I want everyone’s two cents

[hlev00]

Here is another recommendation for chartering. The one downside to charters is that you may find the selection rather limiting in terms of boat style. Most will be of the Beneteau / Catalina variety - sloop, fin keel, etc.. It is harder to come by the traditional blue water cruisers - full keel, ketch, etc. But you may find that is not a problem. Don't forget to check out catamarans too. As a live aboard you will spend a lot more time on the anchor than underway. That isn't to minimize how well a boat sails or can be handled.

[eyschulman]

Just get a used(10-15 year old) reasonable inexpensive 24-26 foot sailboat with established brand and resale value. start sailing and maintaining including weekend, and week long cruises and go from there. The move into liveaboard status will be much better if you have a varied sailing background if you decide to go that route.

[Gaia]

Originally Posted by eyschulman

Just get a used(10-15 year old) reasonable inexpensive 24-26 foot sailboat with established brand and resale value. start sailing and maintaining including weekend, and week long cruises and go from there. The move into liveaboard status will be much better if you have a varied sailing background if you decide to go that route.

I have to agree with the above. You will not know what you want in a cruising boat until you have cruised. A kind of catch 22. So buy a known quantity so you can sell without too much pain and get out there. Once you are out there it is easy to talk to fellow cruisers and you will learn heaps.

Jim

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Spend time on a boat, not on a lake, but in the ocean. Are both of you sure you are not susceptible to sea sickness - that's important. Personally, I bought an older boat to learn on, with the thought that someday I may upgrade to newer (not new), bigger, and more sail-away-ready. I didn't spend much, and I've learned a ton, and I've taken the boat to the Bahamas. Being the skipper is a significantly different experience than being crew, and for me, much more satisfying. So once you have basic skills, charter a boat.

[Tornadosailing]

The thing is, ten years down the road a lot of things can change.

Take me for instance. The PDQ Antares 42 was the first boat that really "did it" for me. I first saw them back when they were brand new back in 2001 and I thought that was going to be my boat. I even managed to get a ride on one after the Annapolis boat show in '02 or '03. Most every life/business decision I made was geared toward the goal of buying the Antares and sailing away. But, things change. Most notably, the production level for that boat has always been far behind demand. Combined with the fact that they've done very little to update the design aside from stretching the transoms 2 feet, and that it's a high quality boat that retains it's value very well, and the end result is that even a used Antares is out of my price range. A new one is out of the question unless I want to keep saving until I'm too old to sail it.

So, targets were adjusted so I can achieve the most important part of the dream; sail away, which now has a date attached to it. I've bought the boat not of my dreams, but a boat that I can love. A boat that ticks most of the boxes without pricing me out of the market.

Find a boat you can pine over for the next ten years. A boat that keeps the dream alive. But when the time comes, understand which part of the dream was most important to you.

[Jaqun]

I know this has been said several times above but finding a local yacht club that has racing is a great way to learn sailing and get to meet people with allot of sailing experience. It is also free! Racers are always looking for crew and it will lead to boat deliveries and sailing invitations of all kinds. You may also find people selling boats whose history you can learn about before they hit the general market. My wife and i have been racing for 25 years and we just bought our first cruising boat now that the kids are done with school. Looking to retire and take off in the next 5 years.
Good Luck!

[NevisDog]

Well you did say you wanted everyone's 2c! I don't have much to offer but hey...
1. Planning the purchase can be a whole lot of fun; we spent two years before retirement investigating and comparing and shortlisting the most seaworthy sailboats in our price range, while thoroughly enjoying the research. Don't narrow your choices too much though, as great boats pop up that you may never have heard of before.
2. Get some time on the water NOW. You are firing blind if you don't test the water first; maybe your 'ideal' boat is totally unsuited to your planned lifestyle but you won't know it until you get some quality sail-time in. Too much sail to handle, not enough sail to perform... you need experience before shelling out megabucks to some unscrupulous broker or owner (be warned - they do exist!). Especially with your kids, I wouldn't deprive them of the great experience of being aboard a sailboat while still young and adaptable and ready to soak up life's experiences.

