My First Boat

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by sailingtofree

Anyway i digress i just want the thread to be about potential pitfalls when i do find a boat to look at, and ways to make sure the trip can be as safe as possible

The biggest pitfall is the one that you seem not willing to consider: that your budget, time scale and total lack of experience make your proposed voyage appear (to those of us who actually have done such things) as totally unfeasible. TOTALLY.

I am sure that this is not the response that you desired, but it is my honest and thoughtful opinion... and apparently that of most of the other posters.

I have no wish to denigrate your ambition, but when you ask for advice, be prepared to consider responses that are contrary to your preconceived notions and desires.

Sorry 'bout that, mate!

Jim

[Greenhand]

Hold Fast

These kids made it on roughly your budget, but they didn't go nearly as far as you are proposing.

[youngson]

Didn't read through all the comments, so sorry if you're hearing this twice but check this out!.. its a contessa 26 by the way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jxed78H5KA

[Red Sky]

Let's call a truce. The problem is when someone with no experience comes here and says " This is what I'm going to do, what does everyone think", they need to be ready to accept critical comments. You came here for advice? You're getting it from those that know better than you.

[wellin]

You do know the risks-you watched "all is lost". You probably should have left that fact out of your post.
Just sayin

Sent from my SCH-I415 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[SkiprJohn]

Welcome aboard!

If you leave SF in July then you'll be sailing into Mexico waters during hurricane season which lasts until November. There are places along the coast which require days of sailing without too much in the way of a good port to enter.

If you are by yourself you will be doing all your own hand steering if you don't have a windvane steering system. You'll have to do that 24 hours a day unless you are able to find a suitable port. From the CA border to the end of Baja is roughly 1000 miles. If your boat is capable of making 5 knots an hour that's 120 miles in a 24 hour day. So that would be 8 1/3 days if you did'nt do any stops which you will because you'll be too tired to steer 24/7. That's less than 1/3rd the way to Panama from the CA border.

Just a tiny bit of reality.

[DuaneGraham]

I think you may be missing the point,.. The people here sound like they are trying to save your life from attempting a voyage of this magnitude on your own in a discount scratch and dent boat. It's up to you entirely of course, but i guarantee that trolley you hop on and off of is much better equipped for the trip across town than a 2000$ boat is across the ocean. And no, I don't have sailing experience, but the folks on here do, maybe their advice should count for something. What's your entire budget for this trip?

[sailingtofree]

ok everyone i cam here for advice, and i got it good bad ugly whatever, that what i wanted, i dont have experience in this route so those that do need to speak up (as they have done) true there is a lot to consider, still it would be nice to do it though, i bet it would be a helluva trip and with the folks here helping me along the way i bet i would avoid many pitfalls, thats whats so great about these forums the good and bad, only difference from the usual forum is THESE people are and have sailed so they KNOW what they are talking about, i am thankful that no one fluffed their feathers, all the people here have water under their keels, which is more then i can say for me in a long time, still i am ambitious and BTW the reason as i pointed out for this trip wasnt so much adventure as it was point a to point b via point c-z LOL

But what a trip this would have been

to see more about my crazy adventures check out the now archived website of my journey across the USA

thanks guys

MySpectacularJourney ... Join Me On The Road To Adventure - Welcome To MySpectacularJourney!

[carstenb]

i'm going to read your post as if you've decided to give this venture up. Good idea. Sailing from SF to Key west is NOT the same as riding a scooter along the eastern seaboard (I've ridden my motorcycle both across the US and across europe - so I do know what I am talking about). Your chances of making were slim to none.

carsten

[DuaneGraham]

Lol I like this site.

[carstenb]

Some of you may notice that I've deleted a few posts. This had to be done since there was a bit of not being nice occurring.

Sorry but had to be done.

carsten

[sailingtofree]

For the record i DID NOT GIVE UP on my idea, i will still be pursuing it, just not so heavily on this forum, I am registered on sailing.net forums and a few others and am receiving lots of great help there,

Its ok you deleted some posts, most mods leave them up forever, good to filter out the crap

I am not condoning anyone do this trip or not, to each their own, first i have to find a boat, so most likely look for some post later about a potential craft i might consider

Otherwise then that its all good

[RigelKent]

Hi Sailing4Free,

To give you an example (may apply to some or not to others) I am a beginner-intermediate sailor. I've had my own sailboat (32 feet) for three years now, and had instruction on and off again for a couple of years before that.

