Planning to cruise

[onecrazymamma]

Hi all,
New to this forum. My husband and I are hoping to cruise starting fall 2016 with our four kids (will 5.5-10.5 years) and our two labradors...Are you laughing yet? Hope to sail OCT-JUN using the ICW to get south.

We currently live in Maine and looking to purchase our boat now - to sail around/work on in Casco Bay and up the Maine coast this summer and next while having the time and funds to work on the boat. My husband is a naval architect and about to retire from the Coast Guard.

We are looking to buy around 40-50ft tri-cabin Monohull. Thinking Beneteau. If you know of any for sale in the northeast, please let me know. Any others we should look at - open to Bavaria...Hunter...Catalina, though not many of those have the Tri-Cabin. Hope to hit the Annapolis area later this month for my husbands retirement ceremony.

Would love any advice as we search for our boat.

[Sailingcouple13]

Only advise would be to sell the kids, the labs need the room....
Also look at catamaran, get a big anchor, reef early, install gin tank. I think that about covers everything.
Oh yes one more thing welcome..and congrats. :-)

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[onecrazymamma]

HA! Sell the kids - smart!!! Dogs will be much easier to deal with

Our budget isn't very big, and we think the Gemini will be too small for us...would love a lagoon, but unless we can find a nice one for under $130ish we are stuck with a monohull.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, onecrazymamma.

[Madame Geneva]

You're not crazy for cruising with kids. They're going to be a challenge regardless so why not take em for a ride? We're sailing with 3 under 9 years old and couldn't be happier. We did it on a beneteau 40.7 until this spring. Great boat- exceptional sailing boat and when decked out for cruising quite comfortable. You can get more of an "interior of an apartment" feel from other boats in this range but many of them will sail like a townhouse. A very good hybrid in my opinion. You can get a really good 40.7 for under your budget. Just a thought.

Cheers to family sailing!!!

[chuckr]

Your problem is the two big labs. I have seen big dog on a boat but not 2 and with 2 small kids, hum. One of our great joys is in an anchorage and it is blowing like snot and raining and we watch a neighbor get into their dink and take the dog to shore a couple of times a day.
As a confusion I an not an animal person but 2 big labs and 2 kids - well get a big big boat.

[Paul Annapolis]

Can you be more specific? Your husband is a USCG naval architect so already he is light years ahead of many of us--even thyose of us with extensive experience-- in terms of understanding boats. Your budget is under 130K for a 40-50 monohull, but there are hug differences between a 40 and a 50 AND there are some boats in the size but hey will likely be old or need many upgrades. It seems tho me that your issues will be more about safety, roominess, comfort and family dynamics more than anything--compicated yet more by two big dogs. What kind of advice are you looking for? You know your budget and size range so start on Yachtworld--you don't need CF to apprise you of a boat for sale, but, again, the key to success and happiness here is only partially related to the specific boat--I am more concerned about your sanity and comfort based on a family of six and two dogs! Also, in the size range you are looking for, be careful of the air draft--so you may wish to go for a ketch and perhaps a Gulfstar 50 or maybe a Morgan 46 will do and they can be had in your price range. So if I were in your position, I'd simply narrow the parameters, search online for boats for sale or find a broker you can trust and like and go from there--but you have said nothing about your family sailing experience and that is the most crucial issue in my humble opinion.

[ObsessionSTJ]

Congrats! For inspiration check out windtraveler.net. Scott and Brittany have 3 under three!!! Met them this spring in the British Virgin Islands. Super nice family. Enjoy the adventure!

Best,
Camile
s/v Obsession
www.mountainsandseashore.blogspot.com

[ScottMeilicke]

A boat with a sugar scoop stern will be easier for the dogs to get in and out of the dinghy, but have a plan when the boat is pitching and you need to use the side of the boat. Perhaps just hoisting with the boom attached to their life jackets would be sufficient.

What about a dinghy large enough for all of you? We just bought a 14' porta-bote. We have two kids and two dogs.

Welcome to the forum, good luck!


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[Paul Annapolis]

Is the OP still involved with this thread? Does she have any responses or followup comments?

[SailingTerrapin]

You'll have a harder time trying to cruise with 2 big dogs than the kids. We've met a few families along the way that regretted bringing their dog/s. Any time they wanted to go off on adventure or do something longer than 4 hours they couldn't. We had to rehome our beloved golden retrievers with parents before we left...I know first hand how incredibly hard it can be to leave behind a dog, but we're happy to have the freedom.