Visit our Popular Forums

youngsailing · 21-05-2011, 14:44

Hi,

My name is Andre and I just turned 21. A few days ago I was hanging out with my girlfriend and had a bright idea... "If we get married we should live on a boat and sail on the weekends. Eventually when we save up enough money, quit our jobs and sail for a few years." we HAVE lived together in an apartment before and we are good at making it work and we do love each other, so I don't think close living quarters are a problem (is what I am trying to say). I think that pretty much sums it all up for you guys. My questions are:

1. Should we get a smaller boat first for a couple of thousand, learn how to sail and see if it feels good and than upgrade?
a.) What first 20 to 30 footer should we get?
2. What are some good books to read on boats/sailing/living on a boat?
3. With the knowledge that most of you on here have... what would be the best first buy that you guys would suggest? (meaning... think about every little detail about the boats)

P.S. - I probably will have more questions throughout this week, so I'll be back!!! thanks for being understanding

**hummingway** · 21-05-2011, 15:29

Welcome youngsailing. Learning to sail will definately make the boat and relationship last longer

The "Annapolis Book of Seamanship" is excellent.

If you are going to live aboard as a couple you should go look at a lot of boats and spend as much time down below as you can to get a feel for what the space will be like. The best boat to learn to sail may not be the best to live on.

Good luck!

**sarafina** · 21-05-2011, 15:33

Yep, keep the apartment for now and get a little day sailer to learn on. Easy enough to upgrade when you get some water under your wings ; -)

This is a popular topic, and in addition to what ever good advice you get here in this thread you should take a look at previous discussions as well!

starter boat - Google Search

sabray · 21-05-2011, 16:05

Well I had some sailing experience. When I moved aboard in my early 20s. Great times and I'm still going sailing 20 plus years later. Different boats different girls. But it was great fun. I knew it was what I wanted and it panned out as a good experience. Great to way all the advice you will receive as most are based on real experience. Obvious question us what's the budget?

cwyckham · 21-05-2011, 16:45

How excited is she with the plan? If one partner is more excited than the other, you can kill the dream by trying to move too fast.

I'd start with living in the appt and sailing a very inexpensive boat on weekends. Once you're both hooked and know more about boats, you can upgrade. You'll also know what you want in a boat by then.

In fact, start this Wednesday after work by going down to your local race and crewing. May as well start to learn while you find an old boat for a couple grand. That gives you a few days to find a good book at the local library so you have a general idea of what's going on. The lingo is especially important so you understand instructions. Go on your own a couple times and find a boat with a good atmosphere before you bring your gf. Don't want her to get yelled at first time.

Dinghy lessons will give a good and affordable grounding as well. It will complement the racing nicely.

Just some ideas.

**Boracay** · 21-05-2011, 16:50

Hi, and welcome to Cruisers Forum.

The big crunch would be having to work while living on a boat. Just getting presentable (x2) each day and getting to work would be a challenge. No shower/instant breakfast and stepping into a car in a warm garage...

I'd echo the above suggestions. Consider trailer sailers (look out for overhead power lines) to 22' or in water to 28', beamy, with good engine (outboard may be best) sails, rigging etc.

Love and marriage goes well with horse and carriage. Cruising not so much, needing good communication skills (yelling is verboten).

And it can be very nice to come home to a warm, dry well stocked flat.

If your girlfriend has minimum sailing experience a few lessons with female instructors may be a good idea.

youngsailing · 24-05-2011, 20:34

Hey, thanks for all the positive feedback...

I think for a first boat my budget is going to be around 2-4k (dollars). I know it's not a lot, but I figure I better learn everything on an old boat and than move to a better one. What kind of boats should I be looking at in that price range? (links would be helpful)

By the way... are catamaran sail boats good in the ocean against big waves? Because we were looking at those once we learn how to sail... those are super nice and fall into our budget, once we decide to move into a boat. I was looking at some that are around 200k.

