After 387 days of lurking...I finally created an account

[MayDecember]

Yes, just created our account yesterday after a year and change of pouring over posts on a daily basis.

The reason I did not make an account was that I resolved to not until it "got real".

We are there now.

Listing the house this week, making our short list of boats we are interested in viewing, and homeschooling our kids.

Making the plunge is crazy! We are going to do this and excited to do so!

Now, I just need a broker to find me a sailboat.

I want to thank all of you that post. It has helped us just "lurking" to determine how we are going to go about this process.

We are one of those families where my husband is of almost retirement age and I am still 20 years shy of that. We have three kids ages 13, 10, and 8. So, his dream was to always sail away. He gave me the house and Leave it to Beaver lifestyle and now I am giving him the adventure lifestyle. (although I am an adventurer at heart too)

Last year we had made the plans to do this. Life got in the way, we briefly pushed it to the side. Then in the beginning of summer, my husband suggested we just go for it and stop waiting for the perfect moment.

Months of renovating the house, setting up things, making our short list of boats we are interested in buying and now we are here.

[skipmac]

Hi MayDecember and welcome to active membership in the forum.

You know there is a one year limit for lurking which you missed by 22 days. You might have to suffer some serious chastising as a penalty.

Seriously, congratulations on your (hopefully) imminent cruising. You are quite correct that at some point you just have to do it. If you wait for the perfect time, wait for the boat to be 100% finished, wait for ........, but you get it.

Have you decided on what kind or size or budget for the boat? Where you will start the adventure (probably somewhere close to salt water)?

Buying with a broker can work just fine, if you find a good or or if not one that you have 100% confidence it, then take any advice with a grain or more of salt. However, keep an eye out for boats for sale by owner as well. Leave all options open and ask questions here. I promise you will get lots of answers and advise. Some of it might even be right.

[DenverSailors]

Originally Posted by MayDecember

Yes, just created our account yesterday after a year and change of pouring over posts on a daily basis.



The reason I did not make an account was that I resolved to not until it "got real".



We are there now.



Listing the house this week, making our short list of boats we are interested in viewing, and homeschooling our kids.



Making the plunge is crazy! We are going to do this and excited to do so!



Now, I just need a broker to find me a sailboat.



I want to thank all of you that post. It has helped us just "lurking" to determine how we are going to go about this process.



We are one of those families where my husband is of almost retirement age and I am still 20 years shy of that. We have three kids ages 13, 10, and 8. So, his dream was to always sail away. He gave me the house and Leave it to Beaver lifestyle and now I am giving him the adventure lifestyle. (although I am an adventurer at heart too)



Last year we had made the plans to do this. Life got in the way, we briefly pushed it to the side. Then in the beginning of summer, my husband suggested we just go for it and stop waiting for the perfect moment.



Months of renovating the house, setting up things, making our short list of boats we are interested in buying and now we are here.

Welcome aboard!

As a recovering lurker myself, I appreciate you admitting you had a problem. My advice would be to ask any and every question you have. As long as you avoid politics and anchoring!!!

Looking forward to tracking your adventure!

[MayDecember]

Currently, our budget is around $50,000 for a 39-45 foot monohull. Obviously, we know budget can change etc. But that is what we set for now while looking.

Definitely looking near salt water. We live on the Great Lakes but not interested in doing the ICW right now. Would prefer to purchase onsite in the Caribbean cruising grounds. Specifically, we are looking Belize, Grenada, Eastern Mexico.

As for broker, not necessary but would be nice to have one in Grenada. I am getting slightly frustrated with replying to boats on sailboatlisting and not getting replies back on when we can view with more images etc.

We will make do either way. The plan is to rent an airbnb for a few weeks in Grenada, look at boats and go from there. If we do not find the "right boat" then off to Mexico etc. Something along those lines.

Oh, and I am watching several listed on here too lol.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by DenverSailors

As a recovering lurker myself, I appreciate you admitting you had a problem. My advice would be to ask any and every question you have. As long as you avoid politics and anchoring!!!

Don't forget to also avoid: guns, mono vs multihull and based on recent discussions maybe add Colregs to that list.

[skipmac]

Hi MD,

Seems like you're developing a plan. If I may add some comments.

Originally Posted by MayDecember

Currently, our budget is around $50,000 for a 39-45 foot monohull. Obviously, we know budget can change etc. But that is what we set for now while looking.

