Tom
With the purchase of our C-Dory in 2003 we too started our cruising with very minimal boating experience and none in a boat larger than a 16' open boat. Though I wouldn't totally recommend that others follow our example of setting out the first season to see just what the boat and us could do in a learn as we went mode, kind of a on the adventure learning experience. After only a few weekends of docking practice and some rough water on Yellowstone Lake we set off for a Alaska-Yukon Grand Adventure. Up and down the Lynn canal a notorious stretch of water from Skagway to Juneau, Alaska, tried to go up the Taku River, explored several very remote large lakes in the Yukon Territory and up and down the remote Yukon River from Carmacks to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. 1400 combined ocean, lake and river boat miles and towed for 5300 miles on that first adventure followed by the next summer cruising from Prince Rupert, BC to Juneau and back. Any boat that can accomplish this with two complete boating novices I think is already set up about as safe as one could desire. I can appreciate you wanting to remove as many unnecessary risk as possible, but think this effort could be better spent learning more about the areas you wish to use the boat and the equipment aboard along with perhaps like we did since 2001 when Jo-Lee started accompanying me on our adventures and with the responsibility that comes with that decided the cost of a Sat phone was well worth the cost.
Well stated question you proposed to start this thread which generated in my view even more interesting and thoughtful responses with a general consensus being there's other areas where your efforts would gain a better return for the safe use of your boat. My own bottom line is without some risk there is no adventure.
Jay
