What You Wish Some Old Salty Captain Would Have told You Prior

[kjake]

Super broad topic .. I know.. but anything and everything is supremely appreciated.. Sea stories definitely encouraged!

Tricks of the trade .. any good links for information. Opinion on best of navigation/autopilot/solar power systems. Skills worth taking classes on... fiber glass working or boat re-wiring for example.

I am looking at anywhere from 35-45 feet.. live aboard .. eventually blue water cruising!

Anything you can think of that caused you to personally experience major heartache or a near concussion from slapping your forehead so hard ..it was so obvious you should have done.. (fill in the blank)

Thank you!

[Mycroft]

Don't expect your friends and relatives to want to go on cruises with you. Unbelievable how many folks are not comfortable on the water!

Everything on a boat is a "system". You don't have a fridge, you have a refrigeration "system". You don't have a toilet that dumps into the sewer, you have a toilet "system" with thru-hulls (multiple), sea water strainer, pumps (multiple), anti-siphon loops with joker valves that like to clog, holding tank that's too small, and a mysterious overly complicated throne!

Unless you have bucks to spend on labor, you should be comfortable learning all about these systems. Even if you do have the bucks, finding a competent, reliable, and honest technician is very hit or miss.

There is NOTHING like sailing your own home to a brand new million dollar waterfront view when you get tired of the last million dollar waterfront view!!!

[SV Windrush II]

Originally Posted by Mycroft

Don't expect your friends and relatives to want to go on cruises with you. Unbelievable how many folks are not comfortable on the water!

Everything on a boat is a "system". You don't have a fridge, you have a refrigeration "system". You don't have a toilet that dumps into the sewer, you have a toilet "system" with thru-hulls (multiple), sea water strainer, pumps (multiple), anti-siphon loops with joker valves that like to clog, holding tank that's too small, and a mysterious overly complicated throne!

Unless you have bucks to spend on labor, you should be comfortable learning all about these systems. Even if you do have the bucks, finding a competent, reliable, and honest technician is very hit or miss.

There is NOTHING like sailing your own home to a brand new million dollar waterfront view when you get tired of the last million dollar waterfront view!!!

Love it! Soooo funny but also very truthful hahaha!

[Greenhand]

What gets me aren't the ones afraid of water: it is the ones who love being out there, but consider sailing boring. They would much prefer to power over to their favorite fishing spot and sit with a hook in the water all night, even if they don't catch anything.

[MarkJ]

Only sail in the correct season.

[boatman61]

Stay S or N of 35degrees... depending which side of the equator your on... else it gets cold and bumpy.. and the butter goes hard..

[atoll]

on long passages dressing up in suspenders ,stockings and makeup relieves the bordom.........

.always take a salad girl,you never know when you might need your salad tossing...

don't put beer cans next to the compass..........

In strange ports always wear a condom........

keep a tinfoil hat handy...big brother IS watching you.........

[Delancey]

If anything is going to happen, it's going to happen out there!

[sailorboy1]

don't believe all advise, especially from a forum

[REsCat]

Sundowners are very enjoyable....but typically $$$...

Bob

[Mike OReilly]

I'm far from an old salty, but if I could do it all again I would Start with a 25 to 30 foot solid, capable older (ie cheap) cruiser. Make sure it has all the standard systems: head, galley, inboard, standing headroom, etc. Get out there and cruise as much as you can. This boat will teach you what you really need and want (the two are not the same). THEN go and buy your big boat.


Why go fast, when you can go slow

[IdoraKeeper]

If you worry about money and don't like to get dirty.......forget about boats.

[mariner36bob]

Before succumbing to "3 feet more" wish and buying larger, do a proper bottom job yourself. Thereafter, you realize the one you have is plenty big enough.

[s/v Beth]

Sailors are into delayed gratification. If you are willing to be cold, wet and hungry for extended periods of time in order to reach your goal, then you might make a sailor. (and that was only to paint the bottom )
Everyone pukes, its just a matter of when.
If you have a rough passage, why make your family miserable. Sail it with your mates, and pick up your family at a port close to tranquil waters.

[SaltyMonkey]

When you decide to move into a cruise, give yourself a considerable time to acclimate properly. This is not the same as knowing every nut and bolt and being skilled in maintenance (which also needs time). We mean here the psychology of adjusting into a new lifestyle. Too often people fail because they haven't shifted their expectations and schedules properly from their old lives into a new one at sea. Similar to high altitude mountaineering where you make a series of shorter high climbs, take shorter cruises and work your way up to living on the boat full time and going longer distances.