Is there a difference between boats for

[Kenomac]

Wait... I just re-read the original post. Hunter or Catalina to explore the polar regions? Does the OP have rocks in his head?

I was going to state something less nice, I'm getting soft.

[Stu Jackson]

When you go somewhere cold the boat needs INSULATION.

[boatman61]

Mine is perfect for you... just needs some upgrades on the instruments/electrical side and your good to go..
North, South or down the middle...

[watevaworx]

Hi Brian,
Welcome aboard. Don't forget to visit New Zealand while you are down that way , we are not bad people and cruising there is great . Just be careful , lots of overseas sailors arrive there and never leave because it has so much to offer . And don't leave it to late , you only get one life so make the most of it . Better to live the adventure on a tighter budget than finally get enough money and find the body can't do what it used to do .
Good Luck
Glenn

[cookingguy]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Wait... I just re-read the original post. Hunter or Catalina to explore the polar regions? Does the OP have rocks in his head?

I was going to state something less nice, I'm getting soft.

I am brand new to the sailing world. I havent even started my classes yet. I am jsut doing research. That is why I asked about those 2 boats. Now I know they will not do what I want to do.

[Kenomac]

Look at a used Tayana 48 or 52. A much more substantial boat and within your price range.

[a64pilot]

You have time, you need to write down now what you think you want, then write it down again every year.
You will be amazed at how much your desires will change, but that's good as it shows your accruing knowledge, and who knows, maybe in 20 yrs a Hunter will be THE high latitude boat, who can predict the future?

[Don C L]

My first thought was Antarctica, get a steel boat, or at least one that will deflect ice chunks well. With a nice heater. And big enough to cross the Southern Ocean with some small degree of comfort. That part of your itinerary poses the greatest challenge I'd say. But once you have a boat that can do that, it will go anywhere else quite nicely. I too would echo the "why wait another 20 years?" I sure like your thinking though, and I think you may be able to find a suitable boat in your budget range. BUT and this is a big but, do lots of sailing on little boats and big boats then get out to the coast and get out on the sea on some kind of short cruises to see if being out on the ocean really appeals to you. For some folks, they love sailing but find cruising is not for them. And you are proposing some serious cruising!

[farm sail]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Wait... I just re-read the original post. Hunter or Catalina to explore the polar regions? Does the OP have rocks in his head?

I was going to state something less nice, I'm getting soft.

What an a$$!

Someone who admits they are totally new to sail asks a simple so they can start down a path of learning that hopefully never ends and you comeback with such an asinine derogatory coment.

I am really getting tired of the opinionated blowhards that cant stay on topic and be helpfull, all the useless meaningless fluff posts and rude derogatory coments directed at new folk.

I thought sailors/cruisers had more class than that

[Don C L]

Oh, forgot, check these websites:
bluewaterboats.org (has a fairly extensive list of proven cruising boats, also check the "boats to vote for" list, many of those are very good too.

atomvoyages.com (lots of good advice)
sailboat-cruising.com

mahina.com may also be of interest too

and don't shy away from an older boat just yet. Some older boats were built very strong and are still sailing around the world. Once you get more experience around boats you'll be able to tell the Mercedes from the Lamborghinis from the Yugos from the Kenworths.

[Bernie10]

[QUOTE=farm sail;1931932]What an a$$!

Someone who admits they are totally new to sail asks a simple so they can start down a path of learning that hopefully never ends and you comeback with such an asinine derogatory coment.

I am really getting tired of the opinionated blowhards that cant stay on topic and be helpfull, all the useless meaningless fluff posts and rude derogatory coments directed at new folk.

I thought sailors/cruisers had more class than that

[hsi88]

I agree with previous posters. Get a boat now. For learning and lots of fun for very little money, a 25-30 Catalina or Hunter would be the perfect first boat. And you can pick them up for a few thousand dollars. Just look on eBay. They will be an older boat that might need a little work, but most of them will sail from day one. If you bang them up a bit, no big deal. But are nice enough to accommodate your needs and keep you occupied for ears.

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by cookingguy

First off, I would like to thank everyone on this board. I am brand new to sailing, I havent even started my sailing classes yet, But I am pretty excited. I have learned alot by just reading this forum. For that I say thank you to everyone for their advice.

Just a little back ground on me here. Im 42 and I plan on learning as much as I can over the next 15-20 years, then retire and leave Chicago and start to sail the world. Of course I will be doing lots of sailing before I retire so I get to know how to handle the boat, sea's and problems that might come up. From what I read I will have more then enough income coming in each month to live for the rest of my life on my boat and see the world. Im sure I will have lots and lots of questions but right now I am holding off.

But the one big question I have is about a boat. My final boat will be about a 38-45 ft something a few years old, nothing past 3-5yrs from new. If i figured everything correctly, when i retire, I will have about 200K for the boat and 4-5k a month to live off of, not that I will need that much lol. I know it will be tough to account for inflation. I will be most likely sailing single handed. I was thinking about a Hunter or Catalina, with a dry weight of around 17000-20000 lbs. +/-

My dreams are to sail out of Chicago and go to Iceland, western Europe down to South Africa to Australia then to Antarctica, up the eastern side of South America to the BVI area.

With that I am planning on doing, is there a major difference in boats that sail the north and south seas vs just sailing around the BVI area? What are some things I should be looking for?

Also where is the best place to buy a boat, in the USA or outside the USA?

I know this question is pretty early to ask in right now since I have very little experience, but I just want to start my research and get to know the right boat for what I want.

Thank you all very much and thank you in advance to anyone that replys.

Brian

"Only in dreams can a man be truly free,
Thus it is and will always be"
Something like that. Dead Poets Society.

[Dave Lochner]

There have been many replies to your inquiry. Within those replies is a lot of knowledge and experience.

Let me suggest an alternative approach.

Get a boat now, doesn't much matter what boat you get, but get a boat and start learning. I'd suggest that you start small and cheap. You'll gain valuable sailing experience and more valuable boat care and maintenance experience.

After a few years with you first learning boat, get another, a little bigger, a bit more complicated.

Rinse, repeat until you are ready to take the big plunge.

In the mean time find a position on a racing boat. Find the guy who is the best sailor in the club who doesn't go off to the big regattas. Learn what makes his boat go well. The really competitive guys have another agenda and I'm not sure what you'll learn.

Enjoy, sail, and learn

[GrahamHO]

By the way see if you can find some David Lewis books. In particular "Ice Bird"He found a second hand steel yacht in Sydney Australia (I think it was Sydney). He circumnavigated Antarctica in it. A quote from that book that I remember is that having a pee was like looking for 2 inches of plumbing in 6 inches of lagging. In the end he just had to wet his pants. He was tough and after being a paratrooper in WW2 he started sailing. I met him when at around 90 years of age he was preparing his last yacht for his final voyage. It was a second hand fero cement hull that the original owner never finished.


At the moment I'm sitting at home in Auckland (northern NZ) with a 30 / 40 knot southerly blowing outside my window. Yesterday the south of NZ had winds from the same storm up to 190 kph which is about 95 knots blowing the odd car over. That storm originated near Antarctica which is several thousand km from NZ. It was not a hurricane just a not uncommon storm.


I think your idea is good but start now one step at a time. I flew over your Lake Michigan from Canada a month ago and looked down on white water. Later I wandered the Chicago waterfront on a still day looking at the moored yachts. That would be a very good place for you to start by crewing. Join a yacht club and you'll soon find someone to take you on.