Sailing a schooner from Virgin Islands to Massachusetts in March?

Question

This coming March, I'm going to be part of a crew sailing a 92 foot schooner from the Virgin Islands to Massachusetts. I've never done anything like this before, and I was wondering if people who have sailed before could give me some suggestions pertaining to things like:

what kind of stuff to pack
things to do onboard when not on watch
etc.

Anything you can think of to tell me that you think is useful will be helpful. Thanks in advance. =)

Just wanted to clarify:

I'm doing this through my school (which I won't identify for security reasons) but I have been a crewmember onboard the schooner for two years as part of an after-school program, so I have some sailing experience. What I meant by saying that I'd never done this before was that I'd never undertaken a sail that will likely last for two weeks or more. Also, I'm a 17 year old girl, if that alters any of the advice.

Answer 1

Dress warm Fowl weather gear as the farther North you go the colder it gets> Take Sea sick pills as once you start there no getting off>Bermuda if you stop there>Go on line and see if there are any trips that were posted>For review>Have fun>

Answer 2

being an old schooner hand ( as the shirt says, Schooner Trash and Proud of It!) and a VI sailor, I'll bet you a tanbark Rose I know which boat.......

and having done many times the VI > Mass trip..(but not in March..you folks are NUTS!):

polypropylene underwear, tops, bottoms and socks...two pair of each and maybe more for the socks.......it will, as Elton John says, get cold as hell out there after dark and REALLY cold once north of 23 degrees...ie the last 5 or 6 days.....

just sailing around the Caribbean at night I wear long heavy jeans and a LL Bean chamois shirt or a heavy wool sweater......

spend the money on good foul weather gear, including pants with suspenders and good sea boots....being cold and wet with little chance to dry and you're 300 miles south Bermuda and its going to 50 overnight, or you're 300 south of the Vineyard and its 40 going down to 30 will be NO FUN....and the jacket will last you 20 years, and every time you put it on you will remember that time in the open Atlantic.........

I'm not sure what you have for laundry / fresh water but on the boats I've driven I always assume what gets wet with salt water will never really dry unless there's a good squall in the doldrums to rinse things in....
I assume you know how limited space is and only pack in soft sided luggage, NOT a hard suitcase

off watch ? having run a 100 foot schooner on passage, I can tell you off watch is a relative term!....reading is good.bring at least three books so you have something to trade and something to read if one is a bore....

pack in some favorite handy food.....if you like granola bars for example they are great to have in your pocket on watch or to nosh on.....or trade......after fighting down that jib.....

and if they offer celestial navigation classes, take it!. It looks SO BORING to be figuring out where you are with a triangle thinghy and a book filled with small print numbers......but it's how it was done for 300 years, and how all the great expeditions under sail found where they were, not by looking at a screen with digits on it....it may give you an appreciation of how everyone from Drake to Jack Sparrow to everyone driving a boat up to say, 1980, got from here to there....it will make you a member of a select fraternity amongst sailors, and someone IN ON THE SECRET OF THE SUN AND THE SKY AND THE STARS...kinda like getting an advanced Masonic degree, or now understanding why they built the Great Pyramid......for the rest of yor life you will not only be able to say "I did a passage under sail on a great red winged sea beast", but you can say, "I know celestial navigation" and other lesser sailors will only be able to say, ohhhhhhhhhhhhh".

feel free to e-mail if you have any other questions

It's 78 degrees ( brrrr!) with an easterly 20 knot wind tonight in St Thomas.

Answer 3

1) try to get some sailnig experience before that., perhaps a sailing school on the gulf.

2) Im sure the owners can give you a list, but youll need
outer foul weather gear, then several changes of sweaters an clothes to go under that.

3) two sunglasses, two pairs of gloves, two sneakers
things sometime go overboard

have a great time

Answer 4

Are you crazy? It will still be winter up there! Have you heard of Northeasters and what weather and wind this can bring to the region, not to mention the resulting seas would be in a terrible state. At a minimum, take a look at the Pilot Charts for the destination area for the expected arrival times to view historical data on the winds.

Answer 5

Dress warm, the ocean at that time of year is very cold. Have long johns, and plenty of layers and good foulies with tops on the pants, not elastic waist.and gloves and hats . Eating, sleeping and just watching the sea often fill the time off watch. Take a paperback. Storage space is at a premium. You will need a soft sided duffel, sea boots and wear a couple pairs of socks at a time in the cold.Wool sweaters are best,You need sun protection, sun glasses and sun lotion for your face. We found the trip on a 36 foot in May very cold.

Answer 6

sounds like a cool expirience, sorry no advice