by Nancy Jorch, Stark Terror
Last update: January 3, 1997
Bill and I have been cruising our J/30 Stark Terror since 1984,
when our son Billy was just two. After six years of intense racing
on our J/24, we wanted a larger boat that we could continue to race,
but one offering a little more comfort for our family. Enter our
J/30. Since then, we have developed many techniques to make cruising
fun and easy for everyone - without compromising the racing!
Creature comforts
When we add cruising equipment to the boat, it is always done with
an eye on racing. Everything either serves a purpose when racing,
or is easily removed. The first thing we added was an auto pilot.
It is indispensable on those long days when there is no wind, and
we use it so that both Bill and I can work on sail changes. We also
added a sunshade - again for the long, hot windless days under power,
and also for relief from the sun while at anchor. We spend a lot of
our time during the day in the cockpit, so a set of cockpit cushions
have added to our comfort.
... the basic principal has remained the same: make the boat feel
like home!
The first Stark Terror did not have hot or pressure water. We quickly
discovered sun showers and began to improve them. We carried two
on the cabin top for hot water, and a third for cold water so we
could regulate the shower temperature. Clear vinyl tubing and garden
hose fittings added length to pass down through the hatch in the
head; a Y fitting with adjustable shutoffs in each branch regulated
the amount of hot and cold water; and finally, a pistol-type garden
hose spray fitting gave instant shutoff and a real shower-like spray.
Hoisting the sun showers aloft on a halyard generates enough pressure
to provide a real shower. A large-mouth funnel took care of cloudy
days - we could make hot water on the stove and pour it into the
sun shower.
This situation sufficed until we had the summer cruise with no
sun. The next winter, we finally bit the bullet and added pressure
hot water to the boat. The installation is a good winter project
and costs about $1,000 if you do the work yourself. We also added
a 20-gal. collapsible water tank under the V-berth to give us enough
water to take plentiful showers and have enough water for 3-4 days.
Other essentials
We bought a small Avon dinghy which fits on the foredeck when inflated,
and a 2-horsepower engine. This gives us the flexibility to stay on
anchor and still go ashore or beachcombing, and serves as a convenient
swimming platform. The engine fits nicely on the stern rail, and is
light enough to handle quite easily.
For three years in a row, we went from Western Long Island Sound
to Block Island and Nantucket and experienced days of fog surrounded
by unseen ferries, ships and high speed power boats. The hours of
intense vigilance resulted in uneventful passages (not to mention
Excedrin headaches), but also convinced us that there must be a
better way. We ended up with a small radar mounted on an aluminum
pole that bolts to the deck and stern rail. It can be removed for
racing by one person in 20 minutes. We now travel - fog or no fog
- in a more relaxed frame of mind.
Including children
Our cruises in early J/30 days were quite different from the ones
we do today. They were shorter, covered less distance and ran only
a little over a week. It seemed we had to take so much "stuff" with
us when Billy was little, but the extras essentially made the cruise
work for us. Now the extras are not quite so overwhelming, and we
have changed the format somewhat, but the basic principal has remained
the same: make the boat feel like home.
The use of a storage bin (under the settees) as a toy box has been
an important feature in keeping Billy entertained - from toddler
days through now. When Billy was younger, we carried a lot of Sesame
Street books and tapes (the tapes read the book to the child). When
both Bill and I had to be on deck (anchoring or foggy weather in
pre-radar days), it was great for Billy to be below decks listening
to one of his stories without us having to read to him. Crayons,
coloring books and drawing pads were also very useful, and we still
carry many art supplies today (minus the coloring books).
To help make cruising a special time for Billy as a toddler, we
had "presents" for him to unwrap on a daily basis. This took planning,
but it was always worth it. Today, some of the essential items for
a pre-teen seem to be books, tapes, a deck of cards and electronic
games.
Watching our child grow up on the boat, teaching him to swim
and sail and navigate, sharing his excitement in seeing new lighthouses
or submarines or wildlife - all are experiences we wouldn't have
missed for the world.
As I'm listing these, I know it sounds as if all a child is supposed
to do is sit below and play with toys. Au contraire. There are days
on end when the sun is shining, the sea is calling, the beach beckons,
and the waves are all perfect. However, let's face it folks, there
is also rain, fog, cold and days when the last thing you want to
do is get in the dinghy and go to the beach. You simply need to
be prepared for all conditions.
Safe, secure
We had a strict, simple safety rule when Billy was younger: he could
not come up on deck without his life jacket. This sometimes kept him
below just because he didn't feel like putting on his life jacket,
but we stood firm. When he was quite little, we'd also have him in
a harness with a line attached. Before he became a strong swimmer,
he swam in his life jacket (with a line tied to the back in Edgartown
and other anchorages with strong currents). This allowed him to swim,
but made a secure situation for all of us. Even today when we swim
off the boat, we tie a line to a flotation cushion and toss it off
the stern. It's there to rest on or to hold onto in a strong current.
First aid extras
Your first aid kit is a top priority. Yes, we all buy one, but have
you looked carefully at its contents? I doubt that you'll find children's
Tylenol. My point is that you need to supplement the standard first
aid kit or make up your own when cruising with children. Make sure
you have hydrogen peroxide, ointment, band-aids of all sizes, gauze
pads, and personal vitamins.
You'll also need sunscreen of SPF 15 or above. Don't wait until
the cruise to try out a new brand of sunscreen. You can have an
allergic reaction to some, and then you're in big trouble. I speak
from experience on this one! (A brand marketed specifically for
children and people with sensitive skin caused my skin to burn with
nightmarish intensity.)
Finally, don't forget the Avon Skin-so-Soft for the no-seeums and
mosquitos, and Witch Hazel to kill the sting of jellyfish stings.
Plan to eat well
Bring what you like to eat. Always have snacks - fresh fruits, pretzels,
veggies, chips or whatever. People just eat more on the water. (At
least that's what I tell them at Weight Watchers after the cruise!)
Frozen dinners (homemade or store-bought) keep in the icebox for days
and help keep the icebox cold at the same time. We also carry frozen
containers of milk so we don't have to buy it as often, and to help
as ice. A cooked turkey, chicken or canned ham serves as a meal, and
then as sandwiches or other meals. We have an oven on our second Stark
Terror (we lost our first J/30 to Hurricane Bob), and I am just beginning
to realize its possibilities. In addition to cooking real meals, we've
made brownies and other treats. (In fact, brownies served as dinner
one very late night in Nantucket ... but that's another story.)
More than great racing
The list could go on, but I think I have hit the high points. We found
that cruises with a small child were quite do-able with planning,
and were an enormous amount of fun for the entire family. Watching
our child grow up on the boat, teaching him to swim and sail and navigate,
sharing his excitement in seeing new lighthouses or submarines or
wildlife - all are experiences we wouldn't have missed for the world.
Our J/30 has given us more than we could have imagined when we first
looked for a step up from our J/24 11 years ago. We know it can do
the same for you!
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