First boat, first post, first adventure.

[northoceanbeach]

Hi, so a quick intro.

I am 30, but quite immature. I have wanted to sail since I was 15. Not just sail, but sail away. It got put off, it always seemed so expensive and hard, there were other interests and I always said I would one day.

That day is now. The owner of the house I now live at, lives for sailing. When I first met him I told him I have always wanted to sail. He said he likes to teach and I can come out with him next time. So I jumped on this opportunity and now me and him are friends and he's helped me fix up my first boat and learn alot. I don't know if I could've done it without his help.

I'm now going out from the ala wai in Honolulu several times a week(except this week, winds are 20-25 knots and gusty.) I'm learning, I love it.

I am hoping come June I will be good enough to live aboard and sail the whole summer. I have some destinations in mind, based on what I want to see. Cheapness, ease of sailing and navigation. I'm pretty much confining it to AMerica, although I don't have to. Mostly becuse I will be doing this on a shoestring and our dollar is tanking. I'm not opposed to any other countries, so please feel free to suggest anywhere. I'll be buying a used boat there too, something up to $5000 and maybe 24-5 feet.

I would like some suggestions and the best cruising grounds for a beginner. Somewhere with quaint small towns, not too crowded. Good nature and fishing, some good isolated anchorages, and not too strict. By strict I mean I've heard maybe California is all rules and regulations, where you can and can't park. I'd like to be able to just drop anchor anywhere that looks nice and quiet and that. My order right now is:

1. San Juans and all over puget sound
2. Chesapeake Bay
3. San Francisco Bay
4. Lake Michigan/Huron

Thanks for any advice.

[Pblais]

except this week, winds are 20-25 knots and gusty

We were out last night 30 -35 knots. Missed the storm and had a great sail.

I would like some suggestions and the best cruising grounds for a beginner.

I saw your list and I would not call any of them "good for a beginner" but actually good for any one. It's more how you do it than where you go. With the small boat you pick and choose your weather a little better. As a beginner you take shorter legs.

We live on the Chesapeake and spring and fall are best. Summer can be good weather but not great wind. I grew up on the Great Lakes and they are strictly summer.

[Charlie]

I grew up sailing SF Bay. Lots of fun great sailing but not a forgiving beginners place. The other problem with it is that it is limited for cruising.

San Juan's and puget Sound. Had my boat up there for a year last year . It was great. You could spend a lifetime up there and not see everything.

Mexico is a good place to sail. Don't have to have alot of money. Twenty years ago I left Manzanillo MX with $1500 in my pocket and cruised the south pacific inluding Tahiti, Bora Bora, the Marquesas, the tuamotos, one of the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australia. I came back with $3000k in my pocket.

Sailing is great but you don't have to have your own boat. There are often people who need crew. You only need networking skills and to be pointed in the right direction.

As far as the other two places I've never been

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha North,
Welcome aboard! I used to sail out of Pearl Harbor and sailed my little Catalina 22 to Waianae (Pokai Bay) and back a few times, out to the Diamond Head buoy and back many, many times. I'd anchor near the beach at Waikiki and sleep aboard occasionally and sometimes I'd tie up at the Ala Wai and walk around Waikiki until I was ready to sail back. All these little excursions got me ready and trained up for my next boat and all the interisland sails I did.
You could try to get into Kaneohe Bay if you pick your weather well.
Good to have you here and good luck.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[jrd22]

Northocean- sounds like you are describing the Puget Sound/San Juans/BC area. Lot's of nice anchorages, a lifetime of places to explore, friendly people and some good fishing left in some places. In fact, you can crab and shrimp pretty much year round in BC. You might not find a lot of wind during the summer months but spring and fall are great sailing and the anchorages are less crowded. Winter is wet, and cold compared to HI, but beautiful at times too. There are no restrictions on where to anchor here, some anchorages are no discharge zones. And there are lot's of boats in your price range available. Seems like it would be hard to leave Hi, but if you don't mind wearing fleece and becoming somewhat of an expert on boat heaters you could do alot worse than our islands here.

John

[northoceanbeach]

Five years later I bought a boat and picked puget sound/San Juan's.

Oh how things stay the same. Glad I haven't changed.