How stupid is this idea?

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by reed1v

Skip the tacks. Most of the drug runners are armed, and you really do not want to piss them off. The level of crime in the Caribbean is world class.

We dragged along three scuzzy tenders so our boat would always show at least two in the water tied to our boat. Kind of like the extra car in the driveway. Says someone is home. Old prams worked best since they self stow. Never got broken into while our fellow sailors had lots of problems with thefts.

Yes remember Peter Blake (whom I met many times) sadly missed. That was in the Amazon.

[420sailor]

We're hoping that we won't have enough money to be robbed, meaning we won't have anything worth stealing. That being said, we'll definitely be careful which anchorage we pick to hopeful avoid these people. Do navigation systems, radio ext. tend to get stolen or is it more personal iteams like computers and phones?

[Ribbit]

Originally Posted by hamburking

Sailing is one of the safest sports around. If a sailor dies, its big news. You are much more likely to die in a car, any day of the week.

Live large or go home. No do-overs.

Amen.

I lost five friends one night, on the way back from a darts match. A coach went into the back of them, and boom, the fuel tank went.

Lost another two in the front seat of a car, when ice spat them over a hedge at the side of a fair drop. A friend sat in the middle of two girls in the back saved them, by throwing his arms out sideways, but that meant he went forward and headbutted the gearstick, for a bit of brain damage (he lived, was a completely different person after, but still a great guy) plus two broken arms.

Lost others practicing for car rallying, and similar type stuff. Strangely, never lost a friend on a motorbike. Loads of broken bones, several close to death, but not a single fatality.

Have a blast, you never know where or when your ticket gets punched.

+1 on that Tartan, I like it.

As for the Atomic (they are supposed to be good), if they have a dingy with an outboard, and the Atomic fails, as there are two of them, they can lash the dingy to the side, and use that to motor to a mooring.

Had to do that once with a friends boat, which had a really spiteful and temperamental two stroke inboard, no matter how nice you treated it, it was only a question of time before it threw a wobbler. We had to go about 30 miles to get onto the mooring,

I was amazed we made about 5 knots (this with a Macwester 26, which isn't exactly a lightweight) with a 2.2hp Tohatsu outboard, and it proved great on fuel (I was convinced we would have to siphon some out of the 2 stroke tank for the inboard, but we still had a half gallon or so left when we got back).

We might have made 5.5 knots if Steve hadn't been embarrassed at the thought of sailing onto the mooring without the sails up all the way.

Managed to loop round the harbour and hit the mooring first attempt too. Talk about chuffed.

PS. we had quite a welcoming committee and audience for this arrival at the mooring (it was friend Bill's mooring, and he wasn't going to put his boat back in the water for another month or two, and having Steve's boat on it meant we could all get some sailing in while Bill's boat was having work done on it). Bill had asked Steve what time we were leaving his mooring (tricky estuary, had to get out while things were just right, and Steve somehow managed to stick the boat on the sandbar so I had to tow it off with the dingy which took quite a bit of time and effort, and I think hitting the sandbar got the inboard into a really foul mood), so had roughly estimated our time of arrival at his mooring, and as a nice surprise for Steve, had arranged for us to have a meal together at the pub overlooking the harbour. The pub owned by another of our close friends, the harbourmaster. Steve and myself, of course, having no idea that a countdown timer with the harbourmaster for our arrival, had now been established.

Well to cut a long story short, despite superb weather conditions, the Coastguard being alerted and our course being in easy viewing distance from the shore, it boggles the mind to consider this really, but with loads of people up and down the coast looking for us, nobody could see us. We couldn't hear a thing on the radio either, which was definitely on, and definitely on the right channel (might have been the extremely unusual weather conditions for Britain, as it was very sunny, very clear, and very warm - a great day to be out on the water).

So they sent the lifeboat out, and they couldn't find us either (it beats me where they must have been looking, we didn't see another boat all the way up the coast, and it was crystal clear to the horizon, without a cloud in the sky). So getting the Big Mac onto the mooring with style and elegance, became a bit of an essential. We were less than a mile form the mooring, when a fishing boat radio'd that they had spotted us approaching the harbour, so the lifeboat came out, and escorted us in. All clear as a bell on the yacht radio.

Steve had to buy everyone at least two drinks in the harbourmasters pub after, and he did buy me more than two (as did Bill, and as did the harbourmaster). It was a day the harbourmaster always reminded us about after, and I am sure it was his hint to Steve that it was his round.

[Ribbit]

I suppose the point in all that is, to avoid getting people who care for you unnecessarily worried, always say if giving a departure time, something like "we'll probably drop anchor for a bite to eat and a snooze a couple of times on the way, so don't be unduly alarmed if we arrive a little later than you expect". I don't know about you, but I hate to have people unnecessarily worried about me. But they will do it.

Your parents will be overwhelmingly relieved to hear from you at every opportunity, so do yourselves (and them) a favour, and keep in touch.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by 420sailor

Recently, I've been thinking about taking a year and living aboard. Ideally, I'd like to do this within the next year and a half. I know that there are a fair amount of threads with similar topics, but my question pertains mainly to age. I'm looking to spend the year sailing with a friend and we will both be 18 at time. Is this a bad idea? We both have a lot of experience racing small dinghies and have spent some time crewing on a larger (70 ft) schooner. We're looking to by a 25-30 ft boat for under $10,000. Is this realistic? We want to go towards the Caribbean and island hop after that, anchoring each night. Are there problems that we'll face because of how young we are? We don't want to dock for financial reasons, so this may help with some potential problems. Coming out of the US will we face legal issues? I know most people tend to cruise after they retire, but neither of us want to wait that long. We're looking to do it as a gap year before college, so it will only be for the year. Any thoughts would be helpful and thank you in advance!

