Great Questions Lynn. Let me try to answer these.
#1.) What is keeping me?
#2.) How hard is it to plot?
#3.) Anything else to do before you 'take off?'
#1.) What is keeping me?
I paid my mooring bill through the month of June. So my plan is to depart about July 1st. Weather depending / permitting. *remember it's always weather that makes the last decision. If it's not safe to go - dont try! Nothing is keeping me. i plan to leave july 1st.
#2.) How hard is it to plot?
NOW you hit the nail on the head.... It's like rocket science and a Ouija board take a holiday with a group doing Horoscopes. Plus it's all still so new to me that it's scary. I dont want to wreck the boat. I dont want to run off the edge of the world. (it's flat you know!) Another thing about this adventure is the boat traffic i expect to encounter. Going up the east coast of Florida is passing by Miami and other large ports. *My biggest conundrum is finding where to stop for the night. How do you find a safe secure spot to anchor overnight?
#1.)
Get a map or a Nautical Chart and look for a new location.
#2.)
Consider Current / Wind / Weather / Boat Traffic / etc.
#3.)
Pick some sailing locations approximately the same / 'correct distance' for day sales.
#4.)
Study the locations for possible safe anchorages or mooring balls. If it checks out, plot a course on your chart plotter. *Chart plotter is on the boat to track your locations via GPS.
#5.)
GPS view of the coast. Shown zoomed out.
#6.)
Zoom in looking for 'problems' like shallows, reefs, Sea Monsters...
#7.)
Zoom in further to look for a spot to anchor
#8.)
Go onto the Internet - Active Captain website - to find anchorage / Marinas and double check all.
#9.)
Plot the course on your chart plotter into all the future Ports.
Triple check all on your laptop and your Chart Plotter
to confirm all accuracy.
#3.) Anything else to do before you 'take off?'
AFTER you plot your course and have it on the Chart Plotter: Check all Systems, fill up with diesel fuel. Inform someone stateside of your travel plans - so they can monitor you on the Spot in case you have problems and need any Coast Guard assistance. (ie. 'dear coast guard, my brother has been missing for days now, as he told me he would arrive on day X'.) Get spare boat parts, food, rest, and then double check the weather. If everything is working properly - Go!
