Old broad introducing herself...

[JPA Cate]

Wendy,

When you have specific questions, start new threads with them. The more detail you provide, the more helpful the answers will be.

You gave us a particularly informative first post, and you got great results! Good on ya.

Ann

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by Souzag818

Whoa. I think you guys are gonna scare her away with all this "need to know" stuff. She's still crawling and you got her doing emergency steering! I think she's in the "how do I make it go forward" stage of sailing. Baby steps, not instilling need to know fear. As you said, "takes a lifetime". Definitely stay away from in mast furling, but furlers on the head stay are pretty problem free. Certainly better than single handing and having to do a head sail change, especially just starting out. BTW, been sailing for over 45 years, done numerous deliveries, and have never had to use emergency steering. May be I'm lucky, and if it happened I could, at this point, figure it out. But she's gonna be scared enough just getting it out of the slip. Just my opinion. And yes, tiller over wheel

I'm not easily frightened (or better said, I've undertaken a few escapades in my lifetime while terrified to the bone but went ahead and carried them out anyway - because they had to be done).

The in-mast vs in-boom furlers is one discussion I've been following with interest - I've read the pros and cons for both.

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Wendy,

When you have specific questions, start new threads with them. The more detail you provide, the more helpful the answers will be.

You gave us a particularly informative first post, and you got great results! Good on ya.

Ann

Thanks Ann - will start on that when I sort through my collection of multifarious questions! One thing at a time...

[Joel E Felt]

Welcome Wendy Ann, your in for it now. Glad to have ya, look forward to seeing your Q & A in the future. Good luck in your quest.


joel e felt

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by Joel E Felt

Welcome Wendy Ann, your in for it now. Glad to have ya, look forward to seeing your Q & A in the future. Good luck in your quest.


joel e felt

Thanks for the welcome and the good wishes Joel - "your in for it now." Looks like a very apt observation, given the responses received to my introduction to the forum! Look forward to your advice if you have any to my future Q & A.

[gjordan]

Wendy, about the size you can handle??? I started out with many thousands of miles in a 26 foot boat and then moved up to a 37, and actually found the larger boat a little easier to handle at sea, simply because it had much wider decks to move around on. Yes, sails were heavier and hauling ground tackle was much heavier, but the actual sailing felt easier. I went on to a 44 and (I was much younger then) and it got to be more work for sail handling than I liked. I am now senior by half a decade to you and have moved back down to a 34 foot boat and expect it will do fine as long as I hold out. A bit of advice on buying would to not be dazzeled by varnished teak on the outside of a boat. It is soooo beautiful, but you will spend too much time maintaining it. Have a great time and maybe see about crewing on a few boats to raise your knowledge factor. Best of Luck. Grant.

[Nicor]

Maybe a thought is for ketch <= 37...

[In Training]

Have read that they have diesel engine maintenance classes for 2-3 days (I am close to Chicago, so plan to go there, but they are in other parts of the country also). Apparently not a bad idea once you have purchased your boat and know what kind of engine you would be maintaining. The literature said they match you with same type you have. Like you, I'm only in the reading phase now, but have already done the week of certification on board a 43 ft. -- goal was to make sure I didn't feel claustrophobic, sailing was the easy part. Age 67 now, expect to be 70 before truly getting out there, so you won't be alone at your age.

[DumnMad]

Originally Posted by Wendy Ann

I'm not easily frightened (or better said, I've undertaken a few escapades in my lifetime while terrified to the bone but went ahead and carried them out anyway - because they had to be done).

The in-mast vs in-boom furlers is one discussion I've been following with interest - I've read the pros and cons for both.

Good point Wendy. A seventy-six year old solo sailer swooped into our home port Nelson NZ on a 48ft Bowman. Had electric winches and he handled it like a dinghy.
He said the good gear on it made it much easier to handle than his much smaller previous boat.
Small light weight boats are not always a sensible choice - depends what you want to do.

