Westsail 32 v Flicka 20

[mkriley]

I would recommend moving to Florida and buying a 2-3 k boat that is floating and sailable
of about 28 to 30 feet and budget a grand or so to buy what you need at walmart to live.
This will teach you what you need to know and cannot be bought for any amount of money in Alaska!
mk

[fatherchronica]

There was a time, long ago, that if you went to sea in any boat that was not a double ender that you would surely perish. During those years I coveted many boats, Westsails, Dreadnaughts, Tahiti ketches. And in fact my first sailboat was a converted Navy whaleboat ketch. In fact there are many many approximently 32 foot fiberglass double enders to choose from. I am of the opinion that you are too big for a Flicka. I have sat inside a couple Flickas in my lifetime, and I am 5'10" and 210, and I am too big. There are a lot of good cruisers out there though. I would keep searching a little. I have looked at maybe 50 or a 100,000 boats online in the past 20 years. Not always to buy, as my wife doesn't like it when we have what she considers too many at once, but to look and learn, and sometimes you look at them on sailboatdata.com to compare statistics.

[SecondBase]

I gotta recommend you continue to expand your knowledge as the first step of the journey. Mkriley's advice is spot on.

Rick Page and Jasna Tuta's book is Mind Expanding. Wish I had read it many years before it was actually written. If you put their chapter 4 together with mkriley and your own thoughts you will have a good path forward.

[shyguy68]

If you're looking at a westsail, I would suggest adding a bayfield to that list as they are excellent bluewater boats, and maybe a westerly as they are english boats and have proven ocean crossings under their belts....

[RLaird]

Sounds like you have a lot of adventuring ahead of you. There are a lot of marinas in the NW with some 'good old' boats that are in need of owners. If you can find a few marinas that you can walk thru to get your eyes on boat shapes and sizes and maybe get a ride or two in the spring. (You have a shorter season than some of us...)

If you can get 'lucky' you just might find a really good deal on a boat that someone could no longer manage. The fix-up will get you to a position where you know all the systems and how to fix them which is critical. Your budget will allow you lots of flexibility.

That said, be very careful to get a good solid foundation. Sound hull, deck, rigging with the right shape to suit you and you can fix most of the rest of her! Lots of good skills to learn and fun to be had!

Best of luck!

[ALAIN97133]

Originally Posted by ibrowne

Hello all! This may not be the correct thread to post this under, but this is my first post and I'm still learning. ... I'm new to all this, so if some of you experienced sailors think I'm being foolish or have any ideas to improve upon my plan, they are very welcome! I have thick skin, so don't hold back. Personal facts: I'm 32 y/o, 5'10", 275 lbs. In case that matters

Hi! Try a Camper & Nicholson 31'/6 metric tons. I bought one new in 1976 & sailed it from Southampton UK to Vancouver Canada over a 3 year period (Via France, Madeira, Canarie Islands, the West Indies, up to Bermuda, the US east coast, Canada, back to Panama, Marquesas islands, the Tuamotu, Tahiti, Morea, Hawaii & Vancouver. I sold the boat there to a couple who took it to Australia & New Zealand. Although the owner is now dead, his wife & children want to keep their C&N 31. The boat was/is PERFECT for a lone sailor or a couple:
Nicholson 31 boats for sale - YachtWorld
Good luck!
PS: I now have an Ericson 34, same displacement just a bit more room: I sailed it singlehanded from Beaufort NC to Sint Maarten, West Indies with no problem whatsoever (I was 67 year old then, I'm 70 now

[danielamartindm]

As you will be sailing offshore, be aware that in general, longer boats will track better, hobby horse less, and have higher hull speeds.

[ibrowne]

It looks like the majority of the advice is to keep researching. So that's what I'm going to do! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction everyone!

[Steve Bean]

Have you tried any of the sailing apps available on the internet? Not for choosing a boat, but learning to sail.