Cruising Advice for a Widower

[Hesti]

Sorry to read about your loss. Some time "off the grid" may be, what you need.



The wife and I did 4 1/2 months baltic on 29 foot. Definitively one of the small boats cruising there but plenty big enough for the two of us including clothing, gear, spares. The only point being, that we did not carry that much water (around 100 litres max. and it bit into sailing performance when full) and food as you would for cross ocean, we could refill every other day or so. But for one person, it would have been possible to stow that in addition. I guess, for two people, with a watermaker and some dried food, it would also have been possible, but not sensible. Our boat is a bit lightweight to go ocean crossing.



Erdmann did his first circumnavigation in a boat less than 8 metres long. Boats have become huge in the last 2 or 3 decades. The Hills started off on 34 feet. The Pardeys on 24 1/2 foot. Build quality and condition is more important for getting to the other side than pure size.



There is a case for slightly heavier boats: They normally take loading better than light weight racers. And often have deep bilges you can use for stowing.

[boatman61]

Originally Posted by asistephen

Hi Sorry for your loss truly.

I’ve recently bought a 27 ft Albin Vega a really nice one Iv decided that what I could do if I don’t want to sail Accross the Atlantic from 🇬🇧 UK to the Caribian sea is have the boat put on one of them yacht transport ships and taken Accross , then sail from there. My thinking is after that I only need a smaller boat. My boat can do it but it’s an option. This saves me tons of money buying a bigger boat . And lots of money in Marina costs while I’m cruising.

But think of all the fun and places you'll miss along the way if it's shipped..

[David Johnson]

First of all, sorry for your loss. You are doing well in forging ahead rather than sitting on your couch staring at your shoes. Sadness is healthy and portable.
As far as a boat I have a couple of ideas. First of all, for a liveaboard you must think about interior headroom: you do not want to live hunched over. You want to be able to stand up straight, and to have appropriate handholds everywhere.
Second, in my opinion the price, complexity and force required to operate a boat varies as the cube of the deck length in feet plus the fitted out weight in pounds. Thus a 40 footer that weights 30,00 pounds isn't just 8 feet longer than a 32 footer that weighs 15,000 pounds: it's the difference between 94,000 and 57,768, or almost twice the challenges. That isn't an exact comparison, obviously, but will give you at least a realistic and dispassionate way to compare.
My suggestion would be to get out and do as much sailing as you can on as many boats as you can before you make a decision.
But do it!! You will regret it if you don't. And very best wishes to you.
DEJ

[upstateny]

Sorry for your loss. Lots of good advice here.
I also recommend SAILING OPB.

Check out these videos from sailing wisdom and others that make videos cruising around the world.

https://youtu.be/A8k3MRnjT_w

https://youtu.be/kDY73O4_vJc

GOod luck.

[Happ]

I highly recommend you go on YouTube and start watching videos of people actually doing it. One is Sam Holmes. He sailed a 24’ from San Francisco to Hawaii singlehanded. Another one to check out is SailingUma. They bought a 36’ Pearson and fixed it up and have started sailing around the world. They started in Florida worked their way south to Columbia and then headed north to Canada. Then crossed the North Atlantic. Their story is as much about sailing as it is about experiencing the world. Checkout Atomvoyager. James sailed a Trident 28’ around the world in 1987. He still owns the boat today. He was the one who put together the list of 72 boats mentioned in one of the first responses.

If it were me at 29 I would do what many have suggested. Get a smaller boat and learn how to sail first. Then move up to a small cruising boat. Do some weekends then take a week or two cruise. Then you’ll know what you need and have a much better idea of what this really will cost. Everybody's costs are different. How much do you eat ashore? How many times you go into marinas? How much of galley do you really need? That’s often based on how good of a cook you are.

One of the nice things about the older smaller full keeled boats is they can carry a pretty good amount of gear. Remember you will be sailing in cold and warm weather. Provisioning your boat is also going to be important. Water is a matter of life and death. Plan to use water very scarcely. Better to arrive with water in the tanks then no water at all. You will need fresh drinking water and water to rinse your dishes after you’ve washed them in salt water. An occasional shower is easily done with salt water and a fresh water rinse.

I wish you the best. There is a whole world out there.

[Cool Hand Luke]

Welcome to the CF... we're all here to help each other, despite some snappy comments or some sarcasm every once in a while

Sorry to hear you're a widower... we're with you and wishing you the best of luck and health in your future endeavors

[Cool Hand Luke]

Just wanted to add... if you're ever in the New York and/or New Jersey area, I can take you out on my 40-foot (technically, 39.3 feet or 11.99 meters) monohull that I singlehand most of the time.

[Yeral]

Hello Kelly, excuse me English ir needed. I was reading all the replyes.
I totally agarre with Teo things.
1) You won't be 29 ver again.
2 Go small. Because Any boat is a nutshell in the océan.

I AM not high experienced sailor but i do have sale from 23 to 30 and it's great for solo singlehanded.

However You have asked for experienced cap. I think this guy can answerall your quesition.

Wodth learnimg from him.
https://www.yrvind.com/

Better done than perfect. Hace a great around the Globe maibe we met at some Port.

Gerardo

[southatlantic]

I am very sorry for your loss and can only imagine what you have been through. I commend you for your strength of character in wanting to take on a challenge like this as a response.

