Off into the blue

Every year over 300 cruising boats race across the Atlantic under the auspices of the World Cruising Club’s ARC event. Most of them are cruisers undertaking their first serious bluewater passage in a ‘normal’ sailing boat, although there are some race boats too. They have all had to wrestle with the issue of preparing themselves and their craft for the 2,700-mile crossing, weighing up comfort, safety and the budget.

So who better to ask for advice on the key gear than the WCC itself? Comms director Jeremy Wyatt gave us his list of the 10 most important gear decisions to make, and not surprisingly, safety was at the top. “A liferaft and EPIRB – these are the key items on the ARC safety equipment list and should definitely be on your bluewater boat,” he says. For personal safety, he recommends an AIS beacon worn on the lifejacket. “They enable a casualty in the water to be tracked via the boat’s own AIS receiver and are a real game changer for MOB equipment.” Radar is also good for spotting squalls mid ocean, and making landfall, while AIS keeps you visible.

With all the instruments and creature comforts aboard modern boats, you will need to give plenty of thought to generating and storing power. “Solar panels always get great reviews, and the new generation hydro-generators like Watt&Sea are excellent for