Hello from Maryland

[indimini]

Where to start? My wife and I have been interested in sailing for some time and slowly started getting involved through clubs and sailing with friends. This year, we became more serious about our sailing and planning for possibly doing a live-aboard cat once our youngest is through college. We've done several sailing classes (my wife definitely is a hands-on learner) and have also done a couple Cat charters (one w/ instructor one bareboat w/ friends).

Based in part on things we've read here and elsewhere, we decided that "waiting" for the perfect boat in retirement is foolish. So, we started to look at our options - club sailing, fractional ownership, or starting small and having a boat we can call our own. We decided that ownership with its pluses and minuses was the right way forward - it gets us on the water more frequently and we will learn things you can't when sailing with a club re: boat maintenance. With ownership of a smaller boat we think we will be better able to know if retirement to a live-aboard is really what we want to do.

So, we have put in an offer on a nicely maintained S2 9.2a that we hope to soon call "our boat". We'll mostly be doing day sails and the occasional overnight on the Chesapeake. We are thinking a marina on South River would be ideal (our club sailed out of the West River which is also nice.)

Looking forward to being able to continue to learn from those more experienced on the board and hopefully (someday) have something to give back to the community.

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum. You're doing it the right way (horse before the cart).

[Waterway Guide]

Welcome aboard!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, indimini.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Good to have you here and congratulations on the boat. You've got the right size for certain.

[Pendragon35]

Congratulations on the new boat. My wife and I bought an Alberg 35 this past summer to sail on the Chesapeake. She's berthed at Anchorage Marina, Baltimore. We're just starting to really enjoy her. My wife is learning to sail..I've been sailing for a long time, but never on something this big, with a full keel, a diesel and a total inability to back in a predictable way.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by indimini

So, we have put in an offer on a nicely maintained S2 9.2a that we hope to soon call "our boat". We'll mostly be doing day sails and the occasional overnight on the Chesapeake. We are thinking a marina on South River would be ideal (our club sailed out of the West River which is also nice.)

Holiday Point in Selby Bay seems to have a good following. It offers advantageous quick access to the Bay, versus all the way up river at Liberty or Pier 7.

Our marina doesn't have enough depth for many sailboats, except up at the fuel dock.

-Chris

[oldragbaggers]

Welcome to the forum from another Marylander. Congratulations on the new boat.

[indimini]

Thanks all for the warm welcome! We are now calling Selby Bay YC home. The folks there are mighty friendly and the location is great!

I'm learning how many things there are to replace on an old boat. So far, I've upgraded electronics (new VHF radio, chart plotter, battery charger), rebuilt the head pump, refinished stairs, replaced insulation on engine cover, refinished trim on the cover, etc.

This weekend is more electrical work (install GFCI outlets), replacing lifelines w/ dyneema and new hardware, perhaps get to some of the rebedding required, and start to replace hoses for exhaust and head, replace old plastic throttle lever and hopefully clean/lube or replace throttle and engine stop cables. I'm hoping I can talk my wife into starting to repaint saloon lockers and wood beneath the cushions in order to freshen things up a bit.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by indimini

Thanks all for the warm welcome! We are now calling Selby Bay YC home. The folks there are mighty friendly and the location is great!

Nice. Thought they always had a waiting list...

-Chris

[SV.Maverick]

Welcome!

[indimini]

Nice. Thought they always had a waiting list...

I think we had an advantage of being a smaller boat. We are definitely one of the smaller boats there, so the slip we fit in couldn't hold anything much longer or with a deeper draft.