Preparing your yacht's systems

Will Spencer explains how to prepare your boat for sailing offshore and the regular checks all sailors should make

- Will Spencer

Completing an ocean crossing, such as the traditional transatlantic passage from the Canaries to the Caribbean, is a bucket list item for many. It's both a fantastic experience and a huge achievement for the amateur sailor, the 'Everest' of the recreational sailing world. Preparing your yacht to go offshore is more than a list of jobs; it's a mindset shift.

For those readers who aren't venturing into the middle of the ocean just yet, many of these checks are still prudent.

Offshore sailing demands more from your systems, more foresight in your planning, more consideration of redundancy and a greater level of self-sufficiency when you can't just call for backup. But equally, worrying about every possibility means you'd never actually leave. As an ARC safety inspector, I've seen everything from last-minute panics, comprehensive preparations and skippers saying “they'll be ready next year”. Finding the sweet spot can be tricky; this is what we aim for in every bluewater project: balancing the budget, the risk and the timeframe.

In this article, I'll walk through the core elements of offshore systems preparation: assessing what you need, setting a realistic budget, scheduling work, building a maintenance plan, and putting together a smart spares list. Along the way, I'll share lessons from the boats we've worked on and the owners we've helped get ocean-ready.

The ultimate goal is to have a safe, fully operational and self-sufficient yacht, ready for the intended passage, being manned by a knowledgeable crew.

What offshore really demands from your systems