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brookiesailor · 16-02-2019, 07:28

Paul,
I want to thank you for your thoughtful reply and for the fair warning. I forget and forgot that because I have been lurking for so long (10 years) and occasionally posting that not everyone knows my story. I always feel like I am whining and thus I try not to talk about myself until now.

I grew up sailing. My parents owned a Newporter 40, I started sailing Blue Jays at 9, then lasers and I met my husband sailing 420's. He went to the merchant marine academy. I did my first, and only, ocean passage at 14.

Sob story. I was promised a shiny new Passport 54 if I moved to Africa for two years. Every year I would go and talk to the builder only to be told by hubby at the end of summer, "you know we aren't buying it this year". It became a rolling two years. We lived in Africa five years, then moved to Dubai.

There I took the Day skipper course. I loved it. We did two charters, one in the Seychelles and one in Greece. Then we moved to Amsterdam. Then we moved to the US..I thought finally. Then he bought a ridicules house and I realized that the only way I was getting a boat is if I got a job and saved for it myself. And that is what I did.

I looked at this boat last week and I loved it. But having had years to research and learn about boats I certainly have my eyes open to the faults and costs. I did not put in an offer yet. I am going back today for another look. The first round was without hubby as he was traveling. I asked him to be part of this go round as I would like him to be part of the adventure. He is very excited

**boatman61** · 16-02-2019, 07:47

You sound ready to be an owner.. the only thing left to do is buy and then familiarize..

As someone else said.. Getterdun..!!!

gamayun · 16-02-2019, 08:36

Brookie, you are so close to pulling the trigger! How exciting for you especially how patient you've been and what you've done to make it a reality. As to the watermaker, I would second the poster's comments about not getting the cart before the horse and wanting to make changes before you've bought and used the boat for a while. After my 3-week crossing with 2 crew and about 70 gallons of water in total and no watermaker, I can tell you there's all different ways to approach this. Some will want enough water to take full showers everyday and others are ok with saltwater sponge baths every few days and a quick freshwater rinse. The thing is that the seller is going to sell you a watermaker no matter whether you want it or not. However, if he's advertised it in the listing and you find it doesn't work, this might be a negotiating factor in your favor. Hope you are able to make it happen soon. Good luck!!

Sailor 99 · 16-02-2019, 09:20

brookiesailor.. Good on you. Before you go off buying a boat you should sail a bit. Go to a local yacht club and offer to crew on a race boat. Race boats always need crew. Listen to what you are told, and learn in. What lines are used when. Your not out for a sail. You are out there to learn and to become an asset to a crew. Applying yourself for a season and you would be amazed at how much you can learn.

There is an added benefit of getting on a race boat and that is that most of them go out regardless of the weather. They will not go in a hurricane but they will go with a forecast of 20-30 knots and you will learn about heavy weather sailing with the support of others who already know. Most cruisers will not go out if its blowing 20 knots.

As for purchase, lots of boats out there and they are hard to sell. Once you buy it you will find it hard to get rid of. So what this means that don't be afraid to put in a low offer. Repairs are expensive, even if you are able to do the work yourself.

Discount all electronics. Chart plotters, autopilots and wind and speed instruments are all going to need to be replace sooner rather than later and you should plan on that. All current electronics unless they are 6 months old should be treated as if they have no value in the pricing.

Good luck.

Sailor 99 · 16-02-2019, 09:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by gamayun

Brookie, you are so close to pulling the trigger! How exciting for you especially how patient you've been and what you've done to make it a reality. As to the watermaker, I would second the poster's comments about not getting the cart before the horse and wanting to make changes before you've bought and used the boat for a while. After my 3-week crossing with 2 crew and about 70 gallons of water in total and no watermaker, I can tell you there's all different ways to approach this. Some will want enough water to take full showers everyday and others are ok with saltwater sponge baths every few days and a quick freshwater rinse. The thing is that the seller is going to sell you a watermaker no matter whether you want it or not. However, if he's advertised it in the listing and you find it doesn't work, this might be a negotiating factor in your favor. Hope you are able to make it happen soon. Good luck!!

Water makers are expensive. If not used for a year or 2 they will need new membranes and filters. When your down in the islands water is not always available. Sometimes you can not even buy water at all because they did not get much rain. Then your in a hard spot. A water maker is a good thing.

