Tips for the Novice Sailor

[jibman]

i started sailing in my 40 s.....now i have a 30 catalina.....still things happen...be very aware of the weather before heading out............cheers

[lifejacket1981]

I can see some of you are giving me pieces of personal experiences where you learned the hard way.... And I cant help but chuckle a little when I imagine the circumstances they arrived from lol. It is great to be apart of this forum though, I'm glad my girlfriend signed me up for it. I think even if she forgets everything else she has read about sailing, she will always remember to "keep her feet on the deck"

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by lifejacket1981

I can see some of you are giving me pieces of personal experiences where you learned the hard way.... And I cant help but chuckle a little when I imagine the circumstances they arrived from lol. It is great to be apart of this forum though, I'm glad my girlfriend signed me up for it. I think even if she forgets everything else she has read about sailing, she will always remember to "keep her feet on the deck"

Buying a boat...

- Hull condition and and soundness
- Though hulls and bottom paint
- Mast and standing rigging
- Sails and running rigging
- Engine
- Prepare 20-25% of the purchase price to fix things in the first year

These are the nig ticket items. If you want to sail and not have a boat project on your hands.

Everything else is up for grabs - toilet, electronics, lighting, interior trim etc.

Sailing advice? When in doubt head up.

[lifejacket1981]

would you prefer fiberglass over wood hull?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by lifejacket1981

would you prefer fiberglass over wood hull?

I am lazy. Fibreglass...

[lifejacket1981]

any advice on a good GPS for the Carribean?

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by lifejacket1981

any advice on a good GPS for the Carribean?

Yes, I have heard the Raymarine is very good for the US east coast but not so good for the Caribbean, while the Furuno does very well in the Caribbean and US west coast but strangely not the east coast. The Garmin works best in the Asian parts. Basically you need all three for a circumnavigation

(Joking but the names mentioned will all do well)

ciao!
Nick.

[chuckr]

advice on gps -- have no idea what that means - if you are asking what electronic set up - then we like raymarine - good stuff and easy to use and good customer service -
we linked chartplotter, radar, ais all together so we see everything on one screen -

HOWEVER - the electronic charts outside the usa are really not to be trusted - pick up cruising guides and put waypoints on the chartplotter that correspond to the cruising guide not the charts - as an example we have anchored in places that our chartplotter said we were in the middle of an island when we actually were offshore in 30' of water -

just our opinion
chuck patty and svsoulmates
on the hook portobelo panama

[Abaco]

LJ1981,

You have plenty of help here picking out the right boat for you. Once you get it, my only recommendation is to practice docking as much as possible. Just like a new pilot practices touch and go's, you need to practice getting on and off a dock or slip. First practice with one or two friends as crew. Once you get good with help, start going out by yourself and pulling right back in. Find someone with experiance to teach you about using spring lines properly. Relative to docking, the sailing is easy.

Good luck.

[lifejacket1981]

what do you guys think about this boat?


Catalina 30 Sailboat-REDUCED TO SELL FOR BEST OFFER

[Boracay]

Why don't you go and have a look at the Catalina? Take a few photos and post them here so future generations know what you're talking about (Ad will expire).

Looks Ok in the photos. No maintenance listed since '09.

Can you get a knowledgeable friend (one not known for rose coloured glasses) to take a look with you?

[lifejacket1981]

Wow that's so ironic.. My girl friend and me decided to name the boat I get "Rose Colored Glasses" thanks must be meant to be.... At least worth a much closer look I plan to have a professional look at it for 12 dollars a foot, does that sound reasonable?

[Pacificcatalyst]

As an 18 year old I was working over 100 hours per week (night and weekends construction site watchman) and I was surfing every morning after getting off work at 0700. I wanted to learn to sail, so I bought a pretty little 31' Scandanavian sloop. Like an over-inflated Dragon.

I motored out into the middle of San Diego Bay, shut off the outboard, and raised the sails. Then I figured it out.

Not the method I would recommend, but it does explain the significant gaps that remain in my sailing ability!

You have gotten some great and good advice, and I have little to add, except:

A cheap, but underequiped boat is more expensive than one that has the gear you want (make a spread sheet of the stuff you want, cabin heat, head with holding tank, electronics, genset, solar panels, inverter....... and make a column for the estimated retail price for these items, then use the list to come up with comporable costs for boats with different levels of equipment. Don't forget sails!!)

While underweigh, never approach anything at a speed faster than you want to run into it. Also, hitting cheap boats is preferable to hitting really shiney ones.

You will run aground. Practice looking calm.

You will make your biggest mistake in front of the largest possible audience. Practice looking calm.

Don't throw stuff, lots of it won't float.

Keep your options open. Buy a boat with the idea that you will want to wash it, wax it, and then flip it and make a profit. Don't fall in love with it and then negotiate accordingly. Just remember, fiberglass will never love you the way you love it.

Have fun. And keep posting as you walk through this process.

Welcome!

[Rick01541]

There are a couple of professional organizations for boat surveyors. I would suggest using one with those credentials. $360 for a 30 footer sounds about right but it has been a long time since I hired one. Be there for the survey and ask lots of questions. They are a wealth of information.

[chuckr]

lifejacket -- not sure what you are going to do about insurance - but - we use bill hodgens at yachtinsure.com - he really did a great job for us - and constantly adjusted our policy to meet our needs and keep our costs down - as an ex cruiser he has been there done that

good luck
chuck patty and svsoulmates
on the hook portobelo panama