Kind Greetings

[dnbchrd]

Hello, All - I'm new to this forum and would like to introduce myself. My wife and I have two children, 6 & 8 years old, and we hail from West Hartford, CT USA.

I'm a lifelong mariner and graduate of Maine Maritime Academy. Even though I don't sail for a living any more, there is little that occupies more of my time than boats and sailing do. I grew up sailing in Newburyport, MA and these days sail out of New Haven, CT. I recently sold my Bristol 29 in order to make way for the next thing.

My wife and I have good career stop (or at least pause) points when the school year ends in spring of 2022, and we plan to go cruise for a year then, at least to start. In the meantime we are prepping our home for rentals and seeking an appropriate vessel. I don't really plan to buy a boat until next year, but you never know what opportunities will pop up. For now we're playing with the little boats, and pulling a Nordica 16 together for the kids.

I'm pleased to be here.

BRGDS
dnbchrd

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard DNBCHRD! Looking forward to hearing about which boat you choose next! You are now an honorary member of the Plastic Classics group though! Yep get those kids out on the water as much as possible, as I am sure you know!

[dnbchrd]

Thanks, Don - and for the Classic Plastics add. That is definitely my specialty! You can count on the next boat being something classic, but God help me I'm looking at wooden boats too. Stay tuned...

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, dnbchrd.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by dnbchrd

Thanks, Don - and for the Classic Plastics add. That is definitely my specialty! You can count on the next boat being something classic, but God help me I'm looking at wooden boats too. Stay tuned...

I COMPLETELY understand your interest in wooden boats. Yes, maintenance is a major concern, but after I sailed with a friend many years ago who had a an old Herreshoff, a 34 as I recall, I could really understand his passion for wood. The feel, I don't know how to describe it, but it just seemed even more... alive, in a way I guess is how I'd put it. And of course one might say it's "alive" because its wood, but there was something else, compared to glass... the feel, the sounds... come on wooden boat owners, help me out here! I loved sailing with him on it. But he put in a lot of hours too. He had to do some re-planking and other repairs at times, and luckily he was a carpenter and had the tools. He sailed her from SoCal here down to the Sea of Cortez and then back up. Last I heard the guy who bought her took her to Hawaii headed for the South Pacific.

[dnbchrd]

Thanks for the welcome, Gord!

And DL - I think the quality you're describing has something to do with a more complete union with the natural world. If I can get all spiritual for a moment, the fact remains that I feel more connected to the universe and everything around me when I'm at the helm than in any other experience. A boat crafted from the best materials the world around us manufactures on its own if a further enhancement of the notion.

And it's true, there is just that wonderful feel, and the homiest of cabins. We'll see. It's becoming harder and harder to find well-found boats, and I'm not really looking for an extensive project before I can start sailing. I've enjoyed sailing and restoring small wooden boats... I'll be dreaming of cruising on one until I do it, haha - so if I can find the right one I think I might jump.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome, dnbchad. Do be aware that the farther south you go, the rougher it is on wooden boats. The wooden warships of the English lasted 20 years in northern Europe, but far less in the West Indies. At the minimum, wooden wonders need a fiberglass coating on everything below the waterline down here in Florida. Varnish on topsides doesn't fair very well, either. A long time ago I had to varnish my little sailing dinghy every year.