Just getting Started

[Hereweare]

We have been boating for for a long time and sold our cruiser. My wife and I are moving to Florida in about 3 years and have set our sites on sailing. We intend to live a board for about 4 months a year.
I have taken some sailing courses and are learning as much as we can.
We have looked at many boats and the price range and layout of the 1983 Hunter 34 seems to be the one that fits so far. I know plenty of questions to ask a surveyor before buying and know before we do we will have many more.
I have heard good and bad but this boat looks pretty good. Draft, layout, construction of that period and beam all are a good fit.
Being a long time boater, I can fix almost anything. It just part of a boating life.
So here we go!

[Greenhand]

Welcome!

You will find that Hunter's are much aligned, without many statistics to support the critics.

From experience, I will tell you that we really admired two different models online. Both ended up feeling like duds once we got aboard. In the end, we purchased, and still love, something we had never come across in our research. Our broker just listened to our comments as we went through other boats, and decided to show us this one as a stretch.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Herewear.

[Curious Sailor]

Enjoy the journey! It's fun...


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Curious Sailor]

What part of Florida did you set your sights on?


http://curioussailor.blogspot.com/

[Windhunter]

Hello to all
We purchased a 78 Hunter 30 last January. Poor sails , motor( 15hp renault not running trans no reverse ) and no sailing experience. Well this spring we purchased a 8 hp Nissan (great motor) used from a fellow sailor for $250 US went out to the patapsaco river basin (we're docked at Chester cove marina in Fells point Md. This will be the beginning of what I know will be a life long adventure from the first real wind we were in. 2nd time out sailing in the dark the winds got up to 30 mph we were sailing hauling butt the edge of the deck right at the edge of the water . Things were going great then things got a bit exciting the main sheet split below the reef points, so...
Dropped the main had the jib trimmed tight heading north along the Francis Scott key bridge. The misses recommended maybe we should drop the hook until morning but I was having the time of my life experiencing real wind for the first time. So we're manuvering through 3 freighters heading south, that's when things really started getting interesting . The misses pointed out what I hadn't been aware of in my moment of bliss that we were getting a bit close to shore. I figured no worries we will just let the wind out of the jib and motor back out to a safe distance and continue on.
Well what I hadn't taken notice of in my state of exstacy was the water conditions building . The swells were at around 12' and I guess the wave height was between 4 to 6 ' with a steady 28 mph wind blowing shore ward. So... let the wind out and started the kicker which STOPPED abruptly.
I thought we had grounded but the vessel was now about 40 ' from a concrete wall (industrial port, deep water) Thang God. Buy the time I rushed to the bow with gaff in hand the bow spit violently made contact with the wall and again before we had some kind of control of the situation and got the vessel spun around and we avoided the stern being destroyed. We reefed te the jid to about 8' out and sailed 5 miles back right into our slip under sail. It was a very tense exsperience but we learned quite a bit that night including the fact that we were capable of keeping our heads under pressure.
So now I have the bug and it's on,plans are to head to Florida in the fall of next year and let the adventure begin. So again hello to all God bless and keep our fellow Cruisers safe.
Fair Winds
Windhunter

[Curious Sailor]

Wow, awesome adventure! Thanks for sharing...

[Windhunter]

Hi Curious Sailor
Thanks it was a great lesson in humility and keeping a level head as now I respect my limitations as a novice , but it was an exhilarating exsperience left me thirsty for more. This is a great site and ive realized a dream I wasn't aware I had .
Blessings to all.
Fair Winds
Windhunter

[Greenhand]

Am I the only one who noticed that Windhunter ignored his partner's comfort level, and thus ended up putting them both in danger?

[Curious Sailor]

Lol.. Greenhand I think everyone noticed, including Windhunter... His last post kind of explains it... Lessons learned..