Hi Fellow Cruisers!

[CruisingBeauty]

I am new to this board hoping to gain a lot of insight from experienced cruisers.

My dad is sick. His dream was to cruise the world aboard his boat. Recently, I realized I want to live out his dream. So I'm trying to gear up his boat and hopefully start cruising shortly. I don't have the money to do this, but I'm trying to find a way to make the dream happen for me and for my dad.

I want to be able to gain the courage to go to the Galapagos Islands, the Pacific and beyond.

I'll probably start in the Caribbean.

I'm currently on the East Coast of the USA.

This forum has already taught me a lot. I'm looking forward to asking some questions of my own soon and hearing what others have to say.

[imagine2frolic]

WELCOME,

Appropiate screen name! This is a great place to get started. The knowledge, and mostly eager to share people are here. Being such a BEAUTY will definatley have us trampling all over ourselves to be helpful........lololololol

[swabbmob]

Take it one day at a time, and learn about weather windows. How far you get along your path is less important than the time you spend with your dad each day, just relishing the moments.

What kind of boat do you have? Are you planning any modifications to get it ready for the trip? Hopefully your dad has taught you how to operate the systems as well as anchor and reef the sails.

Look forward to hearing progress reports!

[CruisingBeauty]

Imagine2frolic - Thank you for the compliments. You're making me blush. My name is meant to show the beauty of cruising. I hope it didn't come out wrong!

Swabbmob - Unfortunately, I'm going to take this trip without my dad because he is extremely ill and won't be able to do it. I've been sailing with my dad for most of my life. The boat we have now is one we picked out together. I was supposed to help him move the boat to be a snowbird. I have an older catamaran.

The boat is pretty bare right now. What I need to do is figure out the best types of systems for making offshore passages.

Happy Holidays.......CruisingBeauty

[orion1]

Your Dad is a very lucky man for sure! You can do it. This is probably the best place to learn. I am still so impressed with the knowledge to be found here and those willing to share more than one can possibly retain.

This members on this Forum, especially those who started it truly possess the SPIRIT OF GIVING.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all!

[John Drake]

Hello and best wishes. I am sorry to hear about your father. I am lucky to still have my folks, we are a close family.

What boat does he have? What about it do you find most appealing, in terms of cruising?

I am certain you can gain a great deal of knowledge here and in just having a boat to fit out for long distance cruising. Each decision you make for each system to put aboard, each piece of rigging to change, will be a learning experience.

I hope many will be helpful.

Best

John

[Morgan Paul]

Hi Beauty and welcome. Good luck to you and your father. Merry Christmas.

Paul

[SilentOption]

Sorry to hear your father wont complete his dream of cruising. I hope he had a life full of other adventures. I have a friend who I am encouraging to get going on his dream before its too late. He's 10 years older than I am financially ready just dragging his feet.

I applaud your spirit.
Deciding what to put on your boat depends on what level of personal comfort you desire. You can make the boat capable and safe but somewhat austere or you can have all the comforts of home.

I would make a list of priorities starting with must have then need to have and finally nice to have.

Your boat will require the essential safety equipment appropriate for offshore such as lifejackets, communication and much more. You have to be able to cook, you need power and you need clean water. That's oversimplifying things.

I recommend going to a book store and looking at some books on cruising. You can get some great ideas there then post back here with questions. There will be no shortage participants here to help you along the way.
Best of luck to you and again sorry to hear about your father.

[imagine2frolic]

CB,

I do my best to stay in practice for my lovely wife. She just gigles at me!

[Sandero]

What a sad note to learn of such a beautiful dream that you will live for your beloved father. Sailing is beauty and it's knowledge and freedom and something which when your get it you never can get rid of it!

When I caught the sailing bug 23 years ago I was a complete novice having only been on a few ferry boats before in my life. Perhaps one day I can share how it happened. I can never forget the moment back in Norwalk CT in Cove Marina.

