Island packet 38 is this a good liveaboard/cruiser/coastal...bluewater sailboat?

[sailing_gal]

Nobody is telling you you can't do any of this. We are telling you to do your homework. You may become a brilliant boat engineer. But you are talking about living a life that you have no experience in and we are all urging you to just slow down a bit and take things one step at a time. I cannot tell you the number of already experienced liveaboard/cruisers I have met who told me that they thought they were going to retire and live aboard, and after 3 years were calling it quits. We are just suggesting that you approach this major life change with caution. Good luck!

[reed1v]

Well, i disagree. Being in my 70s and having attended too many funerals, the best thing to do is just jump in with both feet and do it. It will refresh your life. The change will bring you challenges you never experienced before, and that is about as close to an elixor of eternal youth that you will ever get in this lifetime.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by CaptRican

I hope i am in the group of "that was fun, let's do it again" I also read " a calm sea never made a competent sailor" and i am not strange but eccentric.

Danger if you are given the time to practice, should be approached the "american way" tacticfully and surgically, at least that's is going to be my approach, practice, practice, practice.

IMO, the folks who become "successful cruisers," if that is even a term, are those who just love the ocean and being on it, in all its moods, and realize that when it is hell it was more the result of incomplete planning and preparedness than the ocean being "cruel" or "heartless" or "godforsaken." (BTW that is a great book, "The Godforsaken Sea") I used to know an older gentleman who sailed out into all sorts of conditions in a little open boat and loved it, because he loved the sea. He had none of the usual things most folks would say are mandatory, I don't think he even had a VHF radio. I am not advocating that choice necessarily, but if you love the sea, you will find the way to make the journey work for you. Go because of what you love, not so much to run from what you hate, and the path (the boat, the port, whatever) will open up clearly before you.
(Jeez, kinda sound like yoda here!)

[JPA Cate]

Two things to learn: 1) the ocean doesn't care about you one way or another. It is not a "cruel master"--you are irrelevant to it; 2) nor does the weather. You will have to learn to live in harmony with both those forces of nature. You are not the master. However, it is a much simplified existence. You prepare the boat, and yourself, and the rest is living moment to moment. ...and life gets in the way of your plans.

Ann

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

Better buy a boat w/out a head and use a bucket

(Pooping over the railing is frowned upon these days)

A bucket? I can see it now; sailboat drifting spotted by coast guard cutter, upon pulling up to the side of the sialboat, a man is spotted sitting on a bucket with his short around his ankles, with a smile on his face, dead!

It has been determined through an autopsy that the men died while taking a dump, of a heart attack. His age was 95, and he was an old Puerto Rican cruiser who wandered around the Caribbean.

[Hoosiersailor]

All this talk about experience and how unprepared CaptRican is. Maybe he should just read

Maiden Voyage: Tania Aebi: 9781476747729: Amazon.com: Books

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Lizzy Belle

I was talking about you SAILING abilities - or the lack thereof.
Which is totally fine - we all have to start somewhere and were all born knowing nothing at all but the first step is to be aware of your lack of abilities / knowledge / experience so you know what you need to learn about.

See the post above about comparing fixing houses to fixing boats - you may be very capable in many things, but sailing / boating in general simply isn't one of them yet. You feel you're capable of fixing a boat because you can fix houses. As Sailing_Gal said: Fixing a boat is NOTHING like fixing a house.

Also I wasn't trying to tell you about the risks (going outside is a risk so soit, we all take risks every day, part of life) but trying to make you think about your idea of live afloat versus the reality of live afloat. Not the risks, but simply the every day stuff you have to deal with.

When you are going to war you don't worry about death or dying, you don't worry about pain or the what ifs, you are going to fight and you are the meanest SOB in the Valley. And if you find yourself in the deep end, you remember that you came to fight and you become even meaner and if you go, you go down fighting right down to the end and you never surrender.

I am not going just cruising, i am going to become one with the sea, a sailor...IMHO.

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Don C L

IMO, the folks who become "successful cruisers," if that is even a term, are those who just love the ocean and being on it, in all its moods, and realize that when it is hell it was more the result of incomplete planning and preparedness than the ocean being "cruel" or "heartless" or "godforsaken." (BTW that is a great book, "The Godforsaken Sea") I used to know an older gentleman who sailed out into all sorts of conditions in a little open boat and loved it, because he loved the sea. He had none of the usual things most folks would say are mandatory, I don't think he even had a VHF radio. I am not advocating that choice necessarily, but if you love the sea, you will find the way to make the journey work for you. Go because of what you love, not so much to run from what you hate, and the path (the boat, the port, whatever) will open up clearly before you.
(Jeez, kinda sound like yoda here!)

