sailing the Caribbean with little sailing experience

[boatman61]

If your looking at old Hunters check out the Cherubini designed ones... sail beautifully... took my H37 Cherubini cutter from Oriental, NC to the Azores then on to the UK..

[danscotttrudel]

I read black oaks thread and it was great. The first time i went out sailing i had to call the guy i bought the boat from to assist me over the phone on putting up the mast!;-). Had no clue. Of course i didn't go out in the ocean either. I was imagining being the first person to sail a boat. It was exciting. I love the thrill of learning kn the fly. However i don't enjoy wondering if Im going to die from my stupidity. After doing a bunch of reading on the forums Im thinking when i do start my adventure i may try to find an experienced sailor to take me on the first leg of the adventure. Not sure how hard that will be but I've got some time to look around

[rancher44]

Taking a boat down the Mississippi is a sure way to committ suicide , the currents are incredibly dangerous and the tug traffic is herendous . I had friends that wanted to take a conoe down and after a 100 or so mile realized the the insanity . Use a trailer then drive to the sea

[danscotttrudel]

I have heard the traffic was bad however I've not heard of the current being so bad

[laika]

Hey, fellow Minnesotan. I recently bought a 27fter and have spent the last year shaking things down up and down the east coast. I agree with the other posters who say a 27-30 ft boat is not a bad way to go, particularly if you're looking at $20000. Here's a great list of small, solid boats up to 32ft all worth a good look: Atom Voyages - Good Old Boats List. I referenced this list heavily in my search and ended up with a Vancouver 27.

Another thing I would reiterate from others here is that the boat's vital systems may likely need some attention. How good was the previous owner(s), not only in keeping the boat systems in check, but in keeping a detailed maintenance log? Will you know the age/condition of the rigging, thruhulls, etc and what kind of life they've seen before your purchase? How much trust will you be willing to put in them? (Definitely not saying you can't or shouldn't).

A general survey will give you a great sense of what you're working with, but will probably also recommend a more detailed inspection of many things at a later date. So for instance, even though the SS chainplates on my boat look shiny and substantial, for all I know they are 20 years old with serious crevice corrosion where they pass thru the deck...Things that a one-day survey and test sail will never be able to discern. It might be a different story if I knew from the PO's log that they were actually just replaced 5 years ago. Ditto for the rigging, thruhulls and seacocks in my case. So I'm looking at another $10G for the added assurance that no vital system will fail when it really matters. (I have liability coverage only, so this isn't just to appease some insurance co!). Still, with a 27ft boat, I can afford to tackle this stuff in the spring without breaking the bank. Added to the benefit is that I will have an intimate knowledge of my boats vital systems.

FWIW: If you take my advice, buy a nice small(er) boat that you can feel good about putting your love into and actually maintain on a reasonable budget. But either way, definitely buy a damned boat! I want more peeps my age to hang out with out there!

[danscotttrudel]

Thanks for the info. I am absolutely going to buy a boat! ;-). I've not looked at any 27 ft. Boats(not that Im opposed to them.someone said minimum of 28ft.) but have been looking at alot of 28ft Boats as like you said i want it to be something i can tackle. I've been shot down on here over the boat I've liked the best. (Im sure i will be thanking you guys for this later.) so I've been searching for a boat with a similar layout. I will be looking through the list you posted as soon as Im done typing.