Welcome This Poor Alabama Boy

[permagrin]

Greetings sailors,
Yup, first post so I'll fill you all in on a part of the story why I'm here. It's a little long so I'll try to sum it up the best I can. Bare with me.
Ever since I was young, I've had a strange desire to feel the Earth's electricity but not parish from the experience. There's something about a force that strong that has allured me for over a decade. Yes, I'm young, 23. On the 5th of July, I finally got what I was after. But let me go back a day before to the 4th.
My good friend was hosting a small party of kindred spirits at her cabin on Lake Martin. With her she brought a Sunfish along w/ a car load of good eatn for the weekend. After a great night of song, games, pork, and booze, I awoke to a boatless lake and a slight breeze. I've never felt a freedom like this! Cruising swiftly yet quietly across the water with just the power of the wind. Spectacular. An hour later I returned to the cabin to find my friends making a beer and fruit pancakes which soon fed a house full grumbly bellies. Then the whole crew loaded up on the pontoon boat except for me. I tied up to the power boat and manned the rudder. After a short trip the pontoon needed fuel. A stiff wind picked up and the boats owner shot me a look from afar. She dove in off the boat and I looped around to pick her up. We kicked up a deep conversation about our, well, my new love. As we headed back for the cabin, an ominous cloud showed itself from the treetops. "No rain yet, we're ok." 30 yards away from the dock, minus wind, plus rain. Then, headwind. Kat and I both laughed and I said, "this is epic." By then, the sail was down and we both figure our best option was to swim it in the last 20 yards. I remember the water being warm but thin. With one hand, I gripped the front cleat and the other, paddling of course. In sync w/ a kick, a flash lit up my eyes. The charge ran through the left side of my body as I clenched in the water. I looked to Kat and she had a wild look on her face. We'd been hit. I was not and still am not sure if it hit the mast or the water. Both ok, "Now it's epic." 2 seconds later someone on a PWC was throwing up a tow rope. The guy pulled us in the 20 yards we lacked and we hurried inside, rescuer tailing.
Now, I associate my longtime desire to feel lightning and the whole sailing experience with a divine crossing of circumstances/feelings. Since then, I've been wanting my own boat. One big enough to comfortably live on and cruise where my abilities allow. I'm a massage therapist and my job has taken me to beautiful places. I now hope to be a traveling massage therapist, boat to boat, in the Caribbean. Wait, wait, wait. I know most of you are setting up to strike with negative remarks, but just wait. I understand that I do need a great deal of sailing experience before I get to blue water. So my first question to this community concerns a boat. I know I need to train on a smaller boat, yeah, yeah. But, I'd also like to be preparing a boat for a my first cruise to the Keys. I have an idea of what I want but would like to hear some input from seasoned sailors. I'm thinking a boat 25'-39' w/ a draft no greater than 5'. Thanks for the time. I'm ready to learn, oh baby, I'm ready to learn. Oh, and if you call me crazy you can go ahead and assume I have more fun than you. Again, thanks for the positive input.

Peace,
Josh

[Ex-Calif]

Great first post Josh and welcome to CF. Plenty of folks here with as diverse a start as you can imagine.

Stay friends with the Sunfish gal and sail as much as you can. Just try to avoid the lightning in the future!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF Josh.

If we were to call you crazy, it would only be in welcome to this fraterity of sailing 'nuts'.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Josh and Welcome aboard!
There is a book title after my signature and I recommend you look over the link Atom Voyages | Voyages Aboard the Sailboat Atom -* Good Old Boats List - choosing a* small voyaging sailboat
regards,