I hope that i can feel that same feeling when i was young and i used to just stare at the sea and its mysteries. When i went to Puerto Rico the last time, i missed the sea, i craved being by it, matter of fact my office in the little island faced the sea and it was such a great feeling.

I used to be invited by the cruisers that came to the island to come to their sailboat and hang out and it was magical sitting in a sailboat in the bay watching the sunset from the water and i used to think back then this is what i want to do someday. But i wanted more possesions and more money...until my friend went down hard and it changed my whole perspective.

I was struggling with my business and i was getting tired of the rat race and so finally i let go. I am selling everything and heading out. Nothing is stopping me now. I want peace, serenity and love...

I am not going cruising, i am going to become one with the sea...a sailor

[Jim Cate]

I am not going cruising, i am going to become one with the sea...a sailor

Mate, the only way you become "one with the sea" is by slowly decomposing as your body sinks to the bottom.

This romantic notion isn't a good frame of mind for dealing with the realities of life afloat IMO... Pay attention to some of the harder-headed advisers if success is what you want as you attempt to become the sailor that you envision.

Jim

[four winds]

Cap, I think you got this.

The rhetoric may be a little grandious, prompting fair and wise council from some knowledgeable folks. I think your listening, too.


Also I think you are ready for the mechanical side of it. Recent posts about working on vehicles is positive and more relevant than house things. You'll figure out diesels soon enough. Don't settle for a kicker on the transom.

Since I mentioned in the other thread the characteristics of a boat I think will work for you I won't repeat that here.

But instead this...

You have time to read the Chapman's Guide to Seamanship or something equivalent. You could put OpenCPN on your laptop and check it out. Do some dry run plan to navigation stuff. And more reading here on thread titles that mention a point to point run in Florida some where, or the Great Loop, or whatever area that might be pertinent. Theads on anchoring maybe.

Read Sailing for Dummies or equivalent.

Wait to put eyes on a sailboat before more boat threads. Search for specific boat threads on whatever model you are curious about.

Let all this balance out the romantic ideals and passion expressed recently. I'm convinced you are determined to excell.

You got this.

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Mate, the only way you become "one with the sea" is by slowly decomposing as your body sinks to the bottom.

This romantic notion isn't a good frame of mind for dealing with the realities of life afloat IMO... Pay attention to some of the harder-headed advisers if success is what you want as you attempt to become the sailor that you envision.

Jim

Your point is well taken my friend. But without romanticism, passion, feeling and ideology you have nothing, now you are doing things because you have to and you have no choices.

I am an islander, i grew up in the sea my friend, in the water, i grew up in the rainforest of Puerto Rico, i went out to the sea to find our subsistence, our life. I left that to pursue the American dream and to defend what i believe was right.

Well many moons later, and more seasoned, yes i am a romantic... the sea is different to me than it is to you, perhaps?

To me is life, is spiritual, emotional, rejuvenating, healing...

The sailing, the engine, the electrical system, means nothing, if you have no love for the sea. Then all you have is a boat, a shell floating in the sea. It all start with the love of the sea, not the water, but the sea.

I love the sea, i love the feeling, i love the tranquility and i also love its anger. Yes if i become one with the sea by decomposing in it, then it is what it is and accept my fate. Just as i would accept my fate in anything else i have passion for. It is what it is...

I love the sea!

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by four winds

Cap, I think you got this.

The rhetoric may be a little grandious, prompting fair and wise council from some knowledgeable folks. I think your listening, too.


Also I think you are ready for the mechanical side of it. Recent posts about working on vehicles is positive and more relevant than house things. You'll figure out diesels soon enough. Don't settle for a kicker on the transom.

Since I mentioned in the other thread the characteristics of a boat I think will work for you I won't repeat that here.

But instead this...

You have time to read the Chapman's Guide to Seamanship or something equivalent. You could put OpenCPN on your laptop and check it out. Do some dry run plan to navigation stuff. And more reading here on thread titles that mention a point to point run in Florida some where, or the Great Loop, or whatever area that might be pertinent. Theads on anchoring maybe.

Read Sailing for Dummies or equivalent.

Wait to put eyes on a sailboat before more boat threads. Search for specific boat threads on whatever model you are curious about.

Let all this balance out the romantic ideals and passion expressed recently. I'm convinced you are determined to excell.

