I want 2 sail

Posts Tagged ‘adventure’

I’m looking to get away on an adventure trip but would like suggestions. My criteria: I would like it to include something physical like hiking, backpacking, canoeing, canyoneering whitewater rafting etc. I would like it to be relatively close by (within 10 hours of Tucson Arizona), affordable ($1000 tops) and doable over a weekend (no longer than 4 days). I have a camper trailer and I’m willing to tent camp which can keep costs at a minimum if needed.

anyone have one? if so what do you think about it. im interested in getting one. any info would be helpful.thanks

Setting sail in your own sailboat and voyaging across the many oceans of our planet and visiting the myriad fantastic destinations en route is the easy part of your adventure.

Planning ahead of time to get it right is the more difficult of the two, so you need to begin well in advance of your actual departure date. Depending on your own situations, that period could be months or even years. No matter what your time frame is, the more detailed your planning is, the better you will cope with all the situations that the sea, Mother Nature and human elements will throw at you (and they will) during your odyssey. In the event you will be amazed at the variety of events you will encounter along the way. They will range from the fantastic to the bizarre, monotonous to exhilarating, scary to exciting, and sometimes downright challenging. This is all part of the experience, but in the main these experiences will be wonderful and uplifting and once again you will surprise yourself at just how simply, many adversities you will overcome with your own gathered knowledge and ingenuity.

An ‘Old Salt’ once said to me when I was in the early stages of planning my odyssey: ‘You may not be fully qualified/experienced when you set sail for the first time and leave port, but you sure as hell will be whenever it is that you return!’. Never truer words were spoken and I can assure you that the unbelievable storehouse of knowledge and experience that you will build during the time you are away will be a constant source of amazement to you and on which you will forever be able to draw upon.

So, now is the time to begin. It does not matter whether you actually own your own sailboat yet, that will happen as part of the process. This a good place to start – draw up a thoughtful and lengthy list of your criteria for the sailboat of your dreams.

A few headings could be:

Class – sloop, ketch, schooner etc.

Size – length, beam and draft.

Keel – long, deep, bulb, retracting etc

Deck layout – aft or centre cockpit, single forestay, cutter rig, running backstays etc.

Cabin layout – how many berths, master cabin fore or aft.

Electronics – radar, GPS, plotting, hf radio, computer with weather software, and now, AIS.

These will keep you busy for a time.

Depending on the level of your sailing skills, you can take any number of sailing courses, however, make sure they include more practical sessons than theory – you can read all the books on sailing technique etc. in the world, but nothing beats getting out on the water and putting sailing miles under your belt. Go down to the local sailing club and get yourself a regular crew position on a club racer.

If you live by the water you can buy a small and inexpensive sailing dinghy and get all the fun and experience you can poke a stick at.

Then you can go on and book yourself into a ‘safety at sea’ course.

Also, during this time, book yourself into a local ‘First Aid’ course. From my own experience of a crew member fracturing a couple of ribs mid Pacific, I can tell you it is invaluable knowledge to have. It will also assist in deciding the make up of your medical kit.

Next, study navigation. With all the electronics nowadays, this is an area that tends to be left aside more and more, leaving the electronics to take care of it. This fine as they do a wonderful job, but what if they all go down for some reason? lightning strikes, knockdown, flooding or other damage. You need to have navigational skills to be able to navigate if this adversity strikes. Also, include a course on astro navigation as this is a marvellous feeling, when mastered, being able to use a sextant and make a plot within a nautical mile or two of your GPS readings.

You will need to take a course and get your ticket for HF radio. Along with this you will get call signs etc. for your boat.

Get a two metre length of supple line from your local chandler and set it up on a convenient bar/rail at home somewhere – in your office, the bed end, back of a chair and constantly practice your knot tying until you can tie them automatically. The knots you will use the most will be bowline, clove hitch, fishermens bend, rolling hitch – become proficient at these and as many others as you can.

Study charts and all their markings, buoys, rules of the road and ships lights.

Flags of all nations is a fascinating subject, along with nautical flags and what they mean.

