Packing for an Off-Season Cruise…
…(What we carried 40 years ago, before there were smartphones)
If you’ve been following Small Craft Advisor for awhile, you know we’ve already touched on the subject of how to pack for a small-boat camp-cruising adventure.
Just this morning I stumbled on a list I made 40 years ago, in anticipation of an off-season (October to April) cruise in our Puget Sound waters. At that time, my go-to cruising boat was SHINE, a 1946-built 15-1/2’ Poulsbo Boat…a round-bottomed, open, cedar-over-oak beauty designed for salmon fishing in Northwest waters.
Just for fun, let’s look at what we suggested packing for a Fall cruise four decades ago. (I’ll make a few comments along the way, since many changes have occurred since 1983.)
PACKING THE BOAT for a three- to seven-day cruise, assuming an open boat in the 16-foot range, with two people beach camping ashore during the off-season (October through April) in Puget Sound.
What we bring along:
2 life jackets.
2 sleeping bags in waterproof duffel bags, or even just plastic garbage bags.
Boat cushions. (We often carry 4 or 5—enough for a variety of lounging positions in the boat.)
A 2-person backpacking tent with rain fly.
Foam sleeping pads or air mattresses. We like to bring a luxurious 3”-thick foam camping pad for sleeping ashore on what might be uneven ground, but if there isn’t room for a bulky rolled-up pad, thinner backpacking pads will do.
Flares, or other signaling device for night use.
Fire extinguisher, especially because our boat is powered by a small inboard gas engine (Wisconsin, 4-hp), and there are two cans of fuel aboard.
2 anchors, each with appropriate chain and rode. We use a small 6-pound Danforth when anchored in quiet coves, but anytime we have to shove the boat out into potentially strong tidal currents using the clothesline retrieval method, we use a ridiculously heavy 20-pound Navy anchor, since we’re sleeping ashore and really want our boat to be there in the morning. (Update: We would never use a Danforth or especially a Danforth clone today, preferring small and more reliable anchors by Rocna, Mantus, Manson or some Delta-style anchors by Lewmar. Avoid clones.)
9’ x 12’ tarp to cover goods aboard the boat and also to use ashore when beach camping.
Medium-sized ice chest, strong enough to sit on, since additional seating options are always appreciated aboard a small camp-cruising boat. Contents vary depending on length of cruise, but we can usually pack enough foodstuffs into our ice chest for a 5-day (or so) cruise…resupplying along the way if necessary.
Compact tool kit with just enough items to cover things that might break on the boat. In our case, we include a few key small-engine parts like spark plugs, fuel filters, etc.
Small emergency first-aid kit (backpacking type).
Small compass, mounted or even handheld. (Today we carry a compass but rarely use it, since most of our navigation needs are fulfilled with an iPhone and Navionics.)
Marine charts in plastic, weatherproof envelopes. (Again, while we love to carry printed charts—ideally the plasticized ones that are waterproof—we rarely consult them, preferring a smartphone or iPad Mini for navigation.)
Binoculars, smaller if possible and weatherproof.
Transistor radio for weather reports. (Ha! How things have changed. We still own a transistor radio but weather information—and so much more—comes via Windy, Accuweather, Tides Near Me, DeepZoom, Navionics, NOAA Weather and other sources…all available on the smartphone or tablet.)
Whistle for signaling in case of emergency. (Yes, today there are other options.)
Rain gear, including waterproof Helly-Hansen bib overalls, rain jacket, sea boots and waxed wide-brim rain hat.
Multiple changes of basic clothing items—shorts, pants, socks, wool shirts, tennis or water shoes, etc. (We prefer a number of thin layers rather than one or two thick ones, since it’s easier to get to the right comfort range in changing weather. And today we’d pack some kind polarfleece vest as part of our layering plan.)
Waterproof plastic bags, various sizes, for things that accumulate during a small-boat cruise—mainly garbage and dirty clothes.
Camping lantern, flashlight and portable, battery-powered running lights. (Our little boat of 1983 did not have a 12v battery, permanent navigation lights, electric start or any such fancy items. The Wisconsin air-cooled marine engine was started with a rope around the flywheel—no recoil starting, let alone starting motor.)
Fresh water in plastic jugs; approximately one gallon per day for two people.
Hand bilge pump and bucket suitable for emergency bailing. (And a bucket toilet, with sawdust and lid.)
Oars, simple spritsail rig for downwind use…or very broad reaches.
Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen lotion.
Mess kit (backpacking type), including pots, nesting pans, plates, utensils for cooking and eating, Swede stove (alcohol), camping teapot, matches, dish soap, rags and scrub brush, cups and coffee mugs. (Today our preference is one of the single-burner butane cooktops, rather than the smaller and less stable Swede stove. Origo one-burner stoves are also great.)
Watertight food box for canned goods, pasta, cereals, nuts, soups, crackers, wine, dried fruit, backpacking dinners, basic spices, juices, applesauce, etc.
Camera gear in waterproof bags. (Update: These days we shoot almost all photos with an iPhone 13 Pro…good enough for our current needs. The only thing we occasionally miss is a long telephoto lens for seabirds, whales, seals and other wildlife, but at this stage we aren’t planning to invest in such equipment.)
That’s about all we noted for an off-season camp-cruise 40 years ago, in our relatively mild Northwest conditions…where we’ve enjoyed some great cruises in winter months…all the way from South Puget Sound to the Octopus Islands in British Columbia.
Please let us know what you like to pack, in addition to—or instead of—what’s on this basic (and dated) list. - Marty
Here is link to previous article on packing a small boat, plus a PDF packing list. https://smallcraftadvisor.substack.com/p/packing-a-small-boat?utm_source=%2Fsearch%2Fpacking&utm_medium=reader2
I'd bring most of those but also a Garmin Inreach which has GPS location functions, SOS capacity and, most important, text messaging capabilities via satellite.