New adventure at 70

[jhughes]

Looking at a Sabre 30 for off shore / coastal cruising.

Navigation system?

Communication?

Happy Healthy Safe sailing to all. Thanks for your time, greatful for your opinion

70 & going sailing.

[Don C L]

I looked at a Sabre 30 at one time and was VERY interested until I found out that the sale was not for real...I haven't sailed one yet... They have a very good reputation for build quality and sailing performance, I hope an owner will chime in here to provide more details. Which model are you looking at?
As far as navigation coastwise, most folks are using chartplotters but I am just using my iPhone and my buddy uses a Garmin handheld, GPSmap 78sc. A Vesper 850 AIS is on my wishlist, but there are VHF radios that have AIS reception. I happen to like the Standard Horizons, so if I was getting a new one I'd probably choose the GX2200. When you say communication, are you asking about VHF, SSB or satellite phones, or all three?
Good luck in all new adventures!

[jhughes]

Thanks DL for the quick response and good info.

[Don C L]

I forgot, you might check this group too for folks to chat with:
Cruisers & Sailing Forums - Sabre Yachts

[CMO Tashina]

Good to hear I'm not the only boomer deciding that buying a little sailboat and heading over the horizon at age 70 is a lovely idea. Beats the heck out of sitting in a nursing home or in some rocking chair, right? Good luck on your boat hunt and sailing venture!

[TrentePieds]

You give no indication of just where you are going sailing, nor what your experience is. That tends to matter :-)!

You say "Navigation?". Do you mean "how do I navigate?" or do you mean "what equipment do I need?"

The answer to the latter is simplicity itself: You need: a) paper charts of the water where you will sail. Buy only what you need for now. The library of charts will grow as you sail further afield. b) a sharp pencil, c) a pair of dividers, d) 2 draftsman's triangles. e) a cheap wristwatch from Walmart. C'est tout! You do NOT need a chartplotter. In fact you shouldn't presume to use one till you can navigate using the cited "old school" equipment! Before anybody jumps me - NO you do NOT need a bearing compass. In a slow moving boat your steering compass is quite sufficient. Tho I'll admit I use a pair of binocs with a compass in the one reticle.

You say "Communication?". Do you mean "how do I communicate?" or do you mean "what equipment do I need?"

The answer to the latter is simplicity itself: You need a VHF radio. You can buy either a handheld job or a mounted job for ahunnert'n'fifty bux at any chandler's. Since few yachtmen can read semaphore or Morse code these days, you are reduced to the using VHF.

As to the "how" of communication: Be punctilious about how you use the radio protocol. If you are not familiar with it, the Power Squadrons give an excellent course on what it is and how to use it.

Oh - I've got ten years on you BTW ;-0)!

All the best

TrentePieds

[roverhi]

I'm 74 and down sized into a Sabre 28 Mk I. Extremely happy with boats sailing ability and handling. Light on the helm and tracks well sailing. Easy boat to single hand with Mainsail control lines led aft to cockpit. Tiller steered boat so can steer, winch headsail and reef from the same position. Would have gone for the 30 but slip size limited length to 29'. Boat is no condo but have stayed aboard for more than a month and adequate room and storage for simple living.

Had to deliver the boat from SF to Oceanside, CA mostly solo. First day averaged more than 7knph over the bottom with complete control. Unfortunately had to power for the other 3 days of the 400 plus mile voyage.

[stnick]

I had a Sabre 28 also . Wow she was a quality boat ! That Volvo and I had some issues but she loved to just sail ! Other sailboat owners at a blog Yahoo Sailboat owners at Sabre.
We have met some calif Sabre owners and sailed with them. Great folks.

[Tayana42]

Had a friend in Jacksonville Florida with a Saber. It was a lovely boat and a pleasure to sail. By the way, I am 70 too and I sail a 42’ Tayana with my wife or often solo. I have a built in chart plotter that I hardly ever use because I prefer my iPad with iNavX. A decent vhf should do fine for costal cruising along with your cellphone. Have fun.

