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Old 06-06-2013, 22:41   #106
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

My wife and I are both 56...neither of us ever sailed...we took a few ASA courses last winter...bought a Island Packet 460 last month and are cruising the PNW atm. easy peezy just do it!
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Old 07-06-2013, 05:24   #107
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

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Just a comment to Carolina Blue.

My husband used to talk about getting boats also -- but he always looked at boats we could not afford and never had a way to finance both of us quitting our jobs and leaving. We had 4 kids to put thru college so I just let him talk and looked as little as I had to at whatever his idea was at the time and kept on plodding along to get our kids raised.

Fast forward 20 years, now I know someone who did it and was shown used boats that we can afford. Only 3 years from retirement with sufficient income not to have to worry.

Now I can't get my husband to sell all of our properties fast enough.

Please look at why she isn't interested and make sure your dream is realistic. She just may be more practical and won't waste a lot of time and energy unless you can show how it can really be done.

I guess I am saying put a little more time into the planning stage and then bring the subject up so that she can see it is a real possibility and not just a dream.
Thanks
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Old 07-06-2013, 05:53   #108
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

The above post was good advice except for one important thing in my opinion, you will be both old and a rookie. (you won't know anything about sailing or boating) Then when time and energy are short, you will try and learn everything fast.

I still think it's best to start with something small, affordable, and trailerable now when you can enjoy it with your kids. (and maybe your wife) And 15-20 years from now, you will know quite a bit about sailing, boats, etc.

Because there is a lot to learn ...........

Example 1: There was an older gentleman that recently bought a beautiful 40' sailboat (his first) and brought it down from Maryland to Hampton. He was worried about running aground so decided to take the Thimble Shoal Channel in. The problem is that channel is restricted to shipping and you have to draw 27' to use it. Just a small detail but with all the other things you need to know it was missed.

Example 2: A retired man waited his whole life to buy a sailboat. He finally did at age 65 or so and was bringing it down the bay from Maryland right after he bought in March 1972. He was late getting in. The boat was found sunk, and he had tied himself to the mast before he died (so they could find his body). This is how he was found. Boat sank possibly from something as simple as an old hose that started leaking.
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Old 08-06-2013, 05:21   #109
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

Thomm 225 in post above should be read by all the "dreamers" who are always posting here. There is just sooooo much to learn!

Yes, the go now and learn later crowd has its merits ,but so too do those who advocate a more reasoned academic approach; after all, if the dreamer loses his boat,terrifies himself and /or crew the dream unravels. Not to mention that death and maiming tend to be quite permanent.
True dat: It's a big disadvantage to be a rookie and another to be old,but to be both it will be extremely difficult to recover from the many mistakes that are sure to be arriving with some regularity. There is just sooo much to learn and it takes time that the aging dreamer does not have.

Now for the good news: Experience will go a very long way to compensate for advancing years ( so start getting it in mega doses any and every way possible neglecting all else.

Deep pockets can soften the hard edges to a significant degree. (we all knew that)

Being really handy with tools gives a huge leg up .

Wilderness style camping or mountaineering experience will contribute greatly to flattening the learning curve.

A fiercely independent AND resourceful nature will help compensate for other deficiencies.

41 years old is way young.

You are going to look younger and more fit than quite some time because you will be working you a$$ off and loving it (sometimes).
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:42   #110
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

I'm 53 and am in the process of moving my recently purchased Valiant 40 down from New England to Annapolis where I'll be living aboard. I have been sailing all my life, but in many respects I believe that most of the skills that you need to live aboard a boat or engage in long-term, long-range cruising have little to do with sailing and more to do with boat maintenance managing life aboard what amounts to a large bowl sitting on the water. The mechanics of sailing are pretty straightforward. Yes, there is a lifetime of information to pursue, but once you learn to raise and trim sails and the rules of the road, you've got the core information you need. Safety in terms of boat handling and dealing with weather and such is a different matter, and that comes with experience beyond the book learning.

Aside from learning to actually sail, one relatively inexpensive approach to learning the bulk of what you need to know beyond that and the maintenance requirements of your boat is to pursue your Coast Guard 6-pack captain's license. Not because you'll ever really need it, but because the course of study towards it encompasses a tremendous amount of useful information. There are a number of self-study books on Amazon that run around $50 new, and much less than that used.

I think the two main character attributes that you need to succeed are adaptability and ingenuity. Life on a boat presents an ever-changing series of challenges that are completely unfamiliar to most who live land-based lives. If you can shed expectations of certain comforts and conveniences and embrace a life of problem solving and simplicity, then you are in a much better position to succeed.

I would also say that you should invent your future. As a chemist, in this day and age of internet communications, you should be able to engage in consulting of some sort from anywhere that you are. Just find a niche in the industry that allows you to tele-commute on a part-time basis. I know quite a few engineers who do this, some of them even sailing to the cities where they have a client and staying for the duration of their contract.
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Old 08-06-2013, 06:56   #111
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

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in many respects I believe that most of the skills that you need to live aboard a boat or engage in long-term, long-range cruising have little to do with sailing and more to do with boat maintenance managing life aboard what amounts to a large bowl sitting on the water.

