Newbies from Arizona

[lippy mom]

Hello everyone,

We've been lurking out in the desert and are working towards retirement and towards the sailboat of "his" dreams a Hylas but he hasn't found the "one yet so we're still shopping. We spend our vacations sailing in the Caribbean for the past 15 yrs or so and can't wait to join the ranks of the live aboards more full time than not. Currently I raise Lipizzan horses and my husband is an engineer (I Know) so the analytical part of him is holding us up, wish me luck. How do you say engineer overboard - "OOPS" is my favorite phrase. Just kidding, he's a great partner. I enjoy reading your postings and learning as much as possible before we embark on our next adventure hopefully next year. Until then, happy sailing!

[Randyonr3]

Welcome, from fellow cruisers, remember, you're not getting any younger and
There's a lot to see out there.. Wish we would have made the decision about 30 years ago...

[S/V Elusive]

Welcome to the forum 'Lippy Mom' There was a real nice Hylas for sale in Channel Islands Harbor about 9 months ago - they are good friends. It went fairly quickly! Great choice of boat - comfortable to cruise and liveaboard, but pretty darn fast (I crewed with them in one of the local races and we took first - it was ME, of course, but I let them think it was the boat). hahahhahaaaaa

I would suggest that if you are becoming an ACTIVE member (yeah!!) that you might want to take a moment to fill in some information in your profile. This lets those that answer your questions, do a better job of focusing in on what you need to know.

Good luck and enjoy!

[lippy mom]

I agree, I am ready NOW, but my husband is one of those that like to "be absolutely" sure he's ready to retire and can't see how good life could be without all the stuff that comes with house, farm, job... etc. So I'll give him the time he needs as long as it's within the next year. Then my plan is to get the boat, go live there and he'll quickly figure out life without me is just not what it's cracked up to be. My last year breeding horses is going to be this next year, my son hopefully will be taking the herd and continuing the breeding program but if not, they'll all get great homes as I slow down. Having had 2 health scares I am so ready to just downsize and enjoy life taking it slow and easy / breezy. I've had enough desert as much as I love it, I do miss green, water, trees, and just have to have it!

We're looking for a Hylas 44 or so, if anyone hears of any, we are searching daily and apprecaite any heads up on any you know about perhaps coming up for sale but not on the market. Have a great Sunday!

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Lippy,
Welcome aboard!! Good to have you folks posting on the forum. Great choice for a boat but I don't know if selecting just one brand is such a great idea unless you've been aboard them and find that nothing else will do. I always suggest to folks that smaller can be better if you can find a smaller platform that has all the right gear aboard. Of course, husband wants everything in one boat because he's an engineer, right? Oh well. I like simple things that won't break until their worn out, like an ice box versus refrigeration, manual winch versus electric winch, etc. etc.. Have you looked at smaller boats 32-36?
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[rebel heart]

44' is a pretty big boat. Bow to stern it will probably top 50, which is a whole lot o' boat. I like big boats when I'm sitting in them, but paying for them, dealing with the rig, and parking them is a challenge.

I've had a 32, and am now on a 36 (43 bow to stern). If I could pick, I'd go with a 26-28 with maybe 32 LOA.

I work in software, so I'm pretty analytical about stuff as well. It's rough because there's *so much* to do on a boat that if you wait until everything is done you'll be waiting in a marina your whole life. For me it's really important to simplify systems, because I need to know how things work to feel confident, and with the quantity of systems on a boat, it's impossible to be an expert on everything on a complicated boat.

[lippy mom]

Hi Guys, we've looked at at quite a few boats for a few years, done quite a bit of reading (engineer thing you know) and he's a regular at all the boat shows he can find time to attend. We're not stuck on one particular boat but the Hylas seems to be the one he keeps going back to for some reason. I like simple clean lines and no fuss no muss. He likes gadgets which to me tend to break but he actually enjoys fixing things. He's out working on fence today! I am leaning more toward a smaller boat that one person can sail just in case that is ever a need, and as long as I have room for some art supplies and computer for my writing I'm fine. We won't be having families aboard but he does tend to be a pack rat which is the hardest thing for him to do - give up his tools and stuff... lots of stuff. he says he's ready but I'll believe it when the yard sale sign goes up. I like to know that I can handle it myself even if the gadgets fail so we have a bit of discussing to do. Thanks for all the input and believe me, we'll be reading all the tidbits of wisdom you all have to offer. This sounds like a very knowledgeable group. I must admit I was intimidated to join but figured I'd toss my hat in the ring.

[rebel heart]

I suppose I should phrase it like this:

- There's a world of difference between the boat you might want to pick when you are moving aboard from a land home, versus the boat you would pick a year into living aboard.

I'll leave it at that, and really, you very well might be better off getting exactly what you're looking for. But just comparing apples to apples, the bigger the boat and the more doo-dads installed tends to equal more money and less time sailing. Doesn't always work out that way, and of course every person in the marine industry has something to gain by selling you more and bigger stuff.

Good luck, and no matter what you pick, I'm sure with the two of you being smart about things it will work out just fine. May the sea be at your quarter and the wind on your beam.