World Cir / Cat Type / Expenses / Too old to start?

[Batman1856]

World Circumnavigation / Catamaran Type / Too old to start?
My wife and I are planning to start a circumnavigation in the spring of 2026. I will 62 and my wife 52. We will fund our trip on my SS, renting our house out and a little investment income; I hope this is about $3.5k per month. A new catamaran is unattainable; so we are looking at a used one below 42 foot and less than $200k, if possible. Our main concerns are price, safety, and livability. Of course, we would like a performance cat like an HH or a 48 foot catamaran, but that would be way out of our price range.
1. Is the income I hope to have coming in enough to circumnavigate; understanding that their will likely be unforeseen repairs that might come up?
2. Which catamaran would be best for our situation? I’ve seen Lagoon, Leopard, Privilege, Manta in our price range. I know that the cats age; their current condition, and how much have they been updated are big factor to determine price. But which catamaran would be the most forgiving?
3. Any guestimates on what catamaran prices will be in 2 years?
4. Experience. That is something that we will be working on. I know that it is apples to oranges, but we have a Capri 14.2 that we will use for basic lake sailing. As time gets closer, we will obtain more hands-on catamaran training and hire a captain to sail with us until they give us the thumbs up. Can newbies circumnavigate, with limited experience? We hope to start in the spring of 2026 so that we can have 6 months experience sailing around the Caribbean before hurricane season starts and stay in Granada until hurricane season is over, then pass through the Panama Canal? Is this enough experience and am I thinking this through enough? Am I crazy.
5. Am I too old to start this big of an adventure? If we took 6 years to circumnavigate I will be 68. I watch many YouTube videos of couples older than me sailing around the world. I just need to keep being told that it is possible. Lol.

[neilpride]

Please, 62 and 52, do it if you have the illusion to do it.

You are not too old not to do this kind of things, take care of yourselves, take it easy, and enjoy it.

[Jeannius]

It all depends on your health and fitness. I did a circumnavigation on a Privilege 435, starting when I was 57 and my wife 55. We had joined the World ARC so were one of around 25 boats. Apart from one other boat, I was the youngest owner/skipper by a good few years.

However, I couldn't have done it by the time I was your age due to arthritis in my hands robbing me of strength and, more importantly, manual dexterity. By 62 I couldn't deal with small nuts and bolts for instance, frequently dropping important little components which of course always rolled off the side of the deck!

So, if you are healthy and fit, go for it. If you can get a Privilege 435 for your budget it is the ideal boat. Strong, big enough and small enough, sheltered helm (very important in my opinion), etc etc.

[5BTM]

What percentage of your income would be rental income?

Who would manage the rental: repairs, maintenance, legal, etc.?

[Sand crab]

The circ is a nice goal but you could just fart around locally and have fun too. The Bahamas doesn't suck. Don't go big just go.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by Batman1856

World Circumnavigation / Catamaran Type / Too old to start?
My wife and I are planning to start a circumnavigation in the spring of 2026. I will 62 and my wife 52. We will fund our trip on my SS, renting our house out and a little investment income; I hope this is about $3.5k per month. A new catamaran is unattainable; so we are looking at a used one below 42 foot and less than $200k, if possible. Our main concerns are price, safety, and livability. Of course, we would like a performance cat like an HH or a 48 foot catamaran, but that would be way out of our price range.
1. Is the income I hope to have coming in enough to circumnavigate; understanding that their will likely be unforeseen repairs that might come up?
2. Which catamaran would be best for our situation? I’ve seen Lagoon, Leopard, Privilege, Manta in our price range. I know that the cats age; their current condition, and how much have they been updated are big factor to determine price. But which catamaran would be the most forgiving?
3. Any guestimates on what catamaran prices will be in 2 years?
4. Experience. That is something that we will be working on. I know that it is apples to oranges, but we have a Capri 14.2 that we will use for basic lake sailing. As time gets closer, we will obtain more hands-on catamaran training and hire a captain to sail with us until they give us the thumbs up. Can newbies circumnavigate, with limited experience? We hope to start in the spring of 2026 so that we can have 6 months experience sailing around the Caribbean before hurricane season starts and stay in Granada until hurricane season is over, then pass through the Panama Canal? Is this enough experience and am I thinking this through enough? Am I crazy.
5. Am I too old to start this big of an adventure? If we took 6 years to circumnavigate I will be 68. I watch many YouTube videos of couples older than me sailing around the world. I just need to keep being told that it is possible. Lol.

