50 and Ready To Shove Off

[SSgtPitt]

Well, I did it. I'm the new owner of a 1982 36' Cape Dory. Her name is the Solar Blue. And she's in almost perfect condition.


Semper Fi,
Chuck

[Strait Shooter]

Congratulations Chuck, she looks to be an outstanding vessel.
Fair winds to you and your lady!

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by SSgtPitt

We're currently reading "Sailing a Serious Ocean" by John Kretschmer and have followed his blogs, postings and reviews

another one of his books "at the mercy of the sea" is an amazing and sad survival tale about hurricane Lenny but one that i really liked. congrats on the new cape dory 36

[Tayana42]

I'm happy for you Chuck. She does look beautiful. Cape Dory boats have always pleased my eye. That blue hull color is not common on a Cape Dory. Looks great!


S/V B'Shert

[ingaa]

hi all...i dont know if im in right forum...this si a 63 year old newbie saying hello...just climbed aboard from Malta Europe.

Reason? yes i had a scary problem which i need to solve but that may come later

[ingaa]

I thought this was a "skipper 20" area...lovely boats you have....so elegant...

[SSgtPitt]

Well fellow Sailors, on 25 Aug at high noon we shoved off from Pensacola and made the 700+\- NM trip to Corpus Christi. Took us 6 days which included an overnight at the Cyprus Cove Marina on the Mississippi River for repairs and sleep. The 1st day was beautiful. The 1st night was hairy. 6-8' seas, 16-25kt winds directly off our stern, the main boom constantly jibing every time we rolled through a wave until we lasso'd and tied it down.
A full moon every night. I had the midnight to 4am watch for the duration of the trip and I must admit, the Bimini folded back, standing at the helm alone, under a full moon, tethered in of course, steering by the stars, staying on course with the compass and GPS, working the sails from the cockpit, the occasional wave coming over the bow was such a F'g GREAT experience that I am hooked for life.
The boat performed exceptionally well. The bilge pump check valve was so corroded the flapper was no longer attached so the water just came back in. The vent hose for the propane locker had a finger size hole in it and filled the rear lazerette with sea water.....that freaked me out a little. But we bailed and bailed and bailed until we figured out the problem, fixed it and kept moving.
The middle days of the trip were dead calm. No wind, no waves, the water so glassy you could see yourself in it's reflection. Shrimp feeding on the surface everywhere around us made me wish I had a net for some fresh shrimp while underway.
The last days of the trip the wind and waves picked up again and we made 8+ knots coming through Port Aransas with an incoming tide. We rocked and rolled coming across Corpus Christi bay as the wind driven waves picked up and we finally tied off at 9pm in our permanent slip.
The boat is now safely moored in the Corpus Christi Marina while we're back at work. Counting the days until we can get back in November to take her out again and continue with some small repairs.
The plan is to get her paid off in two years, get her outfitted for Cruising and start our adventure in 3 years.

[Cheechako]

Excellent choice in boat! Have fun.

[CaptTom]

Congratulations Sarge!!!

Look back at your first post above, and take pride in how far you've come since then.

Honestly, I didn't think you were going to be where you are today. So many come into boating with oversized dreams and undersized budgets.

Sounds like you were willing to keep at least one foot planted in reality, and more important, to listen and learn.

[Hudson Force]

Originally Posted by SSgtPitt

...............
................ I'm afraid of spending the next 20 years getting ready and planning to go but never actually doing it.

Well, no more fear of that!

.... and you have a strong functional boat that happens to be pretty too!

[HappyMdRSailor]

BRAVO!

[SSgtPitt]

Thanks for the replies. I really got lucky with this purchase. It was double our budget but after inspecting the boat, I couldn't find anything seriously wrong with her. The Admiral and I both figured that a "sail ready" boat would be a better purchase and get us to our Water World adventure sooner. Yeah, the boat's 33 years old and I'm 51. Neither of us are spring chickens but with regular maintenance we should both get along just fine.
CaptTom - I also am a little amazed at my swift progression. I went from Zero to owning my own boat and sailing it across part of the Gulf, during Hurricane season too, in about 6 months. I've been like a sponge during this period; Reading, listening, asking questions, reasoning things out. Now I need time on the water...and lots of it and a million little fix-em-ups on the boat.

And yes, I will not lose that dream of sailing into the sunset, walking on deserted beaches, eating coconuts and the fish I catch and drinking MaiTais as the sun slowly drops into the ocean. Isn't that part of the dream that brought most of here anyhow?

[SSgtPitt]

We quit our jobs in Colorado 31 December and moved onto the boat 28 January. Our adult kids are renting our home and taking care of the animals, so we both lucked out and don’t have strangers renting the house.

Looking back on my first post, we’ve come a long way in a short time. This is a picture of our boat 4 days after Harvey. We only lost some soft covers. I had tied the boat off at 7 points and according to the neighbors my boat hardly moved at all.

We’re now actually in stage 1 of the first part of our dream; living on a sailboat. It’s hard to believe sometimes.

[MV Wanderlust]

That’s awesome! Congratulations, dude. Keep us posted on your adventures.

[jpbronco]

Awesome to see your dream become a reality. Good luck on your journey. Report back on assumptions, learnings and travels.

The wife and I are in a similar spot as you two were 3 years ago. Late 40s and ready to shove off. We have two years till the youngest heads off to college which should be enough time to convert us from day sailers to full time cruisers.