I will agree with this! Living on a boat has nothing to do with sailing! And getting a good boat to live on lots of times also has little to do with the sailing you read about or see in magazines.
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Old 08-06-2013, 08:07   #112
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

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I will agree with this! Living on a boat has nothing to do with sailing! And getting a good boat to live on lots of times also has
little to do with the sailing you read about or see in magazines.
Yes, and maybe that's why many (not all) liveaboards never leave their slip cause they don't know much about sailing. They like working on their boat and talking boating which is nice.

Speaking of Rules of the Road, here's another reason besides the rules to stay out of the shipping channels:
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Old 08-06-2013, 08:11   #113
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

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Originally Posted by mrohr View Post
Thomm 225 in post above should be read by all the "dreamers" who are always posting here. There is just sooooo much to learn!

Yes, the go now and learn later crowd has its merits ,but so too do those who advocate a more reasoned academic approach; after all, if the dreamer loses his boat,terrifies himself and /or crew the dream unravels. Not to mention that death and maiming tend to be quite permanent.
True dat: It's a big disadvantage to be a rookie and another to be old,but to be both it will be extremely difficult to recover from the many mistakes that are sure to be arriving with some regularity. There is just sooo much to learn and it takes time that the aging dreamer does not have.

Now for the good news: Experience will go a very long way to compensate for advancing years ( so start getting it in mega doses any and every way possible neglecting all else.

Deep pockets can soften the hard edges to a significant degree. (we all knew that)

Being really handy with tools gives a huge leg up .

Wilderness style camping or mountaineering experience will contribute greatly to flattening the learning curve.

A fiercely independent AND resourceful nature will help compensate for other deficiencies.

41 years old is way young.

You are going to look younger and more fit than quite some time because you will be working you a$$ off and loving it (sometimes).
And speaking of sailing and sailors, this guy gets credit for being a good sailor just because of the darn boat he sails which is one hell of a boat!

See link to article on Contessa 32 Assent:

http://www.yachtingworld.com/fastnet79/winner

Then there's Contessa 32 Gigi that rounded Cape Horn:

http://www.contessazeilers.nl/index2...do_pdf=1&id=80
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Old 08-06-2013, 08:43   #114
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

Contessa 26: (good beginner boat if you aren't too tall)

Contessa 26'

And btw, 2 have circumnavigated.
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Old 08-06-2013, 11:04   #115
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

Quote:
Originally Posted by mrohr View Post
Now for the good news: Experience will go a very long way to compensate for advancing years ( so start getting it in mega doses any and every way possible neglecting all else.

Deep pockets can soften the hard edges to a significant degree. (we all knew that)

Being really handy with tools gives a huge leg up .

Wilderness style camping or mountaineering experience will contribute greatly to flattening the learning curve.

A fiercely independent AND resourceful nature will help compensate for other deficiencies.
+1 (or should that be +4? ).

Experience gives knowledge which books (and even courses) on their own cannot bring..........experience gives a squillion dull "unimportant" things and hurdles and ponderings to overcome and gain confidence (in self) from (based on reality and not just "self belief") and add into the bank for drawing upon later. Never too early to be stuffing knowledge into the bank .....even if your plans are RTW on 70' of squillion dollar whereas presently all you can muster is 9' of Pram, 1000 miles from the coast .

The extra good news is that messing around in boat is not rocket science , but nonetheless does require the application of at least some brain cells, what percentage is a personal matter . More good news is that cash can sometimes compensate for those short in that dept, although not replace the need for using at least a few . (if only to know where to spend the cash!).
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Old 08-06-2013, 13:39   #116
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

Earlier it was said that you don't necessarily need a lot of experience to sail, and that is very true.

I learned from a chart that showed a boat pointing North (the top of the page) which was where the wind was coming from. The sails were in tight as the boat was close to the wind. Every 45 degrees or so the boat came off the wind, the sails came out more and more. Doesn't seem hard does it?

Then I started sailing (racing) some in Florida and sailed maybe 10 months out of the year (for 8 or 9 years) strictly windward/leeward races mainly. You learn trust me. I was going to take one of those sailing courses when I got back up here before I bought my "big" boat. I asked so why should I take this course. The dude is like so you can pull up to a mooring for one thing and hookup. Okay, but what else.

Catamaran racers have to hold their boat still on the starting line for as much as 2 minutes without crossing or hitting the adjacent boat in winds as high as 20 knots.

Today on this forum page "general sailing" a guy lost his rudder and his friend /brother was getting suggestions as to what to do. What does inexperienced guy do? Call for help I reckon where as racer guy sails the boat on in with the sails and maybe jury rigs a pole to the stern or runs out a drogue.

