Gave my two week notice at work...

[Jim Cate]

Keto, I see nothing wrong with your plan, other than BC cruising in the winter sounds damn cold and wet to this tropically oriented guy!

But your budget will sink or swim depending on what life style you chose whilst "on vacation" from trucking. Don't let the bottom line of Sailorboy's expenses scare you too much. Look carefully at what he spent, and see where you could shave a few bucks. Like travel, entertainment, booze, restaurant dining and so on. If such things are not applicable to you, the dollars stay in your pocket. And boat expenses... big batteries to run lots of power hungry accessories don't seem to be needed in the sort of boat you propose, nor heavy duty auto pilots, so there go two of his big ticket items. A smaller, simpler boat just does not absorb as much money as his larger and more elaborate vessel. And you are unlikely to burn that much fuel, whether diesel or petrol... we VERY seldom spend that much in a month, and our boat is a bit larger and we do more miles that he has been so far. And your dislike of marina life (which I share) will also save money. Sometimes you need their services, but if you don't use them routinely, the savings are significant.

So, be not afraid. If you blow out a sail on a 27ish foot boat, there are several big used sail vendors who can provide useable sails at way less than even economy new sails. Diesel auxiliary engines are pretty bulletproof in general. As a truckie, you are used to engine maintenance I suppose, and keeping one that is running when you buy it from suffering early death isn't all that hard. It is a possibility, but not a likelihood IMO . This is an area where careful inspection before purchase is essential!

So, despite the cries from the cheap seats in CF, I think your plan is viable. Good luck in executing it!

Jim

[KetoNomad]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Keto, I see nothing wrong with your plan, other than BC cruising in the winter sounds damn cold and wet to this tropically oriented guy!

But your budget will sink or swim depending on what life style you chose whilst "on vacation" from trucking. Don't let the bottom line of Sailorboy's expenses scare you too much. Look carefully at what he spent, and see where you could shave a few bucks. Like travel, entertainment, booze, restaurant dining and so on. If such things are not applicable to you, the dollars stay in your pocket. And boat expenses... big batteries to run lots of power hungry accessories don't seem to be needed in the sort of boat you propose, nor heavy duty auto pilots, so there go two of his big ticket items. A smaller, simpler boat just does not absorb as much money as his larger and more elaborate vessel. And you are unlikely to burn that much fuel, whether diesel or petrol... we VERY seldom spend that much in a month, and our boat is a bit larger and we do more miles that he has been so far. And your dislike of marina life (which I share) will also save money. Sometimes you need their services, but if you don't use them routinely, the savings are significant.

So, be not afraid. If you blow out a sail on a 27ish foot boat, there are several big used sail vendors who can provide useable sails at way less than even economy new sails. Diesel auxiliary engines are pretty bulletproof in general. As a truckie, you are used to engine maintenance I suppose, and keeping one that is running when you buy it from suffering early death isn't all that hard. It is a possibility, but not a likelihood IMO . This is an area where careful inspection before purchase is essential!

So, despite the cries from the cheap seats in CF, I think your plan is viable. Good luck in executing it!

Jim

Thanks for the encouragement

Yeah I love that nobody seems to like the BC winters, keeps anchorages quiet, mostly. Even the locals leave their boats tied to a dock on a sunny 16 degree (Celsius) Saturday. Fine by me, fewer people to crash into, haha.

I actually don't know much about diesel engines, we're not allowed to do anything more than diagnostics while on the road, warranty issues. Most of what I know comes from working on my personal vehicles over the years. Accessory diagnostics and repair are applicable but I need to figure out how to assess the condition of the engine itself, I suspect a few books will pass under my nose before I actually hand over cash for a boat

True, I'm a pretty simple bloke, all I spend money on normally is food and I'll be taking it easy on the boat so as to avoid stressing the standing rigging and engine, not much point getting an extra knot of speed if you dismast, I guess, lol.

[Juho]

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

Yeah I love that nobody seems to like the BC winters, keeps anchorages quiet, mostly. Even the locals leave their boats tied to a dock on a sunny 16 degree (Celsius) Saturday. Fine by me, fewer people to crash into, haha.

Yes, late autumn sailing is great fun . You have all the water, islands and colourful scenery there, just for yourself. Unfortunately I had to lift the boat up before the sea freezes.

Originally Posted by KetoNomad

True, I'm a pretty simple bloke, all I spend money on normally is food and I'll be taking it easy on the boat so as to avoid stressing the standing rigging and engine, not much point getting an extra knot of speed if you dismast, I guess, lol.

Food and some heat is all you need in addition to sailing and scenery.

[JoJoLady]

We purchased our boat in Rhode Island, no sales tax. Yacht world has tons of boats. Are you sure you want to sail? Lessons first than choose what you are comfortable handling.