Adequate vessel for circumnavigation

[SBenfares]

Hi all

I posted earlier this week regarding my plans to circumnavigate and you replied very generously and helpfully and I am very grateful.

I however have a more specific challenge at hand.

Since I am not very experienced in the world of sailing I will not be able to fully grasp what I should do.

Many people in the previous thread advised me to buy a boat than "outfit" it which I have come to gather means improve or refurbish.

While other advised me to buy somehting small and learn the way of the sailor.(I am 19)

At this moment in time I have amassed £12000 from part time work and savings with which I am seriously considering buying a vessel that I can outfit and basicaly keep till I leave in 8 years time but since I have no idea on what on earth I should do could you please advise me accordingly as I want to plan the whole thing very well but without real knowledge im a bit lost.

[Terra Nova]

Keep saving while you learn to sail on somebody else's boats.

[JPA Cate]

There are a lot of potential benefits to Terra Nova's suggestion:

You learn on someone else's boat, and if you help him or her do the maintenance, you'll learn about ownership costs and the labor involved. Owning a boat is not like buying a surfboard. Boats' stuff wears out, and needs repairing or replacing. Working alongside a knowledgeable owner can be a spot from which you also learn how to do new things, paint the bottom, help change cutlass bearings, pull props. You'll learn a bit about various chemicals and what they will and won't do. The knowledge will serve you well when you have to work on your own boat. The more different boats you sail on, the better you'll be able to choose your own boat because of having experience of boats' differences.. Almost all boat owners will reward a helping hand with a daysail, at least.

Sometimes, if you hang around yacht clubs, you can be "pickup" crew for a race boat. You will be expected to contribute your labour. They'll train you, you're out on the water, honing your sailing skills. You learn about skippering from experiencing different skippers. Mostly it's fun, sometimes it's hard work.

All these potential friendships become sources of entertainment and advice for you from your own area. And so it builds.

Good on you for living within your means and saving; that is a skill and a mindset that will serve you well all your life.

Ann

[Stu Jackson]

Ann's right. What I suggest you do is type "bluewater" into the search engine here, and read for weeks. !

Good luck, nice plans.

[Dhillen]

I agree with the above posters. Also, you should consider the boat you buy now will not be the boat you want in 8 years time.

Remember, as people get older they tend to (hopefully) increase their earning power and have more money. This means you will be able to buy the perfect boat for your needs then but which is totally out of reach with the current coinage in your purse. Not only that, but consider even if, God forbid, you did have sufficient funds today you wouldn't even recognize the boat you need given your lack of experience.

Buy a small boat now and get some real practice and experience. It is a hell of a lot of fun and your learning curve is much steeper when it is your own vessel. But don't worry about taking this first boat on a circumnavigation just yet.

Good luck.

Dhillen