Advice

[Bluewaters2812]

For me I am all for telling you not to listen to naysayers. get the boat you can afford and use common sense and the help of many an experienced sailor, who could sail out with you and teach you the ropes on your own boat. Also spend time learning as crew on other boats. Then also spend time making sure your boat has all the necessary safety equipment. There is no better learning curve than learning on the job so to speak, no matter what you are learning.

Good luck to you both and just remember what Gary Player said: The harder I practice, the luckier I get". Just be sensible at the same time and you will live your dream. never give up is something I have always taught my kids (and my daughter is now 27).

[tbodine88]

Originally Posted by Lysander

The current favorite is a Pearson 30 or a Pearson Vanguard. However, like I said, I base this solely on what I have been able to guess from forums.

We intend to live aboard this thing for a long time.

These are good choices a similar boat is the Ericson line, I owned an Ericson 32 and found it very pleasant to sail and live on. The people I bought her from sold her to buy a larger boat with a stand up shower which is lacking on these small boats. Something to consider especially when living in colder climates.

I wish you luck.

[carstenb]

Lysander,

Pursue your dream. After all, the worst that can happen is you don't make it. Having said that, 30 grand is not a lot, considering you need to buy a boat and then buy a whole lot of things before you're ready to go.

Although go back about 50 years and lots of people sailed RTW with only a sextant, compass and chronometer. NOt sure I would want to.

But someone suggested you get experience by crewing. excellent advice. You'd be surprised how many will take you, especially if one of you is a good cook.

The other place to get experience is on the Tall ships. Visit their website. They are almost always looking for crew. No pay, watch on watch, hard work, frequently you are wet days on end. If you don't like that, you shouldn't try RTW on your own boat.

But do yourselves a favor - learn to sail first.

This question has been asked and answered about a zillion times on this forum.

[atoll]

lots of crewing opputunities here

Yacht crew agency, yacht crew vacancy, sailing crew from Crewseekers

[saw77]

Originally Posted by Lysander

saw, thanks for the response.

I have done a lot of research. I'm familiar with the atom voyage website, and have visited it frequently.

Despite all of my time spent however, I still do not know where to begin. I am still standing on the start line. I have looked at a variety of boats, and I have read 1001 things about them. Everyone has a different opinion however, and while this may be a good thing for some, it is difficult for a complete novice to discern.

Originally we were considering a Westsail 32, however we now realize that these are outside of our budget most likely.

The current favorite is a Pearson 30 or a Pearson Vanguard. However, like I said, I base this solely on what I have been able to guess from forums.

We intend to live aboard this thing for a long time.

Those old Pearsons are nice boats. My first boat was a Pearson Triton, you can sail pretty much anywhere on one of those (as James Baldwin has shown). I like the Vanguard, there was one near me for sale at the time but it was out of my price range. Take a look at Bristols and (as someone else mentioned) Ericsons. In my case, after spending weekends on my Triton I realized that it wasn't quite right for me, so I recently bought a Catalina 34. Very different boat, both are nice but the Catalina suits me better (much roomier below).

So that's the kind of thing I would be concerned about- blowing your budget on a boat that you may find doesn't really work for you.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by Lysander

Hello,

I am 23 years old and my wife is 24. We have been able to amass over $30k. We are preparing to leave the U.S. and sail the world.

Another thing I would suggest is to stop thinking of "sailing the world" and just think of it as cruising!

Once you have some experience etc you will understand the difference.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Lysander

...
I am 23 years old and my wife is 24. We have been able to amass over $30k. ......

$30K will go a whole lot further, and extend your travel time, if you don't buy a boat. $30K is a very meager budget to buy and outfit a boat. Buying and outfitting a boat will not only chew up a lot of cash, but it will also chew up a lot of time -- I would plan on at least one year to buy and outfit a boat. And, I've seen it take longer. Friends of mine switched boats a few years ago, encountered some unexpected problems, and it took them 2 years to get the new boat ready to go. In dramatic contrast, you could be aboard and crewing for someone with a matter of weeks. It can be done, but why? Think about your objective: is it to posses a money hungry material object or to see the world under sail?

