Technomads Moving from Land to Water . . .

[technomadia]

Originally Posted by Bergovoy

and yea, I get that elephant in the room feeling, not sure why... but, I am guessing techno couple, (which really you all should get seperate user accounts, isnt there a rule for that?) but like i was saying I think technos and one or two of you got off to the wrong foot, kinda thing....

I changed our signature to no longer be signing off as a couple - it is just me posting here, though Cherie has lurked a bit.

And yeah, that elephant... Not sure why I seem to have triggered a negative reaction here. I see that Bumfuzzle went through something similar.

I wonder why...

- Chris

[boatman61]

[QUOTE=technomadia;602080From the pictures though, it does seem like most of the living space is "down" inside. I think for a space that will be our daily work area, we will want some sort of a view. This is why I am most intrigued by catamarans and pilothouse designs.

But, thanks!

- Chris[/QUOTE]

LOL...... Thats why I chucked in the Maxim37 with watermaker etc and a better than FRP hull....
I'm pretty sure they'd drop at least 20K

[Cotemar]

Originally Posted by technomadia

I would really love to hear someone chime in with reasons why they think the Tobago (or whatever other boat) might be a good fit for us, and offer up thoughts on the reasons that it might not.

It isn't hard to come up with a long list of Catamarans and/or Pilot House monohulls that are selling for less than $150k. Knowing what to look for in narrowing down that list is what is important. What brands to look for, which to avoid? What features to seek out? How to weigh the tradeoffs? Etc...

This is what I was hoping to get from this forum.
- Chris

OK Chris, lets start over and get back on track. I can help.

You stated that you want to be in the light.

Saloon with big windows for office, I can see that and Tobago's has that.
Also has galley up so, coffee tea and cold drinks and food are steps away.

You stated you are looking in the $50k - $150k price range.

Will have to go for and older or charter model to get in that price range.
Charter boats tend to have a lot of state rooms to bring in the money, so you may have to modify them to remove rooms for storage.

You stated you wanted a smaller boat.
A 35 foot Catamaran is equal to a 45 monohull.

Ask all the questions you can and just keep the good answers that will get you to where you want to be.

Mark

[bljones]

Originally Posted by technomadia

I changed our signature to no longer be signing off as a couple - it is just me posting here, though Cherie has lurked a bit.

And yeah, that elephant... Not sure why I seem to have triggered a negative reaction here. I see that Bumfuzzle went through something similar.

I wonder why...

- Chris

I can tell you why;
You asked for advice, and admit coming from a knowledge base of zero- you have been provided with a great deal of helpful advice from those who have BTDT. Your response to the majority of the advice you have been given is to argue with it. You don't know what you want, but seem determined to reinvent the wheel before you even know how a wheel works. Negativity begets negativity.
I'd offer my advice as somebody who is still employed, lives aboard in season, on a small boat without shorepower or water hookup and often works from my laptop on board (y'know kinda like what you want to do)... but you've already gotten all the advice that i would offer, already.

[annk]

Okay a few questions...
Have you sailed before?
Do either of you get seasick?
Are you practical enough to effect repairs on the boat yourselves?
Can you repair electronic devices that WILL fail with alarming regularity in a saltwater environment?

Living off the grid and running a software business is hard, I know, we do it.

Power demands are high and sailing boats are small spaces to generate power in. I hear what you say about living off grid in an rv but there you will have not found it necessary to have sailing instruments, bilge pumps,vhf radios on at all time. Just lifting your anchor, assuming you go for an electric windlass will sock the batteries very heavily.

Internet connections are often not as good as you hope, or are led to believe!And if you need a really high speed connection you will struggle to find one in most of the Caribbean.

We have a wind generator which maintains the boat systems, a mechanical refrigerator which cools when running the engine, and a small gasoline generator that powers the computers.That suffices for us but we live simply otherwise, no big tv screen, paraffin lights, no microwave etc.

A boat is not an RV. Many have made that mistake and I have seen too many sad disappointments to not point this out to you. The sea is a treacherous place. Not just crossing oceans, which to my mind is the easiest bit, but close to shore where there be rocks and reefs.If a system on the boat fails it can SINK.

So lets assume that you have covered all these aspects and still are looking for the boat. Depending on your experience, and if it is minimal I would suggest maybe a motor sailor, there are a number of vessels that could satisfy your desires. The Fisher, a solid, strongly built boat has an excellent above decks area(depending on the size chosen), you may however find it a little 'traditional' below decks.

We wanted to sail so our choice was based around the boat not the business, however 10 years on it works for us.

I wish you well but encourage you to listen to the concerns voiced on this forum. A lot of money and heartache can be saved by really trying this life out before you invest those hard earned dollars in a bad investment.

[CarlF]

You're getting a lot of advice but it's a bit of blind men feeling an elephant.

As mentioned, unlike RV'ing, sailing offshore carries a small but very real risk of death. People who've been there spend a lot of time thinking about how to reduce that risk to as close to zero as possible and rightfully worry about people who appear to underestimate this risk.

The quick answer - and it seems a good one or two year fit for you - is to sail in protected waters for a while. You happen to be near an idea cruising ground for these purposes - the East Coast of the US from Florida to Baltimore. The ICW is beautiful - really beautiful - not crowded and has great internet access. It's very inexpensive if you anchor. The food's great too. You want soy milk in your coffee? No problem.

You'll motor more in the ICW but I'm betting you'll use less fuel than moving your RV around. There's also great sailing in the Chesapeake, around Orient NC and in easy daylight jumps "outside" when the weather forecast is perfect. Since you aren't in a hurry, you can wait for that perfectd forecast.

