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Lancerbye · 13-03-2013, 08:22

Go visit a Doctor to see if there is a cure for this sickness. Maybe get a frontal labotomy. Then sit in a chair at my computer and try to outwit the other armchair experts on a forum.

jongleur · 13-03-2013, 08:54

Invest in Microsoft in 1985 or so and sell at the top.

catakate · 13-03-2013, 12:10

Do I get a diploma if after 600 posts my newbieness if proven unique?

tbodine88 · 13-03-2013, 12:55

Instead of chasing women at dances, I'd chase women at yacht clubs and around the marinas. Instead of joining navy, I'd join coast guard or merchant marine or just save up to get my own boat.

Gelfling · 13-03-2013, 13:20

After only 10 years of sailing I am going to consider myself STILL a newbie. And if after 20 years I still learn with the fluidity that I am currently learning at.....I will consider myself a newbie then. I can't foresee a time in my sailing life that I will know it all, but at some point I will have less to learn then I already know....maybe that will be the point when I am no longer a newbie.

**boatman61** · 13-03-2013, 13:24

Sorry mate... tried playing your game.. not possible to be stupid enuf...

sailorboy1 · 13-03-2013, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

Not had a "brain teaser" for a while......

How would you start?, what would you buy?, where would you go?

The rules:-

1) You are going for an extended trip - at least several years, with one eye on forever (or at least the hope of).

2) You are starting from zero knowledge.

3) You want to "GO NOW!" (or as soon as practical / comfortable with chances of success).

4) You are starting today (aka the modern era - not when you actually started!).

5) Your budget is based on what you have available now (in cash, credit and income) - up to you how you use those.

6) The persons onboard are what you presently have.

7) You are starting in your current locale (but can buy elsewhere).

Of course you can use hindsight and the knowledge / experiance gained to date - indeed, that pretty much the purpose of this thread!

I would PM you and get your detailed advise to follow!

David_Old_Jersey · 13-03-2013, 16:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don L

I would PM you and get your detailed advise to follow!

Lol!

Actually I didn't start this thread with any idea of what I would write in response

........figured it would be of more interest to get some varied responses based on the differing personal circumstances and locations of others rather than a simple lecture (rant?!) from me, but since you asked

...........

Me would start online - not only to help get an idea of my ballpark on what I should be buying but also for some ideas on WTF I should be thinking about. Plus some inspiration and encouragement. and last but by no means least would try and get freindly enough to get invited aboard a few boats - on the basis that I would be putting my hand in own pocket. Ideally locally - but perhaps also somewhere warmer

.......online meets real world

.

If I could hook up with someone locally as crew I would also try and extend that into lending a hand with boat maintanence, even if that only about holding the screwdrivers! and using the opportunity to poke around in dark places and ask dumb questions! The more boats the better for that......likely also I would wander around the couple of places locally where boats are ashore and are worked on to see who I could get chatting to and learn from.....I probably would not bother with the racing angle (not really my thing)......but I would suggest getting a sailing dink that could later be used as a tender, partly for the sailing practice, party to get boots on the ground with folks on boats - but mostly for the craic

.

In addition I would read a few books (Navigation / boat buying / sailing! / and travel adventurres

) and then get myself on some courses, at least the basic ones so I have a decent framework to later self learn.....all about getting a handle on my unknowns.

Given the rules for this thread are about "going now!" I would miss out the smaller boat route as the first step (with a few years to play with that would be my recomendation) and jump straight into "the" boat - or at least my half assed guess at one!......the good news is that as long as I learn that staying in the mainstream then pretty hard to go totally wrong on model / design.

The buying would be the tricky bit - I would use brokers and view as many boats as possible, including those outside my budget and desire in condition (actually seeing a turd when unpolished is informative - and nice to be able to walk away from!).....and I would use a Surveyor (and would get some references, even if only verbal during my boat learnings) plus a marine engineer (same for references)........would also learn what everything cost to buy / fix / install and what I would need to learn myself before, during and after purchase.....and decide what imperfections I could cope with.

I would tell myself to avoid a fixer upper, especially one that didn't actually need a total refurb and then decide to do one

.......and go for something in the 33 foot region (plus or minus a couple, depending on design).....based around 1 or 2 people onboard, plus maybe occassional (and very short term!) guests. maybe

.......and something that could later be capable of going accross an ocean, but doesn't need to in order to justify the purchase.......the idea on boat size is that big enough for a bit of rough not to be a biggie with the trade off being more budget to spend ashore!......don't get (financially) married to a boat, it's only a tool to be used for your adventures and not an end in itself.

