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FloatMyBoat · 29-11-2016, 19:15

Where do I begin? In 2010 my wife and I were just getting started building the home we now reside in, when I came across a website detailing the adventures of the S/V Lightwave and crew. I somehow got completely sidetracked, and geeked out over the possibility of a DIY boat build and sailing the world. I still haven't been able to shake that bug. It took two years to complete our humble abode, and funny enough I didn't seem to learn anything from the punishment of an owner build. Now that we are nice and settled in I'm starting to feel a little stagnant, and despite living smack dab in the middle of the country with no big water close to us, I think I'm ready to start my new build. Being a bit of a Clark Griswold, I don't really know how to do anything small. My dream boat is a 12m sailing cat. Im looking forward to learning gobs of stuff from this awesome community, and welcome anyone who would like to contribute to my sailing/building/cruising education, or any naysayers, as I feed and thrive off of anyone who tells me that I can't do something. Bring it on

and fair winds friends.

FSMike · 29-11-2016, 19:47

Lol. The first thing to contemplate is just how you are going to move a 12m cat (which will be about 6m wide) from the middle of the country to the appropriate big water.
Or, where are you going to move to to build said 12m cat.

Either way, it's doable by some folks. If it were me, I'd go to work and try to earn enough to buy one, rather than build.
You may be much happier building.

Good luck and fair winds to you.

**Don C L** · 29-11-2016, 21:30

Yeah, I could see that... Build the whole thing then take it apart and truck it to where you want to sail. Ancient Egyptians did that, they carried some big boats over the desert in pieces and rebuilt them at the Red Sea. Just be sure it is a well-tested design and sail one before you go to the trouble of building one to be sure you want that particular design. But where is it you want to go? Around the whole world? Or just the Caribbean?

Welcome here BTW!

**GordMay** · 30-11-2016, 03:38

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, FloatMyBoat.

FloatMyBoat · 30-11-2016, 14:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by FSMike

Lol. The first thing to contemplate is just how you are going to move a 12m cat (which will be about 6m wide) from the middle of the country to the appropriate big water.
Or, where are you going to move to to build said 12m cat.

Either way, it's doable by some folks. If it were me, I'd go to work and try to earn enough to buy one, rather than build.
You may be much happier building.

Good luck and fair winds to you.

FSMike I haven't really figured the transport part out yet. LOL The good news is I figure I have a solid 10 years to figure that part out once I get started.

Ironically enough, there is a UShip ad at the the bottom of your reply. Maybe I should start there?

FloatMyBoat · 30-11-2016, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don C L

Yeah, I could see that... Build the whole thing then take it apart and truck it to where you want to sail. Ancient Egyptians did that, they carried some big boats over the desert in pieces and rebuilt them at the Red Sea. Just be sure it is a well-tested design and sail one before you go to the trouble of building one to be sure you want that particular design. But where is it you want to go? Around the whole world? Or just the Caribbean?

Welcome here BTW!

Don C L,
Where there's a will there is a way aye? I've been researching off and on for 6 years now. I have seen instances where people move complete Cats on tractor trailers, I've seen people move them in three pieces, and I have even entertained the idea of possibly taking the boat down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to the Gulf without a mast on it. I don't even know if that's doable. I do know that the Mississippi can be very tricky and there is an inordinate amount of barge and shipping traffic on it. I'm assuming that it would be much easier to truck it to the coast and finish the boat out in a yard there.
I definitely want to sail one and possibly spend several days aboard before I pick a design. I'm thinking a sailing school on Lake Erie this summer may be in order, and then maybe a bare boat charter the summer after.
As far as where we want to go. I picture us starting in the ICW and making our way to the Caribbean to learn the craft, and then it would be through the canal and on to the Pacific. Thanks for the reply sir!