What comes next after cruising & racing?

[Interloper]

We started out as beginners learning like everyone. We then spent about 15 years daysailing and cruising (a few days at most). And then I spent the last almost 20 years racing, but I'm finally over that. So I still enjoy sailing, but it's hard to imagine not having some sort of challenge. So what's next?

Liveaboard won't work, or I won't have an SO anymore. And I don't want to do an ocean passage, thought I might have when I was younger.

Maybe I'll be OK just daysailing and puttering around, but hard to imagine. Or maybe I'll buy a (very) small foiler and try to master that.

[Stumble]

Buy an A-Class Catamaran, and go daysailing. It I simply litterly the most fun you can have on a boat alone. Race it if you want, but it certainly isn't necessary to enjoy the fun of it.

Unless you have sailed beach cats before I would recommend a non-foiler first, then upgrade in a year if you choose to go that route

[Sailmonkey]

I've been sailing a flying phantom catamaran lately for fun, but have been eyeballing a UFO foiler for kicking around on with no fuss.

[gamayun]

Can you teach? Sure would be great to parlay all that great experience toward creating the next generation of sailors out there.

If not, then I'd look for a Mach2 moth or build a foiling opti.

[Stumble]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I've been sailing a flying phantom catamaran lately for fun, but have been eyeballing a UFO foiler for kicking around on with no fuss.

The FP is an awsome boat, but everything I have heard about it (never been on one) is that it I simply a bit of a monster and completely inacessable to solo sailing.

The UFO is an awsome idea, but I think really needs a bigger rig and a trap instead of hiking. After getting comfortable on the wire moving back to gut busting all day... pass.

The Waszp is neat, but like the Moth requires a nice beach to launch from. Reasonably cheap foils at least.....

[nautical62]

I will always appreciate the great adventures and challenges cruising offered, but I also have no regrets about giving it up and moving onto other things, just as canoe expeditions, kayak expeditions and extended backpacking trips have all had their time and place, but are no more.

I knew when I did a solo trip from the BVIs back to the states a few years ago, it was a trip I could never top, and didn't really want to even try to. At the same time, cruising was becoming ever more restrictive, isolated places harder to find and costs escalating enormously. It seemed cruising had reached a point where I had to put enormously more into it to get less out of it.

While I've done some chartering since, I have for the most part moved on to other things, mainly buying a cargo van to use as a camper for hiking and sight seeing road trips. I used to seek out deserted anchorages, now I hike off trail to magical places with no people. I've parked and camped in many beautiful locations where no other people could be seen or heard, often for free. It took me a few years to shake that cruising urge, but now I'm content. I certainly don't miss writing checks for dockage, insurance and maintenance. I spend about the same number of weeks per year on adventures, but at a fraction of the price i spent cruising.

Giving up cruising and racing doesn't have to mean giving up on adventures and challenges. They come in many forms.

[Interloper]

Originally Posted by Sailmonkey

I've been sailing a flying phantom catamaran lately for fun, but have been eyeballing a UFO foiler for kicking around on with no fuss.

I've been eyeing the UFO too, but I'd need a test sail first. Evidently they've sold 53 already and production just began, so if I wanted one it may not be this season. And with water temps here, season could be too short to be worth it.

The Moth is too twitchy and expensive for me, the UFO is more MY speed with a longer learning curve.

[dlymn]

Have the boat sailed or shipped over to the Med and become a cruising tourist. Great adventure.

[thomm225]

I guess the first question I would ask is what type of racing did you do?

I raced beach catamarans for 15 years against some of the best sailors in the US.

I thought I was through with that and went cycling for a few years with bike racers and triathletes

Then I thought I'd like to cruise so I bought an old Bristol 27 to learn on but it is a slow way of sailing..................this cruising thing after racing beach cats with spinnakers.

Cruisers and cruising is so different than racing .........

I saw a Merit 25 for sale last week. I'm thinking that boat might be a fun thing to race singlehanded in distances races................

[boatman61]

I turned to yacht deliveries.. selective ones.. if I don't fancy the destination I don't take it. Lately I've gone back to motorbikes to fill in the months between jobs.. find a CBR1000F is great compensation..
Mind I do live in Portugal which is biking heaven if your not into straight roads and long flats..

[IslandHopper]

Originally Posted by boatman61

I turned to yacht deliveries.. selective ones.. if I don't fancy the destination I don't take it. Lately I've gone back to motorbikes to fill in the months between jobs.. find a CBR1000F is great compensation..
Mind I do live in Portugal which is biking heaven if your not into straight roads and long flats..

The twisty bits are what bikes are made for.....

[thomm225]

Maybe sail small boats.

We had winds all weekend from 18-25 knots.

It was the first weekend I have sailed this year. It was one good workout and as usual things were not working correctly ................ first sail even though I thought I was in good shape.

My autopilot failed which I really depend on when the wind is up. (I sail singlehanded) I had to heave too and work on it without the manual and with all the wrong tools and the wrong glasses....... So I blew a few fuses when I rewired the plug

Then it would still screw up...................no manual. I fixed it this am.

I thought about running a few miles this am but the wind dropped below 20 for a while so I went sailing but it was all work and no play.

Now I want a small boat that will point just a bit..........

The point is older folks need to work and not take it easy. It's not good for us to take it easy..........as in power boats or power bikes.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Interloper

Liveaboard won't work, or I won't have an SO anymore. And I don't want to do an ocean passage, thought I might have when I was younger.

EDIT: Just saw you said "or you won't have an SO anymore". Thought you said you don't have an SO anymore, so take the following with a grain of salt.

It's not a requirement that liveaboards cross oceans. Where are you located? If you've been racing and cruising I assume it's in some area that has a lot of sailing opportunities.

I know liveaboards who never leave the dock. Others who putter up and down whatever coast they are on, and others that circumnavigate. There are as many options as there is water to sail on.

I'm a single cruising liveaboard. It can occasionally be lonely, but I have friends and family who come and visit and the Society of Cruisers is everywhere. You meet waaaay more people as a liveaboard cruiser than you do living in a house in one spot, trust me.

[PaulinOz]

What is it about sailing and motorcycles that fit together.

Quote "Lately I've gone back to motorbikes to fill in the months between jobs.. find a CBR1000F is great compensation..
Mind I do live in Portugal which is biking heaven if your not into straight roads and long flats.."

Don't discount straight, long flat places Boatman, I used to love the twisty roads, but for a while got into Land Speed racing at Bonneville Salt Flats USA & Lake Gairdner in Oz, that is a whole different set of fun and exciting challenges.

[Dave_S]

I thought when/if sailing gets old, I'd take the grey nomad thing on the road. Do some house swapping around the world or 4WD it around Australia.