Sailing newbie, insane fears and storage concerns

[Eggbah]

Extremely new to sailing, and by new I mean I have never sailed a day in my life. I had something that made a jon boat look huge when I was a kid and I have been at the helm of my parent's 48' Chris-Craft ages ago.

I'm absolutely terrified of monohulls and up until yesterday, I didn't even consider anything with a sail until I saw some multi cats online. Always wanted something like a motor yacht (like Hatteras, Carver, etc) until I saw the price and the lack of outdoor space.

After looking at the multi-hull cats, I'm really liking what I am seeing. However, as someone that doesn't know the first thing about sailing, I have to start somewhere and I can't bring myself to a single hull out of my insane fear of capsizing.

I'm a little discouraged b/c every website I go on to look at boats for sale, everything says "call for price" which probably means that I need to win the lottery or sell my good kidney on the black market. I know boating is definitely not cheap, but I don't want to sail like Ms. Vanderbucks either. I'm not really in a hurry to buy, but I need to get my head out of the clouds and be a bit more realistic about costs and whatnot.

I plan on buying something after my son graduates high school, he's 10, so I have plenty of time to research and learn. My current plan is to sell my cars and home and just about everything in it and live on the boat full time. That's been the plan for about 20 yrs so I don't think that will change, just the type of boat would change.

1. What's a good multi cat for someone that's very new to sailing?

2. Is there enough space to have a craft room aboard? I just need a place to paint and quilt. I guess my real question is would there be space to store a sewing machine and canvases in one of the cabins?

3. Do the beds have storage underneath? Do they lift up? Can they be modified to lift up?

4. Fresh water:
a) do some cats have a fresh water conversion system?
b) can you buy a system if not?

5. Is there a place that I can learn to sail near Atlanta or is that totally laughable?

6. I stumbled on pictures of multi hulls practically on their side, one hull in the air... please tell me that most keep both hulls in the water. Visions of the Bering Sea danced through my head last night and I think I would probably die out there. It pretty much turned me into a coast hugger after a few minutes and I will not be going anywhere near the Bering Sea. Is this a common fear amongst newbies?

[sck5]

Everyone is afraid when they don't know what is happening. It is a matter of getting accustomed to what is going on and what is supposed to happen. Fear of heeling is common but you quickly learn that a large sailboat isnt going to capsize because it has a huge slug of lead (many tons) in the bottom of the keel and as soon as it heels it is also spilling wind out of the sails. On your other questions, storage on boats is limited but every single space that can be used for storage is used for storage. Yes you can have a sewing machine and quilting supplies but you pro bably wouldnt have a room dedicated to it.

I would say you should go take some sailing lessons in Savannah. There are some sailing schools there who are used to total newbies and won't take you out of your comfort zone. That zone will quickly expand as you get used to the motions of the boat. I used to be terrified of winds higher than 20 mph but now regard those speeds as a good day to go sailing. It is just a matter of what you know and what you are used to . A sailing school will allow you to go through the initial few sails with somebody who is very experienced and used to people who know absolutely nothing. Dont worry about that - all of us started there at one point or another, some of us quite late in life.

[zeehag]

first learn to sail.
then find someone to sail with. learning to sail helps a lot. i learned young, never had a fear. i get butterflies before all passages--i figger when i donot i will die.

[sck5]

Another thought. Consider taking your son with you NOW. He will learn quickly and may well love it. It would be an incredible gift to him to open up the whole world of sailing at a young age.

I did this and it is what got ME into sailing. We bought a new house on a lake and my wife said why dont we send our 6 yr. old son to sailing camp now that we live on the water? He loved it so we got him a little sailboat. I started messing around on it and before you know it I was hooked. Quickly went from the laser to a hobie cat to a big boat. I am now sailing around with my wife on our 40 ft. cruising boat in the Caribbean at age 60. But 20 years ago I didnt know anything. Nothing. Zero. Go ahead and take a lesson or two! it could change your life. It sure changed mine.

[siamese]

If you prefer powerboats, then get a powerboat. Getting a sailboat because you think they cost less than powerboats isn't really a recipe for success. A little like taking up skiing because you can't afford a snowmobile.

If you're actually interested in sailing, go to the library and start checking out books. With books and the internet, you should be able to get a very good start on educating yourself, and your forum questions will be more focused. Online sailing forums are an extremely valuable resource, particularly when you have questions that aren't easily answered with a small amount of research.

While some people own multihulls because of a sensitivity to heeling, if you have what you describe as an "insane" fear of monohulls and heeling, you would likely find a multihull frightening under many conditions.

