Q: We're planning to sail a 40-foot sloop from Long Island to Bermuda. How many crew should we have? Particularly, how many experienced crew do we need? The best sailors we know don't have that much offshore experience.

Steve B.
Oyster Bay, New York

A: If you are new to passagemaking, you need more crew than you will after you gain experience. Four is a comfortable crew on a 40-footer on a long (700 mile) passage. Any more and its hard to cook enough in pots that fit the stove. It also becomes difficult finding places for everyone to sleep remembering that the V-berth will be too rough for sleeping. What really makes sense is to recruit expertise. If you don't have an experienced friend to make the trip, talk to people you respect at your club or marina. Don't rule out consulting with your sailmaker since they may know someone to sail with you. It would be better to hire an instructor and have a great learning experience than it would be to risk traumatizing your family or friends.

Q: What's the best source for a safety equipment list? We'll be doing an offshore overnight.

Frank S.
Camden, Maine

A: The gold standard for safety equipment lists is Safety Recommendations for Offshore Sailing, available for purchase from US SAILING. You can reach them at the following: http://www.usssailing.org or e-mail: [email protected]