Too Much Boat Too Soon?

[chuckr]

Originally Posted by Classicsailboat

WHOA ! You want to follow your dream, good, but you have a responsibility to your wife and son to do it right. Just because they are willing to do it doesn't make them prepared. 10 years down the road you will be 72, that's not young. I would suggest that you consider an alternative where maybe you live in the Caribbean and keep a more manageable boat. That boat will cost you a lot to maintain and will be worth maybe half what you pay for it now, not good financial decision. Buy a house in the Caribbean and it will be worth twice as much in ten years and you can probably enjoy it just as much. This is a big decision you are making, you can't afford to make a mistake because you don't have time to recover as if you where 30 years younger. Not saying don't do it, just be sure you are being realistic, it's easy to assume the good life sitting in the comfort of your home. Good luck.

BOY oh BOY -- am I doing everything wrong or what -- At 72 the admiral age 70 and I sailed around the Black Sea - 2,650nm, 40 ports of call, visited 81/2 countries - and now starting our 10th year underway -- boy we should have listened to you early and we would be sitting in someplace reading the glossy mags dreaming --
Instead we are pushing ahead -- and in a few years we have another ocean crossing

Bacchus get on with it - you and family will never regret is - what you will regret is listening to nay sayers

[SV Bacchus]

Yup Chuckr, we are indeed. The house closes on the 28th and we are out of here. I read every post as well intentioned. Others that say I can't or shouldn't are expressing their true feelings and I am fine with that.

Kind of like when I told my mother my wife was pregnant. She said "You're too old for that!" I said "Mom, obviously I'm not.."

[SV Bacchus]

Originally Posted by AKA-None

One thing that may not have been stressed is get the boat you need now not the boat you need in 10 years. I think you'll be happier if you do so.

You are probably very correct. I do expect that what I get will be a keeper and the guiding force, if I used your 10 year example, is in 10 years I won't want a whole lot of boat. We are choosing carefully, heck, it has taken a whole year to get to the point of moving out of the house. Downsizing and then selling a house in a Presidential Election year was more difficult than we anticipated.

The field of boats has been narrowed considerably and we are actually in negotiations with another CF member that wants to sell.

Thanks!

[Diesel Bill]

Don't you know that 62 is the new 40? I turned 67 last week and still chomping at the bit to go. Best of luck with the new boat. You'll be fine. Enjoy it now cause some day never comes.

[J Clark H356]

At 66 my wife (same age)'took our boat from Kentucky Lake to Florida and back fall/winter of 2013-14. We turn 70 next month and still going strong. Wouldn't hesitate to take it back to Florida and plan on it sometime later when we have time. We didn't start sailing until we were 50 and we bought a Hunter 260. Traded it in 2003 for anew Hunter 356 and have used the boat 1023 days and now on our 15th year. Bigger boat is easier to sail than the 260 we started with. Make sure you get all the amenities; Autopilot being very important. You don't throw the anchor out on a boat your size or ours - you'll use a windlass and it's better and easier to deal with. Good luck on your adventure and enjoy it while you can.

[Hasbeen]

I learnt to sail in a heavy under rigged 36 ft. cruising boat. I had been sailing just a few times as a guest, but had done nothing when I bought the boat. My wife & I would read up on something during the week, then go do it on Saturday.

After 6 months I moved to a Morgan Giles 40Ft racing machine, which I then owned for 19 years, covering 53,000 miles around the Pacific islands in her. Over 20,000 of these were single handed. I believe the bigger more stable yacht is easier to single hand, & to learn on.

I would not consider going extended cruising in anything smaller, as it's carrying capacity was barely adequate. You do gather a lot of gear & weight over the years.

[SV Bacchus]

You guys are all an inspiration! It is so nice to hear positive encouragement..

[Dan GB]

Originally Posted by SV Bacchus

You guys are all an inspiration! It is so nice to hear positive encouragement..

I loved this thread. Massive resonance as I am pretty much in the same boat myself, as it were.

58 years old, eleven year younger wife, two boys, ten and twelve (and in the last stages of a long process of adopting a daughter to complete our family). Looked in the mirror a year and a half ago, did a double take at the difference between my inner self image and the reflecting, and said , "If you don't get that boat now, you never will."

Bought an open bridgedeck Shuttleworth cat. Been refitting and doing some few weeks trips down the Keys and Bahamas. My favourite saying at the moment: "How do you get an expensive boat? Buy a cheap one and refit it."

But it's all good. Just those few moments sailing at windspeed, dolphins on the bow, waking up off a sandy beach, arriving at Fort Lauderdale at night time and being able to deal with it, catching the occasional edible fish (with a lot of Barracuda going back in), all of it experiences that make the money irrelevant.

Planning for Cuba later this year, all things being equal.

Now that we are in 2018, how are things progressing, SV Bacchus?

Dan