Are we crazy?

[Sail debvz]

New to the forum so bear with me please. My husband and I will retire next year after sailing for just this past summer for the first time. We love it and plan to prepare to travel south next fall to Florida and the carribean. We are cramming for everything we hope we need to know. Any first hand advice for two crazy will be cruisers?

[2Hulls]

Welcome to the world of crazy!

Why would you go first to Florida before the Caribbean from Jersey? Of course, this depends on which part of the Carib you're thinking of.

Dave

[Sail debvz]

Thank you.....Although we have traveled the carribean we felt staying close to the atlantic coast would be more "comfortable" until we learn all the ropes of finding inlets to moor, safe anchorages etc. The keys are our first destination although we certainly have all the time in the world once we start. I'm looking for a bit of good, experienced advice for first timers.

[2Hulls]

I understand. My initial reaction was that it's a lot harder to get to the E Carib, if that's your goal, from Fl than from Jersey, IMHO. Perhaps you should consider hoping down the East Coast to Fl then going over to the Bahamas to get you practical experience before considering the long upwind slog to the E Carib.

Dave

[Olorin]

Yes, you are crazy.... but you are our kind of crazy.
We started out in the Bahamas, over to Florida to refit the boat and then a shakedown cruise down the ICW to Miami, across to Bimini and down to Georgetown in the Exumas.
Meet lots of good people and ask for their cruising advice.
We're in Sydney, Australia at the moment so it can work out fine.

[Captain Bill]

The mere fact that you have joined this forum is a pretty good indication you are crazy. Welcome to the club.

[CSSN]

Welcome to the wild and crazy life.

When your attention turns to the Caribbean and making decisions about managing your safety and security risks. check out

https://www.safetyandsecuritynet.com/

As you visit the Caribbean some of this information factored into your normal risk assessment process may help you take the appropriate precautions in the various anchorages in the Caribbean.

Enjoy crazy (and safe) cruising. The Caribbean is a great cruising ground.

[wrwakefield]

Originally Posted by Sail debvz

New to the forum so bear with me please. My husband and I will retire next year after sailing for just this past summer for the first time. We love it and plan to prepare to travel south next fall to Florida and the carribean. We are cramming for everything we hope we need to know. Any first hand advice for two crazy will be cruisers?

Hi Debvz, and welcome to the forum!

I'm not qualified to help you with classifying your mental state, but I do know you are in good company here...

Beth Leonard wrote The Voyager's Handbook just for you...

That book [as well as many others...] will help set you up to enjoy every aspect of your journey.

Cheers!

Bill

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by Sail debvz

New to the forum so bear with me please. My husband and I will retire next year after sailing for just this past summer for the first time. We love it and plan to prepare to travel south next fall to Florida and the carribean. We are cramming for everything we hope we need to know. Any first hand advice for two crazy will be cruisers?

You are only a few years behind us. We set sail about 8 years ago with the goal of sailing up and down the east coast of the usa and over to the Bahamas without sinking the boat or killing ourselves. Since then we sailed the east coast 2 1/2 times and Bahamas twice. then over to mexico to Colombia to Jamaica to trindad to Antigua to azores and just finished year 3 in the med.

First suggestion take it slow and easy and one little goal after the next. We never set sail with the thought of doing what we are doing. We will not even discuss our next sailing season as it is always a work in progress. We never considered crossing the Atlantic till we did it. One small step at a time to take the time to see and learn how to cruise. Second the boat is always being prepared as ours still is. So make small moves and learn and upgrade or add or whatever. third do not get in a hurry - take your time and enjoy. Fourth ask questions. We still do and learn every day.

But I hope your boat is not the Hunter 31. I will get bashed for this but get a real boat and enjoy a great life.

[Sail debvz]

@Chuckr. Thank you so much! That is valuable information. But sadly yes it is a 1984 hunter 31.....I'm not sure I want to know what is wrong with it .....
Obviously we are not very knowledgeable about different sailing vessels but did have it surveyed which confirmed a good boat for us to learn on and hoping it will serve us up and down the east coast with possibly alittle further if we feel confident enough. Of course we know its not an ocean cruiser and I'm not sure well be ready for that anytime soon. Hopefully when we are, well get another more worthy boat.
Still not sure if I want to hear what's "off" with this boat. But fire away.....

[Sea Dreaming]

Originally Posted by chuckr

You are only a few years behind us. We set sail about 8 years ago with the goal of sailing up and down the east coast of the usa and over to the Bahamas without sinking the boat or killing ourselves. Since then we sailed the east coast 2 1/2 times and Bahamas twice. then over to mexico to Colombia to Jamaica to trindad to Antigua to azores and just finished year 3 in the med.

First suggestion take it slow and easy and one little goal after the next. We never set sail with the thought of doing what we are doing. We will not even discuss our next sailing season as it is always a work in progress. We never considered crossing the Atlantic till we did it. One small step at a time to take the time to see and learn how to cruise. Second the boat is always being prepared as ours still is. So make small moves and learn and upgrade or add or whatever. third do not get in a hurry - take your time and enjoy. Fourth ask questions. We still do and learn every day.

But I hope your boat is not the Hunter 31. I will get bashed for this but get a real boat and enjoy a great life.

Thanks for this. These comments help me too. I tend to go "whole hog" and, at some point, get overwhelmed. Better to just keep it all open ended and make decisions and plans as confidence and experience grows.
One league at a time.....

[Sail debvz]

@seadreaming....are you new to sailing also? Any suggestions from one newbie to another?

[Sea Dreaming]

Sail Deb, I am pretty new. I started about 6 years ago . But all lake sailing and only for a few weeks of the year as I live in Colorado.

Best advice I can give you is to think of yourself as a sailor in your own right. Thinking of yourself as a sailor and seeking to improve your skill, will make sailing more fun for you and make you and your husband a more effective team. You can be as confident as you want to be! That's the best advice I ever gave myself anyway