I recently did a 50 nautical mile solo coastal trip with near gale conditions in two meter seas. It was all I could handle and exactly what I wanted to handle at the time. But I couldn't have done it without hurting myself or my boat a year ago.

Whats helped me is going out for day sails regularly, gradually going out in more challenging conditions. Start out in very mild conditions where there is barely enough wind (less that 10 knots) to get going in flat seas. There is much more time to react and figure out what to do safely. Then gradually go out in choppier conditions or with higher wind gusts to practice practical things like reefing down and avoiding uncontrolled jibes, roundups or breeches. You might find you have no time to think and react if you have not had the prior practice in easier conditions. An autopilot helps, but also requires practice and understanding how your autopilot works in various conditions.

Another thing that took time was finding out what kind of condition my boat was in. You can't count on a boat you buy being sea worthy even with a pre-purchase survey. It takes a lot of familiarity with the boat to know where the skeletons are buried. Mine was not that bad, but it took patience to uncover the systems that needed improvement and money to do the improvement even what I was able to do myself. There is still much to do to make my boat 'cruise ready.'

For me night sailing, overnight sailing is the next step, but I'll probably get my instructor to do the first one with me.

Hope my beginner's stories help get you ready for your trip.

[Red Sky]

Originally Posted by RigelKent

Hi Sailing4Free,

To give you an example (may apply to some or not to others) I am a beginner-intermediate sailor. I've had my own sailboat (32 feet) for three years now, and had instruction on and off again for a couple of years before that.

I recently did a 50 nautical mile solo coastal trip with near gale conditions in two meter seas. It was all I could handle and exactly what I wanted to handle at the time. But I couldn't have done it without hurting myself or my boat a year ago.

Whats helped me is going out for day sails regularly, gradually going out in more challenging conditions. Start out in very mild conditions where there is barely enough wind (less that 10 knots) to get going in flat seas. There is much more time to react and figure out what to do safely. Then gradually go out in choppier conditions or with higher wind gusts to practice practical things like reefing down and avoiding uncontrolled jibes, roundups or breeches. You might find you have no time to think and react if you have not had the prior practice in easier conditions. An autopilot helps, but also requires practice and understanding how your autopilot works in various conditions.

Another thing that took time was finding out what kind of condition my boat was in. You can't count on a boat you buy being sea worthy even with a pre-purchase survey. It takes a lot of familiarity with the boat to know where the skeletons are buried. Mine was not that bad, but it took patience to uncover the systems that needed improvement and money to do the improvement even what I was able to do myself. There is still much to do to make my boat 'cruise ready.'

For me night sailing, overnight sailing is the next step, but I'll probably get my instructor to do the first one with me.

Hope my beginner's stories help get you ready for your trip.

Great post RK.

[carstenb]

Originally Posted by RigelKent

Hi Sailing4Free,

To give you an example (may apply to some or not to others) I am a beginner-intermediate sailor. I've had my own sailboat (32 feet) for three years now, and had instruction on and off again for a couple of years before that.

I recently did a 50 nautical mile solo coastal trip with near gale conditions in two meter seas. It was all I could handle and exactly what I wanted to handle at the time. But I couldn't have done it without hurting myself or my boat a year ago.

Whats helped me is going out for day sails regularly, gradually going out in more challenging conditions. Start out in very mild conditions where there is barely enough wind (less that 10 knots) to get going in flat seas. There is much more time to react and figure out what to do safely. Then gradually go out in choppier conditions or with higher wind gusts to practice practical things like reefing down and avoiding uncontrolled jibes, roundups or breeches. You might find you have no time to think and react if you have not had the prior practice in easier conditions. An autopilot helps, but also requires practice and understanding how your autopilot works in various conditions.

Another thing that took time was finding out what kind of condition my boat was in. You can't count on a boat you buy being sea worthy even with a pre-purchase survey. It takes a lot of familiarity with the boat to know where the skeletons are buried. Mine was not that bad, but it took patience to uncover the systems that needed improvement and money to do the improvement even what I was able to do myself. There is still much to do to make my boat 'cruise ready.'

For me night sailing, overnight sailing is the next step, but I'll probably get my instructor to do the first one with me.

Hope my beginner's stories help get you ready for your trip.

Agreed - good post with some valuable information