If you're truly interested in sailing, and not just as a low cost alternative to powerboats (which isn't necessarily so), and you have 7 or 8 years to learn, get a small sailboat like a Sunfish or a Butterfly, now. Read and study the Sailing for Dummies book. Learn the "rules of the road" (buy and study the latest edition of Chapman's) on the waterways, and get your boat on the water. Learn to control a small sailboat, and all those skills will transfer directly to a sailboat of any size, and you will overcome your fear of heeling. Right now, you're choosing sail, because power is too expensive, and you're choosing multi's because of a fear of monos. Get yourself educated, hone your skills on a small boat, and start making positive decisions based on actual facts.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Originally Posted by Eggbah

Extremely new to sailing, and by new I mean I have never sailed a day in my life. I had something that made a jon boat look huge when I was a kid and I have been at the helm of my parent's 48' Chris-Craft ages ago.

I'm absolutely terrified of monohulls and up until yesterday, I didn't even consider anything with a sail until I saw some multi cats online. Always wanted something like a motor yacht (like Hatteras, Carver, etc) until I saw the price and the lack of outdoor space.

After looking at the multi-hull cats, I'm really liking what I am seeing. However, as someone that doesn't know the first thing about sailing, I have to start somewhere and I can't bring myself to a single hull out of my insane fear of capsizing.
You won't flip a monohull of any size unless you're out in winds, & conditions that literally qualify as a hurricane. Though from time to time you may do something foolish, & have them heel over quite a bit. Multihulls however, can flip. Where upon they tend to remain there. Albeit it's pretty uncommon, except for beach cats & similar.

I'm a little discouraged b/c every website I go on to look at boats for sale, everything says "call for price" which probably means that I need to win the lottery or sell my good kidney on the black market. I know boating is definitely not cheap, but I don't want to sail like Ms. Vanderbucks either. I'm not really in a hurry to buy, but I need to get my head out of the clouds and be a bit more realistic about costs and whatnot.
Used boats are much more reasonably priced. And they're what most of us buy. Have a look.

I plan on buying something after my son graduates high school, he's 10, so I have plenty of time to research and learn. My current plan is to sell my cars and home and just about everything in it and live on the boat full time. That's been the plan for about 20 yrs so I don't think that will change, just the type of boat would change.
Start learning to sail now. Why wait. It's a blast, & both you & he will probably love it. Just start with a smaller, used, boat.

1. What's a good multi cat for someone that's very new to sailing?
Honestly. Probably a beach cat. They're inexpensive, & you get much more feedback from the boat regarding how your actions affect it. So it's easier to learn on small boats due to this.

2. Is there enough space to have a craft room aboard? I just need a place to paint and quilt. I guess my real question is would there be space to store a sewing machine and canvases in one of the cabins?
Yep, definitely. A mid-sized catamaran often has 4 staterooms, plus a huge saloon in between the hulls. With it often being possible to use one (or more) staterooms for things other than housing people. Instead using them for crafts, tool rooms, sails & toy storage, etc. Toys being things like surfboards, dive gear, & the like.

3. Do the beds have storage underneath? Do they lift up? Can they be modified to lift up?
Most all bunks have it. Some lift, though usually you remove various smaller panels after lifting up the cushions, in order to access the storage underneath of them. And yes, many can be partially (or fully) configured to lift. Though to a degree, bunk tops are structural, as are walls in buildings. But with a bit of know how, things can be re-configured a bit. Again, as with walls in buildings.

4. Fresh water:
a) do some cats have a fresh water conversion system?
b) can you buy a system if not?
Yep, they're reverse osmosis watermakers. Some boats come with them in place, & you can buy them for those that don't.

5. Is there a place that I can learn to sail near Atlanta or is that totally laughable?
Anyplace big enough to float a boat in it will be visited by sailors. So you shouldn't have to look far.

6. I stumbled on pictures of multi hulls practically on their side, one hull in the air... please tell me that most keep both hulls in the water.
Odds are you saw pics of a racing boat that folks were pushing hard. Much as race car drivers do with cars. Yet few people get into wrecks like race car drivers. Boats are much the same.

Visions of the Bering Sea danced through my head last night and I think I would probably die out there. It pretty much turned me into a coast hugger after a few minutes and I will not be going anywhere near the Bering Sea. Is this a common fear amongst newbies?

Not many folks recreationally sail that far north. So don't lose any sleep over it. Though if your son gets turned on to saiing, he'll start talking about things like doing the Volvo Ocean Race. Which is one that as part of it's course, pretty much circles Antartica

[Hudson Force]

Eggbah, Welcome to the community. Most people do best learning to sail on small boats at a length of about 8 to 12 feet. For those in Atlanta, Lake Lanier has the most to offer. Once you can sail the little boat you will find that the skills all transfer to sailing a larger boat

[reed1v]

1. Yes, one of the hulls can leave the water.
2. Yes, a cat can flip
3. Yes, they can move very fast, even fast enough to jump over a wave.
4. Yes, they can dig into the sea if coming off a big roller and going downwind; thus doing a somersault.
5. Try out a hobie cat for one year before committing to a bigger cat.

