Another Newbie

[Duke 48]

Hi All,
My wife Diana (Princess Di to those who know her) and I have acquired an older Morgan 32 that we are trying to ready for extended coastal crusing. We found BELIEVE two years ago and have and only recently been able to say that all of the onboard systems are working. Now the objectives become more interesting. We are trying to decided what to add and what to subtract to make BELIEVE more comfortable. Because of our lack experience, knowing what we want or need often becomes as much of an issue as making the changes. No doubt we will be seeking input on a large number of items to help us decide which direction to turn. Unfortunately, at this time, we have little to offer in return. Our response to questions will be limited to issues we have adderssed aboard BELIEVE. And usually these responses can be narrowed to: 1) Money or 2) Elbow Grease.
Duke

[Ex-Calif]

The Duke and the Princess - How cool... Is it a good guess that you are in the UK?

You should have a little experience having obtained Believe 2 years ago.

Anyway - welcome to cruisers forum. Lots and lots of smart folks here. For specific questions about refits, engines, etc. etc. try visiting the tech forums.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Duke and Di,
Welcome aboard! Good to have you here. Hope you can share your information with us.
Where do you keep your Morgan?
Kind regards,
JohnL

[swagman]

Welcoem Duke,
Knowing the wide range of views on the site any question is sure to bring multiple answers - but you will find everyone helpful.
Good luck in achieving the goals.
JOHN

[Duke 48]

Thanks to all for the warm welcome. So that there is no misunderstanding, Princess Di is my wife's nickname. We are USA not UK. In fact we are still in the hartland in fresh water. Our long range plan - two to three years - is to take the river routes south to Mobile then on from there. One of out biggest handicaps is not having much in the way of local sailors who have already had the cruising experience. To be able to draw on others' experience should help smooth out the bumps in our transition from land to water.
What little I have been able to review of this forum I feel it will be of tremendous help. Also, I hope we can be of assistance to others.
Again, Thank You.
Duke

[Pblais]

Duke,

Things that seem simple at first often end up complex. Use the time you have to learn more about how things work. Part of all this is figuring out what you want to do and how to go about doing it. These are the hard questions to find answers to. We have a vast amount of different experiences here and if you can take the time to try and understand why there are so many differences you can begin to find the way that is your own. You may not be exactly like anyone but in some ways you may share common ideas with many here. The process of sorting this out takes some time and I think it is valuable to understand more than you need to to find exactly what you need.

All the best to your planning and I hope you find what you really need. We never close so come as often as you like.