You are going to be busy fitting all this in and my suggestion is to start as soon as possible and get as much out of the way prior to actually purchasing your dream sailboat. As your ‘set sail’ date moves closer you will find a myriad other things need your attention and it is easy to put learning some of these other skills aside – so get as many under your belt as you can well ahead of time.

Finally, when you do have a few minutes to spare, read any sailing material you can get your hands on and especially don’t miss ‘Sailing Alone Around the World’ by Capt. Joshua Slocum.

Good luck and exciting and safe sailing.

Welcome to the unbeatable water sports playground of India! Dotted with several esteemed institutes like National Institute of Water Sports at Dona Paula beach and Goa Yatching Association in Panaji – Goa draws countless tourists from all over the world to its stunning golden beaches that are known for their picturesque beauty, fabulous coastline, sparkling seas, forested regions and various springs. Beaches like Calangute, Dona Paula, Cavelossim, Sinquerim, Condolim, Bogmalo etc. offer a wide range of water sports that can be enjoyed by amateurs as well as professionals. Some of the favourite adventure / water sports of tourists in Goa are:

Water Skiing (favourite among those who love to feel the ocean waves splashing across their faces while rushing through water) Surfing (carried out on a surfboard; beaches like Dona Paula, Calangute, Colva, Pololem, Vagator, Baga, Miramar and Bogmolo are hot destinations for surfing) Scuba Diving (swimming underwater to explore the unique marine life; best carried out at Suzy’s Wreck, Davy Jones Locker, Turbo Tunnel, Surge City, Uma Guma Reef and Bounty Bay) Dinghy Sailing (sailing on small boats) Parasailing (best places to look for parasailing includes Bogamalo, Dona Paula, Baga and the Candolim beach) Boating (best meant for family holidays) Jet Skiing (riding on the sea waves with high speed water-crafts)

Those who are not that much fond of thrill – can go for dolphin and crocodile spotting, fishing, and island trips. This way, Goa is a paradise for adventure sports enthusiasts. The long coastline in Goa offers amazing adventures amidst the sand, sun, sea and surf.

Having Visited Costa Rica, I have compiled a list of the best locations to
visit. This list is by no means comprehensive or complete, it is just a checklist
of all the places I would visit when I go to Costa Rica.

Monteverde Cloud Forest
Most famous for being associated with the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve,
the tiny community of Monteverde is a small village located near the
entrance of the cloud forest. Monteverde was founded by the Quaker community
that migrated from North America to Costa Rica in the 1950′s. In town, which
is actually Santa Elena, you’ll find banks, drug store, a local hospital,
book store, gas station, ATM machine, police station, post office,
supermarkets, internet cafes, restaurants

As the weather here is quite chilly and misty, due to the village being high
up in the Tilaran Mountain Range, you should bring some thick clothes and a
light jacket to stay warm. When here, do remember to try out the delicious
local cheeses, which are a treat to eat. If you are a bird watcher, this
village offers some lovely bird watching opportunities, even though you are
not in the cloud forest itself. However, if you prefer to do the more
touristy thing, visit the local craft centers, the women’s co-op center, the
butterfly garden and the Hummingbird Gallery in town.

Dominical Beach
Located on Costa Rica’s amazingly beautiful Central Pacific coastline, the
small village of Dominical is a surfer’s paradise where waves can reach over
10 feet high, a place rich in island biodiversity and amazing underwater
flora and fauna. It is the perfect combination between the extensive golden
coasts full of scenic beaches & luscious mountains.

Dominical is a 4 km long beach strip, with a few hotels, lodges, resorts and
restaurants in the area. While swimming here is near impossible with the
strong swells and rip tides, one can kayak off the coast or enjoy some
diving or snorkeling opportunities in the area. Horseback tours can also be
arranged to the nearby Nauyaca Waterfalls, or one can visit the Marino

Ballena National Park, which is home to a number of marine mammals like
turtles and whales that come here seasonally to mate and nest. If you like,
you can take a short day trip to the lovely Caño Island just off the coast.
This island is considered one of the best adventure diving spots in the
world and is home to an impressive array of underwater marine life.

