What happens to all the wannabees?

[Enrique100]

Thought I'd post my own update if anyone new out there reads this thread from start to finish... I first posted a couple years ago and at the time my wife had serious reservations about sailing for more than a couple hours as a family... and we only had a few daysails under our belt at that point with our sailing school... but between then and now...
1. Our daughter took a year's worth of swimming lessons - she can swim like a fish now. That took care of many of wife's safety concerns being out on the water with a little one (now 5!)
2. More sailing instruction, spent another summer on Lake Michigan doing all sorts of sailing with the club - regattas, night sailing, daysails, learning how to anchor, dock, sail in heavy weather, etc..

And finally, FINALLY.... this January we did a 2-week flotilla charter on a 42' Jeanneau out of the BVI. It was glorious. After the first day or two we all settled down, stress level faded away, everything went perfectly. Wife, daughter, and myself all perfectly at home on the water, no reservations. Living on a sailboat for 2 weeks was more fun than we ever could have hoped. Of course... after 2 weeks we get to pack up and go back to reality, without having to maintain a boat, or pay for storage, docking, whatever... a 2 week cruise on a charter boat is not quite the same as a few months or years at a time on your own boat out there somewhere, but maybe a few years of doing this who knows what my next update will be. So I guess +1 for the baby steps technique - it really does work!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Enrique100

Thought I'd post my own update if anyone new out there reads this thread from start to finish... I first posted a couple years ago and at the time my wife had serious reservations about sailing for more than a couple hours as a family... and we only had a few daysails under our belt at that point with our sailing school... but between then and now...
1. Our daughter took a year's worth of swimming lessons - she can swim like a fish now. That took care of many of wife's safety concerns being out on the water with a little one (now 5!)
2. More sailing instruction, spent another summer on Lake Michigan doing all sorts of sailing with the club - regattas, night sailing, daysails, learning how to anchor, dock, sail in heavy weather, etc..

And finally, FINALLY.... this January we did a 2-week flotilla charter on a 42' Jeanneau out of the BVI. It was glorious. After the first day or two we all settled down, stress level faded away, everything went perfectly. Wife, daughter, and myself all perfectly at home on the water, no reservations. Living on a sailboat for 2 weeks was more fun than we ever could have hoped. Of course... after 2 weeks we get to pack up and go back to reality, without having to maintain a boat, or pay for storage, docking, whatever... a 2 week cruise on a charter boat is not quite the same as a few months or years at a time on your own boat out there somewhere, but maybe a few years of doing this who knows what my next update will be. So I guess +1 for the baby steps technique - it really does work!

Bravo!
today the bvi......tomorrow the world
thanks for posting

[a64pilot]

Tomorrow is survey / sea trial day of our first sailboat, still a few years before we can get serious and set off long time, but it's a beginning

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Tomorrow is survey / sea trial day of our first sailboat, still a few years before we can get serious and set off long time, but it's a beginning

Congrats! I saw a few of your posts during your search, but didn't see that you had chosen one.

What boat did you choose? Good luck with the sea trial!

[Don1500]

Here's another story; I haven't posted for a while but I started posting about three years ago. Two years ago (Dec 16, 2011) I moved on to my boat, The Nomad. Since then I have been up and down the East Coast from Annapolis to Stewart and have only left the boat occasionally, while on the hard. I don't for see ever moving back ashore on a permanent basis.

[got seashells?]

So happy for your progress! We are still trying to find our boat. But one day we hope to meet up with all of our cf advisors/ friends.

[waterdog]

I came here 5 years ago as a "wannabee" Got some great advice on refitting my boat for a little cruise from Vancouver to Mexico. Had a great year cruising with the family down to Zihua and up into the the sea. Easily the best thing we have ever done.

Now back home. Our son is entrenched in high school, triathlon, swim club etc. A few more years to go and he will be on his own in the world. We have a strong inclination to retire early and go again. After all, living is cheaper without a house, cars, phones, cable TV, insurance for everything etc. Better to go again before some "ologist" defines life's limitations.

So I am a wannabee all over again.

[Time2Go]

We are still out there and planning
My own situation is somewhat different
I know how to sail and have previously owned a boat before
(Ericson 27) but have taken a 20 plus year hiatus to raise a family and start a business. Now I want to get back into something that a truly love to do
I have found the good fellows on this forum to be a great help in two
Respects. 1. Insight into my cruising plans which i scaled back from the
whole Caribbean in one winter to the Bahamas and keys first winter then working my way south during the next few winters.
2. Advice and selection of a suitable boat and sorting out all the variables
I now feel somewhat more confident in my plans and the advice I got here has certainly focused me on the difference between a dream and what I could reasonably achieve. So maybe the boat will be a 27 and not a 30
Maybe it will have an Atomic 4 and not a diesel. But for me it's the doing that counts and the advice I got here made that real for me.
So please keep up feeding the dreamers if one in fifty follows through
That would be smashing. Oh and by the way would you take a Catalina 27 to the Bahamas ?

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Congrats! I saw a few of your posts during your search, but didn't see that you had chosen one.

What boat did you choose? Good luck with the sea trial!

