Caught that Sailing bug

[Yihang]

Get Jimmy cornell's world cruising routes and start dreaming about your routes on https://www.windy.com/

For books you need to read classics like Joshua slocum, annie hill-Voyaging On A Small Income and the pardey books.

ASA books are pretty good for sailing fundamentals.

[StrangerTimes09]

Right on ! thank you
i downloaded Slocum's
Sailing Alone Around the World on audible
i like it cant wait to check out the others

[Yihang]

But don't fall into the trap of needing to buy a Bluewater capable boat right off the bat. Just get a nice Catalina in the 30 foot range, live on it and sail on the weekends. If you still love it in a few years you can sell it for not much less and move onto your next boat. Catalina's are great for living aboard. It's surprisingly large inside, if you ever lived in a small inner-city apartment you'll feel right at home.

I'll admit I read those books when I was a young and after each one I thought I needed the type of boat the author had. Every sailing author will make you fall in love with the type of boat they were on.

This might be controversial but the most difficult thing about the cruising lifestyle to some extent is having money to support it. A lot of these authors wrote books because it provided income. If you are still in your 20s I would either try to get into something that would provide you an income while working remotely or make a ton of money and retire in your 30s like the FIRE movement. The rest is easy.

[theDangerz]

Goo for you StangerTimes!

Do be prepared that most/many responses on here will tell you that it would be idiotic to buy a boat, move onto a boat or occasionally even to sail a boat without a lifetime of experience sailing... and while it is certainly a good idea to come by experience wherever you can, just also be aware that many other people are out here living the nomadic cruising lifestyle who didn't.

Pave your own way, whatever that is.
If it's the nomadic nature that interests you then one easy path into the lifestyle is moving into a van or small RV and moving around the country while learning much of what is involved in living "outside the norm".

I'm amazed at how many cruisers we've met in the last 2yrs since moving aboard where the biggest issue/struggle they were facing (and for many, what sent them back home) was the difficulty in adjusting to a smaller space, constant movement and having to figure out the details of sourcing groceries, staying connected etc.
Many of those same things you can learn/figure out while living nomadically on land (which I assure you is FAR easier than doing so on the water).

Alternatively, you could jump in and move aboard a boat in a marina straight away... but you may also be surprised how many people liveaboard but then still never leave the shore (at least for more than a day sail).
Certainly nothing wrong with it.. but if your goal is truly to get offshore and cruise/live nomadically, than at some point you'll simply have to drop the docklines and GO (and trust me... that day is a HUGE gut-check for all of us)!

Whatever path you choose, wish you all the best!
Ignore anyone that tells you it isn't possible, get out there and chase your dream, and just know that the close you get to it the more likeminded people you'll meet doing the same thing and it will seem less and less like you're swimming upstream or against all odds.

Keep us posted if there's anything we can do to help and if you need a positive influence along the way...
Sundowners on us when you get out here!!

[StrangerTimes09]

RIGHT ON!
thanks for replying ,
I'm checking out your guy's blog right now so far im digging the catamaran! how do you guys like it for a liveaboard?

[StrangerTimes09]

its a bit overwhelming but nothing good ever comes easy right!
on top of finding the right boat my thing right now is trying to figure some sort of income while i make that big step. my work is very stable right now and its close to the coast so i plan on taking to advantage of that. i cant wait to dive deeper in the lifestyle. any big challenges you came across in the beginning of sea life?

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by StrangerTimes09

its a bit overwhelming but nothing good ever comes easy right!
on top of finding the right boat my thing right now is trying to figure some sort of income while i make that big step. my work is very stable right now and its close to the coast so i plan on taking to advantage of that. i cant wait to dive deeper in the lifestyle. any big challenges you came across in the beginning of sea life?

I didn't read many of the books. I am not living on a boat now but when I started, at 21, I was just ready to live on a tiny boat because I loved being on the ocean, I loved sailing just for the fun of it, sailing to get me out to the local islands, living in the harbor, joining the community and making new friends.. and to ME the boat (all 24 feet) was huge! I was coming at it from spending a lot of time in 17 foot boats. The living aboard challenge I guess revolves around having enough room for the stuff you need for the employment you have. Many friends of mine who lived aboard also had a van in the parking lot for extra stuff and tools. I think Yihang's advice makes sense. A boat like a Catalina 30 is big enough to live on but nimble enough to learn to sail on, though I HIGHLY recommend getting a fun, fast little boat like a Laser to learn on too. And when it comes time to sell, you may even break even with the Catalina 30!