P.S. - we found a couple of books at Barnes & Noble last night... Sailing for Dummies, the American Red Cross book, and some other book about a family who has been living on a boat and how to do it (forgot the name of the book).

**Adelie** · 24-05-2011, 21:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngsailing

I think for a first boat my budget is going to be around 2-4k (dollars). I know it's not a lot, but I figure I better learn everything on an old boat and than move to a better one. What kind of boats should I be looking at in that price range? (links would be helpful)

On your $2-4k budget you will probably want to look at trailerable boats.
Start with some basic questions,
How much space do you have to park the boat?
What do you have to tow with?

Assuming you have something bigger than a sub compact to drive then I would go with a Holder 20 HOLDER 20 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com. Hobie is no longer making this model but they should still be offering some support for this model, they are a pretty good company. With trailer and equipement you should be towing about 1500lb.

Somewhat heavier but also bigger below would be a Cal 20. CAL 20 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com. Cal is long out of business but Seal's Spars has a good rep for offering class support, especially for the 20. Tow weight would be 2500-3000lb. With the raised cabin, the boat is rather roomy below for it's size. Boat has a reputation for being very durable and sailing well.

Finally there is the Catalina 22. CATALINA 22 Sailboat details on sailboatdata.com. Still in production after 40yr and well supported by the maker. A bit more amenities and roomier below but also heavier at 3000-3500lb to tow.

If you have a big enough vehicle you can add your own hitch and wiring using kits for about $300-500 if you are a little handy.

You might even consider getting a couple of Lasers to learn to sail on, then work up to a trailerable boat. Learning on a dinghy is really the best way to learn to SAIL before you get into larger boats that have a lot of addition topics for CRUISING to learn about like anchoring, reefing, navigation, radios, etc, etc. I would suggest 6mo sailing at least every other weekend for 3hr then starting to look for a trailerable boat.

svnakia · 24-05-2011, 21:34

I gave that pitch to my then fiancée in 1990. I said I always wanted to live on a sailboat, she said she would give it a year. We've been on the same boat for 20 years this October (We spent our 20th wedding anniversary at sea sailing from Hawaii to Mexico).

People suggested that we should charter to see if we liked it, but we discounted that theory on the basis that chartering a boat in the BVI prepares you for living aboard about as well as staying in a Hotel on Maui prepares you for living in an apartment.

In the end it was so much cheaper to live on a boat then in a house that we were able to save a substantial amount of money. We paid off the boat early, prepared it for cruising along the way, took a 6 month leave from our jobs to really test the cruising waters and 5 years later took off for good.

We've been out full time since 2004 with no end in site (planning our third trip to French Polynesia next year).

You can read all kinds of books, for us the authors were Eric Hiscock, the Pardeys and Hal Roth. The magazines were Cruising World, SAIL and Latitude 38. However, in the end you have to make your own way.

If I have one piece of learned advice it's this: Commit to each other, not the dream. Be patient with your spouse and yourself, she doesn't have to learn everything about the boat the same as you (unless she wants to). Remember that dreams don't come out they way you expect, sometimes they're better, sometimes they're worse. Learn to enjoy what you get.

SaucySailoress · 25-05-2011, 01:25

Good plan, go for it...!

sailorboy1 · 25-05-2011, 03:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngsailing

P.S. - I probably will have more questions throughout this week, so I'll be back!!! thanks for being understanding

I'm sure you will have LOTS of questions.

Johnathon123 · 25-05-2011, 03:37

In the words of Mr Nike

"Just Do It"

Good luck

captainKJ · 25-05-2011, 03:46

If you do it the american way you go out and buy a boat you can not afford and then spend more time at the office paying for it instead of sailing it,,, if you do it the smart way you will purchas what you can afford or a little less and spend more time out on the water,,,,,if you only want to day sail that is one thing if you want overnights that is another,,,2-4 is a very low budget but if you are handy it can work,,, make sure you have a good hull under you then go from there,,,,the best rig in the world does not work if the hull is under water,,,,get a good hull and bilge alarms then work your way up