Tortuguero
Tortuguero National Park is one of Costa Rica’s most biologically diverse
wildlife areas. Featuring one of the most verdant landscapes in the country,
the 26,156 hectare park was created with the main purpose of protecting the
green sea turtle nesting area. Tortuguero owes its very wet tropical forest
to the 5000 to 6000 millimeters of rain it receives per year. These climatic
conditions are favorable to more than 400 tree species, around 2200 species
of other plants and more than 400 birds, 60 amphibian and 30 fresh water
fish species, as well as several endangered animals including tapirs,
monkeys, ocelots, jaguars, manatees and sloths. Tortuguero is characterized
by beautifully scenic canals, lagoons and rivers that may be toured by boat,
canoe or kayak. In addition to the green turtle, three other sea turtle
species nest on the park’s beaches.

Arenal Volcano
The Arenal Volcano area is one of Costa Rica’s top attractions. Only 3 hours
away from San José, in the town of La Fortuna, stands a majestic 1,633m
volcano, known to be one of the most active in the world. Despite its
constant activity, the volcano is very safe to visit as long as you stay
within the safety perimeter. In this area take advantage of the pristine
natural surroundings! Go fishing, horseback riding; take a canopy tour,
rafting or experience a tremendous canyon expedition. Whatever you decide,
be sure to visit the relaxing hot springs in the area, the most famous being
Tabacon and Baldi.

La Fortuna and Surroundings
Often simply referred to as La Fortuna, the town of La Fortuna de San Carlos
is the gateway to the magnificent Arenal Volcano. A charming and quiet town,
La Fortuna is easily accessible from the capital city San Jose, and offers
some panoramic views of the spectacular Arenal, Costa’s Rica’s most active
volcano. Sitting around 10 kilometers away from town and regularly spewing
smoke and ash for some time now, the Volcan Arenal is the country’s top
rated tourist attraction and is indeed a sight to behold.
Over the last few years in particular, La Fortuna has become quite a
bustling town. However, there are plenty of accommodations, hotels and
resorts here to suit every budget. A must try when in La Fortuna are the
amazing resort spas surrounding the volcano. On a clear day you can watch
the volcano erupt and if you wait for nightfall, the Arenal puts on a
brilliant show with bright red rocks tumbling down its sides.
Beside the volcano, this town has other great tourist attractions like the
La Catarata de la Fortuna, Tabacon Hot Springs, white water rafting, hiking
excursions, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, horseback riding, canopy tours and
Caño Negro Boat Tours are just some of the many activities that one can
enjoy while you are here.

Malpais
Malpais is situated on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica on the southern tip
of the Nicoya Peninsula.
Also known as the Hawaii of Latin America, there are several beaches to
swim, dive or snorkel though it’s main attraction is it’s unique conditions
for surfing and it’s pristine subtropical nature. Horseback riding,
sportfishing, canopy tours, scuba, and nature tours make up some of the
other popular activities nearby. Malpais is a community unlike any other in
Costa Rica with a strong surf culture and a the laid-back atmosphere that
maintains the type of earthy tourism that made Costa Rica famous.

MalPais boasts a great selection of places to stay and eat from camping on
the beach to luxurious resorts and a wide range of activities. Without a
doubt it’s a very attractive place to relax and enjoy the golden rays of the
Pacific sunset.
Turrialba Valley

With some stunning views of Costa Rica’s rural countryside, Turrialba is a
charming little town in the lush and beautiful Central Valley in Cartago
province. Famous for being a white water rafting hotspot and base camp, this
town lies 53 km east of the capital city San José and is an excellent place
to tour the pre-Columbian ruins at Guayabo National Monument, or the rarely
visited but lovely Parque Nacional Volcan Turrialba. A quiet town, Turrialba
with its charming street corners and gorgeous surrounding sceneries is among
the few places in Costa Rica with direct access to a volcano’s crater. From
the summit of the volcano, you can on a clear day, see the Irazu, Poás and
Barva volcanoes in the distance Botanists and gardeners will want to pay a
visit to the Center for Agronomy Research and Development (CATIE), which is
located 5km (3 miles) southeast of Turrialba on the road to Siquirres. This
center is one of the world’s foremost facilities for research into tropical
agriculture.