For the guy that is planning to run off to a life of sailing but is unfamilar with the motion of his boat check this video: (but don't blow chunks in the morning swells)

click top of picture for normal size video:



And yes, it's still pretty awesome looking.

Btw the dude changed his video 'cause it used to be accompanied by this music:

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Old 08-06-2013, 14:07   #117
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

Inter 20 Catamaran negotiating Diamond Shoals (which is in the Atlantic Ocean off the Outer Banks) during the Worrell 1000. And a couple more.

Who needs experience to sail?

And also, on these 100 plus mile legs and all catamaran races, you sail the whole distance there are no engines on these boats.
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Old 08-06-2013, 18:47   #118
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

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Originally Posted by thomm225 View Post
Earlier it was said that you don't necessarily need a lot of experience to sail, and that is very true.

I learned from a chart that showed a boat pointing North (the top of the page) which was where the wind was coming from. The sails were in tight as the boat was close to the wind. Every 45 degrees or so the boat came off the wind, the sails came out more and more. Doesn't seem hard does it?

Then I started sailing (racing) some in Florida and sailed maybe 10 months out of the year (for 8 or 9 years) strictly windward/leeward races mainly. You learn trust me. I was going to take one of those sailing courses when I got back up here before I bought my "big" boat. I asked so why should I take this course. The dude is like so you can pull up to a mooring for one thing and hookup. Okay, but what else.

Catamaran racers have to hold their boat still on the starting line for as much as 2 minutes without crossing or hitting the adjacent boat in winds as high as 20 knots.

Today on this forum page "general sailing" a guy lost his rudder and his friend /brother was getting suggestions as to what to do. What does inexperienced guy do? Call for help I reckon where as racer guy sails the boat on in with the sails and maybe jury rigs a pole to the stern or runs out a drogue.

For the guy that is planning to run off to a life of sailing but is unfamilar with the motion of his boat check this video: (but don't blow chunks in the morning swells)

click top of picture for normal size video:



And yes, it's still pretty awesome looking.

Btw the dude changed his video 'cause it used to be accompanied by this music:

Not sure what your point is. If it's that sailing offshore in the deep blue requires a whole different set of skills than living on a boat and sailing coastal, then yes, that's obviously true. And also the more sailing experience you have the better equipped you are to deal with the various (and inevitable) exigencies that arise. But sailing and living on a boat is a lifelong learning process. If you wait until you think you know it all then you'll never get around to it.

Good judgement. That's what it's about. Learning to know what you know and what you don't know, and that the difference is in terms of what you can take on and what you can't. Experience is the best teacher. Buy a boat, live on it, and stick to the coast. Get offshore experience volunteering for boat deliveries and crewing on rallies and so forth. Get your feet wet, but only stick them as far in, when solo, as you know you can dip them in and still pull them out.
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Old 08-06-2013, 19:23   #119
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Re: 41 year old and seeking a new life in Sailing

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IN GULFPORT, you can join the yacht club for about 400 bucks a year. free boats to use. another 200 for sailing lessons. good deal for sure.
Sail school for adults has gone up to $250. It's still a great opportunity and how I started. FREE sail school for the kids (mature 8 or older, mostly in opti-prams), 3 days a week for 3 weeks. Unfortunately for adults it's in spring and fall, so unless you live there, you can't all learn to sail at the same time.

But I bet we're not the only sailing club on the planet.
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Old 09-06-2013, 04:24   #120
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Re: 41 Year Old and Seeking a New Life in Sailing

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Not sure what your point is. If it's that sailing offshore in the deep blue requires a whole different set of skills than living on a boat and sailing coastal, then yes, that's obviously true. And also the more sailing experience you have the better equipped you are to deal with the various (and inevitable) exigencies that arise. But sailing and living on a boat is a lifelong learning process. If you wait until you think you know it all then you'll never get around to it.

Good judgement. That's what it's about. Learning to know what you know and what you don't know, and that the difference is in terms of what you can take on and what you can't. Experience is the best teacher. Buy a boat, live on it, and stick to the coast. Get offshore experience volunteering for boat deliveries and crewing on rallies and so forth. Get your feet wet, but only stick them as far in, when solo, as you know you can dip them in and still pull them out.
What this guy said in two small paragraphs! With all my experience with boats, I'm still at the coastal solo cruising stage which when crossing the mouth of the Chesapeake before the wind when it's NE and 20 plus looks very similar to the beginning of that bigoceans video above.

I didn't get to sail this weekend so I got a little long winded. Point is like he said, experience is the best teacher.

During all my years on catamarans, I never anchored or docked! We sail from the beach so there is something else that needs to be learned which is why I bought an old tough boat for my first monohull that is now missing the first inch and a half of bowsprit. And it probably would have been blown ashore several times already if the old guy that owned it before me hadn't bought a 20 lb CQR plow anchor for it. That anchor has saved me many times already.
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