About ready to take the plunge

[liveaboard60]

Hello forum,
I am new to the list and am glad I found it.

I am getting ready to take the plunge and enter the next phase of my life. I am in the market for a 20~30 foot class of sail boat on which I intend to learn to sail. While I do have some power boat experience (from my Coast Guard days (where I absolutely fell in love with RADAR), and then friends boats now and then) I have never owned more than a tandem kayak (which is a lot of fun).

My plan is to get a small inexpensive boat on which I can spend the weekend on in addition to learning to sail. Then sometime next year my plan is to get a 40' class boat - preferably a Morgan, but availability will tell. I want to sail up and down the Gulf coast stopping for a few months here and there as long as I can get high speed Internet access - required for my work. Then once I retire (in about 5 years) sail the islands of the Caribbean.

I have lived aboard before - an 82' Coast Guard patrol cutter and it was the most amazing time of my life. There were 6 of us in the V-berth which was about 7 feet long (3 tiny racks on each side of the Aluminum hull with seat belts to hold you in). Still being gently rocked to sleep as the waves lapped up against the side of the hull was just wonderful.

Anyway, that is my story, and am looking forward to learning a bunch from both books and this forum.
flk k

[Hudson Force]

flk k, Welcome to the community. Many of us here share your goals or have been living in the manner you describe for many years. It's an excellent choice that you have made to gain sailing experience on a smaller sailboat first and then to increase your sailing range gradually on a larger vessel.

Keep us posted of your adventures!

[Lizzy Belle]

Welcome to CF!