Hello everyone

[NeilR]

Hello All,

Recently found this forum and spent hours and hours reading it last night so thought I'd better do the decent thing and join up.

We are a family of 4 from the UK, moved to NJ a couple of years ago. My wife and I raced and cruised GP14 dinghies all over the UK for 10 years but another seed was planted in the early 90's after we did a bareboat charter in the Ionian. We slowly moved up and bought a small Leisure23SL to take our very young boys out on a few years back. We loved her and sailed the UK East Coast (West Mersea, Blackwater estuary and points beyond) until the US stint arrived in 2003 and our sailing went on hold.

After a false start late last year trying to buy a secondhand boat here we now have an "opportunity" - my employers have decided to end my contract early next year. I have taken this as A Sign, so instead of leaping back into the rat race we are taking the plunge, selling up and plan to buy a new boat and cruise the East Coast and maybe Caribbean or a year or two or until the money runs out, which is likely. We're mid-40's and our boys are 4 and 6 so we think it's now or never. We are very conscious of our limited experience (no true offshore) but plan to be cautious, starting in Chesapeake Bay in the spring, limiting to coastal hops and then working up as we get used to it.

I recognise some of the names here from the YBW forum which I've read for years for the humour if nothing else (hi Talbot!) but generally kept quiet. Thanks for all the useful stuff that's on here from everyone, I picked up a stack of stuff last night and just wanted to say thank you, it's all much appreciated by newbies like us.

I don't know what we can contribute except a lot of questions, at least until the house sells and we get cut off from the internet but anyway, that's us.

Cheers

Neil

[GordMay]

Welcome aboard Neil - and best of luck to you & yours on your new adventure!

[NeilR]

Thanks Gord - I should mention we're also Canadian citizens (it's a long story...) and our initial plan includes working our way north as we have family up there as well.

Neil

[CaptainK]

Welcome aboard NeilR.

I'm fairly new to this forum. And I wanted to welcome you here to this forum.

I hope that, from what you mentioned in your story. I hope that it works out for you, and your family?

Anyways, welcome aboard. And hello from CaptainK, from Phoenix, Arizona. USA.

[Sunspot Baby]

Welcome! Hope to see you on the water. We are targeting 10 days form now to cast off and head to Bahamas for season #3. While I probably wouldn't change our decision not to go earlier in life, I do envy your spirit in taking the plunge now. Hope it works.

Sunspot Baby.

[NeilR]

By the way, are there any Canadian cruisers who can give an insight into taking a route from Montreal down the St Lawrence past the Gaspe and then coast hopping round the corner to Nova Scotia? We are wondering if we're up to doing this during the summer next year but it looks a bit daunting and probably very isolated. We wanted to get to Halifax and then hop back down the New England coast but methinks this is too ambitious for us.

Anyone done this and care to comment re hazards, considerations, experience needed etc? I have a sentimental reason to try it, as my family originally emigrated to Montreal by ship from the UK in 1974 and this would revisit the last part of that journey.

Thanks

Neil

[NeilR]

Fantastic - thank you very much. I will browse deeply

I figured going downstream is probably a better bet. I thought places to shelter would be the biggest problem but I'm also concerned about conditions at the mouth of the river. We came in on an 18000 ton liner in late October 74, which is a story in itself.

Stefan Batory

My joual is unfortunately pretty primitive despite my years spent in Montreal I would at least like to get to Cap Chat - my father is a consulting electrical engineer who designed the first large wind turbine up there and I would like to see it.

Thanks again

Neil