Four People and a Sailboat. The Quest.

[thelifenomadik]

Hi everyone! It is hard to keep up reeding all your comments and answer everyone, and this is great! Just try not to fight too much over stupid things and watch out the language, please
So I just added a new post in our blog entitled Boat Hunt Update where I wrote about the boats we considered so far and the stages of our search, as well as a bit on our learning-to-sail process here in St Pete
Boat Hunt Update « The Life Nomadik

A small thing I want to clarify: It is not the OP (someone please tell me what is an OP?) writing here nor in the blog, but the wife (who is obviously considered, along with the kids, some kind of non-floatable luggage the OP is taking with him...) The OP is not much of a writing-type guy, but he can build and/or fix anything, including furniture and marine engines. The wife, on the other hand, loves to write, but is also a good swimmer, and almost as crazy as the OP (although he is truly insane...)

So that's it, everything else is fine, we are now looking intensively at Catamarans in the 36-38 foot range and sailing EVERY DAY (on 18 feet keel boats...still something, isn't it)

[GrowleyMonster]

The 18 foot keel boat is an excellent boat to learn on, speaking in generalities. Nothing wrong with messing about in a boat that size, and you can have a good time day sailing in it. Don't let anyone tell you it isn't a "real boat". Oceans have been crossed in boats hardly bigger than that.

[category4jay]

OP = Original Poster (I believe)

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by thelifenomadik

Hi everyone! It is hard to keep up reeding all your comments and answer everyone, and this is great! Just try not to fight too much over stupid things

Hey, it's Winter here in the NE and fighting over stupid sailboat things is our main excitement. Thanks for starting the thread .......... OP!

[boatman61]

Take out a Hobie cat for a couple of afternoons... great fun and gives you some idea of the difference in handling and response...

[salticrak]

Get a wharram catamaran.

[Gelfling]

Originally Posted by thelifenomadik

Hi everyone! It is hard to keep up reeding all your comments and answer everyone, and this is great! Just try not to fight too much over stupid things and watch out the language, please
So I just added a new post in our blog entitled Boat Hunt Update where I wrote about the boats we considered so far and the stages of our search, as well as a bit on our learning-to-sail process here in St Pete
Boat Hunt Update « The Life Nomadik

A small thing I want to clarify: It is not the OP (someone please tell me what is an OP?) writing here nor in the blog, but the wife (who is obviously considered, along with the kids, some kind of non-floatable luggage the OP is taking with him...) The OP is not much of a writing-type guy, but he can build and/or fix anything, including furniture and marine engines. The wife, on the other hand, loves to write, but is also a good swimmer, and almost as crazy as the OP (although he is truly insane...)

So that's it, everything else is fine, we are now looking intensively at Catamarans in the 36-38 foot range and sailing EVERY DAY (on 18 feet keel boats...still something, isn't it)

Yeah....I read your blog. And WHEN you write a book I would hope you advise the forum of when it is published. I would be willing to pay for that! You have a gift with words m'lady.

[LostAtSea2011]

Originally Posted by familycruisers

Only about the tax dollars comment. I still say way more people with money doing stupid stuff. Like Kennedy flying a complex aircraft with little type rated experience, killing his family in the process.
It amazes me how many of my well off friends really have no clue what they are doing with their babs (big a55 boat) .
Anyway, whats with that "old" talk! LOL

True true. Money sure doesn't buy common sense. I see it everyday on the highways...The more expensive the car , the worse the driver.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by thelifenomadik

Hi everyone! It is hard to keep up reeding all your comments and answer everyone, and this is great! Just try not to fight too much over stupid things and watch out the language, please

Glad to hear you didn't get lost back into the internet .

Some threads on this (frequent) subject run, most don't - this one is clearly a runner . I have never worked out the rules for how that works but it does seem to involve folks here "discussing" things in addition to any contributions from an OP (Original Poster = thread starter) - gotta pick out the bones mind, but here on CF usually enough to be worthwhile. Usually .

[thelifenomadik]

David, these are interesting threads we will look into.
There seams to be everything here in the CF, as soon as I google some question about sailing, cruising, boats, whatever, Google promptly refers me to CF!

And we did learn a lot thanks to so many appreciated suggestions and good advise, as well as other threads. I just wished I had more time to hang here and read.

But the most precious thing, for me at least, is that here we got to "meet" folks in a similar mindset as ours; slightly crazy, adventurous souls, who are not afraid to live outside mainstream society and challenge the present system. We finally found a community to which we (almost) belong, and we humans need this, no matter how secluded we tend to be at times.

[GrowleyMonster]

Agreed. I never found any other sailing forum that seemed worth much of my time besides this one. I have got some pretty good info here and not much bad attitude either. Some forums are mostly ego arenas and some are by the clueless, of the clueless, and for the clueless.

[vtsailguy]

Hi Nomadik,

Looks like you touched off a nerve here. I am in the same (more or less) situation as you. Three young boys and planning to make the jump. We have had a little experience, having a 30' boat in the Great Lakes.

One thing we did was charter. The experience has been valuable. We are going on our second next week on a 43' monohull. A great way to figure out what kind of boat you want by using someone else's

I'd think some charters and some navigation course are a "bare" minimum to make a leap like yours!

[thelifenomadik]

...We already have a contract on a 38 Cat...

We sailed on a 48 cat for one hour two days ago after the Miami boat show, and that is our sole experience with a catamaran so far. We loved it, of course. Next will be at the sea trial after a week or two, when we will also do the inspection of the boat we are planning to buy... It's a 2001 Leopard 38, owner's version (not the best performing cat, but a well built stable and comfortable boat, we've been told?) Any tips for the sea trial?

I know we've been heavily criticized already for not taking all the necessary steps before the big leap, but that's how it is...It's part of the project. I shall call the project: "The Big Leap"

We are not doing things the normal way, anyway...

I wish you and your family all the best, and hope to see you some day soon out there!

thelifenomadik.wordpress.com

[Doodles]

Originally Posted by thelifenomadik

...We already have a contract on a 38 Cat...

We sailed on a 48 cat for one hour two days ago after the Miami boat show, and that is our sole experience with a catamaran so far. We loved it, of course. Next will be at the sea trial after a week or two, when we will also do the inspection of the boat we are planning to buy... It's a 2001 Leopard 38, owner's version (not the best performing cat, but a well built stable and comfortable boat, we've been told?) Any tips for the sea trial?

I know we've been heavily criticized already for not taking all the necessary steps before the big leap, but that's how it is...It's part of the project. I shall call the project: "The Big Leap"

We are not doing things the normal way, anyway...

I wish you and your family all the best, and hope to see you some day soon out there!

thelifenomadik.wordpress.com

Congratulations!

As for the sea trails, find yourself the best surveyor you can afford. Get lots of references.

[Gelfling]

Awesome! I will look forward to pics of her on your blog.

+1 on Doodles advice. Get a good surveyor. Is the boat in the water or on the hard? At that level of investment I would strongly suggest an inspection on the hard.