I've met a number of young people, who have covered a lot of ground crewing for others. One young couple we met last season started out in Florida crewing and we last crossed paths with them in Panama. They were working at a hostel there. I can guarantee you they have spent a whole lot less than $30K.

[Lysander]

I think my wife and I enjoy the sense of autonomy that comes with owning and living on our very own boat.

What then would you all recommend be a starting budget for a cost-conscious couple like ourselves?

[Ziggy]

Lysander,
I don't want to discourage you, but many young cruising couples have parted their ways after going some distance with inadequate financial resources and in boats that were too small to make comfortable homes. For $30k you should be able to get an older boat in the 30+ foot range that is in decent condition for coastal cruising. If you can take a few summer cruises, 2-4 weeks long, you'll have a great time, develop some experience and skills, and find out if the long distance cruising dream is really for both of you. It will also give you time to save more money.

I don't think your dream is impossible, but you have to have a plan and you need to have confidence in it. The fact that you are asking what others think shows that you're not really sure of yourself.

[Lysander]

Originally Posted by Ziggy

Lysander,
I don't want to discourage you, but many young cruising couples have parted their ways after going some distance with inadequate financial resources and in boats that were too small to make comfortable homes. For $30k you should be able to get an older boat in the 30+ foot range that is in decent condition for coastal cruising. If you can take a few summer cruises, 2-4 weeks long, you'll have a great time, develop some experience and skills, and find out if the long distance cruising dream is really for both of you. It will also give you time to save more money.

I don't think your dream is impossible, but you have to have a plan and you need to have confidence in it. The fact that you are asking what others think shows that you're not really sure of yourself.

Thanks Ziggy,

We have the goal, but now we are trying to figure out the path. I like the idea of doing summer cruising. Is this relatively easy to get into?

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Lysander

What then would you all recommend be a starting budget for a cost-conscious couple like ourselves?

This really depends on what you consider safe, comfortable, and adequate performance. No one other than yourselves can answer for you.

[Adelie]

Originally Posted by Lysander

Hello,

I am 23 years old and my wife is 24. We have been able to amass over $30k. We are preparing to leave the U.S. and sail the world.

1. Which boats would you recommend we buy for our budget (that can handle circumnavigations safely)

2. What are our options in terms of making money during our travels?

If you need more information, please ask.

I know that we don't have a lot of money. We don't need much either.

Thanks.

Two crew. Any possibility of kids?
No sailing experience.
If you buy at the smaller and cheaper end you will have some money left to cruise on. Expect to spend an additional 50% of purchase price outfitting the boat for cruising. If you get a decent smaller, older boat (25-30', 35-50yr old) you should be able to find something around $10k + outfitting.

Given that the goal is to cruise and not to liveaboard look for boats with interiors geared that way. Dinettes (transverse benchs or U-shaped) are great for liveaboard, mediocre or poor for cruising. Better would be something with settees (longitudinal benches) and a table down the middle of the boat.

If kids are a possibility, then look for something with quarterberths. Until the kids come along, they can be storage. Once kids are there they really need their own space, something that doesn't have to be converted daily for other uses like seating for the meal table. Adults can put up with this a lot better than kids. Pilot berths would be a better option for kids and the boat layout as a whole but they aren't an option for the size of boat you have the budget for.

Any really strong preferences to start with? (full/fin keel, spade/skeg/attached rudder, sloop/cutter/mizzen rigged)

Originally Posted by sailronin

Unless you have a job prospect in Houston I would choose a coastal area with a larger yachting population. More boats equals more prospects for finding a good used cruising boat. Check out SE US or So. Cal to find a good small boat. Houston has fewer boats and thus you'll have a harder time getting to a good boat.

Living in San Diego I would be hesitant to suggest SoCal. Plenty of boats here but very little in the way of affordable moorage. Also not much in the way of destinations. Better I think, would be Seattle which has lots of local destinations so you can work your way up from daysailing, to overnighting, to weekend trips to longer. I wouldn't say that moorage is cheap there, but it was not nearly as expensive there when I left 6yr ago than SoCal was.

