Now Retired and learning to Sail

[Shotgun]

Hi, I am 62 and learning to sail and this is my first day on this site. The bad news is I live 43 miles NW of Phoenix AZ. There is a 7,500 acre body of water 27 miles from my home called, Lake Pleasant. I need to travel 380 miles to reach the coast at San Diego CA. I really want a Blue Water boat like an Allied 30' Seawind or a Mk II. The problem is the distance to the coast and I cannot afford to move and the expense of living in CA. So should I maybe just by a day cruiser like a 27' Catalina and forget the Blue Water boat and just sail in Lake Pleasant which will get old however driving 380 miles to use my boat might be better in the long run if storing it in CA will not cost me a fortune. It's not an easy decision as to me sailing away from shore is what sailing is all about. I already know how to read sea charts and how to read weather maps and forecasts, however I do need to learn Celestial Navigation and many other skills. I also am an EMT. I am glad to be part of this group.

Ron


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[Ex-Calif]

Welcome aboard shotgun!

I predict keeping a boat 380 miles from you will not get much use. Get something suitable for gunkhoing around the lake and staying aboard for weekends.

Charter in SFO (or other places) for holidays.

[Shotgun]

Thank-You, I am going to follow your suggestion as it makes logical sense. Becaus i am so new can you list a few boats that would work for my wife and i staying on the weekends or anytime as I no longer work, and my wife does not work. We would most likely stay overnight or 3 to 4 days during the week because the lake would be less croweded during the work week.

Thanks Ron

[JPA Cate]

Hi shotgun,

Welcome aboard. A small suggestion: Let you and your wife go look at some boats in the size range 20-26 ft. See what she thinks she might like in terms of your projected 3-4 days at a time usage. I can't begin to say how important it is to get her on board, too. If you don't make it fun for her, she won't want to stick at it.

FWIW, my husband started on a 17 ft. daysailor and worked his way up, via a Catalina 22 (another trailer sailer), then a 30 foot S&S Yankee 30, when I met him. But we started a lot younger than you are now. Starting small keeps the investment down, and then if you enjoy it all, then move up.

Ann

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Ron.

[CaptainSteven]

I would seriously look for a trailer sailer. That will give you the mobility you may need. Sail at home and then load up and head to San Diego for a few week adventure.

Steve

[a64pilot]

Are you a weekender only or are you able to take weeks off at a time, frequently?
If mostly a weekender, 380 miles each way just isn't doable if you can't leave until Fri. afternoon and have to be back at work on Mon. that's seven hours each way

[Lake-Effect]

In your situation, I would aim for a first boat that you can tow and launch easily AND is inexpensive to own - no larger than around 22 ft. Lake Pleasant looks like a nice lake for smaller boats, but doesn't offer alot of sailing for a 26 ft or larger boat, unless staying aboard is more important than the sailing.

A good idea is to start hanging around the docks at Lake Pleasant, maybe join a club as a social member, make some friends, ask questions, and start looking at what other people are sailing there.

[biker6977]

Welcome! I agree with Ann and CaptainSteven- make sure wife is on board and a good trailerable boat will give you the flexibility you desire. Once you're in it and loving it (no doubt) you can re-evaluate is a couple years and go from there. Good luck and have fun.

[Greenhand]

Another option is to join a sailing club. I was surprised at how reasonable the prices are at some clubs in San Diego, perhaps you could find clubs with reciprocal privileges at the lake and at the coast.


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[s/v Beth]

Also how big are you? Smaller people find Compacs a good boat. My 23 had 2and half foot draft and was a joy to launch, yet sailed like the big ones. Perfect for these shallow sw lakes. I wouldn't take it out in the Pacific however.

[Stu Jackson]

Trailering gets old, very quickly.

To some of the respondents, he says he's retired. I simply take that to mean, as he said, he can use the lake during the week.

I had friends who had a very nice Catalina 34 in San Diego for many years, they got tired of the trip, but I don't think they were retired.

Since you're just getting started, I agree with find a boat you and your wife both like that can stay in the water, and learn how to cruise: sail, anchor, provision, reef, swim, do it all.

Once you've had that experience, then the two of YOU will know what YOU like to do. All the rest is speculation, on our part and yours.

Good luck.

PS Look up Don Guillette. I believe he sails on Lake Pleasant. He wrote one of the best sail trim books I've ever seen.

http://shop.catalinaowners.com/prod....0Users%20Guide

PPS - My experience: learned to sail as a kid in summer camps on the east coast, moved to SF in late 70s, bought a Catalina 22 (4 years - trailer sailed Bay in winter, lake in summer) Catalina 25 (12 years on SF Bay and ocean) and our current C34 for the past 16.

[gonesail]

you could probably have an allied 30 on lake pleasant and enjoy it for a long time

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!

If you have a boat by now I can call you Captain Ron. If you don't know what that connotates then check out the movie.

As people have already said a long distance relationship is not a great idea. A trailersailer is an ok idea if you want up to a 26 footer. You can keep it there at Lake Pleasant at a dock until you want to trailer it to San Diego.

A Catalina 27 is an ok boat and you can use it to go off-shore if your skills are up to it. The coast of Mexico is doable in such a boat. It can be trailered. While keeping it at the dock in AZ you could be setting it up for some off shore stuff if you want.

Good luck in whatever decision you make.

[maxingout]

There are lots of sailboats on Lake Pleasant, and some of the can be rented. They have two large marinas, and some people even live aboard them when it is not blazing hot. I would rather sail at Lake Pleasant than do the California thing.