Instant Sailor, Perhaps?

[rtbates]

Before you chuck it all and sail away I'd advise sailing in a rip snorter of a storm at sea and see how that goes....

Good luck with your future sailing

[S&S]

Originally Posted by rtbates

Before you chuck it all and sail away I'd advise sailing in a rip snorter of a storm at sea and see how that goes....

Yep, most fun I ever had puking my guts out. Greasy Italian sausage is not the thing to eat the night before.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Solo,
Welcome aboard the forum. We're here to help if you have questions. Learning to sail is easy. Learning to sail well is a bit more difficult. Finding the right boat is even more difficult because more often than not the first one is not the right one. My first was a Catalina 22 (too small). My second one was a Mariner 35 ketch (too wooden and one too many masts) but the right size for a solo single hander.
Good to have you here.
Kind regards,

[Talbot]

You need to make a few decisions before finalising plans for a life afloat.

1. Do you like sailing

2. What sort of life afloat do you like - cruising, marina, anchoring, voyaging. This will have a big impact on how much money per month you require.

3. Having decided what annual income you need, take the residue and allocate no more than 60% of it to a boat, 30% for bringing it up to equipment levels needed for intended life, and 10% for contingencies such as new sails/engines etc over the next few years.

4. Before allocating any funds, go as crew with someone else for a cruise to ensure that this is the correct way ahead for you.

[Solo Guppy]

This will be quick because my long version disappeared because I took to long to type it in - I think.

I appreciate the range of answers and it helps me to focus. I'm excited because I think it is at least a very real possibility. I have to deal with the legal complications of a discriminatory termination first, so I have 8 to 20 months before I need to commit finally. Nice thing is, it "HAs" to be a total life makeover due to personal issues, and I "WANT" to make a big change because it is how I have always done my life.

To jsoceanlord - I have sent an email and I sincerely appreciate the offer. I hope that I will be able to help crew your journey to Hawaii - a true modern adventure I think.

To talbot - I enjoy more things about the "shoreline" life, than any other experience I have had. I do need some hard experience to make sure I am more of a pirate rather than a beach bum. Pretty sure I will take to sailing lifestyle like an octopus = secretive and seldom seen, but at home in the ocean all the same.

To pjop - very important info for me. I wondered if I could be more frugal with a refit, rather than a new boat. The 35 to 45 foot vessels I've looked at online seem to be running in the $175,000 US to 250,000 range. I could possibly do it, but it would probably stretch my life a bit to thin.

Got to go. I will be lurking about and saying hello here and there. I am so tied up with legalities, upgrading my home to rent, and planning that I won't talk much. Besides, I take 3 or 4 times as long to compose an email than most, so it tend to listen more than talk.

Full sails and smoothe passage... Don

[pjop]

SG - I gave you the details of my plans, but, of course, everyone's plans are going to differ depending on their $$$, land ties, so on and so forth, but you know that. Personally, I like the idea of refitting an older boat, not only due to the fact that you can refit an older boat a lot cheaper than buying a comparable new one, but because you get to learn the construction of each system. When things go down, and they will, you will at least have an idea of where everything is, how to test it and possibly how to repair it. On the other hand, if I had plenty of $$$, my perspective might be different, but it would have to be a truck load. Also, since you're new to the lifestyle, are you sure you want to risk a quarter mill to later find out you would rather have a small apartment and a smaller boat at a fraction of the price that you can more easily and more often coastal cruise solo? Let us know your plan when things come together for you and remember this site is a wealth of information from friendly sailors who want to help. One more note, local knowledge is great, but remember that some of the locals may have been recently released from the local asylum, so just because they are old and salty doesn't necessarily mean they're right. Example; the earlier idea of sailing in a storm to get an idea if you'll like the sailing lifestyle is like telling a prospective pilot to go up an practice engine stalls to see if flying is for him. Every sailor needs to know foul weather techniques, but I don't think sailing in a "rip snorter" is any indication of how you'll like the other 99.9999 percent of sailing.

[Solo Guppy]

Most Excellent...
My first post was also my first classroom experience and it is good. I needed to hear the opinion of people who know what I do not. I needed to know if it was possible AT ALL for me to do this thing (I knew that I didn't know enough to even make a fair guess)
I have learned that my proposed lifestyle is not only possible, there are others who already live it. I realize it is wise to keep at least 2 proverbial toes on the land somehow, to keep some option open.
I have learned that I barely have the resources to do it and should be very frugal with what I have. It makes the small benefits I am fighting for that much more important.
I have imagined the prow of my boat pointing into a horizon that is filled with nothing more than the sun, and a thousand miles of ocean and sky - and felt the "alone"-ness of such a voyage. I think I must be careful for what I wish for. It is about much more than being anchored someplace I want to be, its also about getting there safely.
I have got a bearing on where and how I can find the knowledge and experiece I need to make a successful choice. I have learned some of what I need to look for in a sailboat... no specifics yet,,, things like keel design and rigging. Luckily, I have always "needed" complex challenges like this to be happy, so I will enjoy the learning experience.
Its a good first step for me and I thank everyone for their help.

... feeling like a really tiny guppy, in a real big bucket... Gup

(a knickname a very experienced diver and ocean lover gave me years ago)

[Ashoreschool]

Good luck and most importantly have fun. What's the worst that could happen? You were looking for a job when you found that one. This place is a great resource there are lots of people with experience who can guide you.

Tom and Marilyn
"The hard part about learning from experience is first you get the test, then you learn the lesson."
ashoreschool.com

[aboutgone]

solo guppy...i bet you didn't know to much about a car until you bought one!
same with a sailboat or anything for that matter....if you want it, set your goal ,and go get it. there is so much compiled knowledge out there on just about anything you want to know....as for sailing ,you have come to the right place to start....now it's up to you..... good luck........Ed