I'm green and I got ?s

[ridgebackguy]

So I'm 29 years old, 3 years divorced and finally in a decent place mentally and financially. I've dremt of sailing the world since I was young. I grew up on the water, though mostly fishing and scuba diving from non sailing vessels. Anyway, my love for the ocean is unparalleled and I've decided that there will never be a better time to sail the world then now while I'm still fairly young and able, with absolutely nothing keeping me landlocked.

I've done livaboards on sail cats before and really enjoyed it thoroughly. Also I am a mariner by trade and make my living aboard tug boats near coastal and in the blue water. So I do have some knowledge of what life is like living on a boat, and a bit of seamanship...currently working in the Virgin Islands and on day 101 of this particular hitch.

The problem is I currently know nothing about sailing or sailboats. All I know is that I want a bluewater boat. I plan on starting off cruising the bahamas since it is so close to my home in cocoa fl. The Pacific is calling my name though. Micronesia, cook islands, french polinesia, Indo, new Zealand and Australia. There's just too much to list and I want to see it all.

What boats are most ideal for this type of cruising? I need a good list of hulls so i can read and research about each. I want to be completely self sufficient for a month or so.at a time. Solar and wind power, water maker, and plenty of fridge/freezer space. I will be single handing a majority of the time so that is also a consideration. I must admit I'm spoiled on most of the tugs. I'm looking at boats in the 40-45 foot range. I know this is bigger then most recommend for a newby. But it is what it is, money is a concern and so is my comfort, so I probably will not be going the smaller rout to begin.

Here is an example of something that appeals to me. http://www.boattrader.com/listing/1973-HUISMAN---MOLICH-Custom-102585001

What am I forgetting? Any thoughts or advise will be greatly appreciated!
John

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, John.

[ridgebackguy]

Thanks! Headed to st lucia this morning so I won't have internet for about a week. Looking forward to reading what you all have to say when I return.

[UNCIVILIZED]

Not to step on your dream, but you do realize that boats get bigger as a Cubed function of their length, right? As does the gear, the costs of the gear, refitting $ & hours, the loads on things... And unless you're Hulk'ish, like 6'+, over 200lbs & single digit body fat, there's little on a boat that size which can be man handled. You need winches & purchases for Everything.

FYI, when I'm in shape, I'm that size, as well as having the experience to handle 50'ers in my sleep. And yet still, I know that 40'ers can quite easily become a handfull. To put it mildly.
Heck, for that matter, so can 30'ers. And plenty of folks of note have circled the globe, multiple times in such boats. Though boats that size leave me flat too. And IMO, the Pardey's "30'er" was 40' long, as when measured with her bow sprit & boomkin, Talesin was nigh on 40'. And displaced 9T, or on par with most any current 40'er around. So don't let those numbers fool you either.

Albeit, Liz Clark, all 100lbs of her, if that, has sailed her Cal 40 1/2 way around the world, much of it solo. And for now, calls French Polynesia home. www.SwellVoyage.com and her adventure's on Facebook, Instagram, & being followed by several print & online periodicals also. Plus there's also a Cal 40 association.

Cal 40's tend to be short on vices, though also on interior room. They define the term "Classic Plastic", & are still considered to be pretty fast. Especially downwind.

Check out the site www.Mahina.com there's a section which helps a lot when it comes to picking a boat. And in fact they'll help you created a short list of boats that'll suit you, for a bit of coin.
That, & there are some good questions to ask yourself in the next week, here Kurt Hughes Multihull Design - Catamarans and Trimarans for Cruising and Charter
Not that you necessarily want a custom multihull, but it makes you think about what it's important to you to have a boat capable of doing, especially as relates to your sailing style.

Also, there's Loads of good information here, www.BethandEvans.com and the latter party in that title, is a member here on CF.

Also, plan on spending; 1/3 of your budget on the boat, 1/3 to outfit her, & 1/3 to have in reserve, to cover overages.
As when outfitting a boat for serious cruising, it's easy to spend more on fitting her out, than it costs for the initial purchase of the boat itself.

PS: Post a budget to go along with your suggested size range, & that'll help target your recommendations a lot more.

[Lizzy Belle]

Welcome to CF!

Originally Posted by ridgebackguy

What boats are most ideal for this type of cruising? I need a good list of hulls so i can read and research about each. I want to be completely self sufficient for a month or so.at a time. Solar and wind power, water maker, and plenty of fridge/freezer space. I will be single handing a majority of the time so that is also a consideration. I must admit I'm spoiled on most of the tugs. I'm looking at boats in the 40-45 foot range. I know this is bigger then most recommend for a newby. But it is what it is, money is a concern and so is my comfort, so I probably will not be going the smaller rout to begin.

There are so many, many threads asking the very same thing ... Have you read through them?
Pretty much any decently build and maintained boat will get you where you want to go. What you'll get in replies here are personal preferences and opinions that may or may not work for you.

