Complete newbie aged 56 needs help!

[shep34]

Hi everyone,
I'm sitting in Thailand contemplating a wistful long held dream of aliveaboard life stopping from one marina/port to the next around the world. I'm divorced therefore single handed and more importantly have only ever done comp crew 20 years ago and not sailed since. I definitely need help,,,probably because I must be not right in the head!!
Anyway, would love to hear anyone else with similar lack of experience who is further along the track than me and is out there sailing. Similar age examples would be great and single handed. Want to know about fears and failures as well as the good bits.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Shep.

[Teknishn]

Hi Shep34 and welcome to CF.
I may be in somewhat of a similar situation. I'm 55, single, and have been living here in Egypt for most of the past 19 years. I have finally decided to call it quits in this country and return to the States permanently.

As I have no living family I really have no place to return to stateside. From Louisiana, spent most of my Navy career in Norfolk, Va. and have a few old navy buddies in Florida. I have lived aboard boats in the past so I decided that since I didn't know where I was to reside in the States I would buy a sailboat and liveaboard until I either grew up or figured out where I want to end up. So I have purchased my little 27-foot pocket cruiser after the boat received good marks across the board from the marine surveyor and plan to sail around the Chesapeake Bay and point further north and south for 6-months to a year living on my navy retirement plus a little extra here and there.

I've done a bit of sailing here in the Red Sea on occassion but not enough to be considered an experienced single-handed sailor. I repair private yachts here in the Red Sea and have owned boats in the past so I have a pretty good idea about what will be required to outfit my new-to-me sailboat and the associated costs.

You asked about fears and failures. Well, I certainly have my fair share of fears...but no failures so far (as I haven't stepped aboard the boat yet). Aside from my own fear of the culture shock that awaits me after not having visited the States in 10 years, my greatest fear is my lack of hands on experience at this point. That will change with time as the miles move beneath the keel. Another fear is hurricane season on the East Coast. Have been through a few hurricanes and have seen the damage they can do. I fear losing the boat, which is my home, and having to start over yet again.

The only successes that I have had so far are that I actually purchased the boat, a plane ticket to the States, and have been given a wheel autopilot and an AIS and GPS capable VHF radio from my current employer as a bonus for the work I've done on his boat to date (Restoring a 1937 27-meter yacht).

So good luck if you decide to jump aboard and take the helm!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy and Welcome Aboard CF Shep!

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