Just found this forum today!

[bajamas]

And I LIKE it TOO!

My wife and I have considered running away to sea together for many years. I have been doing an enourmous amount of research since I was much younger than I am now, on how to make this happen. We have narrowed our search for the proper vessel and am almost certain we know what we want. (Right!)
Next year we plan on taking the first step with the purchase of the boat then will see what kind of Kitty we can build.
Then the waters the limit.
This looks like a great place to start asking all those questions that will help us decide when and where (and maybe even WHY!).

Thanks in advance for all your help!!

Bajamas

[harryrezz]

Welcome aboard, Bajamas! You've found as good a starting place as any - and better than most. I'm relatively new here, too -but not to sailing. (By way of intro you can read my post titled "Want to go cruising? Do It Now", or something to that effect, posted a few lines below your entry.)
There are a lot of people here with lots of experience and knowledge who are very willing to share with you. Just ask your questions, and you'll get all sorts of answers. I'll leave the sorting out part to you Meanwhile you can gather a good deal of information just by poking around here and reading the replies others have received who have posted questions similar to those which you may have.
By the way - you mention that you think you have narrowed the choice range down pretty much. Out of curiosity, what are your current top choices - and, if you have time, what sort of sailing do you anticipate doing ... really?
Hae fun -

[bajamas]

Harry,

Thanks for the warm welcome!
My wife and I are looking at 3 basic types of boats. A newer Hunter 32, say in the late 80's, wide beam, shallow draft, stable. A Bristol 32' in the early 80's, gorgeous lines, shoal draft full length keel and sea worthy, an Intercat 1500, need I say more about this, LOTSA room, extra stable and extremely shallow draft. Could almost beach this in a hurricane if necessary.

My wife and I have been considering doing just what you offered in your story. Our plans include Buying a boat, cruising the Hudson for a year, taking off for the ICW, getting to know her slowly, then across the Gulf Stream for a few months in the Bahamas or perhaps the Keys. Once we have determined that we want to continue this life indefinately, we may consider distant beaches.
We have considered EVERY way possible to make this happen on a shoe string budget with what small investments we have and a really good outlook on making money while we sail or going 6 months cruising, 6 months working. We almost don't care as long as a large portion of the year includes warm, shallow water, beautiful beaches and cold margaritas.

My wife and I also considered getting the Catamaran and chartering in the Keys and Bahamas once I received my captains license and knew the best spots. We hoped that this would take us into an early retirement.

We read your story and had been to your web site. I must say that for your "Setbacks", you sound like a very positive couple. This positive energy ALONE has enormous power. We must say God Bless in all your future journeys however large or small!!! We look forward to hearing from you again.

Bajamas

[Talbot]

You realise that once you have been onboard a cat for a while, that a half boat will no longer hold any allure

Seriously, it is good to try a number of different styles before purchasing, and a few charters would provide a good way to narrow down your choice. It is best not to restrict yourself to one specific type, as there may be several different makes that will meet your requirements, and thus make it easier to find the boat that you want. Dont forget when budgeting for this, that there could be a considerable expense in travelling to see (and maybe even survey) different boats, until you find what you want. Good luck.

[bajamas]

Tabot,
I have heard from many cat and tri sailors that they would never return to a monohull. There are many reasons I could see a cat being the way to go. Especially in the Bahamas and consideration for chartering. My wife really likes the Catamaran since she would like to Charter with her clientel to make living aboard cheaper for us. I have read everything there ever was about sailing but have only sailed a few times and not enough to feel overly comfortable in a monohull. I think the cat would be more forgiving in my learning curve as well.
So I must believe you are a Cat person? What kind of cat do you sail? And obviously you love it. Where do you cruise?

Bajamas

[Talbot]

I have a 9m Catalac and sail mainly in the Solent UK. Planning on much longer trip in abt 4 years, and will be upgrading to a Prout Snowgoose (hopefully) for the trip.

[harryrezz]

bajamas -
Thanks for your kind words. Wow - the three boats you mention are certainly diverse! Hunter - roomy with some clever ideas, but VERY lightly built. OK for coastal cruising, but certainly not for offshore. Personally Iwouldn;t even venture to take one to the Bahamas, but I know that several have made the trip. Personally I'd steer well clear of a Hunter for what you seem to want to do.
The Bristol, on the other hand, is a good, solid boat. It would serve you well - expecially as a beginning boat. Not to roomiest foot for foot because of their more traditional hull shape, but a much better choice for venturing offshore.
And then there are the cats. You either love 'em or hate 'em. Yes, they are roomy. Yes, they stand up well ... to a point. Yes, they are fast - especially in flat water. But I've sen way too many of them being sailed by bareboat charterers down where we are trying to beat to seather when the seas are up. They buck and leap like a wild horse and I've know of more than just one or two which have flipped - and once they are over, they stay over. In a mono, you can get awfully wet if you take a knockdown, but at least the odds are in your favor that the boat will right itself and after a bit of pumping you can continue. Can't do that in a cat if the mast gets to poiting the wrong direction!
As for chartering - you'll need a bigger boat than any you have mentioned and a bit more experience than you have so far ... but feel free to contact me off this list (use the address in the website) and I'll be happy to discuss this with you from what we're learned so far.
Suggestion: when we were "between" boats and looking for our next (and hopefully last) one, we did a lot of chartering - and I don't mean with the usual fleets of Beneteaus, etc. There are lots of smaller charter outfits who offer a wide variety of boats whichyou can experience. We chartered Tartans, Sabres, a Crealock 37 by PacificSeacraft (terriffic boat), A couple of Cape Dorys (also great boats), an old Dickerson Ketch, a Cabo Rico 38 ... and others I can't recall. Each is different, and onlyby gaining experience by living with different boats for a while (a week is scarcely enough time) can you really get a feel for what you want. For example, I swore I'd never have a center cockpit - but now I love it.
Take your time - do your homework - talk to lots of people - read boat reviews on older boats (Cruising World has bunches of them you can obtain). But don't just pounce on the first boat that seems to meet your current needs - boats are much easier to buy than they are to sell if you find you've made a mistake!
Happy hunting - and good luck!