It didn't take long, perhaps 6 months for me to take my first sailing course and buy the boat I now own. I was completely intimidated by thought of taking such (at the time) what seemed to me like and ocean liner away from the dock where she was tied waiting for me to release her dock lines and take her the sea. I had to do it the first time and many mmany times since. And now I do it with the familiarity of taking a walk down the street. Sailing my boat is second nature to me.

But the interesting thing is, sailing is always a challenge, always different, and it's the difference that you see more and more each time. Whether it's the weather, or something about the current, or some new piece of gear, or a friend, or the temperature, or the time of day, or the day of the week of the season, or the destination. It's never ever the same even though it's the boat you know and love so well.

And this brings me to the important point I wish to make and which to me is at the heart of what the beauty of sailing is. It's about learning, and there for self reliance, independence and freedom and connection to the "elements" and anyplace touched by the sea... which an awful lot of interesting places.

You will need to learn lots of things, none of it rocket science, some of it can be like math in school, some like science, some like "shop" (the girls didn't take that, but home economics in my day). You will learn everything about your boat. You will design your boat, that is except for the main hull, sail plan etc. you will make or modify it to suit you and your sailing needs. And you will only discover this as you begin to sail and get to know the boat, her characteristics and the sea. You will grown together and your boat will "fit" you like a glove in hand.

When I began there was only books and local salts to tap for wisdom. I read about sailing and cruising constantly, dreamed about, went to boat shows and slowly "tricked out" my boat to get her closer to what I needed. She was not ready for offshore work, the surveyor told me that when I bought her. But he said she could be made ready and that was my task. getting her ready and me ready. It tool 6 years for that and culminated when I entered the Marion Bermuda Race in 91, not to race, but to test me and the boat in the ocean, in a quasi supervised setting with support kinda close at hand. We did great; weather a terrible storm in the Stream and arrived at beautiful Bermuda of pink sands and torquoise waters. I knew I was ready and wanted more.

It took me another six months or so close down life ashore, finish my preparations of the boat and set off cruising for 3 years. My own dad had never retired and worked all his life and died. I figured i would retire for a bit in mid 40s and work, if I had to til I died, but with my dreams and my boat... and who knows I may get lucky and head off again.

You have this board with some very skilled and knowledgeable and generous sailors who will help you. You need to not be shy about your lack of knowledge and ask. You get lots of good advice and often different advice. Sailors have found the way that works for THEM so there are many right solutions, but you can use THEIR wisdom an experience to make YOUR solutions.

The learning never stops as you delve into something new or deeper into something your thought you knew. The more you know, the more you are able to learn and know and THAT is what this is about. And I don't mean ONLY techie stuff. It's like having a driving license, and a car. Now all you need is the money a skill to take care of it and you can head off to interesting destinations. But unlike a car, a boat is your home so when you travel it's no hotels for us sailors. We've like turtles, we take our homes with us wherever we go.

Sorry for the long winded comment. I am thrilled to learn of someone new getting into this with a big dream and the wisdom to know how much there is to making it happen.

We're here for you - ask.

Welcome! And fair winds and following seas. Your dad is very proud of you... as well he should be.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Beauty,
Welcome aboard! Good to have you here and starting your shared dream. This is a great place to ask questions and get help.
Kind regards,
JohnL

[CruisingBeauty]

Thank you all for the kind greetings. I am so excited to get started and these wonderful welcome notes have make me looking forward to getting to know you all. It seems like there are a lot of very nice people here. Again, thank you.

[Stillraining]

Welcome Aboard CB


ya.....What i2f said

[Badsanta]

Welcome, I would start with books. Do you have ones for your boat? You need basic electrical, what ever your engine is and any other systems you have. How to rebuild your winches, rigging inspections. Anything that has anything to do with your boat. You can find a lot by searching this site. Best of luck.

[James S]

Welcome to the forum...I'd try and get my hands on Dashues "Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia" to start with.

For me personally...I always enjoy pictures of the members boats or parts there of.