Greetings All,
I’ve been lurking on the forum for a little while, mostly because in my searching for answers to my noob questions, the search results often come up with posts on this forum.
I’m currently hailing from Spain’s Costa Blanca, but my usual residence is Tampa, FL. I’m British, but have just gotten my U.S. citizenship. I have dreamed of owning a
boat for so many years now. As a teenager, I wanted a new Princess 435, craving that
power and luxury. As an adult, having paid for my own gas for many a year now, I have set my sights on something used, and
wind powered.
I have lived in Tampa/St Pete for over 4 years, where
boating is just a part of life for many. Where if you don’t own your own, you have 5 friends who do! When I
head back to
Europe for a couple of months a year, I drink my coffee every morning on my balcony overlooking 150ft megayachts and the
Mediterranean. Needless to say, my hunger for my own
boat has grown in recent years.
I have sailed mostly dinghies, and most of that as a kid. I have been on a real sailboat only once,
day sailing Portsmouth to Cowes and back in The Solent. I have some
training planned on the RYA track as I search for my ‘perfect’ starter boat.
The ultimate goal is to sail transatlantic and beyond, but not before gaining a few seasons of solid experience along the Costa Blanca and around the Balearics. I have sailed transatlantic 4 times, but never on any vessel under 100k tonnes! I’ve been in 40ft swells in the mid-Atlantic and remember thinking to myself “I’m glad I not out in this on a 40ft boat!”
I look forward to
learning a lot from you seasoned pros and sharing my journey as it unfolds.