So I've been a CF voyeur for the last three years or so. It's been great to read the feedback/comments and fun to watch the the rants. I didn't join in the past because I didn't have a
boat - it would be silly to engage in threads without having walked at least a mile in cruisers' shoes.
After years of doing the
boat club thing and time sharing we're nearer to our plan to do extensive cruising next year. Heck, we haven't seen enough responsibility in ourselves to be able to commit to even having
pets. Ironically, we're raising three
children...
Our plan was to buy a large sailboat in 2015. I just couldn't sit on my hands for a season with no sailing. I've been surfing the boards looking for a boat that could
work for us this year. Finally some unexpected
money came in at the same time a guy was unloading his
Catalina 27 on Craigslist.
Honestly, the boat is a beater. It's perfect for what we need as our
family comes up to speed on boat systems, the challenges that come with boat
ownership, and getting the feel of what we really want in the long range boat we'll get next year. We're also forcing ourselves to limit the amount of
money we put into it just to learn what
trade offs we need to make. I'm worried about my
beer budget.
So after years of living vicariously through this forum, we've finally taken the big step of boat
ownership. I already feel like some of the posters; I spent all day today trying to figure out why the
wiring is so messed up on my boat!