one crewmember goes ashore for shopping and needs collecting.
• Entertainment: books on local history of areas on your route, flora and fauna, constellations. Lonely Planet Guides are excellent.

Audio books are great for night watch; Board Games. Fishing Rod & Lures: always a fun pastime and saves visiting the local fish market!

• Laundry: highly recommended is a hand wringer for wet clothes. See www.lehmans.com.
• Memories: digital camera and storage facility. A USB removable memory stick is also very useful so you can keep photos taken by friends and take your long messages home to an internet café.
• Snorkelling gear: great for fun but also for checking the anchor, freeing nets off rudder, cleaning waterline etc.   

ARC Safety Equipment Requirements

The following items are mandatory for ARC participation. Further items are recommended. Find full details of the ARC safety equipment requirements on the World Cruising Club website. 

• Liferaft: a purpose made, self inflating, liferaft of sufficient places to carry all the crew.

Depending on the date of manufacture it should be either: a SOLAS raft, or an ISAF model in compliance with ISAF Offshore Special Regulations Appendix A Part II, or an “ISO Standard 9650” Type 1 Group A with service Pack 1 (>24 hours).

• VHF: a VHF radio transceiver having a rated output power of 25W and capable of working on all standard international channels must be fitted.
• Long Range Communications Equipment: each yacht must be capable of sending an E-mail message whilst at sea (via satcoms or SSB radio).
• EPIRB: An Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon: a Satellite EPIRB transmitting on 406MHz correctly registered with the appropriate authority.
• Radar Reflector: permanently mounted in, or capable of being hoisted to, a position at least 5m (15 feet) above deck. 

Octahedral reflectors must have a minimum diagonal measurement of 18in (457mm).

• Flares: flares stowed in a watertight container, with as a minimum: 6 red parachute flares, 4 white hand held flares, 4 red hand held flares, 2 orange smoke                      
• Lifebuoys: within reach of the helmsman for instant use: 1 lifebuoy with a drogue, or a lifesling (without a drogue), with a self igniting light and whistle attached, and 1 lifebuoy, or a MOB Module, equipped with a whistle, drogue, a self igniting light and a pole and flag (a danbuoy).
• Bilge pumps: one manual bilge pump securely fitted, operable from on deck with companionways and hatches shut.
• Navigation lights: navigation lights must be fitted so that the yacht shall, at all times, comply with the International Regulations for Preventing Collision at Sea.
• Harness: If separate from a combined lifejacket/harness, shall have a safety line not more than 2 metres long with a strap hook at each end. Lifejacket/Combined Harness: for each crew member, fitted with a whistle, a light, yacht name, retro-reflective tape, a crotch strap, spray hood and a safety line not more than 2 metres long with a snap hook at each end.
• Heavy equipment: all heavy equipment (i.e. anchor, batteries, gas bottles and stoves) shall be firmly secured to prevent damage from possible knockdown or capsize.  

The following equipment shall also be fitted/carried:         

• Emergency grab bag         
• A recognised secondary or alternative method of navigation         
• Securely fitted taut double lifelines around the entire deck
• Jackstays along port and starboard side decks         
• Fire extinguishers (at least two)         
• Fire blanket (secured near the galley)         
• Companionway washboards to be capable of being secured shut and with lanyards to prevent accidental loss         
• Softwood plugs – securely attached adjacent to each fitting to enable any through hull fitting to be closed off         
• Throwing line 15m – 25m (50ft – 75ft) length, readily accessible to cockpit         
• High powered search light (not battery operated)         
• Emergency tiller or secondary steering device         
• Hacksaw and spare blades (Bolt croppers for yachts with rod rigging).        
• First aid kit and manual         
• Foghorn         
• Buckets (at least two) of stout construction and fitted with lanyards; capacity to be at least 2 gallons (9 litres)         
• Echo sounder and log

Hopefully you will find these pointers useful. Just bear in mind that they are not the be all and end all, just tips gleaned from many, many Atlantic crossings.

A good source of further tips is the Noonsite website, which provides further information on paperwork required for specific countries. In the meantime, bon voyage!