Canadian Newbies

[stormydog]

Hi everyone,
We are two Canadians from Ontario living in a land-locked city and we want to learn how to sail so that we can eventually retire to the Caribbean and perhaps live aboard.
So far, just reading the forums has answered a lot of questions.
Looking forward to learning more!
Lori and John

[Mark1977]

Welcome to CF.

[Unicorn Dreams]

Welcome Aboard Cruisers Forum

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here.
kind regards,

[Missou]

Hello neighbour!!

I am from the Montreal's south shore. Hubby and I are in the same path as you are. We started sailing in June and are hoping to move onto a PDQ catamaran by the end of December 2012.

We are taking sailing lesson's with the ASA since we are total newbies and want to make sure we are on the right course.

As you noticed, this website is full of treasurable inputs.

Hope your dream comes true as quickly as possible

[bobofthenorth]

We both lived in Saskatchewan our entire lives until last fall when we bought Gray Hawk in Seattle. We moved her to Cowichan Bay where she is now and we're spending time in our summer home, a 40' converted bus. We'll be back on the left coast in the fall. Just do it - whatever it is you want to do, just do it. We're both still working - I'm actually posting this from central Brazil. If you wait until you (are old enough, have enough money, have the experience) whatever whatever, next thing you know you'll be sitting in the old folks' home trying to remember what it was you wanted to do so just go do it and work it out along the way.

[Capt Phil]

Hey, welcome stormydog! And all the other canucks posting here. Good to have you all aboard... CF is a good place to ask questions, and get a variety of answers to the same question. Every day you delay casting off is one less day you will have cruising the world... Cheers, Capt Phil

[SaucySailoress]

Welcome aboard Folks. Not sure why you'd wanna leave Canada for the bahamas... can't think of any advantages meself...

[Missou]

Originally Posted by SaucySailoress

Welcome aboard Folks. Not sure why you'd wanna leave Canada for the bahamas... can't think of any advantages meself...

I agree that it is a lot warmer up in Canada in the winter months

[Celestialsailor]

Aloha Lori and John. I use to live in steel town there. Now Ca. and Hi. Hope you get your sea legs here.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by stormydog

Hi everyone,
We are two Canadians from Ontario living in a land-locked city and we want to learn how to sail so that we can eventually retire to the Caribbean and perhaps live aboard.
So far, just reading the forums has answered a lot of questions.
Looking forward to learning more!
Lori and John

There are few cities in Ontario that are more than one hour's drive from a significant body of water. I suggest taking the Canadian Power Squadron's 12-week Boating Course over the winter, and then maybe acquiring a small trailerable daysailer on which to learn the mechanics of sailing on a Great Lake.

Even better would be to crew on club racers at a boat club, but that depends on how "land-locked" you really are.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by bobofthenorth

We both lived in Saskatchewan our entire lives until last fall when we bought Gray Hawk in Seattle. We moved her to Cowichan Bay where she is now and we're spending time in our summer home, a 40' converted bus. We'll be back on the left coast in the fall. Just do it - whatever it is you want to do, just do it. We're both still working - I'm actually posting this from central Brazil. If you wait until you (are old enough, have enough money, have the experience) whatever whatever, next thing you know you'll be sitting in the old folks' home trying to remember what it was you wanted to do so just go do it and work it out along the way.

I very much agree with this sentiment. Our steel pilothouse cutter was custom built by a guy who got too old to sail, and was sold to a couple where the wife got a great career-finishing job offer, and was sold to my wife and myself (in our 40s and 30s at the time) who intend to go sailing in the next two or three years and be back when I'm still in my 50s.

The reason is that the window of being able to travel at length with sufficient funds, sufficient health, will and physical strength, and with few calls on one's attention from aging relatives or college-age children is relatively narrow and hard to accomplish without some years of scrimping, hard work and hard learning (but that can be fun!).

Waiting until retirement is sometimes too late, but the way the world is going, most of us will have to work until we croak, anyway, so might as well take your "retirement" when you can enjoy it!