Getting Our Feet Wet.

[Brilliant Sea]

Fantastic story and wonderful pics!

I am at awe how we get so attached to our vessels and treat them like family. I got my feet wet last September with a purchase of my first sailboat, and when I close her up and get in my car I am so hesitant to leave. I would say I am in love. I just sit there and stare at her beauty, she seems to be sad, just sitting there all tied up. When I return to her I will put my arms around her hull and tell her everything is okay, the sun is rising and the wind will blow. We will sail now.

My Brilliant Sea

[exkma367]

Well said, My girlfriend always catches me with incriminating bottom paint stains on my collar.....

[Seagull111]

Great story and very nice looking Jenny. I have gone from a 26 to a 34 footer recently. The costs seem to go up by the square of the footage, but worth it. How did you make out selling Jenny. Would you advise other newbies to go the same route. Likes, dislikes, regrets?

[exkma367]

No secrets, she sold for $5600 on ebay. I probably could have got a bit more If I had the time. We knew the project was for adventure and not for profit. She went to a great buyer, who is cruising on her on the west coast of Florida. I was happy to see her go to a sailor and not languishing in a parking lot some where. The money paid for having the new old boat hauled to the driveway and a used 30hp Yanmar.

I would recommend what we did for any newbie. The key to making it work for us was putting the boat in the driveway. We never would have been able to do all the work if we had to commute to a yard somewhere. There are a lot of "Free" boats out there but you have to make sure they have good bones. We stripped her to a nearly bare hull, most everything that could be removed was. We cleaned, repaired or replaced. We learned so much getting her in shape that when problems arose we knew how to handle them.

It ain't cheap. Even a small boat will rack up the costs pretty quick. But with patients and perseverance you can find what you need at a good price. Our local auto junk yard was a great budget resource. They must have had fifty junk boats in the back lot, only a few sailboats, but lots of used parts to be had at rock bottom prices. eg. All we could fit in the bed of the truck for $40.00. Now I admit Deb does the negotiating. Those boys are a sucker for a pretty girl covered with mud and grease.

If you find you hate it, or life gets in the way of your dreams, your investment is relatively low, and the education is invaluable.

Go small, go now. If you love it, there are always bigger boats.

Three more things.
Standing head room is a must.

Make it yours. If you are going to make it your home for months at a time. Make it suit your tastes and needs. We added two feet of counter and a bulkhead next to the stove cutting a settee in half. We like to cook and didn't anticipate any overnight guests. It worked great for us.

Buy a small white board and erasable markers. There is so much to do, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Write down several projects at a time. As they get completed, erase them and add another. Looking at the board helps to prioritize and keep you focused.