Aussie Cruisers Visit Daytona Jan 21 Feb 10 2012

[ruthndave]

Accommodation wanted in Daytona Fl Jan21 -Feb10 2012
This is our second post (our first went to wrong forum?) - so hi to all, and I hope someone might be able to help us out.
Dave and I are an Aussie couple in our 50s coming to Daytona in a few weeks.
We are attending a personal development course there, but also want to spend some time looking at cruising boats to buy for our retirement later this (! - yes, this!) year.

We are looking for a place to stay - on a boat, in a boatshed, if you have space somewhere, or if you know of somewhere handy to the Ocean Centre there. Jan 21 to Feb 10. We are happy to pay.

Our bigger plan is: we want to buy an offshore cruising boat 40-50' and we are hoping to get a feel for what is available while we are here on this trip, with a view to purchasing mid 2012, when we retire.

I am an experienced offshore sailor and have owned a custom 30' steel schooner which I sailed from Aussie to USA, many years ago. I sailed a variety of yachts in Australia and in the Caribbean and USA. I currently teaches maritime skills at TAFE (college) (equivalent to USCG courses).

Dave is an Intensive Care Paramedic, diver and wanna be cruising sailor.

We hope you can help us out. Cheers

Ruth and Dave

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and I hope you can find what you need there.
kind regards,

[ruthndave]

Thanks very much John. Those lists are great. Dave has been using them for a while now and been following up on many of the recommended cruising boats. We are noting the recommended boats, but maintaining an open mind to what is actually available.
We started looking at classic 40 year old fibreglass heavy displacement craft, but have been widening the view to more modern designs. We are also looking at those vessels with full offshore equipment, especially good systems, engine, hull and rig. We have gone through many yachts available on the web and have been keeping a few of the possibilities on our to-have-a-look-at list. Several of these happen to be in Florida.
Makes our trip over to Florida very exciting to start serious "hull - kicking" - if that is a suitable term!
Unfortunately, we don't stop on the Big Island this time - but we love it there. Maybe later in the year...
Cheers
Ruth

[ruthndave]

Well we are here in Daytona, and are in very nice accommodations, on our course, and adapting to the delightful weather - someone said 80F today, but as we are mostly inside, it is comfortable. We can see the ICW and the beach, and plan to do some kayaking on the weekend to crawl past a few marinas.
Then when we have finished our course on Sat week, we want to have a look at several cruising boats we've been admiring from Australia. Starting to feel real!
Cheers
Ruth n Dave

[skipmac]

Welcome to Florida. If you have time and run out of boats to look at in Daytona there is a much larger selection in the Miami / Fort Lauderdale area but that is about 300 Km south of Daytona.

If you feel like going the other direction I am in Gainesville about 120 Km NW of Daytona. I'm not on the water here but do have a 42' sailboat parked down the road. You can see a 1984 boat disassembled and under reconstruction.

[ruthndave]

Originally Posted by skipmac

Welcome to Florida. If you have time and run out of boats to look at in Daytona there is a much larger selection in the Miami / Fort Lauderdale area but that is about 300 Km south of Daytona.

If you feel like going the other direction I am in Gainesville about 120 Km NW of Daytona. I'm not on the water here but do have a 42' sailboat parked down the road. You can see a 1984 boat disassembled and under reconstruction.

Thanks Skipmac, we may head up your way. Dave has been admiring the Pearsons, so we may take you up on that, though he reckons the 424 is one of his favourites. We know there are way too many boats here to choose from, so we have a small selection to enjoy and compare with their online presentations. We are not yet ready to spit up the anchor, but are hoping to have a really good plan for the day we get our retirement in place, sometime this year...

We know there are many many boats in Ft Lauderdale and Miami.
We have a Bruce Roberts Seamaster 45 to check out there, if she is still for sale, next week.
We have a few we have been watching for months. And watching prices fall. Which may not be too good for you here in USA. Fortunately Australia has been very stable economically, so far (we have a mining boom).

But the good boats do get sold...
Cheers
Ruth n Dave

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ruthndave

Thanks Skipmac, we may head up your way. Dave has been admiring the Pearsons, so we may take you up on that, though he reckons the 424 is one of his favourites. We know there are way too many boats here to choose from, so we have a small selection to enjoy and compare with their online presentations. We are not yet ready to spit up the anchor, but are hoping to have a really good plan for the day we get our retirement in place, sometime this year...

We know there are many many boats in Ft Lauderdale and Miami.
We have a Bruce Roberts Seamaster 45 to check out there, if she is still for sale, next week.
We have a few we have been watching for months. And watching prices fall. Which may not be too good for you here in USA. Fortunately Australia has been very stable economically, so far (we have a mining boom).

But the good boats do get sold...
Cheers
Ruth n Dave

Hi Ruth n Dave,

I assume you know that the Pearson 424 and 422 are the same hull and rig, just slightly different deck and cabin. I've spent a good bit of time looking at both and could point out some of the main differences for you.

But don't expect a totally unbiased opinion. I do like my Pearson.

I'm off until 1 Feb and have a flexible schedule when I am working so welcome any time.

[ruthndave]

Isn't that where we get the saying - different ships, different splices? We are an opinionated lot! I'd say it goes with the territory! So we are genuinely after some other opinions, as much of my seafaring was done pre-GPS (and 406 EPIRB) and certainly, in my own case, without radar. I am hoping to learn with Dave, who is doing the online research, and I guess he knows more than me about the choices out there. I am trying to look with new eyes at the options available. So we are both keen to keep a wide perspective on our 'perfect' cruising boat!

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ruthndave

Isn't that where we get the saying - different ships, different splices? We are an opinionated lot!

And here I was thinking all sailors are just alike.

Originally Posted by ruthndave

as much of my seafaring was done pre-GPS (and 406 EPIRB) and certainly, in my own case, without radar.

Pretty much the same for me. Spent about ten years as a boat bum and then got resonsible and got a job (might have had something to do with having a wife and daughter). Sold my last boat about thirty years ago so GPS and such was not in the picture. Just bought another sailboat a couple of years back and am overhauling it with the plan to live aboard and get back on the ocean in a couple of years.

Originally Posted by ruthndave

I am trying to look with new eyes at the options available. So we are both keen to keep a wide perspective on our 'perfect' cruising boat!

If you ever figure out what that is please do let me know.

[ruthndave]

Today's version of perfect? Or tomorrow's? I guess it is going to be the boat that chooses us, ...and that we can afford, ...and that we can afford to cruise with. I have mentioned my old boat was a 30'er ...so a bit bigger than that ...and perhaps one with some windward performance? but having already done two slow semi-circumnavigations, speed is not of the essence. "The journey is the thing".

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by ruthndave

Today's version of perfect? Or tomorrow's? I guess it is going to be the boat that chooses us, ...and that we can afford, ...and that we can afford to cruise with. I have mentioned my old boat was a 30'er ...so a bit bigger than that ...and perhaps one with some windward performance? but having already done two slow semi-circumnavigations, speed is not of the essence. "The journey is the thing".

Well certainly my versions have changed over the years. My last was 32' and I wanted to go just a little larger and ended up at 42'. Guess that was the one that chose me.