Ready to take the plunge! Need advice

[gonesail]

Originally Posted by blue dreams

It was a 37' Cherubini Cutter that seemed to check all the boxes I wanted.

that is an old boat that will be falling apart the minute you step aboard. just kidding but beware of trying to save money by going with a 40 year old boat .. it will be a project. and projects are usually tied to the shore. your call and good luck.

[wolfgal]

i've been reading posts on CF for years now and have noted a few common challenges for those starting out.

from what i can tell, those who succeed tend to either:

-be young enough to NOT have to move their life-train from one track, completely to another. once one has kids, a mortgage, and is anchored to lubber-land life, one has to make both time and space for sailing/the boat. the whole affair is a lifestyle, a real commitment, and well, even when one gets all those ducks in a row, sometimes the spouse doesn't agree.

-be in a couple where the mate (especially the female) loves to sail too. the solo folk really do have a huge learning curve. it can be so daunting to buy a boat on one's own, to take the boat out alone, to care for it on one's own, and pay for it on one's own. two heads are better than one, but two people with the same passion, that's when things get done.

-live in an area where there is a sailing club to join, classes to take, a marina to walk, folks to meet. as much as the sport of sailing can be very solitary, the sailing community is what makes the sailing-world go round. folks help one another out tremendously, whether in the yard, at the dock, in some no-where place, at sea... CF is great place for all kinds of advice, but folks who join clubs meet people and exchange in the real and benefit from all kinds of real-life interactions.

and this last point is where you come in. you have all these renaissance-man skills. you can join a club or walk the docks and easily find people who would appreciate a hand. getting invited out to sail could be a nice return on that.

one thing though, you've GOT TO lose weight and get into shape. when people take on crew, they are looking for able-bodied souls who can move about easily, swiftly, and safely.

safety is HUGE on a boat. being a good swimmer is a given of course, but being able to pull yourself up, back onto the boat could determine whether you live to see another day or not. also, when you are fixing things like pumps and engines, etc., you need to become a kind of octopus to be able to get the job done. yoga is highly recommended.

hope this helps. good luck to you!



wolfgal

[JPA Cate]

Here is a link to a thread by a guy who has done what you want to do. If you click on his avatar, and then on read more posts by him, you will be able to follow in detail how his plans grew and changed. He's a real success story: https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ys-166856.html

Ann

[Searles]

Stay local if you can ,have good results on the Catalina mk2 42 and the 38 mk 2 both well capable of world cruising ⛵️⚓️

[LauraleeG]

RE: being fit and healthy on hook/off hook etc etc.
If you have a fit and healthy mindset, whether you are on land, a boat, the moon--it wont matter. You can exercise and eat in moderation wherever you are. Some places lend itself more than others but it starts in the mind.
I lived at the marina this summer and I could STILL walk for two hours, do squats cleaning the topsides, go swimming for arm work and just make an EFFORT to move.
I can just as easily lay around all day in my house watching netflex as i can anywhere.
Starts with the mindset and attitude and INTENT.

[Enfant Du Vent]

Ahoy Blue Dreams:

If you're still reading this post, here's another thought on staying fit:
Many yoga exercises can be done on a boat, even in the confines of a small cabin.

You don't have to go to the extremes of the captain's wife on a 37' cat during a transatlantic. To my amazement she did a credible 3 point headstand ( head and both hands) when we were doing 4 knots down 3' following seas!

[blue dreams]

All really good advice.

I want to buy it this fall if possible. Planning for next year for sure.
i would like to take classes so I could charter.

[blue dreams]

I reached out to a sailing school at Lake Perry Kansas and will take my first two basic classes there.

[Hamish_ct]

The Dream vs Reality. Sooo many post just like yours. My advice is: Learn how to sail first before buying a boat. Start small before investing a lot of time into a boat. Remember the goal is to go sailing not to work on a boat. Too many dreamers skip this step and end up never getting out there.

If you are serious about sailing, take an on the water sailing course, join a local yacht club and meet and sail with other sailors, crew on some boats. There is so much you don't know.

I love the dream and the enthusiasm, and I want to encourage you to continue your dream, but let's take responsible steps towards that goal. Sailboats can be expensive, not sure what the budget is, but before getting into a major project with what you don't know, get out there and start sailing first. Then take the deep dive. You will save a lot of money and time, and actually enjoy sailing.

[Sea Wolf]

Did exactly what you’re doing 40 years ago… with a kid in tow. Sounds like you’re on the right track.

We read every sailing book we could find and went to our local boat club and crewed for everyone who would have us aboard to get a feel for different sizes and models of boats. Find a ‘normal’ boater (good luck with that) and pick their brain. Look at every boat you can find, small to large, monohull to tri-maran. Most boaters are more than willing to show you aboard and tell you all about their boat… both pluses and minuse. We settled on a Gemini Catamaran and it was perfect for us. Sailed her for 6 years. She was easily livable, easy to sail, very stable with plenty of room for storage. We graduated to a 50’ Prout, happily sailed her for 20 years and recently became ‘dirt dwellers’ again (it was time).

Living aboard in the Florida Keys is no biggie. Not impressed with Key West anchorages or the price of their slips, but Marathon has a great mooring field (reasonably priced), some well protected slips and the people are friendly, helpful, and have a wealth of information they’re willing to share.

Good Luck and have fun. You only get to go around this life once, so make the most of it.

[Riff Raff]

My two cents. Buy a local so you can get usage easily. Buy older 30 ish first boat because it’s easy to buy/sell. (Catalina 30, C & C 30 as an example). Systems will be simpler, ease into learning curve. Easy to sail. If you bang the dock, no biggie. Then you have ownership, learning, and are clearly headed to your goal. Easy to sell - if you impatient, sell quickly and lose $5,000 - in boat terms that’s a win! Good luck.

[loneshark64]

Originally Posted by Riff Raff

My two cents. Buy a local so you can get usage easily. Buy older 30 ish first boat because it’s easy to buy/sell. (Catalina 30, C & C 30 as an example). Systems will be simpler, ease into learning curve. Easy to sail. If you bang the dock, no biggie. Then you have ownership, learning, and are clearly headed to your goal. Easy to sell - if you impatient, sell quickly and lose $5,000 - in boat terms that’s a win! Good luck.

Buy a 50’ catamaran brand new. It will make you look thinner

I bought a 35-year-old 28 footer. It was a good project boat. I wouldn’t be afraid of a project boat to start because you can knock it about, drill holes, take things apart, bump into the dock, and see what works and what doesn’t for you. I learned a lot and then three years later I sold it and stepped up. I agree with advice to stay local and take ASA classes.

[flightlead404]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Just be prepared to gain weight.

If you are thin already, you are good to go.

Depends on your definition of thin. At 6' I'm 15lbs overweight on land at 193lbs

I loose fat on the boat without any attempt to do so. The more I sail the faster I loose it.

[flightlead404]

I'm going to disagree with everyone saying "buy an old boat and learn to work on it"

If you can afford it, buy a newer boat that is large enough to at least spend long weekends to a week on.

Doesn't have to be brand new. 10-15 year old well taken care of 35'+ boat.

That way you'll have something right away that you can sail, enjoy, shouldn't need major work on.

You won't get scared away or demoralized by the time and effort to do work when all you want to do is sail.

Then you know exactly what you want and don't want in your next boat.

[MVDarlin]

Take your time. For live aboard bigger is better.