Pirate, Poet and Sailor...without a boat!

[JerseyMermaid]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

I would not get a learning boat unless you mean a Laser or else if you are 6.

Go get the target boat in due time. Before then, sail other people's boats.

BTW some pocket cruisers can take you to some fine voyages. Size does not really matter much as it does bring comfort.

Cheers,
b.

Really? You think the $2K is unreasonable to start with for a year or two while we figure all this out? If anything, it would be a valuable training tool with my kids...my daughter being 5 and my son is 10.

Sadly, since I am "new" to the sailing world, I don't know anyone with a boat to borrow and I'd be a nervous wreck that I'd hurt it somehow and be responsible to them for my damages. I suppose cost is cost no matter who the owner is, but still.....

I am under the impression that it would take me a year's time to amass the knowledge/sail time needed to move to a 41' cat (perhaps I'm delusional?), another year to ditch all our belongings and a year for my husband to take get his retirement approved. That's a long time to sit waiting w/ nothing of our own to sail in the meantime, methinks. Thoughts?

[JerseyMermaid]

Originally Posted by Bobnalong

Hi folks

Living aboard and cruising the world have been at the top of my bucket list since I was 21 (actually that... and a date with Michelle Pfeiffer are the ONLY things on my bucket list.) Michelle won't return my calls soooooo it looks like it's the sailors life for me.

LOL!!! I feel the same way about Kenny Chesney, though I think my jewelry may find him before I do, if I play my cards right w/ the PR rep.

Originally Posted by Bobnalong

... been researching for some time and decided a modest cat is the way I want to go. I also want to build because I will get what I want that way, I will know my boat inside and out, it is within my budget and because I can I suppose. Half the fun is the journey :-)

Anyway, I've been following the forum for a little while now and decided to join because I get to talk to nice people (who won't think I'm totally wacko), share my journey and get help and advice along the way.

Cheers
Bob

So glad you decided to chime in. So far, I'm glad to see validation that I haven't completely lost my marbles. I'm so ready to ditch land and tie my surf board onboard somewhere and follow my dreams to southern latitudes. <3

[Bobnalong]

G'day Danielle.
Apologies. I dropped my hello onto your thread in error (should have been a new thread). Not sure how to remove it now..... sooooo.

Anyway, hi to you and crew and I wish you the the best on your journeys.

Bobnalong

[rgscpat]

Welcome, Danielle,

Talk to ten sailors, get twenty different opinions.

You might actually be able to ask several different questions:
What do I want to get from sailing?
What is the best way to learn? (I think a mix of sailing on different kinds and sizes of boats, crewing for people, getting some lessons, talking to lots of sailors, and maybe some charters -- just lots of different experiences.)
What kind of learner am I? (Visual, auditory, tactile, need to understand how things work, sociable or alone, learning experiences that have been bad or good for you, how intensely you like to study, how much risk you accept, how fast-paced/risky a learning curve works for me.)
What is the best way to get time on the water? (Small boats, inexpensive boats, and sailing on other people's boats are good if you're on a budget.)
What is the best boat to learn basic skills?
What is the best boat to start small-scale cruising that is suitable to my family?
What kinds of sailing groups would be friendly, welcoming, and help me get out on the water?
What are the things to learn first? Later?
How can I learn to evaluate which boats will be a good fit for me, how can I tell how a boat will perform, and how can I evaluate (survey/self-survey) the condition and safety of a boat?
What is involved in cutting ties with land and to what degree do I and my family want to do this?
What are the pros and cons and challenges and joys of life afloat?

[rover88]

Originally Posted by rgscpat

Talk to ten sailors, get twenty different opinions.

My variation on your theme: Ask three sailors the same question, get three differing answers, and argument and possibly a fist fight.

Learning to sort through the myriad of advice and choosing what is best for you is one of the first things you must learn in sailing. Also the hardest.

Here are two websites we found useful and or entertaining before we bought our boat:

Atom Voyages - Home - A good foundation for deciding your sailing philosophy (James is a minimalist).

bumfuzzle | living, sailing, procreating - Go to the archives and read their story from the beginning to present.