[theDangerz]

Originally Posted by StrangerTimes09

RIGHT ON!
thanks for replying ,
I'm checking out your guy's blog right now so far i'm digging the catamaran! how do you guys like it for a liveaboard?

The catamaran? It's ridiculous. It's just like living in a house or RV.
In fact for us, because we spent the last 7years living/traveling in vans... it was a huge upgrade! Everyone else around us is struggling with suddenly getting rid of all their stuff and moving into such a small space and we feel like we just hit the space lottery!!

Regardless, it does make a transition to this life (as well as learning to sail) easy. We convinced ourselves to go the route of catamaran because a mono didn't seem "fair to the dog"... but in reality the benefit is almost entirely ours. Sitting flat at anchor, tons of room up top, natural light and constant ventilation throughout. Plus we're always the designated host for dinner and game nights, which we love...
I'm not sure what we'd do without it now, but we would honestly be just as happy on a 30' mono if that's where we had started because we can live in anything as long as the yard is big enough - its a question of where we want to be and what we want to be doing not the thing we live in/on or the stuff we collected.

Be very clear... it's also FAR more money, so if the goal is to get offshore and live nomadically, a mono will get you there much cheaper (meaning sooner). Especially in the meantime while you're back home you'll pay a ton more money in mooring/dockage/repairs etc for a cat in addition to the purchase price.
A decade ago when we first considered buying a boat and quitting our jobs to run away it meant another handful of years working and saving as where the van meant we were gone within the year. Van won.

For us, if the decision had come down to monohull today vs a cat "someday"... we'd take the mono and run. Somedays don't always happen, and we no longer make decisions based on them.

But all things considered or being equal... if you get people who have been cruising long enough and get enough drinks in them to be honest - almost every one will tell you a cat is a better liveaboard option.
Lucky for us, we started here. For others that learned to sail on a mono... it's a pretty tough identity and romantic picture of sailing that's not easy to move on from - and I totally get it.
If you learned sailing as that rush of being heeled over and gliding through the water, I'm not sure a cruising cat will ever fully feel like sailing to you (BUT still no less comfortable to live on the other 90% of the time while you're sitting on the hook).

[Hamish_ct]

StrangerTimes09 - I read this story over and over again. Dreamers who see the glory and the fun of that lifestyle but have no sailing experience or really no idea of the amount of work and learned skill it takes. The dream stops when reality hits, expense, broken boat parts, navigation, storms, SAFTEY on the water etc.

Short advice - living where you live, start crewing on peoples boats, There are many yacht clubs in Newport that have crew lists. Then learn how to sail. I don't want to bust your bubble, and hopefully we will meet out on the water, but I think the proper course of action is to get some experience first, then make a plan and a budget. If you go out an buy your first sail boat you will be learning a very hard and expensive lesson.
Fair Winds
Hamish

[Linesledaft]

I would look for something cheap for your first boat. You won't be as upset when you bang it up.

My first boat that wasn't a daysailer or a race boat was a Catalina 25. I actually enjoyed that boat so much that I decided to live on it full time for almost a year. I am used to living small and have a lot of minimalist hiking experience that really helped me out with what I needed to be comfortable on such a small boat. A great thing about a small boat is that they seem easier to sail, and you don't have as much to put away every time you want to go out.

A Catalina 27-30 can be had reasonably cheap even more so around this time of year with people hauling boats out for the winter. I've seen a lot of good "end of season deals". A Hunter 28.5 might be a good boat as they have decent layouts and standing headroom. Like others said, just be aware of what your marina says is liveaboard eligible. Alternatively you could just buy a decent oversized anchor and live on the hook somewhere.

You don't need a "blue water" boat when you start out. You can get that later if you actually enjoy sailing.

[SV__Grace]

We are California natives who finally left for PNW a couple years ago. California is NOT an easy state to live aboard a boat, anywhere, though it can be done. Some tips:

1. First, be aware that there is the IDEA of something and the REALITY might be very different. Many people are attracted to sailing and/or living on a boat, try it, then hate it for various reasons. So take it one step at a time.

2. Sailing and living aboard are two very different skill sets. Sailing is easy- start with a class, join a club, crew for others, and if you have the bucks, buy a 27 footer and get out there as much as you can. You pretty much need to own a boat to experience living aboard. Buying one is easy, getting rid of it can be very, very hard.

