Quote:
Originally Posted by Tidjian
As for my willingness and resolve. Like any person determined to do something incredibly difficult and unknown to me I am of course a little nervous. I think given all the hands on experience in the world I would be a little nervous to set out alone across an ocean. There have been nights I've thought about it and tried to talk myself out of the idea. The things I'll miss and the things that I could be giving up if it doesn't work out. But likewise there have been many more nights where I've thought about how much I want the experience and to truly live life even if it means breaching that unknown. I believe I have the courage and the discipline to achieve it as well as the brains to prepare myself as best I can. Talk is cheap and even writing this I can't really know what will happen or how I'll respond when out there alone. But I do know that the fear of not taking that chance troubles me far more.
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If you're not a bit nervous before you set out on a long
passage to an area that is unknown to you, there is something wrong with you. Nervous energy can be productive if channeled into preparation and thoughtful planning. And part of the nervousness is based on the fact that you know something is going to break or fail and you're going to have to deal with it. It's confidence in your ability to fix/deal with it that allows some to leave the
dock while others do not.
For my own part, my nervousness pretty well vanishes the moment I leave the
dock. I've done everything I can do and my focus turns to managing the
boat. You quickly settle into a rhythm and routines that define your days and allow you to focus (and enjoy) the tasks at hand. By the second or third day you're almost in a dream state where the rest of the world has melted away.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tidjian
I'll definitely read some of the books suggested here and the sites. I've been taking notes and saving things as we go along. I'm still waiting for that new Cornell's atlas to come available as well. In the mean time I'm trying to refrain from asking silly questions about current, wind directions and sailing routes. At least until I can reference that book and learn a little myself.
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There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers (as you've seen from this thread lol). To be a good voyager you need in some respects to be, in no particular order, a good seaman, a good sailor, a
mechanic, an electrician, a rigger, a navigator, a weatherman, a problem solver, and hopefully, a good cook. That's a lot to learn and it never ends. I've advocated for getting out there and
crewing on a long voyage but don't for a minute think I'm suggesting you put the
books down or stop asking questions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tidjian
In response to what you guys are saying about needing to know what to look for in an old boat. I have read a few things giving some pointers on where to look when inspecting. As Ez suggested keel bolts, mast condition, stress or cracks in the fibreglass or blistering, soft spots around the deck, stress cracks around chain plates and rigging connectors. Outside of that perspective I don't know much about hull strength or determining minor details that could be key to major flaws. I've heard of the tap method on the bulkhead from outside the boat and the sound difference between good and bad but have never done it.
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As Evans points out, no
survey, no matter how thorough, is going to turn up every problem in an old boat. The constraints of time and access almost guarantee it.
As an example I had a
survey done on my current boat by a very competent
surveyor and was accompanied by someone who has owned two Valiants and put probably 100,000 miles on them. We spent 8 hours crawling over the boat. The list of things we did not find that I've since had to address is not trivial. Among notable items, the
mast step was almost completely corroded away, yet looked fine when visually inspected. It was only taking a wire brush to it to clean it, with the stick down, that it's true condition was revealed. Cost of
repair? $700. Just how it goes.
I collect vintage dive watches and there is an adage among watch collectors that you "buy the seller, not the watch". With vintage watches if certain
parts have been replaced their value can be dramatically lower. You're usually
buying at a distance and so the reputation of the seller is almost more important than what you can determine from pictures of the watch.
Buying a boat is much the same. If the seller is a knowledgeable, experienced, and passionate seaman/sailor that can tell you much about how the boat was likely maintained. If they're an
engineer, you might have hit the jackpot.

On the other hand if you run into a seller who seems like a casual, occasional seller you might best stay away. Chances are they don't even know what's wrong with the boat because they never bothered to inspect and maintain it properly. What they tell you about the boat's condition is virtually worthless simply due to their ignorance.
All other things being equal, the best value in used older
boats are those that have been recently
refit and are unexpectedly put on the market due to
health or financial issues. You never get back out what you put into a boat. And the seller might have pressure to sell as well, further softening the
price. While one of these
boats might be 2x as expensive as a "beater", it's actually worth 3x to you because that's what you'd have to spend to make the beater right. Let the previous owner take the hit of the
refit and save you the cost.