And with no budget mentioned, no specifics other than luxury items, I can only say: buy the biggest catamaran you can't afford and have fun

If you're looking for serious advice, you may want to do some homework. Not about all the luxuries you need, but what kind of boat. She's what's going to keep you safe, so spent more time on that than the size of the freezer.
- Monohull, cat?
- Plastic, steel ..?
- You want a watermaker and freezer, so you'll be going where there's no land or people anywhere? For what sailing route / locations are we looking? The route you listed doesn't require you to have everything for a zombie apocalypse onboard
- Budget? (for initial purchase, for refit and for monthly maintenance while underway)
- Any ideas about the layout? A 45' with 2 heads etc. doesn't provide much more actual living space than a 35' with one head.
- Location of boats to consider?
- etc. etc.

[evbeck]

Read John Kretschmer for thoughts on Water boats">blue water boats. His most recent book is "Sailing a Serious Ocean" and it has a good chapter on blue water boats. He has written other articles and books on the subject too. Interesting writer who includes detail and does not pull punches.

[DRussell]

I definitely think you are in a good position to make it work... Sailing is easy, take some courses on your off time as a starting point, your on the water experience will aid you greatly. Lots of topics on this forum with the same thoughts, the other have all given good advice, I would throw in bluewaterboats.org for a list of some of the common boats people consider or have used and you can daydream there about your needs


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[alctel]

As mentioned, I'd look at boats 33 - 37' long. Still big enough to get all the bells and whistles but noticeably cheaper than getting over 40'

[Cheechako]

No need to start big for just yourself. Anything 30 ft and up is great. Start with a small plan like the Bahamas/Caribe and go from there. No point in putting a huge boat, $, commitment, responsibility on yourself until you know how well you like it. Lots of fun to be had in a 32 footer!

[dkroar]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...ie=UTF8&btkr=1
"How NOT to Buy a Cruising Boat" by Deb and TJ Akey
This is recommended reading before buying.

[Mango51]

Try amel maramu or sharky

[sailpower]

Originally Posted by ridgebackguy

So I'm 29 years old, 3 years divorced and finally in a decent place mentally and financially. I've dremt of sailing the world since I was young. I grew up on the water, though mostly fishing and scuba diving from non sailing vessels. Anyway, my love for the ocean is unparalleled and I've decided that there will never be a better time to sail the world then now while I'm still fairly young and able, with absolutely nothing keeping me landlocked.

I've done livaboards on sail cats before and really enjoyed it thoroughly. Also I am a mariner by trade and make my living aboard tug boats near coastal and in the blue water. So I do have some knowledge of what life is like living on a boat, and a bit of seamanship...currently working in the Virgin Islands and on day 101 of this particular hitch.

The problem is I currently know nothing about sailing or sailboats. All I know is that I want a bluewater boat. I plan on starting off cruising the bahamas since it is so close to my home in cocoa fl. The Pacific is calling my name though. Micronesia, cook islands, french polinesia, Indo, new Zealand and Australia. There's just too much to list and I want to see it all.

What boats are most ideal for this type of cruising? I need a good list of hulls so i can read and research about each. I want to be completely self sufficient for a month or so.at a time. Solar and wind power, water maker, and plenty of fridge/freezer space. I will be single handing a majority of the time so that is also a consideration. I must admit I'm spoiled on most of the tugs. I'm looking at boats in the 40-45 foot range. I know this is bigger then most recommend for a newby. But it is what it is, money is a concern and so is my comfort, so I probably will not be going the smaller rout to begin.

Here is an example of something that appeals to me. Used 1973 Huisman - Molich Custom, Rockland, Me - 33004 - BoatTrader.com

What am I forgetting? Any thoughts or advise will be greatly appreciated!
John

As has been said, there are thousands of posts like this and most never go.

You know nothing about sailing but your mind is made up as to what you want?

Great.

Buy the boat you linked to and get started. It's as good as anything else and maybe better than some.

Post a blog when you are out there.

Good luck!

[lesterbutch]

Just a couple of suggestions to consider. #1 Hire on and get some experience with sail. Your 29, you have time to prep. Like it or not in my world, your still a kid! In lieu of that buy the boat you want to sail atound the world in, and start sailing locally in various conditions! (Personally I would sail on someone elses dime.). #2 The boat size should be in the middle thirties. I have a 35 and its a very capable sea boat. You dont want some bath tub or some barge! #3 Dont even consider a multi. go with a mono. why? Because a good mono can take a big hit and then self right. Multi's cannot self right. In big water your boat must be able to survive the worst case sennario. #3 Get, (and use), top notch safety equipment, buy only gear that is brand name, off shore rated, and never go on deck without it. I could go on and on but just do it right!

[Fog Bank]

Starting with a blue water boat seems, in my eyes, to be putting the cart before the horse. Instead of rushing into buying a serious boat, buy something smaller. Get a Cal 20 and actually learn the art of sailing. You'll learn a lot, and will be able to sell your learner with ease. Crawl before you walk. Just my thoughts...

[lesterbutch]

I understand what your saying but where I come from we were allways taught that if you learn on the boat your going to sail, then you ultimately become one with the boat and you can virtually sail it in your sleep. It appeared to have worked for me.