Cruising Destinations

Sailing at last! Photo by Chris Gill of Windcheck.

Picking a destination is as easy as it is complex. The first challenge is to answer the question, "Dock, mooring, or anchorage?" The second issue is to master the concept of "Gunkholing." And then there is offshore cruising, ocean passages, and foreign ports...

Gunkholing

"All gunkholes are anchorages, but not all anchorages are gunkholes. There is a subjective quality in the term "gunkhole" that is not present in any anchorage... A gunkhole is that ideal anchorage of which you dream, protected from stronger winds, surrounded by towering trees with seabirds swooping down to catch the jumping bait fish, and with a good bottom for holding the anchor for as long as you care to stay."

Adapted from: Tom Lenfestey, "A Gunkholer's Cruising Guide to Florida's West Coast"

Part of the allure of gunkholes is keeping them a secret to protect their allure. There aren't quite as many gunkholes on LIS as we would like, but we'll tell you about some of our favorite spots without revealing their secrets.

We'll also provide information about the many destinations that are not gunkholes, but rather cruising destinations that offer marinas, anchorages, moorings and other amenities, adding to the collection as time permits. Suggestions, corrections, additions and editorial contributions are welcome.

Just click on a destination on the following pages to view cruising information. If nothing comes up, that means we are working on it and would appreciate your input.

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Blind Sailor Teams up with Oean Cruising Club Member to Cross the Pacific

Ocean Cruising Club Associate Member and Skipper Doug Smith and his good friend Hiro Iwamoto are scheduled to sail across the Pacific non-stop from San Diego to Fukushima, Japan with a departure date scheduled for February 24th in Dream Weaver, a 41 foot Island Packet. The interesting component here is that Doug is the novice sailor and Hiro is the experienced skipper, but one who happens to be completely blind. This will be Doug’s qualifying ocean voyage for Full Membership in the Ocean Cruising Club. This is not Hiro's first attempt.

Hiro Iwamoto on the dock next to Dream Weaver

Back in 2013, he and another crewmate sailed out of Japan-bound for San Diego, California. Unfortunately, six days into the voyage their 6-ton yacht was taking on water in really rough seas due to unscheduled tussle with a blue whale and an unexpected typhoon 700 nautical miles from land! After radioing in a distress call, the two crewmen were forced to abandon ship into their covered rubber raft where they endured 15 foot waves and 30 knot winds. Sea conditions were so fierce amphibious aircraft were unable to rescue them for eleven hours. Despite this experience, Hiro remains determined to inspire others to overcome adversity and work to achieve their dreams.

OCC Associate Member and Skipper Doug Smith

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