How do you plan a trip (or a DaySail)?

Where you've been or where you'd like to go. Trip reports or thoughts on how to plan and prepare for a cruise. (A memorable or challenging Daysail totally counts).
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Moderator: GreenLake

How do you plan a trip (or a DaySail)?

Postby GreenLake » Sun Aug 15, 2021 5:31 pm

Somebody asked me recently whether we've had any good discussion on preparing for (that is planning) a trip or even a day sail. What to look out for, where to get information and what to take into account. All those good things. I thought we might collectively compare some notes here, without any claims of perfection or completeness.

The types of trips people do on DaySailers are too different, as are local conditions, for a single set of "best" answers. So, why don't we pool our various expertise a bit and share our personal answers to these questions.

What do you typically do in preparation?
What sources of information do you consult?
Are there local conditions that require extra or specific preparation?
What do you bring? What do you ask crew to bring?
How does that depend on the type of trip?
How do you select where to go?
How to you decide when to go/not to go out?

How do you prepare your boat (for an extended trip)?
How do you prepare your trailer (for a distant location)?

And many more questions like this.

If you have a question along those lines, feel free to ask it. Particularly if it "sounds stupid" (questions never are). Or, if you have a system that works for you, or if you have suggestions how you prepare for different types of trips (whether minimally for a day sail, or more extensively for a cruise), please feel free to share.

While attending a race may be different than an ordinary day sail, I'm sure there are overlaps in the planning and preparation. Let's be inclusive.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: How do you plan a trip (or a DaySail)?

Postby bilbo » Sun Aug 15, 2021 10:07 pm

I’m pretty new to all this, but I will check weather models for the areas I’d like to go sailing in. I have to drive 2 hours to get to any decent amount of lakes to sail. I use the local NWS and their forecast discussions a lot. I also use the SailFlow app as it organizes data relevant to sailing nicely. If I’m going with people who just like to ride I try to pick a lake with lots of distance across the wind. I always have a plan B lake and a plan C for an entirely different area if I wake up and the morning forecast models change drastically.

I will also research the launches. If I don’t like the launches and/or their orientation to the wind I will skip the lake. I was all ready to go sail one lake last year until I asked a friend about it and he mentioned the lake drains to a river near the launch I intended to use. He said he had seen fishing boats and whatnot drift into the river so I went to plan B that day. The other launch was not in the right spot for the wind and my novice skills.

We have a go bag that has all the basics in it like sunscreen, bug spray, snacks, extra rope & hardware, etc. and a cooler with lunch, lots of water, and stuff depending on how long we will be out.

One of these days I’d like to get out on one of the lakes with boat-up restaurants for lunch. I just think that would be cool. I better put some cash in the go bag or I’ll probably be washing dishes, thats one thing I usually leave on shore!
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Re: How do you plan a trip (or a DaySail)?

Postby GreenLake » Wed Aug 18, 2021 4:07 pm

Sometimes I could despair over wind forecasts.

There are days when the ECMWF model on Windy BASIC matches what we see on our lake. At least in less sheltered places. But then there are the days where we see half an hour of 20+ knot gusts that showed on no forecast, or days when 13 knots of gust from the South (which would have matched the forecast and were recorded locally) shift to 6 knots from the East by the time we get on the water (a direction that had not been in the forecast at all).

The NAM or GFS models regularly come in lower, especially in the gusts, and some days, that's what we see.

As I write this, Sailflow Free shows 2 gusting to three from due W, Plus shows 7/8 from the NW and the local weather station reads 8 gusting to 14 from due West. Windy's ECMWF from has 4 gusting to 12 while the NAM model has 3/5.

We live close enough to that lake that it's feasible to pack up and drive there and make the final decision based on what things look like on the water, but that's not true for all the places I like to sail.
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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