I dont want to dampen your enthusiasm, But
I know this is not the sort of welcome you may have wanted! But I mean this in to help rather than hinder.
That old a
boat and presumably neglected for that long is probably going to need some expensive
repairs. I am assuming she is GRP, so the
hull should be OK, but the
interior may not! The
engine may be stuffed etc etc etc etc. Repairs for a boat like this can very quickly spiral out of financial control, so you need to get a firm grip on what needs to be done and then cost + time the repairs.
IMHO the best place to start is by using a
surveyor to have a good look and telling you what
work needs to be done. Then get an
engineer to look at the
propulsion system (not just the engine). This will help to get a handle on the
work required. Assume the running and standing
rigging needs to be replaced, and get a
sailmaker to check on the
sails, you may get away with just a re-stitch.
Once you have the financial and time details you can work out how long before you can go
boating, and whether the cost involved in the
repair and the time taken are ok or whether it would be cheaper, faster to find a better vessel.
These decisions should be taken with the
head not the heart, and after careful analysis of the factors involved. Unfortunately they rarelly are, which is why you often see part completed projects up
for sale, normally in a divorcing household.
I reiterate, I am not trying to dampen your enthusiasm, just trying to help you avoid pitfalls.