[Mithril Bham]

If you have the opportunity and resources find two other couples and book a crewed charter in the BVI. About 2G's apiece (all inclusive) per week plus air and tip. There are a variety of cats available there with great crews. The problem is that your wife will want a chef onboard after that.

[Puget Dan]

I wanted to do the same thing 30 years ago when I was 35. I joined the local “ Power Squadron “ and took their classes. Which area almost free. Met great people and was invited to crew on a Cal 40. Then my wife and I rented a number of boats and decided on a 40 foot cat or Trimaran. She loved the stability and so 10 years ago we bought a 1998 38’ Horstman Trimaran and have been sailing it all over. Good luck.

[Americat30sail]

You can buy my 30' Americat in St Pete Beach FL, $39k obo. Really crew for others together is the best advice to start where you are for free, you will know with experience as crew, priceless. This is my third sail boat, ready to be a landlubber and just crew for others, I'm retiring with houses in FL and now one triplex in Abaco Bahamas (20 years dream, at last now that I'm 50. ) my catamaran is on Craigslist St Pete Tampa boats by owner. oncallre@gmail.com 727-688-6826

QUOTE=mdc1979;2751100]Hello all! 37 yr old Army Officer about to reach the halfway point. The short of it, kids will all be out of the house just as I retire and My wife and I are looking toward a live aboard with the intention to see the world for a few years. Wife wants a cat and I want a happy wife. Thinking of an owner’s version in the 40-42 foot range. Assume I know nothing and go...[/QUOTE]

[Byrdman]

I would start out with some lessons over the next few years and buy a beater boat to learn on. It would probably be pretty easy to get rid of it to another service member down the road.

[lfalco]

I’m with mediator and JPA. A beater might give some experience but the pitfalls of such can be exhausting and give a bad taste for the cruising/liveaboard lifestyle.
As an older racing cyclist, you need to “put the miles in” before you can be in shape. This applies to pretty much anything. Experience.
Yes, go to boat shows, hang around marinas and get to people and carry a small cooler with a few beers.
We boaters love to talk about our boats, experiences, equipment and plans and beer or 2 just helps the conversation!

[Naughty Cat]

and start to love cleaning. You're going to do a lot of it...

[lfalco]

Yep. Stock-up now on paper towels, Simple Green, trash bags, duct tape, glue l, flashlight and good hammer and never leave the dock without them!

[odonnellryan]

Best decision we made was going with a Catalina 25 for cheap (around $2k) and sailing that for 2 years.

Worst decision was dropping $10k onto the boat in gear and repairs only to sell it for $5k, thinking "we'll have this boat for more than 2 years!"

At least we took care of her

Great boat. Comfortable for a couple for sure. Good for weekends.

Not good for 6 people (friends, not kids), like we often had on the C25. So we bought a bigger boat.

Buy a small used boat that:

• has a stove
• place for a head
• easy place for 2 to sleep
• is fairly dry
• has OK sails (serviceable, don't have to be brand new)
• rig is in GOOD condition (big job and expensive to put a new rig on a boat)
• has a decent engine

Doesn't have to be anything close to new, but get a survey.

You'll buy tons of gear and tools: some of it you'll be kind to leave to the new owner when you sell, but much of it you'll need anyway for the new boat. So this isn't a waste, this is figuring things out.

We went into this boat thinking "the money we spend here would be like taking a course on sailing, while having a lot of fun!" and that's what it ended up being, but more than just sailing:

• fiberglassing
• engine maintenance
• navigation
• marine electronics
• dealing with marinas, riggers, etc..
• teak

And so on. You'll learn a lot and make a lot of mistakes. Better to make mistakes on a cheap boat than a $300k cat.

Also you'll learn if you really like sailing, if your wife really needs a cat, etc..