[Sailsarefull]

Before addressing all the storage issues and water issues, etc., I would take lessons. I would recommend taking lessons on both a monohull and a cat. They have different advantages, different handling, different safety. I prefer a monohull as I have always viewed them as better to handle big water. Not saying that is true, just my view. Monohull is easier to maneuver in tight spaces, cheaper to dock, but cats have more room from my experience. Anyway, get experience on both. I would spend hours at a dock just walking around looking at boats. Found that most boaters were open to showing me their boats and talking freely about what they liked, didn't like. In my younger years I sailed alot of smaller boats and last year bought a 36' Cheoy Lee. Am happy as a clam and ready for my adventure. Good luck.

[doublewide]

Take it in stages. First you and your son need to learn to sail and your wife needs to learn to sail separately, and she needs to be taught to sail by a woman. Trust me. You and your wife should not be in the same beginning sailing class.
Then you and your wife need to take a live-aboard cruising course. Then you need to take the family on some sailing vacations in places like the BVI, Belize, Tahiti. Charter cats or monos; take another family or another couple along; have fun.
Then you retire and buy a boat. By then you will know what boat to buy.

[windcree]

I am new to sailing as well. What I did was take GOOD sailing lessons. I went through ASA (American Sailing Assoc.) Got the bare boat certification. You can learn a lot in just the first two classes without completing the full certification. My first boat is a Pearson 28 . When I bought it I had some reservations about it's size but that is NOT an issue. She sails like a dream. Now of course this is me. And it is a Mono hull. But just something for you to think about. As for price. The sky is the limit. You can go really inexpensive and expect some work to be needed all the way up the dollar tree.. I got mine on Craigslist. I got it for a steal and it needed nothing to sail.
Good Luck .. Follow your dream..

[sailpower]

https://asa.com/schools/georgia/

[Hoodsail]

Regarding sailing lessons, another option may be the local junior college (2yr) or even 4 yr college as a resource for learning with the former being less expensive. I took beginning and intermediate sailing classes through University of Calif at San Fran and Irvine in addition to classes through Orange Coast College (2 yr) in southern California. Granted it was a number of decades ago, but worth some investigation. All were considerably less expensive than the commercial schools. Once courses were completed you were able to rent sailboats when not being used for instruction.
Good luck in your pursuit.
dave

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Eggbah

Extremely new to sailing, and by new I mean I have never sailed a day in my life. I had something that made a jon boat look huge when I was a kid and I have been at the helm of my parent's 48' Chris-Craft ages ago.

I'm absolutely terrified of monohulls and up until yesterday, I didn't even consider anything with a sail until I saw some multi cats online. Always wanted something like a motor yacht (like Hatteras, Carver, etc) until I saw the price and the lack of outdoor space.

After looking at the multi-hull cats, I'm really liking what I am seeing. However, as someone that doesn't know the first thing about sailing, I have to start somewhere and I can't bring myself to a single hull out of my insane fear of capsizing.

I'm a little discouraged b/c every website I go on to look at boats for sale, everything says "call for price" which probably means that I need to win the lottery or sell my good kidney on the black market. I know boating is definitely not cheap, but I don't want to sail like Ms. Vanderbucks either. I'm not really in a hurry to buy, but I need to get my head out of the clouds and be a bit more realistic about costs and whatnot.

I plan on buying something after my son graduates high school, he's 10, so I have plenty of time to research and learn. My current plan is to sell my cars and home and just about everything in it and live on the boat full time. That's been the plan for about 20 yrs so I don't think that will change, just the type of boat would change.

1. What's a good multi cat for someone that's very new to sailing?

2. Is there enough space to have a craft room aboard? I just need a place to paint and quilt. I guess my real question is would there be space to store a sewing machine and canvases in one of the cabins?

3. Do the beds have storage underneath? Do they lift up? Can they be modified to lift up?

4. Fresh water:
a) do some cats have a fresh water conversion system?
b) can you buy a system if not?

5. Is there a place that I can learn to sail near Atlanta or is that totally laughable?

6. I stumbled on pictures of multi hulls practically on their side, one hull in the air... please tell me that most keep both hulls in the water. Visions of the Bering Sea danced through my head last night and I think I would probably die out there. It pretty much turned me into a coast hugger after a few minutes and I will not be going anywhere near the Bering Sea. Is this a common fear amongst newbies?

Huh? A little broad for an answer.

[alctel]

Go racing - if there is a yacht club nearby you can often show up on race days and people are always looking for rail meat. Give the club a call and find out.

It will get you over your fear faster than anything else - it's a whole different side of sailing. A few races and anything you do cruising will look like a piece of cake.

As a new sailor myself, I was always terrified of the boat heeling and knockdowns but after 3 spreaders-in-water spinnaker broaches in a row off race-rocks in 25 knts of wind on a 42 ft racer, it seems a lot less bad

.... which was handy as I then broached the 24ft martin 242 I crew on the next week after I accidently let go of a spinny line :doh:

You will also learn a ton, very very fast.