Looking for some
advice on what to buy when. I live near the
Chesapeake Bay, and after a 21-year hiatus, starting sailing again, 3-5 times a week, mostly in J22s, Sonar 23s, and some dinks. My previous experience was all in beach boats, e.g., Hobies, Lasers, and one-designs, like the 420, and larger
centerboard racing craft, but it was every day from when I was a kid to when I was about 25. I've done a lot of single-handed sailing in all of these. I also crewed on a J30 back in the late eighties and early nineties.
So, after raising a
family, working in different
parts of the world, living in deserts, and so on, I went out on friend's sailboat on the Bay last May and said to myself, "How have I not been doing this for so long?"
Long story short, I became a volunteer/member at a local sailing center and have been taking
sailing lessons with one of my almost-grown
kids (the others all want to do so, but are wrapped up in tight schedules with
work,
school, and sports). My wife is now recovering (fingers crossed) from a chronic injury that precludes athletic pursuits. Anyway, I'm sailing 3-5 times a week (with the wife's blessing, she knows nothing about boats but has enjoyed being out and has professed that she will learn how to do so), and have but together a four year (plus) plan that will eventually lead us to the
South Pacific and
Australia, where we lived for several years (the wife's onboard for this, btw, she loves to travel and is really adventurous. Various
children have also volunteered).
So, like all stories, not really short.
And like all plans, subject to change. As D. Eisenhower once said, "Plans are nothing, but planning is everything." This is a process, and open to change!
Anyway, here's the requirements and what I'd like to do.
2012: Buy a
boat between 25-30 feet and
cruise around the bay. Do some daysailing, overnighting, and one and two-week cruises around the Bay. I'd be single-handing the
boat, even if the wife is along. Might have a kid or two along to help for a bit.
I have $10K. Needs:
Safety and seaworthiness.
Reliability.
Comfort (I'm 6'2" and the wife likes nice things)
Sailing performance (I'm okay with going slow as long as we get there, the Dana 24 and
Island packet 27 look good to me, but are a bit pricey, don't you think?)
Single-handed ability.
Ease of Maintainance.
Shallow draft.
2013: Two-month trip. Down the
ICW and round about
Florida. Some
offshore passages?
2014:
Bahamas for 3-4 months.
Offshore transit to/from the Chesapeake.
2015: Having saved up $50K or so, buy a bigger boat. Chesapeake to
Bahamas, Carib,
Panama.
Lucky for me, I'll be able to continue working through this period. By 2016 I hope to be retired, although I'll still
work (praise the interwebs and electronics).
Let me know what you think--I look forward to everyone's opinion, and let me know if this is in the wrong forum. Thanks!