Are you dreaming of off-lake cruising? It’s easier than you think
Cindy and Eric Ringwall have been active boaters and cruisers for decades. The couple’s adventures have taken them along the entire East Coast including the Bahamas. They have sailed the California coast and have chartered in the British Virgin Islands and the Pacific Northwest and explored rivers around the country, and other bodies of water, both inland and coastal destinations.
The couple has also completed the Down East Loop, a 2,400-mile water route that circumnavigates New England clockwise by traveling up the Hudson River through the New York Canals, to Lake Ontario to the Thousand Islands on the St. Lawrence Seaway and out into and around the Canadian Maritimes and back down the coast of New England. Similar to the Great Loop Route, boaters travel through historic sites, major cities, small towns and dozens of locks on waterways. Boaters typically do this trip during the months of June through September.
Cruising can be as simple as trailering a boat to a nearby navigable river and spending a weekend, or as complicated as chartering a bareboat vessel and spending a week or a month in European or Mediterranean waterways.
Read ahead to learn how you can prepare for your own cruise, from the viewpoint of someone who has logged thousands of miles on the world’s waterways.
– Pamela A. Keene
Special to Lakeside News, by Cindy Ringwall, America’s Boating Club Atlanta, Commander
Eric and Cindy Ringwall
We thought our boating lives were over when we moved to Atlanta from coastal California. Not only were we in a land-locked location, but it was 2001 and Lake Lanier was about 8 feet below full pool. The news was filled with stories of Atlanta running out of drinking water and pictures of docks that were high and dry. Little did we know that our best boating adventures were ahead of us!
It all started when we learned about a local boating club comprised of members who not only enjoy boating on the lake but plan boating trips with their own trailerable boats to other locations or arrange for bareboat charter cruises. The organization offers a full line of courses that can make embarking on a cruise more safe and fun.
The classes start with basic boating safety and progress all of the way through celestial navigation (if that’s your thing). All manner of classes and seminars in between include engine maintenance, electrical systems, and on-the-water training in your own boat. Boat ownership is not necessary – in fact, club members might recommend that you ride along with others and take some classes before you make the plunge into boat ownership.
The club is America’s Boating Club Atlanta (ABCA), www.americasboatingclubatlanta.org, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons. Since joining, we have been surrounded by the most awesome group of people who are interested (may I say “passionate?”) in and about boating; learning safe, best practices when boating; are willing to share their boating experiences; and love the adventures that boating can offer.
Our club members not only boat on Lake Lanier and Lake Allatoona, but they boat on and around the Tennessee River, the Intercoastal Waterway, the Chesapeake Bay, the Bahamas, the Great Loop, the Down East Loop, the British Virgin Islands, the US Virgin Islands, the Florida Keys, the Pacific Northwest and even in Europe where they charter canal boats!
Since joining the club, Eric and I have experienced boating in all of those locations with the exception of Europe; it’s next on our list! Our club, with its comprehensive educational offerings, helps give people the confidence to plan their future adventures and to be able to fill-out their bareboat captain resume so they can charter boats in the future.
Why wait?
The Ringwalls in front of the Statue of Liberty.
One of my favorite classes has been our cruise planning course that’s available this summer. Cruise planning is taught in the evening as a combination of online and instructor-led, and each class is recorded. That way, you can make up a session if you have a conflict or review the material multiple times at your leisure.
This course is for anyone thinking about exploring inland or coastal waters by boat on your own vessel or a charter. The extensive course starts with preparing to cruise, how to choose different boats for different waters and experiences, and basics of propulsion and electrical systems.
Extended cruising requires a working understanding of onboard systems like bilge pumps, autopilot, ground tackle, galley, plumbing, tools, spare parts and associated troubleshooting techniques. Safety is always top priority so navigating to a safe harbor, keeping a watchful weather eye, and knowing how to respond to onboard emergencies is necessary. Even details like planning meals, provisioning, crew assignments and daily routines are included. The course culminates in planning your own cruise and presenting it to the class.
I encourage you to check this class out. It is a broad-based class and touches on so many different topics. Our instructors have also “been there, done that” so the color commentary they offer is priceless. The 8-session class, offered on Tuesday evenings starting on June 17, is only $143, or $88 for members of ABCA.
Register for Cruising under Power and Sail at www.americasboatingclubatlanta.org.
If you have questions about this class or any of America’s Boating Club Atlanta’s educational offerings, send an email to seo@americasboatingclubatlanta.org.
Photos: courtesy of The Ringwalls
