Rent a sailboat for a few days?

[pmbaltzell]

I'm trying to convince the wife how nice it would be to buy a boat and cruise. I thought it would be cool to take a long weekend to just stay on a sailboat in a marina to get her started. Is there anybody out there (Florida/Tampa?) that would consider the idea of letting us stay on their boat (maybe a catamaran). We are in the Midwest, close to retirement, don't smoke. Maybe if someone is looking at selling their catamaran and it's just sitting...?


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[JKP]

If you don't find any person then try boatbound or another peer-to-peer boat service. We rent through them in Baltimore and Florida and have had great results and awesome owners. Most of the time it is actually cheaper than most other charter services.

[ryon]

Consider joining a sailing club, for a million good reasons. They'll train you and keep you out of trouble, and be a great social and logistical resource. And you'll be able to sail out of other clubs that they have reciprocal agreements with.

[american]

Having gone through this process before, I'd highly recommend chartering a boat with a captain for the first outing(s). That way, you can focus on taking care of your wife while someone else focuses on taking care of the boat. You'll all be happier.

Especially important if you're on an unfamiliar boat with her for the first time. Last thing you want is your stress (related to understanding and operating a new boat) to impact her feelings about long-term cruising and living on a boat.

Make sure to invest research and effort into avoiding sea sickness on those first trips. Nothing can destroy a woman's interest in joining you out on the water faster than being sea sick. I speak from (painful) experience on this!

Good luck!

[Patchy]

Be careful, my wife and I rented a sailboat while visiting San Diego as it was so much cheaper than a hotel room. By the time we left we owned the boat and now we live on it most of the time while planning to go cruising full time.


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