There are many places of interest in the US. Get some water under your keel before venturing elsewhere. If it is only a year, stay stateside or at most the Bahamas. Get that education, just not a degree in basket weaving.

[GrahamHO]

Originally Posted by 420sailor

We're hoping that we won't have enough money to be robbed, meaning we won't have anything worth stealing. That being said, we'll definitely be careful which anchorage we pick to hopeful avoid these people. Do navigation systems, radio ext. tend to get stolen or is it more personal iteams like computers and phones?

Leave your Rolex watches at home. Don't even wear fake ones. An iPhone can also be tempting. A woman was killed some years ago on Koh Samui island simply for her cellphone. It was after dark in a secluded spot. I've been to Koh Samui and felt quite safe as I have in many other parts of Thailand and many Asian countries. Even where I live (NZ) a friend had her iPhone snatched when she was sitting texting in a waiting train at a terminal station.
She is a multi sport athlete and ran after the snatcher apprehended him and recovered her phone. These things can happen anywhere but in many countries the average wage might be $2 a day.

[reed1v]

Originally Posted by GrahamHO

Yes remember Peter Blake (whom I met many times) sadly missed. That was in the Amazon.

We knew Peter. Great guy. Again, important to make it look like the boat has lots of folks aboard. Multiple dummie tenders work, and work well.

[seasick]

I believe you should consider a voyage in the opposite direction than that which you propose. Search for a boat from Trinidad to Tortola and sail it back.

Benefits:
You start in "paradise" where boats are cheaper and better equipped.
You end up at home where the boat is worth more, the moorage is less expensive and it's where you can live aboard or just keep an eye on your boat until you sell it.

If you only have a year, you only have just enough time to voyage in one direction.

Too many people sail south, place the boat in dry storage and put it up for sale. This is the place to buy not to sell. Corresponde with the yard managers, you just may be able to buy a boat for what is owed in unpaid storage.

In regards to your learning as you go: As Captain Ron famously said, "if it's going to happen, it's going to happen out there."

[Muckle Flugga]

Originally Posted by seasick

I believe you should consider a voyage in the opposite direction than that which you propose. Search for a boat from Trinidad to Tortola and sail it back.

Benefits:
You start in "paradise" where boats are cheaper and better equipped.
You end up at home where the boat is worth more, the moorage is less expensive and it's where you can live aboard or just keep an eye on your boat until you sell it.

If you only have a year, you only have just enough time to voyage in one direction.

Too many people sail south, place the boat in dry storage and put it up for sale. This is the place to buy not to sell. Corresponde with the yard managers, you just may be able to buy a boat for what is owed in unpaid storage.

Not a bad strategy. +1

[Paul J. Nolan]

Originally Posted by brazenarticle

Get a good boat and go.

A lot of good advice here, but this is the best.

Paul

[robert.]

We had no experience and had never lived on a boat either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QpAMvKhFzU

[ri4sail]

Great idea. One word of caution. If you buy a 25-30 foot boat for 10, 000 dollars, it will probably not be ready for an offshore passage. I'm talking about standing rigging, sails, propulsion, etc. All of that is sort of like brakes on a car, not something you want to have in a failure mode when no immediate help is available. I would estimate that any boat you buy for 10k is going to need at least that amount again and some serious labor time to get it ready for an offshore voyage.

[boatman61]

Your Totally INSANE....!!!
I LUV IT....😅😅😅

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by 420sailor

Recently, I've been thinking about taking a year and living aboard. Ideally, I'd like to do this within the next year and a half. I know that there are a fair amount of threads with similar topics, but my question pertains mainly to age. I'm looking to spend the year sailing with a friend and we will both be 18 at time. Is this a bad idea? We both have a lot of experience racing small dinghies and have spent some time crewing on a larger (70 ft) schooner. We're looking to by a 25-30 ft boat for under $10,000. Is this realistic? We want to go towards the Caribbean and island hop after that, anchoring each night. Are there problems that we'll face because of how young we are? We don't want to dock for financial reasons, so this may help with some potential problems. Coming out of the US will we face legal issues? I know most people tend to cruise after they retire, but neither of us want to wait that long. We're looking to do it as a gap year before college, so it will only be for the year. Any thoughts would be helpful and thank you in advance!

Yep you can do it. 25-30 ft is more of a camper, but lots have people done what you want in those sized boats.
Your dinghy experience will be a big help.
It may be worth getting some seamanship classes though. Navigation, Safety, Radio, Anchoring. etc

Then go have fun. Realistically, you could be living aboard and get an instructor to teach you some tricks on your own boat before you go.

[reed1v]

Ignorance truly is bliss. Only the crazy ones experience real magic or tragic death; so just do it. Big world out there, and no one can predict what you will find. Cheap boats, even logs, have crossed oceans with little preparation or skills to guide them. Of course we only hear about the ones who made it back to tell their tales.

Looking back, I would not have done what I did knowing what I know now. Knowledge can be a real roadblock to adventure. Being ignorant allowed me to travel and experience people, places, and challenges that probably should have killed me many times over. Glad I did it? You bet! Looking back however, I should have been scared out of my wits doing what I did rather than being curious, optimistic, and just plain happy. Too much knowledge will do that to you. So bottom line is: Just do it.