Workable but I'm sure you know that's on the low side.
Be prepared for a boat that will need some work. Start with a solid hull/deck/rig and all the rest can be done as you have time and money.
How's you and hubby's DIY skills?

Definitely looking near salt water. We live on the Great Lakes but not interested in doing the ICW right now. Would prefer to purchase onsite in the Caribbean cruising grounds. Specifically, we are looking Belize, Grenada, Eastern Mexico.

It's certainly attractive to look for a boat in the area you want to cruise but you often have a smaller list of boats to choose from.
Also have to deal with laws and customs that may add complication plus potential uncertainty if you bring the boat back to the states (import duties?). It can be trickier fixing up a boat in a foreign port, possibly expensive to commute back and forth shopping, where do you stay
if the boat isn't ready. Starting on the US east coast offers a number of advantages and cruising through the Bahamas to reach the Caribbean is not such a bad thing.

As for broker, not necessary but would be nice to have one in Grenada. I am getting slightly frustrated with replying to boats on sailboatlisting and not getting replies back on when we can view with more images etc.

Well, see my comments above.

We will make do either way. The plan is to rent an airbnb for a few weeks in Grenada, look at boats and go from there. If we do not find the "right boat" then off to Mexico etc. Something along those lines.

Oh, and I am watching several listed on here too lol.

[Tetepare]

Boats that have always lived on the Great Lakes tend to be in very good condition. Salt water has a habit of slowly destroying boats. There are many issues- such as standing rigging- that are largely not an issue on GL boats.

GL boats tend to get a premium, and for good reason. And boats in Florida tend to be the least expensive, for good reason. IMHO since you're already on GL that's a great opportunity to find a local-ish boat.

$50k is going to get you a $45K GL boat with $5k in repairs/ upgrades. It's going to get you a $35k saltwater boat with $15k in repairs required.

And if not pressed for time, why not sail through Thousand Islands and down the river? It would be a shame to miss that! Then...Boston tea party by boat. Sailing past Statue of Liberty. The Eastern Seaboard. What a terrible thing to miss! Particularly with home schooling, look at the history your kids would be able to touch.

Just give it some thought.

[MayDecember]

Here is where I sit. I don't care if it is multi or mono....looking for the best bang for our buck type of search. Ideally, I would like an aft cabin center cockpit or at the bare minimum, one double, two single berths that do not require me collapsing a table daily.

Watermaker would be nice.

Solar panels already installed and working, preferred.

Dingy, preferred.

Things like that.

70's or above bluewater pedigree.

Basically, if I can feel confident we are not going to sink on our first shakedown, and that we all can have our personal space at times....I can make do with the want list not on the boat.

[MayDecember]

Yes, we looked at several GL boats. Our jump off time though is around December and that is not the time to do the ICW. We will someday though as I was born and raised in New England and want to show my Canadianized kids the wonders of the Eastern US coast.

We are studying US History right now, but I don't think sitting in Boston Harbor in December would be ideal. This is why we are looking south for now.

Timing. We are likely to sell the house (hot market) within a month (listing October 12th) and then another month until closing even with immediate possession. December is likely that time. If for some reason, we are still here in March and the house has not sold then we will look again at boats in the Kingston Ontario region. Very few are here in the Windsor area over 30 feet for sale.

We know of three previous GL boats that are listed in the Caribbean right now that we are eyeing. The went down there and then health/life issues have them in Canada with boats in the Caribbean. That would be nice to view, like, then purchase. Then next year, we will make our way up the ICW, stopping along the way to see family etc.
Who knows what will happen lol. I just know we hopefully will be on a boat and venturing by spring if we can.

[MayDecember]

Lastly, my husband is a jack of all trades. I am just a programmer but he has owner operated several semis, extremely skilled in diesel engine repairs, has electrical knowledge and can fiberglass as good as a professional.
He has restored numerous boats, and owned from wood to steel in terms of hull. Each boat was an adventure in learning over the course of 30 years.
Oh, and when I say $50,000 that is just for the boat, not repairs/upgrades. Should have made that clear, sorry. Obviously, if we find a boat in perfect condition not needing a thing for $100,000 we would purchase. The $50,000 is just our base point.

[leftbrainstuff]

Go for it. My wife and I did in 2013. We've been living aboard our Liberty 458 for 4 years now. We've moved from Berkeley to Seattle and have been addressing lots of upgrades and maintenance work that is much easier to complete in the US rather in an isolated anchorage.

Look for a vessel that is in good condition and that someone else has equipped.

Set a leave date.