Better might be the east coast far enough south that you don't need to haul the boat out every winter, south Virginia maybe or North Carolina. There are plenty of destinations there to hone your skills. People on the east coast can give you a better idea of where a good place to make home base would be. Look for cheap moorage, available jobs, local sailing destinations to work on your skills.

The east coast has plenty of boats you can buy. You could buy the boat in Florida, which is probably the cheapest locale in the US to buy boats and move it wherever you make your home base via the ICW. If you buy on the west side of Florida you can get to the ICW via the Okeechobee Waterway which is a Trans-Florida river and canal system saving yourself several hundred miles of delivery.

Once you are skilled enough to start, a trip through the Caribbean will be a nice next step before you start making serious offshore passages.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by Lysander

Thanks Ziggy,

We have the goal, but now we are trying to figure out the path. I like the idea of doing summer cruising. Is this relatively easy to get into?

Depending on your location, it can be very easy. I live and cruise in New England, which is a fantastic cruising ground that could take a lifetime of summer cruises to thoroughly explore.

[Lysander]

Originally Posted by Adelie

Two crew. Any possibility of kids?
No sailing experience.
If you buy at the smaller and cheaper end you will have some money left to cruise on. Expect to spend an additional 50% of purchase price outfitting the boat for cruising. If you get a decent smaller, older boat (25-30', 35-50yr old) you should be able to find something around $10k + outfitting.

Given that the goal is to cruise and not to liveaboard look for boats with interiors geared that way. Dinettes (transverse benchs or U-shaped) are great for liveaboard, mediocre or poor for cruising. Better would be something with settees (longitudinal benches) and a table down the middle of the boat.

If kids are a possibility, then look for something with quarterberths. Until the kids come along, they can be storage. Once kids are there they really need their own space, something that doesn't have to be converted daily for other uses like seating for the meal table. Adults can put up with this a lot better than kids. Pilot berths would be a better option for kids and the boat layout as a whole but they aren't an option for the size of boat you have the budget for.

Any really strong preferences to start with? (full/fin keel, spade/skeg/attached rudder, sloop/cutter/mizzen rigged)






Living in San Diego I would be hesitant to suggest SoCal. Plenty of boats here but very little in the way of affordable moorage. Also not much in the way of destinations. Better I think, would be Seattle which has lots of local destinations so you can work your way up from daysailing, to overnighting, to weekend trips to longer. I wouldn't say that moorage is cheap there, but it was not nearly as expensive there when I left 6yr ago than SoCal was.

Better might be the east coast far enough south that you don't need to haul the boat out every winter, south Virginia maybe or North Carolina. There are plenty of destinations there to hone your skills. People on the east coast can give you a better idea of where a good place to make home base would be. Look for cheap moorage, available jobs, local sailing destinations to work on your skills.

The east coast has plenty of boats you can buy. You could buy the boat in Florida, which is probably the cheapest locale in the US to buy boats and move it wherever you make your home base via the ICW. If you buy on the west side of Florida you can get to the ICW via the Okeechobee Waterway which is a Trans-Florida river and canal system saving yourself several hundred miles of delivery.

Once you are skilled enough to start, a trip through the Caribbean will be a nice next step before you start making serious offshore passages.

Could you elaborate on the cruising vs. liveaboard? We intend to live on this boat for a long time. How does that differ from cruising? Is a liveaboard some who is always docked?

Also..

No we are not having plans to have children until our late 20's.

[saw77]

Originally Posted by Lysander

Thanks Ziggy,

We have the goal, but now we are trying to figure out the path. I like the idea of doing summer cruising. Is this relatively easy to get into?

Like Ziggy, I live in NE. My boat is in Maine and it's very easy to do weekend or week long (or more) cruises. You're never more than a day's sail from a harbor or anchorage, so you don't need to worry much about stocking up for supplies or sailing at night. My guess is the same is true for the Chesapeake, and probably other places as well.

Summer cruising would be a great way to get your feet wet (no pun intended) and get a feel for what works for you and what doesn't.