Not to old at all and 3,5k a month is plenty for monthly spend. Sure look at the wynns, RVers with no plan of sailing circumnavigated till Australia.
But you need experience with your cat and what you need.

So for newbie I highly recommend to sail with your circum cat before refit for 6 month, then refit and after! Refit for a year in your region (or maybe 6month in your region and 6 month Caribbean) and after that plan 6 month to fix all the things that cum up then and make further adaption and only then head out to another season Caribbean and to pacific. Like this you get to know your cat, have people and companies you know that work on your boat and teach you how to fix stuff.
And circumnavigating means fixing your cat in the most remote and beautiful place around the world, that’s true…I started mine last year, planed for a duration of 10years :-)
If you start like you planed you will spend a fortune in remote locations fixing simple things partly and paying your lessons and most likely being demoralized before you even really started. For big distance like pacific get experienced crew to help, means you need min 1 crew cabin. Best friends or the have this crew member on board several time before so you know it’s the right person/couple as 4-6weeks pacific with wrong crew sucks big time.
Means to start 2026, you need your cat in 2024.
That leads to your biggest problem:
Finding a cat in 200k range…stay with production cats that other people know to fix and get the best 38-43ft cat in condition for your 200k. Market is dry like Sahara.
Owner cats are more expensive and the extra cabin in charter 4-cabin version is very handy for circum as you have one dedicated cabin for workshop/storage room instead the huge head you use for 15min daily maximum and cost 20-30% more.
Forgiving are the condo cats Lagoon…and most likely the 380 the only that will fit your budget in a good condition. Older Fountaine Pajot like Belize if upgraded well.
Forget premium brands like Privilege as for that price they are project cats.

[CaptainRivet]

Originally Posted by neilpride

Please, 62 and 52, do it if you have the illusion to do it.

You are not too old not to do this kind of things, take care of yourselves, take it easy, and enjoy it.

Correct you are youngsters

[Batman1856]

Thanks to all responses. Yeah I just have to get the age thing out of my mind and keep moving forward. I see people in my office much older than me and in the morning I have to think sometimes; did they stop at their docs office before work and get a B12 shot or something? lol
I have a management company that would manage the rental of my house. It would equal about half of my monthly income once sailing. But I can do a little internet work and make some money as well.
I will take it slow as far as lessons and experience goes. I would not start in to the Pacific unless I felt very comfortable. My budget is $200k or less with out retrofit; but hoping that is already done, lol.
Lagoon, Leopard and Privilege 38s seem to be within my budget. I do like the saloon window viewing on the Lagoons and like the center berth on the Privilege. But buying is a couple of years away. Would like bigger than 38, but bigger might not be in the cards. Hoping too, that the inventory and pricing will be better in a couple of years.

[old pirate]

You have a plan, good ! Consensus is it’s quite possible.
Your rate of ageing will slow down once you’re underway. The big thing is to break ties with the land. As said above “don’t go big, just go”. Even if your over all plan is not 100% full filled , a couple of years circumnavigating the Caribbean will give you immense satisfaction.

[Batman1856]

Yep circumnavigation is the ultimate goal we are working and saving towards. But we would be happy if we end up sailing around the Caribbean and maybe cross the Atlantic and sail the Mediterranean. But crossing the Pacific would be awesome. We have multiple backup plans.

[neilpride]

Originally Posted by CaptainRivet

Correct you are youngsters

Haha, yes, but trust me, i have friends in the 60's to 70's doing it right now, and i still consider 62 young.

[rweeton]

Can't answer about about cats (we're monohull people), but 62 and 52 should be fine (assuming reasonably good health. My wife and I are 59 and 63 (we started at almost 58 and almost 62). 3.5k per month should be OK, assuming you don't have major boat issues (we did )! Ah well...

Go for it! Youth is wasted on the young!

Fair winds.

[donradcliffe]

I'd say the money is tight for a cat, but plenty for a mono.

[jdazey]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

I'd say the money is tight for a cat, but plenty for a mono.

While we have a catamaran, a large performance oriented cat, Don's probably right. If we had a $200K budget, we'd probably look at a Lagoon 380 just because we prefer multihulls. $200K will go farther in a mono.


Health and attitude count a lot more than chronological years. My wife and I are 76 and 78. We're headed back to Alaska this June, headed south in the Fall, and planning on the Pacific Cup in 2024. We'll take crew on the Pac Cup. The rest is double handed. There are many other examples if you look around at some of the other members of CF

[hErr.cHilloR]

What about the old outremers by Danson

Shout you suggest them for a circumnavigation? Or just too old?