Kenomac · 16-02-2019, 09:31

Brookie,

Please feel free to PM me anytime you need some experienced advice, and be sure to filter most of the advice offered up on this forum. Not everyone knows what they’re talking about, but that doesn’t seem to stop them from offering up plenty of misinformation on the forum.

Good luck.

Ken, RN

**boatman61** · 16-02-2019, 09:49

Yup..!!! Some of us can tell you what you can live without and how.. some will tell you what you cannot live without and why..
Filters are needed..

Paul J. Nolan · 16-02-2019, 11:46

Hahaha! Someone who started in Blue Jays at nine and went on to high performance dinghies sure doesn't need my advice!

Good luck on your purchase!

Paul

Sailor 99 · 16-02-2019, 14:56

brookiesailor:

My apologies. I missed the post were you indicated you grew up sailing.

First.

You came here to ask questions and you should continue to do so. Do not rely on one poster. There is a reason there are all different kinds of blue water boats out there. Because different people want different things.

Despite what some might want to believe, no one knows it all and you want a large variety of opinions so that you know of options. Some would be prepared to set sail on a floating raft. Others would not. Many opinions, many options and it is up to you to separate the wheat from the chafe.

So ask questions. If you get an answer you don't understand or that is not clear ask for clarification. The only stupid question is the one unasked.

Second.

I would suggest that you buy a book called the Voyagers Handbook: The

Essential Guide to Bluewater Cruising by Beth Leonard. I have the second edition and the third edition is out now in 2019. It was suggested to me and while I have not read it all, what I have read is great.

It talks about one partner wanting to go while another does not and how this is managed. It covers topics such as the boat,kids, money, crew, food, living aboard, staying healthy, communications, anchoring, repairs, heavy weather and all of that stuff. This is written by a woman who has cruised 90,000 nautical miles with her partner.

Third,

I am not much of a TV guy, I like to read. As a result I have missed out on some of the Youtube Sailing Channels. I have been fixing that lately and watching. Some of them are quite good but remember you also need a filter here as well. I was watching one last night where they said the best and only anchor you will ever need is a CQR( 1930's design) . Well that ain't necessarily so.. But that does not mean they have nothing to offer.

Good luck.

AKA-None · 16-02-2019, 16:21

I’ll second the advice of no matter what you buy don’t do anything but maintenance until you’ve owned and used it for a while.

brookiesailor · 16-02-2019, 17:02

I love you guys

Hubby and I crawled all over the boat again today, we went home and we talked and talked and talked. I will put in an offer tomorrow based on our conversation. We are in agreement that the first thing is to see what is there, how it works and how it doesn't work

(never happens on a boat).

This summer just glad to be out on the water...the big question then becomes where to put it

gamayun · 17-02-2019, 08:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Water makers are expensive. If not used for a year or 2 they will need new membranes and filters. When your down in the islands water is not always available. Sometimes you can not even buy water at all because they did not get much rain. Then your in a hard spot. A water maker is a good thing.

Absolutely agree. I plan to eventually have one as well. My point was that the value of a lot of gear on board, especially electronic stuff, depends on how and where you want to use the boat. I recommend not making any decisions until after the boat has been used for a while. I only dabble in the cruising lifestyle so for me there's no need to invest in something that will deteriorate before I'm ready to use it. But for Brookie, if this stuff is being listed as if it's in working order, then that should be part of the price negotiation if it's not.

mglonnro · 17-02-2019, 09:32

Just a shout from the other table. Having read comment after comment in the sexism thread, I'm just so very delighted to read this thread.

I think prejudice is a quite natural thing, based on expecting that what (people say) happens again and again will happen again. It's so refreshing, though, to see that ok, wow, it didn't happen like this, this time, so maybe I should reconsider.

brookiesailor · 17-02-2019, 09:58

The funny thing is that most of the experiences I have had with people and sailing have been very supportive and positive. It is more of a high five and we need more women sailors, than where is your husband type of situation. Even in chartering, I hold the credentials and so the conversation wasn't directed at him.

I have always been up front, and forward at looking for instruction and always willing to learn someone else's way of doing things and deciding if that works for me. Their way may have value, as mine may. Or it just may be who and where I have had experiences with.

I have a funny though. Four years ago I bought my husband a Weems and Plath sextant for Christmas. Some of the funniest experiences we have had is taking it through airport security. My favorite is when we were asked to "turn it on"