The right boat? Anything you like and can afford but make sure it can fit under a 65' high bridge - that shouldn't be a problem. You'll have many more anchorages available if it draws less than 5'. And please, don't be too practical. Sailboats are magical. The right boat is the one you love. You don't loves something (or someone) because yo got the best deal.

After a couple of years, head offshore (As with your firsty RV you may get a new boat based on experience). Or stay put - you could happily spend a lifetime in these waters.

Carl

[Technomadia_Her]

Hi all.. I'm Cherie, the female half of the 'techno couple'

I just wanted to extend a sincere thanks to everyone who has offered up their personal experience and advice in this potential journey of ours from road to sea.

My partner, Chris, is much more idealistic about this potential than I am - and also starts at a different place in his research than I do.

I really appreciate hearing from the experiences of others about the realities and challenges. These are the things that have concerned me from the beginning, and that I'm still quite hesitant about. And I concur with the advice of a lot of folks here that we/I must first understand & accept the challenges of a full time sailing lifestyle BEFORE dreaming about what will be the ideal vessel.

I suspect some of Chris' frustration with what he felt was a pushback against where he's currently at in his research process, was also feeling the same from me. Thanks to those who have cut him some slack and understanding in his defensive responses. He's really a good guy, and is really in a fact finding mission right now to find the realistic boat candidates for us to explore. Which yes, is an important part of the quest - as it will be our home & office - but it's not THE deciding factor in whether we do this or not. I trust that if this is the life that is calling us, we will know the right boat when we find it.

I make up the other side of the equation, and trust me - we won't just buy a boat and trust we'll hopefully figure it all before we sink. I won't be signing off on anything until I feel fully comfortable in both understanding and approaching the challenges. And I fully know that a sailboat is NOT just a RV on water. (By the way, I love the suggestion of cruising the ICW as a starting place - and this is a thought we've had as well.)

I look forward to exploring around these forums to try and address the concerns I have in approaching this potential adventure.

Many thanks to all!

- Cherie

[Bergovoy]

thanks for starting your own user name.. it is a lil easier to sperate who is who, and not have to look back and figure it out and all that...

and yes, it's all good...

[Technomadia_Her]

Originally Posted by Bergovoy

thanks for starting your own user name.. it is a lil easier to sperate who is who, and not have to look back and figure it out and all that...

and yes, it's all good...

For the record.. everything posted under the Technomadia name on this forum is from Chris. I actually didn't even know he had signed up here until I started to see click-thrus in our analytics to our blog, and asked him to be clear he was posting as him.. not us.

- Cherie

[goboatingnow]

Cherie your post is a model of sense. I hope chris is listening. The world is full of abandoned sailing dreams because in general the female partner was ignored or didn't really buy in.

Before you but make sure you ( a) love boats (b) love sailing and then all the rest will slot into place.

Dave

Dave

[Bergovoy]

yes, cherie is a a good balance to chris...

sounds like an excellent pair...yin/yan or is it ping / pong


hehehe

[Jane.Joy]

Please notice, y'all, that this is my FIRST post on the forum! Before finding this thread, I spent several HOURS reading all about composting heads (I am SO serious - and for the record I am pro-composting, so far). But THIS thread is what I REALLY needed to see, so thank you, "him and her" technomadia, for stepping up. My husband and I are also planning to buy a boat with no sailing experience. We, also, are having fun with the research process and in need of ALL the good advice we can get. We, also, may be SLIGHTLY defensive if it is suggested that we are crazy to do this without years of experience, charter boats, starter boats, ASA certification, etc.... But we also remember when everyone told us it was crazy to get married after only four months (now it's been eight years and we're just getting to know each other...). We were slightly defensive about the marriage thing, as well - so much so that we eloped, to tell the truth. We are older and wiser now, and we know all about "different strokes for different folks," etc. So we're going to try REALLY hard to let the "you're crazy" roll off our backs.

Cherie and Chris, it seems that you've already had a more adventurous life than most "normal" people could even imagine, so I suspect you have a pretty good idea of your capabilities and the willingness to learn learn learn. And I would agree with others that you seem to be great partners, although I would guess it's less about "yin and yang" and more about "good cop, bad cop"?

Above all, I've learned from this thread to be crystal clear about any question that I might pose to this fabulous, experienced (or not), crazy group of people. For example, I won't ask, "We're not big planners, so SHOULD WE JUST WING IT?" And in spite of my clarity, I will of course be prepared for UNSOLICITED advice, as well as the solicited type, and be grateful for all of your good intentions.

So THANK YOU. It is SO GOOD to be here.

[Bergovoy]

hey y'all back atcha

lemme guess? TX?

hehehe

anyways, there is no way to be absolutely crystal clear.. that is the fun of forums.. ther eis always some smart ass somewhere for lil issue they can nit pick at...

but, yea.. I am sure this isnt rocket science, and people naturally take baby steps, no matter what, and i am sure chris and cherie wont be entering into any regattas anytime soon... so it's all good...

they asked and they got... and i am sure they are adults and will make the best choice for them..

and for the record, I wish i could afford to take the baby step they are planning.. for now, my budget is way less then that, but, it will be all good, as i dont think i can handle anything above a 30' ish...

maybe later on, who knows, but for now, my single handing plans are 28-35'

mono hull of course

[Jane.Joy]

Texas - no way! I'm originally a CA girl but I spent a few years in Pensacola (North Florida, geographically speaking, but culturally SOUTHERN) so I do my Mobile drawl occasionally to throw people off.

[Bergovoy]

your a Texas poser, admit it!!!!


hehehehe,,, funny how most folk here in cali are posers, and thar ya' go!!!