You got this.

Thank you buddy and i am listening...After reading it all, i do balance my romanticism with reality.

I am not oblivious to the realities of danger...

But to live life scared and guarded is not living at all...

I will follow the advice, thank you!

Can't wait!

[darylat8750]

I think you will do fine.

I would suggest that reading Chapman's should be an imperative for you. It is fun reading and while I bridled (NOT Bridal Zee!) a little at his emphasis on yachting social forms with flags and clubs it held a LOT of useful information. Read Nolex77's thread on pictures of anchors. You can learn more in that thread than I learned in my first 5 years of anchoring.

The amount of work and cost involved goes up rapidly with the length of a boat. My friends 30 foot sail boat was slipped next to another friends 37 foot sail boat. The guy with the 37 foot boat spent an hour and a half instead of 35 minutes just doing a quick wash and wipe down of his boat. So go for the smallest boat you can be comfortable in. It would be worth your time to investigate that Nonsuch 26. That is large for a 26 foot boat. However, it is a little over your stated budget and you WILL have things break that will take money to fix even if you do all the maintenance your self. Spending less is better than spending more.

One more thing to consider. Parts and delivery of same will be easier and less expensive in the US than in more remote locations like the islands. I even try hard to do most maintenance in an area with Watermen like clam diggers on the Chesapeake because yards that cater to them don't seem to think that I'm made of gold just because I own a boat. So if you start out in FL (mainly because there are a lot of boats for sale there) in the winter, follow spring N on the intracoastal waterway to the Chesapeake for the summer then S for the next winter and by then you should have enough experience handling your boat to be mostly only putting yourself at risk instead of other boaters and docks... and most of the bugs worked out of your boat (or at least know what you have left to do) and then go where ever your heart and brain leads you.

[CaptRican]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

I think you will do fine.

I would suggest that reading Chapman's should be an imperative for you. It is fun reading and while I bridled a little at his emphasis on yachting social forms with flags and clubs it held a LOT of useful information. Read Nolex77's thread on pictures of anchors. You can learn more in that thread than I learned in my first 5 years of anchoring.

The amount of work and cost involved goes up rapidly with the length of a boat. My friends 30 foot sail boat was slipped next to another friends 37 foot sail boat. The guy with the 37 foot boat spent an hour and a half instead of 35 minutes just doing a quick wash and wipe down of his boat. So go for the smallest boat you can be comfortable in. It would be worth your time to investigate that Nonsuch 26. That is large for a 26 foot boat. However, it is a little over your stated budget and you WILL have things break that will take money to fix even if you do all the maintenance your self. Spending less is better than spending more.

One more thing to consider. Parts and delivery of same will be easier and less expensive in the US than in more remote locations like the islands. I even try hard to do most maintenance in an area with Watermen like clam diggers on the Chesapeake because yards that cater to them don't seem to think that I'm made of gold just because I own a boat. So if you start out in FL (mainly because there are a lot of boats for sale there) in the winter, follow spring N on the intracoastal waterway to the Chesapeake for the summer then S for the next winter and by then you should have enough experience handling your boat to be mostly only putting yourself at risk instead of other boaters and docks... and most of the bugs worked out of your boat (or at least know what you have left to do) and then go where ever your heart and brain leads you.

I will! Thank you for the suggestions!

[JPA Cate]

Just a thought, Capt. Rican, but you might enjoy the reading on the threads about docking your boat singlehanded. There are some pretty creative, non-intuitive skills you can read about there.

If you like books, something like "The 12 Volt Doctor" is a nice beginning. So is Letcher's "Self Steering For Small Boats."

I agree with what was written above, to go with the smallest boat you can. It saves you money on all parts, it is easier to cope with in the boat yard, and the sail handling is easier because the sails are lighter. Go to a boat yard in the spring, with a sanding block in your hand see how big the boats look, compared to the sanding block.

I really don't know how much they cost, but there are some British boats that are real cruising boats, and under 30 ft. The CF member "weavis" wrote that he bought one for his nephew. You can search on "pocket cruisers", and look at sailboatdata.com for specs. There's lots out there -- often we recommend anything by Evans or Beth Starzinger, lots and lots! Evans had a thread here a while back where he was load testing soft shackles, for instance, and another one about how to make your own tether, as the ready made ones are not well made, and may break during your use.

Your writing style makes you sound like you want everything YESTERDAY, but even the preliminary reading takes time, and developing skill does, too. That's not to worry about, but just to be aware of.



Ann