Hello from Upstate NY

[Bill_R]

Hi everyone. I have really enjoyed reading all about the cruising life on these forums.

My wife and I (25 & 26 respectively) are absolutely taken with sailing. It all started a year and a half ago with a hobie cat on our honeymoon in Jamaica. So far it has led to a basic keelboat course, the purchase of an O'day Daysailer II (Float On), and countless hours of browsing internet forums like this one.

I think the most frustrating thing for us currently is being somewhat landlocked in Albany, NY. The closest lake to sail on is Saratoga, and we get charged every time to launch. Not to mention the long non-sailing season we experience each winter. We love being on the water and would love to move someplace affordable where we can be outdoors year round. Most recently looking at SW Florida. Any suggestions?

I appreciate any advice, and am sure I will find tons of it here on this site. Thanks!

[Pblais]

Moving includes a lot of changes not related to sailing. Where you choose to live and where you choose to keep your boat can both have a wide range of prices.

Being charged every time you launch isn't so bad compared to fees associated with being in the water all year long. In fact you already save a lot of money right now. being on a trailer is actually fine if you like that type of sailing.

Moving to some place on the water may need to be more specific. If you want your home on the water then the cheap stuff is already gone. Living close to the water however opens up a lot of possibilities.

I think the bigger picture of how your lifestyle would change due to a move and what type of place you want may be more important than where you keep your trailer. Perhaps you also desire to move up in size as well. It all has a lot to do with the money, but you can easily get closer to good sailing for a longer sailing season.

At 25 and 26 I think there is more to your life than sailing and that part is important too. Relocating where you will still be happy and productive may be the better angle to being able to sail more.

[Ex-Calif]

If you have somewhat portable careers and you are smitten by sailing I would say get busy doing research. I would do some research on your industry, find out what coastal cities have that industry and then check out the sailing scene.

I think moving early is easier than moving later, when kids, mortgages and all the baggage of life starts to weigh you down and change your priorities.

I have always lived near an ocean and 10 years ago I took a job in the midwest. It was the most miserable 6 years of my life. However the last 4, in terms of watersports and sailing has probably been the best.

Make it a priority and get busy doing it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend SoCal as a place to live but there are many marinas and a very long sailing season. The other overlooked place perhaps is the gulf.

[Bill_R]

"I think moving early is easier than moving later, when kids, mortgages and all the baggage of life starts to weigh you down and change your priorities."

That is how we are feeling now, if we are going to do it, it should be now. Neither of us are really that crazy about our "careers". We want to get somewhere we can have some fun and be outside more of the year, rather than hibernate from November till April (we aren't winter sports people).

We don't want to be right on the water, just near it. So we have even the possibility of going to the beach, or kayaking, or sailing.

Anyway, we will hopefully be moving by the end of this year, just thought it might be nice to hear about some places we may not be thinking about.

Thanks.

[Pblais]

I would suggest you need a road trip. When we moved we took a week and just drove around and explored this area. You can decide if you like the feel of the place and check out the sights and scenery. Then you can come back and do some research and check out the whole economic picture.

Once you get this far south you get an extra month of both spring and fall but you also get August that is a lot hotter and more humid than summer where you are now.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Floaton,
Welcome aboard! What a decision you'll have to make sooner or later. I like your passion for pursuing sailing. Hope you can decide soon.
Kind regards,
JohnL