Perhaps others can recommend reading material to get you started.

[JerseyMermaid]

Originally Posted by rover88

My variation on your theme: Ask three sailors the same question, get three differing answers, and argument and possibly a fist fight.

Learning to sort through the myriad of advice and choosing what is best for you is one of the first things you must learn in sailing. Also the hardest.

Here are two websites we found useful and or entertaining before we bought our boat:

Atom Voyages - Home - A good foundation for deciding your sailing philosophy (James is a minimalist).

bumfuzzle | living, sailing, procreating - Go to the archives and read their story from the beginning to present.

Perhaps others can recommend reading material to get you started.

Thank you so much for the links! I think I've been in just about every category here on the forums today reading, reading, reading. I seem to be on track w/ my sizing guesstimate of a 41' blue water cruiser for a family of four, catamaran, given all the various threads i've read thus far. I've spent time on the budgeting threads to try to ascertain the approximate monthly costs of living aboard, noting that the figues differ dramatically given where you're at, anchoring habits, eating habits and every other habit you and your family have. I've been in the Dollars and Cents forum and have pleasurably noted there's accommodations made for military members, which my husband is. Every little bit back in our pocket helps. All in all, I've learned a massive amount in one day just b/c I'm tunnel vision when it comes to something I'm passionate about. I was also steered in the direction of a Lagoon vs. a Gemini for purposes of being better made, holding resale value better, layouts, etc. I'm sure everything I've mentioned is debatable, but I love all the varying opinions and perspectives. All food for thought.

It would seem that our next move would be finding a suitable sailboat for the upcoming year that's not terribly expensive so we can learn the lines, so to speak. (I couldn't bring myself to type "rope" as my CG husband taught me long ago that it's never rope...it's called line. )


The more information you all leave here, the more I'm invested in following the links and researching the options, so I thank you ALL very sincerely.

~Danielle

[medicrene]

the first thing to do is to make the decision to accept this lifestyle. If you accpet that, then everything else will come with it. Your boat will be found. You will look and suddently, you realize that this boat is what you want and you can make the negatives work for you and the positives are exactly what you need. The education is simple as you will find yourself reading books on sailing. My first boart was a 34 hunter. I moved aboard immediatly. I have never looked back. I took that boat out a couple of times a week to train and once a week for fun. But even training was fun. If you want it, you have to take hold of it.

[Pete7]

You have passports ? then hop on a 747 and in 10 hours you will be in the Ionian on a sailing holiday as part of a flotilla with as much or little support as you need. By the time you get there the heat of the summer will be tapering off and it will be very pleasant with gentle sailing and a different harbour each night to explore.

A Typical Day Afloat

.

[JerseyMermaid]

Originally Posted by medicrene

If you want it, you have to take hold of it.

I couldn't agree MORE! You only get one chance at this life. I don't want to waste my chance wondering, "What if...." and never taking the leap. If it isn't meant to be, then so be it. But at least I tried!

[JerseyMermaid]

Originally Posted by Pete7

You have passports ? then hop on a 747 and in 10 hours you will be in the Ionian on a sailing holiday as part of a flotilla with as much or little support as you need. By the time you get there the heat of the summer will be tapering off and it will be very pleasant with gentle sailing and a different harbour each night to explore.

A Typical Day Afloat

.

Sadly, I have no passport as I've never left the US. This is part of my problem! LOL.

Secondly, with my kids starting school in a week's time and my husband's job in the Coast Guard, I can't just jump on a 747 and go float about for a week, as much as I'd like to. The cost alone would be pointless in my mind because I'd have nothing but some sailing under my belt to show for it. I'd rather take that money as one other person suggested, get a pocket cruiser and not be done with it in a week and have to go home to no boat.


However, I have always wanted to go to Greece and that sailing adventure looks heavenly. Had I more disposable income to do both, I would! Thank for you the link and I'll likely investigate it further regardless just to see. I wasn't discerning right away from the link if it's a bareback cruise or if you're crewing or what not.

