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Old 23-03-2018, 07:48   #1
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Dipping my toe in

Hello,
I'm a new mom who recently had to go back to work. I did the harsh math and discovered that I can expect to spend about 2 (waking) hours a day with my baby on week days. That is so not enough.
When my husband and I travel or watch movies, TV and youtube, we also say "why don't we live here/there?" Last fall we finally decided to say "Let's go."
We have a 5 year plan to make this thing happen and I'm excited for our execution. My husband has spent quite a bit of time on boats including a season working on a fishing tender in Alaska when he was younger. I grew up on the shore, but always looking out at the water. We're both rusty and will be joining our local sailing club as soon as the baby is old enough to ride along.
We've decided to start with the Great Loop and a motor boat, since it will allow us to test out boat life for us, the baby and our pets before committing to the cost of a bluewater sailing catamaran - it must be a catamaran as I have some phobias which make monohulls untenable - and casting off for foreign shores.
I know five years is going to fly by, and I'm so excited to cast off, get out there and explore the world.
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Old 23-03-2018, 08:12   #2
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Sounds like fun! Welcome.
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Old 23-03-2018, 08:29   #3
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Sounds like an adventure! I'd really like to do the Great Loop someday but I don't believe it is in my future.

I'm curious what your phobias are that keep you away from monohulls. My biggest is resale value
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Old 23-03-2018, 09:15   #4
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Welcome aboard, it's great to hear of a new member to the boaters of the world.

I am wondering, what type of water craft are you looking at for the Great Loop? It can be a real adventure depending on the boat and the time of year in different parts.
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Old 23-03-2018, 09:33   #5
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Quote:
Originally Posted by LoudMusic View Post
Sounds like an adventure! I'd really like to do the Great Loop someday but I don't believe it is in my future.

I'm curious what your phobias are that keep you away from monohulls. My biggest is resale value
I have a fear of deep water. It's two fold:
1) There are sea monsters down there. I know it and no one can tell me differently.
2) I know I'm going to drop something and it's going to be lost forever. Never mind that the only thing I have with me is my bathing suit!

Both of these fears go away if I'm under water (SCUBA), or if I can either see the bottom (snorkeling in 90 ft of water clear enough to see the divers down below and I was a-okay).

So far these fears have not stopped me from being on boats, diving on the wall in the tongue of the ocean, or swimming in Blue Holes. Or even taking cruises. But doing bluewater passages concerns me and watching videos of sail boats heeling over well off shore makes my stomach lurch in a very unpleasant way. It's certainly possible that these things won't be an issue in the moment, one can only hope. But .... I also like the space offered by a cat, so as long as the budget works, that's where we'll be.
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Old 23-03-2018, 09:47   #6
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Re: Dipping my toe in

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Originally Posted by 1000 islands View Post
Welcome aboard, it's great to hear of a new member to the boaters of the world.

I am wondering, what type of water craft are you looking at for the Great Loop? It can be a real adventure depending on the boat and the time of year in different parts.
Oh, boats... so for the Great Loop, we've decided to go with a motor yacht because of the low clearance found at various points throughout the journey. I know you can step the mast and whatnot, but a) it's an additional hassle we personally don't want to take on and b) long term we would like to get a catamaran and cruise for an indefinite period, so when we buy our sail boat, it will likely be pricey and we don't want to spend hundreds of thousands right away only to discover cruising isn't actually for our family.

That said, we're also super picky when it comes to the look of a motor boat. There is something about the ratio of length to hight that makes many yachts look like footballs to me and my husband. We far prefer the longer, lower look of the older wooden boats like a Matthews or some Chris-Craft yachts. In order to get the aesthetic without exploding the budget, we're looking at boats that are older than we are, and we know we're likely going to buy a project boat, but for us, the look is key... well at least a consideration.

Our plan is to have purchased the boat by year three so that by year five we can cast off.
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Old 23-03-2018, 11:45   #7
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Re: Dipping my toe in

Howdy and Welcome Aboard CF!

The Great Loop sounds like a nice dream to me. So much to see.
I would like to do it myself, in the future.

I wish you the best of luck in finding your perfect boat, and making your dream come true.

Bon Voyage on the Forum and later on the water!

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