Here is an excellent video on how much it costs to circumnavigate the world on a 36' yacht.
These estimates were carefully calculated by a young couple who are 2/3 of the way through their circumnavigation... on a 36 ft monohull! You can also subscribe and follow their whole adventure from the beginning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TDSDDU-5lg&t=15s

[Valkyrie-3]

tough break does not even come close. You are young and probably need to work and think about social security and crap when you are older. Some more working years is fine and savings of course. Read Sailing Serafin, you can do it on a 24 foot boat if you want to. Then buy a good OLD cruiser with a full keel - read Twenty Affordable Sailboats to take you Anywhere, and learn to love fixing stuff as much as sailing and travelling (read also Upgrading the cruising sailboat and check you are really interested in the weather by reading passages South - the Thornless Path....
Suggest you do not do it alone, and you need to find someone who wants to, not force them to, but given time to do the above, I hope you do find someone...

[pete c]

Not sure if the OP is still around, but I'll answer as if he is.

I give this advice as a very ignorant sailor, but an experienced human. (60 years in less than a week).

First off, my condolences on your loss. I can't imagine going through what you have, but my advice is to find love again and create a family.

You can go sailing anytime, but finding a partner and creating a family is on a stricter time scale. Being a man does make it more flexible, but it still exists.

And finding that someone won't erase what has happened, but I would think it would ease the pain in someway.

The question is, can this search be conducted while sailing a small boat around the planet?

Yeah, I guess, but it wouldn't be my first choice.

I say find that boat and become an experienced sailor. And use the experience of sailing as a tool to help find your new first mate.

I would then recommend you work on filling out the crew. I suppose you could do this while circumnavigating. I'll leave that to you as I have zero experience in doing it.

Now, onto the boat.

Let's say you pass on the life advice. Far enough.

I'd look for something along the lines of a Contessa 32. Small, heavy, not the fastest boat on the ocean, but very bluewater capable.

Plenty of room for a single. Might get a little cozy if you do take on a first mate.

Let's say you heed my advice, get married in a few years and need room for more crew. That Catalina 36 starts looking good, but I think something a bit bigger and heavier would be the way to go.

An Island Packet in the 40 ft range sure would be nice. Of course it is way outside your current budget. Hopefully the new first mate has some funds!

Good luck.

[BarnacelBob]

Originally Posted by FutureCapt

Hey all,
This is my first time posting here. Please let me know if I am breaking any etiquette or rules so I can edit and correct.

So small backstory. I am a recent widower. My wife, of nine years, and I made a trip to Kenai Fjords two summers ago and I fell in love with sailboats. I've studied sailing since then. My wife passed from stage 4 breast cancer in August. I am 29 years old and unfortunately with no children. My thought is I am never going to be this young and/or available ever again.
I can't imagine anyone has ever been on their deathbed thinking, "I wish I hadn't sailed the word."
I would like to circumnavigate the globe.

I know this is a bigger task then I realize currently. I am hoping some experienced salt may help me make a reality of my dream by sharing their experience.

I've talked to some of my friends about joining me and it looks like it would be just me, solo.
I sailed a little in the boy scouts (eagle scout here) but that's been over a decade now so for all intents and purposes I'm a beginner.

I've been enamored by the Catalina 36. It's well within my price range and I've seen it on the world ARC list before. What do you think this boat has for pros and cons in a circumnavigation.

I like the "usual" two-and-a-half year circumnavigation plan with the extra season in the South Pacific/New Zealand area. I'd start heading south and west-ish from the Seattle area around February 2022 as a target. I know please laugh, I don't know what I'm talking about, that's why I'm asking for help.

I haven't looked thoroughly at any real routes but have purchased Jimmy Cornell's World Cruising Routes and World Voyage Planner and Don Casey's Complete Sailboat Maintenance Manual.

Do you think that $1,500.00 per month (so 45K cash for the voyage, with an additional 2.5k set aside for the Panama Canal) would be a realistic budget for 30 months travel?

I know this is all still new to me so please excuse the naivety and offer experience and assistance if you are able. Please let me know any other information that may be needed or DM me.
Thank you in advance,
Kelly

Well I feel for your loss ! Time is what will make it easier as the months and years go by. Lucky for you the world keeps turning and calling to you to go sailing ! I had/have plans to circumnavigate too so after I bought a C&C 31 all hell broke loose ! I fell off my truck and it took surgery to repair tendons and other stuff in my shoulder ! That was brutal, it took two years to fully recover. After that I had to get a bypass surgery . That was a piece of cake ! but cost me another year, and along came covid which put it on hold for another 3 years. So when I hear of someone going to sail around the world I start salivating, I want to go so bad! I still want to go and Ive been hoping that StarLink may be ready when I am. I see nothing but fun on a trip like that !I haven't found anyone who want's to go along with me (YET) ! I don't have a wife so we're kind of in the same boat ! Cheers

[Pendragon35]

I think the issue is less about boat size etc. than your ability to be alone. I singlehand an Alberg 35 that isn't particularly set up for it, and you can certainly sail a boat every more easily with a few modifications.

But how are you at being alone? How recovered from your loss? I think those are the real issues. Some people are inspired by single handing; some miss the support of another, the conversation, the sharing. Only you know which is you.

Why not set a different goal? A summer of cursing locally single handed, maybe some day long passages. That would give you a feel fro what it's like to be on your own that way.