Research

[5dave]

Hi. I’m not sure where to start but... the wife and I are considering selling out and retiring on a sailboat. We know nothing about sailboats or sailing. I’m 60 years old and the wife a couple years younger. Both in good health. Not scared but realize the lack of knowledge on our part. Any advise is appreciated.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by 5dave

Hi. I’m not sure where to start but... the wife and I are considering selling out and retiring on a sailboat. We know nothing about sailboats or sailing. I’m 60 years old and the wife a couple years younger. Both in good health. Not scared but realize the lack of knowledge on our part. Any advise is appreciated.

A good start would be to put your location in your profile,so that people can make appropriate recommendations.

If you're living in China's Xinjiang Region, near Kazakhstan, then there is little point in telling you to look for a nearby sailing club. (it's a long way from any ocean.)

If you're in the UK , there's little point in recommending you do a US sailing course. Conversely, if you're in the US, there's little point in recommending RYA training.

[Lost Horizons]

Originally Posted by 5dave

Hi. I’m not sure where to start but... the wife and I are considering selling out and retiring on a sailboat. We know nothing about sailboats or sailing. I’m 60 years old and the wife a couple years younger. Both in good health. Not scared but realize the lack of knowledge on our part. Any advise is appreciated.

Charter (rent) a boat with captain. In one week you will have much better understanding of what you want to do next. I would suggest one week, 45 foot monohull or 40 foot catamaran charter.

[thomm225]

That's really a wild idea since you know nothing about sailboats or sailing.

How about boats? Have you ever spent a night aboard?

Just sleeping on a boat takes some getting used to because at some anchorages the boat moves around a lot. At marinas, everyone doesn't go to sleep at the same time. Or if you anchor near a beach side restaurant they might be calling "Jones, party of 5, your table's ready" until midnite or something on a loud speaker.....

Then there's the heat if you go South this time of year.

There's seasickness and down right boredom, and you can't go home if you "sell out."

Why not get an affordable sailboat of around 30' for $10,000 - $20,000, and try it for a few years while still keeping the house, cars, etc.

Or something smaller and cheaper than that depending on your location you can just sail and dock it near home and learn for a few years......just to see what you are getting yourselves into.

[StuM]

Originally Posted by thomm225

Then there's the heat if you go South this time of year.

That depends on where the OP is. If he's in Australia, going south won't be a heat problem, just the opposite.

[thomm225]

Yep, OP’s general area on the globe would be helpful

[sailorboy1]

[QUOTE=5dave;3185385. Not scared but realize the lack of knowledge on our part. Any advise is appreciated.[/QUOTE]

I spent a couple of years "thinking" about the retire to a sailboat thing before I got started really. My wife and I had never sailed before so took ASA classes, joined a sailing club and sailed on a 34' boat on weekends for 3 months, then brought a 39' and sailed that for 2 years, then got our current boat and sailed it for 4 years before retiring 4 years ago.

So it isn't that hard and the sailing part is really pretty easy. You don't need a lot of time to pick that up and you could be cruising within a month if you wanted. Now the learning how to fix and maintain the boat, that takes more time and is only learned by doing.

Hey good luck, I hope you make it and that the life lives up to your expectations.

[Tellie]

Originally Posted by 5dave

Hi. I’m not sure where to start but... the wife and I are considering selling out and retiring on a sailboat. We know nothing about sailboats or sailing. I’m 60 years old and the wife a couple years younger. Both in good health. Not scared but realize the lack of knowledge on our part. Any advise is appreciated.

I think you started in the right place here on Cruisers Forum. Use the search engine. There's a wealth of knowledge here. Take a few grains of salt with you as you peruse. But it's a great place with lots of great folks and great info.

[5dave]

I have thought of that but have not found one yet.

[5dave]

Thank you

[5dave]

Sorry all. We are located in Red Banks Mississippi. Pretty close to Memphis Tn. We have some large lakes in the area that you can sail on. I do want to charter a boat for a week to “try it out” . It would be good to find a couple who are liveaboards to do that with if possible. We have been researching as much as we can but really don’t know a logical approach. Thanks for to good advise that we have received so far.

[Peregrine1983]

Assuming you're considering living aboard a 30+ foot cruising sailboat, I think the closest place to drive and find many of them, as well as the communities of people who sail them (yacht clubs, marinas, charter bases etc.) is going to be the Gulf Coast.

[Calif.Ted]

I spent a couple of years "thinking" about the retire to a sailboat thing before I got started really. My wife and I had never sailed before so took ASA classes, joined a sailing club and sailed on a 34' boat on weekends for 3 months, then brought a 39' and sailed that for 2 years, then got our current boat and sailed it for 4 years before retiring 4 years ago.

Very refreshing to hear of someone doing this in a logical manner.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by 5dave

Sorry all. We are located in Red Banks Mississippi. Pretty close to Memphis Tn. We have some large lakes in the area that you can sail on. I do want to charter a boat for a week to “try it out” . It would be good to find a couple who are liveaboards to do that with if possible. We have been researching as much as we can but really don’t know a logical approach. Thanks for to good advise that we have received so far.

Nice.

You are in an inland sailing mecca!

I learned boating up here on the Chesapeake Bay, but I learned to sail when I lived in Memphis, TN.

I sailed and raced on Arkabutla and Sardis Lakes. (which are what maybe 25 miles from you) Arkabutla has the Delta Sailing Association. They race Lightnings and Thistles or used to. I left there for the Gulf Coast in the mid 1990's

https://www.deltasailing.com/contact/

https://www.deltasailing.com/2020/06...htning-post-2/

I also crewed on a Pearson 30 and a Beneteau 35 on Pickwick Lake. I fished below the dam a lot there also for striper.

Pickwick Lake has a normal marina for monohulls.

https://www.tnvacation.com/local/cou...ing-state-park

Many cruisers pass thru there to gain access to the Gulf Coast via the "ditch." Tombigbee Waterway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tennes...igbee_Waterway

[barnakiel]

If you have no, or little, experience in boating or boat owning, you need to be very very careful changing your lifestyle from land based to boat based.


Everything you want is doable, but it is best to avoid mistakes and pitfalls atht can and will be not only costly in $$ but also in the time invested.


Living in a boat is vastly, vastly different from living in a house or an apartment. Much more like living in a van or a large tent. Think about for how long would you like living in a van.


Good news is a boat can be sold and one can move back ashore.



Take care,
b.