Total noob. maybe dreaming. don't hurt me.

[ClaudiaJ]

You have to go to Trawler Forum. Go to the live aboard section and read the thread called Taking the Plunge. It is a priest who left Texas about eight months ago having never owned a boat before. He moved with his wife and dogs to Florida and bought a trawler. They have already been to Bimini twice! Great story - and seems relevant to your circumstances.

[LTDsailing]

For your first question - learning to sail - starting out with some ASA classes is a great way to learn. Trying a live aboard course somewhere fun is a great way to get a taste of the cruising / live aboard lifestyle. Be sure to follow that up with as much time on the water as you can. Buy a small inexpensive boat and just get out on the water every chance you get. Feel free to message me if you have any questions I can help you with.


Beam winds,


Chris

[Sailorbob8599]

Please keep in mind folks, this forum is read by many people from other parts of North America, if not the world. With this in mind would you please care to explain what "the big loop" refers to? ... Thanks ...

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

Please keep in mind folks, this forum is read by many people from other parts of North America, if not the world. With this in mind would you please care to explain what "the big loop" refers to? ... Thanks ...

Going down the Mississippi River, around Florida, up the East Coast of USA in the Intracoastal Waterway usually, then across Lake Erie, one of the Great Lakes and so on to Chicago and then the headwaters of the Ohio-Mississippi rivers.

[over40pirate]

First question, is your definition of sailing? Sail boat or power boat?
Being as you some years before retiring and casting off, I would consider the real estate market. If you feel the market is going to be going up in the years you are waiting to retire, why not buy a house and a smaller boat and learn to sail, while the value of the house goes up?
My wife, after sailing to Hawaii, then back, after dumping her ex, lived on her boat in a marina for 10+ years. Boat never moved until I met her. If she had sold the boat and bought a house, she would have been big bucks ahead, by the time she sold the boat. Boat went down in value. House would have gone up in value.
Just some things to consider.

Buy a 200k boat and pay $500/ month at a marina, for 5 years. Sell boat for $175 after 5 years. Total cost. $55,000

Buy house for $150,000 and boat for $50,000. Keep boat in marina for $300/month.
Total cost after 5 years (house value increased $40,000) $22,000 profit.

Plus if you have a boat you don't live on it will be a lot easier to take it out sailing more. and you need to do that, if interested in learning.

[FreeBeerTomorro]

Wow, lots of replies since this morning!

ChrisTinaBruce: Not by chance a Oldcastle company?

no, a private venture!

FSMike: I would live as close as possible to work.

the office would be about 12 miles from several marinas. Would not have to venture into Houston.

Claudiaandphil: I will check out Trawler Forum.


Sailorbob8599: Sorry, but thankfully Steady Hand explained the Great Loop. essentially circumnavigating the eastern half of the US.


for those who suggested ASA classes, thanks, that sounds very good. For others who suggested a more gradual approach, thanks, I will seriously consider that advice!

My compliments to all of you on the excellent and helpful community you have built here!

[jackdale]

I got into sailing when I went to grad school at University of Houston-Clear Lake. I was asked to join the crew of a Tartan 10 for the Galveston Bay Cruising Association Friday night races.

I would recommend lessons and you might want to try some racing; it does "improve the breed."

[dakno]

I agree about the trawler. Also, you would love Clear Lake. Great boating community, great marinas at a reasonable cost, friendly people, many marine trades people for anything you would need to do. Good luck...

[Scout 30]

3 staterooms is a tall order for a boat, trawler or sail. That gets you into a much bigger boat than you would need for 2 people & a lot of boat to start out with. However, 2 staterooms is pretty common plus you'll have a dinette that sleeps 2 & maybe a couch in the salon depending on the boat. If you're serious about this start looking at as many boats as you can as soon as you can. The more boats you see the more informed your final choice will be. There are a ton of decisions to make way beyond how many it will sleep: sail or power, full displacement or semi, aft cabin or Europa, single diesel or twin ... I'd start by looking at a couple of popular classics, the 42' Krogen & the 40' Grand Banks. $200,000 is not a lot of money for one of these but it's doable. I'd also look at a more cost effective Mainship 40 to get an idea of how quality affects value. You could get into a much newer Mainship for the same money. Yachtworld will have several examples of these boats as well as a whole lot more.

[weavis]

If you want sail, and a new (ish) boat, 0-3 years old, then I would highly recommend the Gemini Legacy 35 Catamaran. In your price range,. Even get one new on a hard deal in this market.

Width is acceptable, 3 cabins, good stability, No where near as bad as people would have you believe and, for me anyway, lots of room.

I am very choosy, but for the type of cruising you have outlined, I would have one in a heartbeat.

Yes I have sailed on one.



This is one of the best videos showing size. Caroline has chosen to represent Gemini in the French show hence the language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwbdJliEitQ

[over40pirate]

When I first started sailing I took a USCG aux. sailing course. And also a Red Cross course, in NYC.
The Red Cross course was the best, because of the instructor. He was a sailor and into racing.
One of the best pieces of advise was when trimming sail, don't go by the sail shape. Go by the knot meter ! How true, as in when the wind increases, and causes excess weather helm, and rudder angle to keep boat on line. Sometimes letting out the main, until it is luffing will give best speed. (called a fishermans reef) Time to reef the main.

Another thing I did, was find a picture of a sail boat and rigging, that labeled all the parts of a sail, and rigging.
I hung it across from the head in my house for study purposes! It worked.

[FreeBeerTomorro]

Again, I appreciate all the replies.

Based on some further info from my prospective business partner, the wife, and some of the insightful posts on here, I am rethinking things a bit. Back to the drawing board, completely.

If things work out on the business side, I'm pretty sure we'll be purchasing a house, and sailing/boating will have to start out as a hobby pursuit. Being in the Clear Lake area, I expect there will be ample opportunity to meet new friends who are boaters and with whom we might first get our feet wet, and maybe even enter into a fractional ownership arrangement.

Your suggestions have been very helpful, even if some may now be applicable farther down the line...

Fair seas to everyone!

[oldragbaggers]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

Please keep in mind folks, this forum is read by many people from other parts of North America, if not the world. With this in mind would you please care to explain what "the big loop" refers to? ... Thanks ...

I'm sure that references to places all over the world get made on this forum all the time that are unfamiliar to at least some of the members. Whether you are from the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, no one is familiar with every place. Usually a quick google search will provide all the information you need if someone makes a reference to an unfamiliar place. I find myself doing it all the time. All the people who are sailing the Caribbean refer to all the islands and harbors as if we all know exactly what they're talking about. Many of us don't have a clue, but that's okay. Google maps will not only show you where it is, but you can go satellite view and check it out fairly up close and personal. There are many websites that will tell you everything you could ever want to know about the Great Loop.

[mct]

Originally Posted by Sailorbob8599

Please keep in mind folks, this forum is read by many people from other parts of North America, if not the world. With this in mind would you please care to explain what "the big loop" refers to? ... Thanks ...

Um, not really? We all have to learn things and sometimes look things up. Definitely with sailing - you have to look things up. But you also have to be intelligent. I think most of us guessed that in this context the Big Loop is an inland US tour.

In case they didn't, they may need to know that the US is short for United States. Also, when people say "I'm in the Caribbean" they aren't physically in the sea swimming about at that moment - they're just in that general area.

I'm only trying to help. Or actually, I'm only trying to help ensure that a reasonable standard of literacy and intelligence is maintained. So I'm not so much in favour of even more dumbing down.