[stormalong]

I had a Sabre 34 Mk I way back when. Great boats with one exception. The hull to deck joint was butyl rubber tape bolted together. Stop leaks by tightening bolts - that is until the rubber is squeezed out. Be sure to check this on your new to you boat.

[alexanick]

To the OP and the rest of the over 70 gang out there.
My first goal is the Great Loop. I plan on starting when my son graduates from THE OSU in 2020. I will be 74 at time of departure, heaith allowing. I work at a senior citizen center, Menorah Park, in Cleveland. A very beautiful, expensive one. I'm with the OP. I don't want to grow old in one either. Sail on.

[Lihuedooley77]

100% agree that you learn Coastal Piloting, and maybe a back up hand held GPS.

Paper chart or charts of the area that you are sailing. Hand bearing compass to take bearings to plot fixes, running fixes, estimated positions. You can also lay out a D.R. track line using time speed, distance and direction.

1. Paper Charts
2. Ships Compass
3. Hand Bearing Compass
4. Dividers
5. Plotter
6. Watch
7, Ships knot meter
8. Pencil
9. Book to log your position,

Learn to properly note all of the info very easily on your chart as well.

If you are not skilled in Coastal Piloting, Coastal Naivigation, take and complete, and gain knowledge by taking a quality navigation class. Should last a full weekend, or three or four nights .

Also, we recommend an inexpensive hand held GPS.....

Or if a GPS is installed, that is good as well.

But, with all of the electronic easy to button push electronics, the boating and sailing community are lacking in knowledge of navigation.

I had one fellow. M.D. specialist. Very smart and a neat human being. Nice home in an expensive area with a dock /slip . Bought a Carver motor vessel. Probably mid to high 40's LOA. It was new, and had all of the GPS, auto pilot, magic boxes.

He new zip about boats, and wanted me to train him. We would be coming into Huntington harbor, and instead of looking at where he was going, he was glued to the moving map of the GPS. I told him look at where he was going, traffic, the rock jetty, and the large mooring cans for the U.S. Navy warships and the warships themselves who load missiles and munitions from the Naval Weapons Station.

I told him he also needed a Coastal Piloting course and since I had been professionally teaching navigation as well as sailing and motor vessels safety a sea courses, we could give him a private lesson at his home. Will take both days of a weekend.

NOPE, HE HAD ALL OF HIS ELECTRONICS, DID NOT NEED ANY MORE.

A year later I run into him and he tells me his story.

He was motoring back from Catalina Island, and had plugged in the lat and lon of his dock, and coupled the autopilot. he was down below , with his friends having a grand ol time . After a couple hours, he happens to look out the window.

AHEAD ARE BREAKERS, WAVES SMASHING UP ONTO THE BEACH. HE NEARLY RAN THAT POWER BOAT UP ON TO THE SHORE .

He thought the bloody GPS would take him to the channel entrance, make the turns and take him to his slip.

That is the mentality of today .

TAKE A COASTAL PILOTING AND NAVIGATION CLASS.....there is one heck of a lot to learn far and above plotting courses and positions.

Stay smart, stay safe... that means you, the boat and the passengers.

[Maka]

Advice for any Senior.

Get checked out to be certified sure you are still mentally competent.


Many of us are.... many not.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by jhughes

Looking at a Sabre 30 for off shore / coastal cruising.

Navigation system?

Communication?

Happy Healthy Safe sailing to all. Thanks for your time, greatful for your opinion

70 & going sailing.

Your location or area might be helpful. Any reason for the Sabre 30?
Have at it if you're physically fit. 30 yrs ago begins to feel like yesterday.

[Mithril Bham]

Learning to sail is fairly easy. Seamanship and maintenance is a lifetime endeavor. Focus on your health. Diet & exercise. Yoga is good in close quarters. Without good health you aren't going anywhere. Yes, paper charts. Hand bearing compass. Chart plotter also good. Many inexpensive solutions these days. Lots of good info on this site. Satellite phone. Cheap solutions available now for weather fax which can save your life.
Get USCG Masters just for drill. Read Chapmans, Annapolis and Nigel Calder.
Good luck.