3. There are different kinds of live aboards-
- Legal in a marina- requires years on a waiting list for full time, for part time live aboard most marinas have rules about how many days you can stay on your boat.
- Sneak aboard in a marina- live on your boat in a marina against the rules and take your chances. Ask around about this as some marinas actually look the other way if you're quiet about it.
- Anchor out- live on the hook and dinghy to shore. Both sound easy but living on the hook is a hard, very inconvenient lifestyle, and getting to shore to work, get groceries, water, etc. requires having a place to land and secure your dinghy. If you hang out around marinas and the coast, keep an eye out for anchored boats and identify the ones that are occupied but don't move. If you can, greet one when they come ashore, let them know you're interested in living on the hook and ask them questions (most are friendly to like minded folks and have their own community of fellow live aboards). You can legally anchor just about anywhere that isn't private property or in a marked channel. Anchoring safely requires good ground tackle and the skill to use it. Good anchoring locations are not too deep or shallow, protected from fetch (wind waves building up over a long distance), some kind of shore access, and close enough to civilization to meet your needs.
- Get a mooring ball- cheaper and easier to live or sneak aboard on a mooring ball than a marina dock. San Diego has a huge mooring field. Here's a great article about living on a boat in San Diego. Marinas and communities that have a location suitable for mooring install mooring balls to monetize their real estate rather than just have a bunch of boats anchoring for free.

4. Leave California. Seriously. It is the most unfriendly place in the world to be a full time cruiser or live aboard. We did so for 2 years in SF Bay while re-fitting our boat then relocated to Puget Sound, one of the most cruiser friendly, pleasant, and beautiful places to be a full time cruiser in the world if the higher latitudes with colder climates appeal to you, otherwise, Mexico is where most full time cruisers from CA end up (who don't cross oceans).

I hope this helps!

[Sofa King Fishy]

[QUOTE=StrangerTimes09;3268353]Most definitely headroom is gonna be a key factor for me, Im 6ft so i will need some wiggle room.[/QUOTE

Same size/situation on east coast. I’ve lived on board for 2+ years now and as a result, spend a lot of time sailing - overnights etc. prior to this, I had only sailed Centerboard Day sailers...

Step1: Secure a budget. I had a $150k ‘all in’ meaning, slip rental, boat purchase/taxes/upgrades.

Step 2: Find your Marina. If you’re still working, and not cruising full time you’ll need one. Check out showers/laundry/WiFi, walking distance town, parking situation, boat services offered, etc. I’ve got a pool, fitness center, on-site laundry, free water & internet, and parking- & a storage shed- all that saves me a ton o’ cash. Living on the hook/mooring is cheaper, but relying on a dinghy every time you need to go ashore is a big pain in everyday life. Great for cruising, lousy for living full time.

Step 3: Read up on Boat Trader/Yacht World and see what’s available locally. Come up with a “have to have” list. For me it was a good single hand set up, enough head room, and size to live on comfortably. I determined 38-44’, and went with a Catalina 42 MK2. Solidly built, easy to work on & find parts. Plus I needed 2 heads for my kids occasionally. I looked at a lot of boats- none are perfect, but this is a great live aboard layout, and she’s a capable A rated, forgiving vessel. Go as large and as new as you can afford.

Step 4: Find a decent broker. Not all are interested in working for ya, but some are good customer advocates & will be on the lookout for possible boats- they see new listings all the time. I bought my boat before it was listed & got a good deal, plus had a $30k kitty left for maintenance & upgrades. Look for something that is well maintained. My yard is full of project boats- I’d rather sail than sand, and you can’t live on the hard in most marinas.

Step 5: Rent your slip, put a deposit on. your boat —don’t close without a SURVEY & Sea trial. You can always walk away. If something falls through, another will come along & at least you’ve secured your preferred slip. The marina can use it for transients in the meantime.

I’m sure there are other ways to go about this process, but this is what I found success with.

Overall, I love living aboard, and yes- even with expenses, it’s a more affordable lifestyle than renting an apt. And a lot more fun!

[StrangerTimes09]

Hi ya!

i agree, having some sort of an idea on how things work will greatly help out.
you guys been really helpful and ill take any advice i can get. What got you into sailing ?

[Sofa King Fishy]

The desire to go nowhere as slowly and expensively as possible. Oh, and divorce.

[theBigKahuna]

along w/ crewing on vessels... chartering a boat (probably crewed if you're fairly new) for a week or 2. There's a big difference between a day sail and being out @ sea and (inevitably) 'stuff' happens. But, personally, that's 90% of the fun for my wife and I!!