Boat design? A sloop, likely something that could take the ground (bilge keels or lifting) as locally that makes mooring 90% cheaper! apart from that pretty much open......but I would favour an aft cockpit (I do of course have a 30' aftcabin ketch

- but I was not new to boats!, so knew better - possibly!).......I would also advise myself that as a first boat to keep one eye on resale, even at the price of a higher purchase cost (that DIY built composite ferrocemnt and steel "bargain" for later when I know what I am doing

) just in case I decide that another boat would be better.

I would suggest buying in as good a condition as I could find, whilst accepting that nothing will ever be perfect - and not to throw too much money into the boat initially, at least not on anything that could not later be easily enough removed / unbolted! for another boat.

The first voyages on my own boat would be around the bay - getting back unsunk would count as a success (my first boat I got towed back to my mooring first trip - by a fella who was passing in a rowing boat!, to be fair I had not got very far - not even out of the harbour!)....and after that as many baby step voyages as I could manage, even if "only" day sails. slowly slowly catchy monkee. I would also suggest getting folk onboard who knew more than me (preferably a couple of them at different times).....but apart from that suggest simply learning as I went along, even if a bit of finger crossing involved!

I would suggest that the first extended voyage be within striking distance of back home, just in case I didn't like it! or that I decided either that a new boat was needed, more money was needed from work

and / or boat needed more work and easier to do over time at "home" (especially if new cash also coming in!).....forever over the sunset can wait a year, if not 2.

But probably most importantly I would suggest starting with an actual plan, whilst accepting it will likely change - just like with boats, if you don't know where you are trying to get to you are unlikely to arrive!.......are you listening Mr DOJ?

.

**Coops** · 13-03-2013, 16:34

If I was to start by researching online I think that I would be put off sailing forever,. I would be scared off every anchor, every form of wood treatment, every toilet, every engine and most importantly, every boat, because there will always be someone who bags it or has had a terrible experience with it and then it would stick in my brain and I would worry about it.

Try buying a car through online reviews, there is not a good one out there it seems.

Read books, yes, go and sail on as many as you can, yes, but listening to self important know alls whingeing about which is the best clevis pin will only ruin the dream with uncertainty.

Never on CF of course, this last bastion of intelligence and good humour.

Again I state, as I have on other similar threads, I would just buy one that I like the look of and go from there.

Did that decades ago, and still do now.

Does not make me clever, or knowledgeable, just simple and easily pleased perhaps.

Coops.

**boatman61** · 13-03-2013, 17:00

Ahhhhh... back to the basic's... the simple life
I would say La Dulce Vida but.....

David_Old_Jersey · 14-03-2013, 03:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coops

If I was to start by researching online I think that I would be put off sailing forever,. I would be scared off every anchor, every form of wood treatment, every toilet, every engine and most importantly, every boat, because there will always be someone who bags it or has had a terrible experience with it and then it would stick in my brain and I would worry about it.

Try buying a car through online reviews, there is not a good one out there it seems.

Read books, yes, go and sail on as many as you can, yes, but listening to self important know alls whingeing about which is the best clevis pin will only ruin the dream with uncertainty.

Never on CF of course, this last bastion of intelligence and good humour.

The online world does seem to confuse some folk

.......but probably much the same as when confronted with lots of knowledge in the real world......some folks better at extracting the info they need from the pool and ignoring the irrelevant (including the dross!).......some do need spoonfeeding answers, but for that the "answer" is writing a cheque - online and real world often same same.

Quote:

Again I state, as I have on other similar threads, I would just buy one that I like the look of and go from there.

Did that decades ago, and still do now.

Does not make me clever, or knowledgeable, just simple and easily pleased perhaps.

Coops.

Certainly an approach that has merit

- pros and cons to everything, in this case IMO a higher risk of buying a pup or something simply unsuitable for the intended use (or for the wife?!) as the first boat that helps kill (slowly strangle?!) the dream - including financially (most people have limits!).

BTW this thread was not about creating a "right" way just to bring together different approaches (including opinions

)......and show that there are different approaches and success is as much about puzzling out for yourself an approach that works for "you" and your own circumstances (they all vary, at least slightly).

**Coops** · 14-03-2013, 03:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by David_Old_Jersey

BTW this thread was not about creating a "right" way just to bring together different approaches (including opinions

)......and show that there are different approaches and success is as much about puzzling out for yourself an approach that works for "you" and your own circumstances (they all vary, at least slightly).

You seem to have achieved your objective then DOJ.

Coops.

FruiVita · 13-03-2013, 16:33

Go for a sail with a friend. Realizing how much fun it is to sit and relax while the boat gently cruises along, get some lessons. Then go out and drop about $50k on a used but decently seaworthy vessel. Do some weekend and week-long trips locally, meanwhile honing your skills. Plan your extended trip, including a budget, then just go.