It was going to be a Hunter 356, but it failed survey and while I hated throwing away that boat buck and having nothing to show for it, I think it was at least a valuable learning experience. So I'm still looking for a boat, but have shifted back to where I started, older possibly better made boats. Sort of leaning towards an Island Packet now

[Mr B]

I am still a Wannabee, My boat got thrown up on the beach and got holes in it, In Dec 2011,

It was supposed to be finished in Nov 2012, I have been promised a finish date about 6 times since, Its currently being worked on in the Grave yard at the Marina, But is supposed to be transported to his work shop as soon as it is strong enough to be moved, This week or next, and then a month after that it will be finished,

Then I can start working on it to finish it off with the new electrics, Etc,

I cant do any thing till he puts the floors back in,

He is a good tradesman but he is sooooooooo slow,

And it is costing me a fortune sitting in the Graveyard, Marina fees, Etc,

And it is deteriorating badly sitting in the hot sun,

I dont have a finish date on the contract, But what can you do, but just wait,

[Rainh2o2]

I became a lurker about a year and a half ago. My adventure has truly just recently started...I got bitten by the sailing/cruising bug about 15 yrs ago, "always thinking one of these days". During that time I married, had 4 kids, landed a nice paying job and just kept putting the sailboat dream on the back burner. Finally about 2 yrs ago I went out with a friend on his 27 footer and knew thats what I wanted. I mentioned it to my wife and she rolled her eyes. I kept working on her slowly and finally last year she gave me a "maybe". I never pressured, just kept mentioning it every now and again and pointing out nice boats when we where around them. The last 6 months I got serious about buying a boat and sat her down and told her this is something that I really wanted and got her to check out one of my friends small boats. As soon as she got down inside his boat she exclaimed "Its just like a little camper!" (she has always been a camper and I have not, I never could get into it for some reason, trees, dirt and busy campgrounds just dont do it for me). After we got home I gave her a few days to think it over and then approached her again on the subject and she said that she would be willing to give it a try but I would have to figure out what boat because she didnt understand them, she just wanted a nice one. I found a nice little catalina 25 swing keel and bought it about a month ago. When she saw it she liked it right away (after 15 yrs of marriage I should know her style). I'll be sailing it on Lake Michigan as soon as the snow and ice melt. Its still sitting in the barn where it was stored all snowed in, cant get a truck in to haul it out yet, which is fine since its indoors. Have a slip already reserved over on Muskegon Lake. The wife in the mean time has started to get more and more excited and already making plans to have friends out on it and day trips. I have at least 12 more years before I can even consider serious cruising outside the Great Lakes (when the last kid leaves home) so my plan for now is to learn to handle the one I have now and make the next few years exciting and enjoyable for the wife so she might be willing to actually retire and go cruising. Heres having my fingers crossed and hoping for good weather!

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

It was going to be a Hunter 356, but it failed survey and while I hated throwing away that boat buck and having nothing to show for it, I think it was at least a valuable learning experience. So I'm still looking for a boat, but have shifted back to where I started, older possibly better made boats. Sort of leaning towards an Island Packet now

Good choice!

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Mr B

I am still a Wannabee, My boat got thrown up on the beach and got holes in it, In Dec 2011,

It was supposed to be finished in Nov 2012, I have been promised a finish date about 6 times since, Its currently being worked on in the Grave yard at the Marina, But is supposed to be transported to his work shop as soon as it is strong enough to be moved, This week or next, and then a month after that it will be finished,

Then I can start working on it to finish it off with the new electrics, Etc,

I cant do any thing till he puts the floors back in,

He is a good tradesman but he is sooooooooo slow,

And it is costing me a fortune sitting in the Graveyard, Marina fees, Etc,

And it is deteriorating badly sitting in the hot sun,

I dont have a finish date on the contract, But what can you do, but just wait,

hang in there bud!
aint that the truth,it allways takes twice as long,and three times as much!

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Originally Posted by Rainh2o2

I became a lurker about a year and a half ago. My adventure has truly just recently started...I got bitten by the sailing/cruising bug about 15 yrs ago, "always thinking one of these days". During that time I married, had 4 kids, landed a nice paying job and just kept putting the sailboat dream on the back burner. Finally about 2 yrs ago I went out with a friend on his 27 footer and knew thats what I wanted. I mentioned it to my wife and she rolled her eyes. I kept working on her slowly and finally last year she gave me a "maybe". I never pressured, just kept mentioning it every now and again and pointing out nice boats when we where around them. The last 6 months I got serious about buying a boat and sat her down and told her this is something that I really wanted and got her to check out one of my friends small boats. As soon as she got down inside his boat she exclaimed "Its just like a little camper!" (she has always been a camper and I have not, I never could get into it for some reason, trees, dirt and busy campgrounds just dont do it for me). After we got home I gave her a few days to think it over and then approached her again on the subject and she said that she would be willing to give it a try but I would have to figure out what boat because she didnt understand them, she just wanted a nice one. I found a nice little catalina 25 swing keel and bought it about a month ago. When she saw it she liked it right away (after 15 yrs of marriage I should know her style). I'll be sailing it on Lake Michigan as soon as the snow and ice melt. Its still sitting in the barn where it was stored all snowed in, cant get a truck in to haul it out yet, which is fine since its indoors. Have a slip already reserved over on Muskegon Lake. The wife in the mean time has started to get more and more excited and already making plans to have friends out on it and day trips. I have at least 12 more years before I can even consider serious cruising outside the Great Lakes (when the last kid leaves home) so my plan for now is to learn to handle the one I have now and make the next few years exciting and enjoyable for the wife so she might be willing to actually retire and go cruising. Heres having my fingers crossed and hoping for good weather!

Congrats on the boat. Hopefully you will both still enjoy it over time as you build your skills. If you have it on a trailer, you can even plan other trips/vacations around it too by taking it to other lakes all over the place.

Good Luck and have fun!

[Wannabe-007]

This Wannabe is still moving toward the goal. We're going to the Fort Lauderdale boat show in October... by which point we will have sold almost all of our worldly possessions, left the most beautiful country in the world, and be attending as either current or about-to-be boat owners.

Plans always subject to change, but thats it for now...