[wingNwing]

You might consider a 1-week liveaboard/learn to sail class from a place like Maryland School of Sailing; Chesapeake, Caribbean, Atlantic Ocean, Bermuda Make it a vacation in the Virgin Islands if you can swing it; or just down the road from you in the Chesapeake Bay if you're watching your costs. THEN when you go looking for that "starter boat" you'll be looking at it through more educated eyes.

[JerseyMermaid]

Wing... Great advice. I did some research yesterday into the Offshore Sailing School and saw they had a few "local" schools in MD and up in Jersey City/NYC. I asked for a price quote but am still waiting.

Sailing school would likely definitely be in our plans this year so we have a starting knowledge rather than just trying to go via the trial by fire route. That's a bit intimidating when it comes to a boat and sails!

[Pete7]

Originally Posted by JerseyMermaid

I wasn't discerning right away from the link if it's a bareback cruise or if you're crewing or what not.

You would normally have the boat to yourselves and the company crew on a lead boat with spares and stuff in case anything needs fixing. There is also the opportunity for one of the crew to join you for the day sails for the first couple of days so you get the hang of things.

Pete

[barnakiel]

Originally Posted by JerseyMermaid

(...)
a)
Really? You think the $2K is unreasonable to start with for a year or two while we figure all this out? If anything, it would be a valuable training tool with my kids...my daughter being 5 and my son is 10.

(...)
b)
Sadly, since I am "new" to the sailing world, I don't know anyone with a boat to borrow and I'd be a nervous wreck that I'd hurt it somehow and be responsible to them for my damages. I suppose cost is cost no matter who the owner is, but still.....

(...)
c)
I am under the impression that it would take me a year's time to amass the knowledge/sail time needed to move to a 41' cat (perhaps I'm delusional?), another year to ditch all our belongings and a year for my husband to take get his retirement approved. That's a long time to sit waiting w/ nothing of our own to sail in the meantime, methinks. Thoughts?

Ad a)
A small beach boat is a great starting point to get the sense of wind and water. Once you know how to drive a small sailing dinghy you can go directly for a proper 30-40 footer that you want as your cruising dream. Some people actually never sail a small dinghy and they go right for their target boat, then they hire a tutor/instructor/skipper and lear sailing on their own boat. You may need some licenses (depending on where you are from) but do not take licenses for skills. Sailing skills you get on the water (and the knowledge you get both on the water and in your study). A small boat is a great thing, if you can afford one and live close enough to a beach/lake, get one!

BTW If you have kids who are 5 and 10 then why not hold on a bit longer and let them grow up in the real world. In 15 years, the younger will be in the Uni the older will be in the workforce. Why not go then? Otherwise, think well before you detach your kids from their friends, schooling and other such. Make your free decisions for your own life but think well before you make decisions on behalf of your kids - they may, or may not, like the results further down their life tracks.

Ad b)
Charter or sail with friends. Make friends, join an active yacht club, go flotilla sailing, whatever. There are countless options to get on the water and only the physical distance seems to be an issue (avoid living in places with huge distances to the next sail'able water basin!) It is easier to learn fast at the beginning if you are sailing under the watchful eye of an instructor/skipper and there is a lot one can learn while watching others making painful, or funny, mistakes!

Ad c)
Well, I have been sailing for over 40 years now and I think I am still a sailing ignorant. Much depends on how much skill and knowledge you see necessary to go sailing. Remember some people went sailing with nil or next to nil skills and knowledge. Some made it, some became a legend. If you say it takes a year to ditch possessions, so it will be. But I know some people who sold their apartment and went cruising, it (selling and getting rid of) took them about one month altogether. They got the boat in October, set things up in the winter, sold off in March and in June off the went.

There are many ways to go about things. None is better. Listen to everybody then make YOUR own decision based on your own emotions, skills and guts.

Cheers,
b.

[seahag]

Danielle-
I found out recently that my parents came very close to convrrting our family into liveaboards in the mid '70's. I sure wish they had done it. I think it would be a great world to bring up the kids if you are good teachers.

Welcome-scott