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by gjordan

Wendy, about the size you can handle??? I started out with many thousands of miles in a 26 foot boat and then moved up to a 37, and actually found the larger boat a little easier to handle at sea, simply because it had much wider decks to move around on. Yes, sails were heavier and hauling ground tackle was much heavier, but the actual sailing felt easier. I went on to a 44 and (I was much younger then) and it got to be more work for sail handling than I liked. I am now senior by half a decade to you and have moved back down to a 34 foot boat and expect it will do fine as long as I hold out. A bit of advice on buying would to not be dazzeled by varnished teak on the outside of a boat. It is soooo beautiful, but you will spend too much time maintaining it. Have a great time and maybe see about crewing on a few boats to raise your knowledge factor. Best of Luck. Grant.

Thanks for sharing your experience Grant, and for your advice. I've actually read about the larger sized boats being easier to handle at sea too. I don't think I could settle for a 26 foot boat, and 44 perhaps too large (38 to 40 perhaps; 34 probably more practical) - but have been reading about and mulling over the advantages of new sailing technology such as in-mast and/or in-boom furling sails and all the pros and cons expressed by everyone that has something to say about either or both....and so on it goes.

Definitely will not be bedazzled by varnished teak on the outside of a boat (have read it's better to leave teak decks unvarnished, if you have teak decks at all). My thoughts on varnished teak are limited to the spaces "below decks" however, so unless I find a boat that I simply cannot resist and it comes with the dreaded teak decks, then, well so be it. (I've seen some photos of boats for sale with some very sad and sorry looking teak decks - obviously a chore to maintain).

Crewing on a few boats definitely sounds like a good opportunity to gain experience.

Thanks again - Wendy

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by DumnMad

Good point Wendy. A seventy-six year old solo sailer swooped into our home port Nelson NZ on a 48ft Bowman. Had electric winches and he handled it like a dinghy.
He said the good gear on it made it much easier to handle than his much smaller previous boat.
Small light weight boats are not always a sensible choice - depends what you want to do.

Oh that's so encouraging to read - certainly gives me hope and encouragement.
Love the mental picture that description of the seventy-six year old solo sailor swooping into your home port creates. Thanks for that - Wendy

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by In Training

Have read that they have diesel engine maintenance classes for 2-3 days (I am close to Chicago, so plan to go there, but they are in other parts of the country also). Apparently not a bad idea once you have purchased your boat and know what kind of engine you would be maintaining. The literature said they match you with same type you have. Like you, I'm only in the reading phase now, but have already done the week of certification on board a 43 ft. -- goal was to make sure I didn't feel claustrophobic, sailing was the easy part. Age 67 now, expect to be 70 before truly getting out there, so you won't be alone at your age.

Diesel engine maintenance classes would definitely be a requirement, when I get to that stage, and the type of classes you refer to sound better yet (as in focused). I know Nigel Calder's written a book on diesel engin maintenance and repair too. Would you mind sharing where you did the week of certification on board a 43 ft?

Good to know I won't be alone out there at my age!

[Wendy Ann]

Originally Posted by Nicor

Maybe a thought is for ketch <= 37...

Now there's a thought! Perhaps a wee bit larger though...

[In Training]

Went to water sailing">Blue Water Sailing School in St. Thomas, 2 years ago. Had a female instructor that was just awful. Learned everything from one of the other students there that raced boats. All four of us couldn't figure out if she was drunk or bipolar. Learned a lot though, thanks to the other student that helped me. Had a blast with the other couple on the boat. The instructor just took a lot for granted, assuming we had some base of knowledge. I had no previous experience and knew nothing. Had read all the books and studied everything prior to the trip, so it wasn't from lack of trying. Definitely worth doing - enjoyed being on the boat immensely, just be careful of who the instructor is. Ask people on the forum if any of them are familiar with whoever you end up going with.

[In Training]

Have only been on monohulls, but I've even thought about one of the smaller catamarans. 36 ft. or 38 ft. Like the galley up.