Pretend you are a Newbie! - how would you start?

[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!

[DennisM]

First question: What do all these ropes do?

[boatman61]

Buy a motorbike...

[carstenb]

Look around carefully and marry a rich admiral with her own megayacht.

Problem solved!

[Anzo]

I think I would do pretty much what I did when I started out-start wandering around Annapolis looking at all the interesting older boats. Sign up for a J World or similar series of progressive courses. Bug the hell out of several brokers to let me on board a bunch of the character-y prizes in their inventories. Make an offer and buy one. At some point get on a forum and ask an endless series of questions and realize there are relatively few answers to the questions but no shortage of very passionate opinions. I'm not sure, though, from a rank beginner's perspective, on how I would determine whether or not something was "ready to go". If I had today's knowledge and hindsight, I'd certainly do some things differently, but using today's knowledge and hindsight means I wouldn't be starting from scratch.

[DennisM]

Originally Posted by Anzo

...and realize there are relatively few answers to the questions but no shortage of very passionate opinions.

Where? Here? Never...

[Kettlewell]

1. Read, read, read. Books, Internet, magazines.

2. Buy an older 30 footer in good shape structurally, but down on her cosmetics. Look for a boat that sails really well, based on all the reading I've done. Go for a fiberglass production boat most likely so there is an ownership and knowledge base out there. Keep the boat really simple and basic--the biggest problem most cruisers have is maintenance and break downs. The less stuff, the less to break down.

3. Start sailing locally in New England or the Chesapeake every chance I get, with the plan to head south down the ICW to Florida for the winter, and then the Bahamas.

4. Plan on doing the major getting ready in Florida once I know the boat better and know what I need, and where supplies and repairs are cheaper and readily available.

5. Do the Caribbean circuit with a plan to go through the Canal in the spring and then the Pacific--follow the Milk Run route. If things aren't working out, this still gives you a lot of experience and a circuit of the Caribbean is great training. You can loop back up to Florida before hurricane season in order to further work out the kinks in your boat and maybe get some jobs to replenish the cruising kitty.

[David_Old_Jersey]

Originally Posted by Anzo

At some point get on a forum and ask an endless series of questions and realize there are relatively few answers to the questions but no shortage of very passionate opinions.

Lol! But nonetheless IMO discovering that the only person who can find "your" answers is "you", but that others can help you discover the questions that need to be asked (of self) is an important step on the learning curve.

I'm not sure, though, from a rank beginner's perspective, on how I would determine whether or not something was "ready to go". If I had today's knowledge and hindsight, I'd certainly do some things differently, but using today's knowledge and hindsight means I wouldn't be starting from scratch.

Yeah, that discovering that something was actually "ready to go" (or as close as any boat can be) is a BIG challenge (for everyone! - a squillion times more so for a Newbie)......I guess what I was asking was how "you" would approach your learning curve to gain the knowledge needed (before writing the first cheque(s!)) - using the benefit of hindsight / knowledge of what you later discovered you needed to know, or would just have been damned useful (and cheaper?!)..........Of course a tricky one to "forget" what you actually now know!

Not to say that buying boats does not always involve taking a punt - no matter how knowledgable folks are, but the less of the keeping fingers crossed / blind optimism the better (and likely cheaper!).

[boatman61]

Step 2
Join CF and then start looking for a 50ftr...
but 70 would be better...
fit in a Jacuzzi/Hot tub...
with personal EPIRB holders for emergencies..

[thomm225]

Buy a Hobie 16 or a small monohull and spend the entire Spring, Summer, and Fall sailing and learning stuff...........

then get a tough old boat (with a newer outboard) around 27'-32' to complete the learning process. (and maybe close off all the seacocks if the hoses etc are old) and take a series of short trips like back and forth across a large bay of say 30 miles .................make sure you have some sort of backup craft onboard incase you destroy your main vessel.

[atoll]

will i have to pay import duty in australia if i were to build a big raft out of balsa wood in ecuador and get a bunch of people to help cover expenses whilst we drift across the south pacific?

planned size is 100ft by 30ft with multiple solar panels and electric outbourds for getting in and out of the lagoons that we plan to stop at along the way.

can any body suggest the best size anchor and type.....

we will be all jehovas witnesses and feel this would be a great way to show the islanders the error of their ways and convert them to our faith......................donations gratefully accepted by david old jersey our agent and advisor............

[MarkJ]

Race on someone else's boat every Saturday.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by atoll

will i have to pay import duty in australia if i were to build a big raft out of balsa wood in ecuador and get a bunch of people to help cover expenses whilst we drift across the south pacific?

planned size is 100ft by 30ft with multiple solar panels and electric outbourds for getting in and out of the lagoons that we plan to stop at along the way.

can any body suggest the best size anchor and type.....

we will be all jehovas witnesses and feel this would be a great way to show the islanders the error of their ways and convert them to our faith......................donations gratefully accepted by david old jersey our agent and advisor............

Can I smoke and keep my shoes on... promise not to go below...

[atoll]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Can I smoke and keep my shoes on... promise not to go below...

on second thoughts it might be better if we started our own religion first then we can share the women around as well

another question for the panel,
is a captain really neccasary,since we will be drifting most of the time?

perhaps a committee would be better for navigation purposes so the brothers ans sisters would feel more included in the decision making process

[boatman61]

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Shoot... place must be empty... reading echo's now...