Ocean Crossers and Global Cruisers Only

[Chotu]

Dear cruisers who have made passages across oceans and or have been cruising globally:

I'm still working on a decision between putting in the work and financial commitment to finish fitting out my ideal global cruiser... Or... doing a very small amount of work needed on another boat I own that just isn't as good, but might be adequate.

Are you cruising globally in your ideal boat or did you settle for something easy and cheap?

Do you think happiness comes more from the traveling? More from having a great boat? Or more from some combination of these? What combination do you think is right?

My girlfriend is convinced putting in the work, time and money to finish building out the interior and rigging on the ideal global cruiser is the way she wants to go. She says the so-so boat "doesn't feel like a home."

I'm not so sure, but obviously I'd love to have the best, most safe and perfect boat suited for the global cruising task. However, is it worth spending $100k-$200K and 2-3 years of my life to achieve it?

Or is it better to just use any old boat?

I will refrain from naming the exact boats because I don't want to cloud the discussion with any boat preferences.

[contrail]

Most folks who don't listen to their partners wind up sailing solo. Are you up for that?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by contrail

Most folks who don't listen to their partners wind up sailing solo. Are you up for that?

Ha ha ha!!!

This one cracked me up. Good first post. You're absolutely right there.

[LakeSuperior]

Focus on acquiring a high quality well built boat that you can trust to be solid in whatever conditions you may find yourself in. In the middle of the oceans you will not be able to look toward your fellow man for help. You are pretty much on your own. This means stout rigging, new sails, new lines, stout steering gear (rudder, wheel connections, autopilot.)

Once you have a solid boat build out communications to get weather forecasts, safety gear, and an extensive equipment backup suite.

With the basics well in hand your mind can rest easier when you can't sidestep a big low bearing down on you.

[toolbar]

Does your girlfriend really want to go? Or is the imperfect boat just an excuse?

Have you discussed, what the required minimum standard she wants actually is? Maybe there are just a few things she needs and they don't take 100k and multiple years of work?

Paul

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by contrail

Most folks who don't listen to their partners wind up sailing solo. Are you up for that?

that was what I was thinking from the original post

other than that you have to decide what it is about a boat that is needed to make you comfortable with it's use

[sailnautilus]

You should include your partners opinions, but you have omitted the most important decision making factors......
Are you ready to go now?
How old are you?
Financial status?
Where do you want to go?
Health?
Family factors that will impact cruising?

Have been doing this 30 years, and have 52’ monohull in pacific. Most cruisers wait too long, do too much refitting, spend too much money, get too old and sick, wait until family factors will not allow them to go.....

So some observations...
Go as soon as you financially can.
Go on a safe and sound boat, but doesn’t need to be perfect.
If you are restricted for some reason, cruise on a smaller scale, coastal or islands, but GO!

Just sayin.....cuz many cruisers have had their dreams wrecked while refitting in the boat yard.....

[billknny]

Originally Posted by Chotu

Dear cruisers who have made passages across oceans and or have been cruising globally:

I'm still working on a decision between putting in the work and financial commitment to finish fitting out my ideal global cruiser... Or... doing a very small amount of work needed on another boat I own that just isn't as good, but might be adequate.

Are you cruising globally in your ideal boat or did you settle for something easy and cheap?

Do you think happiness comes more from the traveling? More from having a great boat? Or more from some combination of these? What combination do you think is right?

My girlfriend is convinced putting in the work, time and money to finish building out the interior and rigging on the ideal global cruiser is the way she wants to go. She says the so-so boat "doesn't feel like a home."

I'm not so sure, but obviously I'd love to have the best, most safe and perfect boat suited for the global cruising task. However, is it worth spending $100k-$200K and 2-3 years of my life to achieve it?

Or is it better to just use any old boat?

I will refrain from naming the exact boats because I don't want to cloud the discussion with any boat preferences.

Crossing oceans and making passages is a fundamentally different task that coastal cruising. It is a distinction that frequently gets lost here. If you add in long term living aboard without a land base, things get even more interesting.

Where YOUR "happiness comes from" only you and your partner can answer. I would argue that until you actually DO it you won't know. It is also very unlikely that any two people even in the same boat come to the same balance.

I don't understand the idea that you feel you have to "build out" an interior. There are a lot of boats our there with good functional interiors and stoutly built. A boat interior can certainly be a very good "home", but it will be terrible if you try to turn it into a "house". If you want to build a boat, then build a boat. That can be a lot of fun. But if you want to go sailing, BUY a boat and GO!

We do love our boat, and she takes very good care of us. Things like six watertight compartments, with a good interior that is functional at sea and comfortable at anchor are really important to us.

We have more creature comforts than many cruisers do, and we like it that way. But we understand the limits. With every "thing" onboard we do a thought experiment. If we were at a remote uninhabited atoll in the middle of the pacific, would this "thing" be REQUIRED for us to get home? If "NO" then it is a luxury. Maybe a luxury we want to have, but luxury all the same. If "YES" then we need two of them.

In snotty weather, 1500 miles from the nearest land a boat is either excellent, or scary. There is no "adequate".

[Chotu]

To add more background, I'll answer these quite important questions.

Originally Posted by sailnautilus

You should include your partners opinions, but you have omitted the most important decision making factors......
Are you ready to go now?
Yes. We are both ready to go now. Already full time traveling with boats and RVs. It's a newer lifestyle for her, but she's passionate about it. She was no previously exposed to it due to lack of options in her life and not really knowing about or being introduced to it. We are already USA and Canada-wide RV wise and Canada to Keys boat wise.
How old are you?
I'm mid 40's. She's significantly younger. Don't really want to make this into a drama filled thread about our age gap though. I know how things tend to go here sometimes.
Financial status?
Good financial status but current business doesn't allow for easy international travel. We both have to be "on" during USA east coast business hours and I have meetings to attend inside the USA. I'm developing other passive revenue streams and strategies for the existing business that will allow for more asynchronous work. So, currently not able to live in different time zones just yet. Very close.

Where do you want to go?

Would like to start off bouncing around our current East coast USA familiar areas to work out kinks in either boat, but transatlantic would be the first to Europe. From there maybe back to the Caribbean. Maybe stay in Europe a long time. No hard set plans as it's also a liveaboard life as well. I view cruising as having an apartment that goes places. She feels the same. So destinations will be stayed at until we feel it's time to move on. Very loose approach.
Health?

She has a tendency toward being slightly diabetic that's egged on by the availability of junk food to buy on impulse. I have a tendency toward high blood pressure I have cured a decade ago through reducing sodium. I also have some serious lung issues. Particulate air pollution over 50ppm makes it so I have a very hard time breathing. I am extremely sensitive to it. The good boat has all inside sail controls and steering. Can sail anywhere without needing to be out in the air pollution. Climate and air control. No mold either. Hard surfaces. Wipe clean. No hidden areas that are unreachable. Mold bothers my my lungs as well.

Family factors that will impact cruising?

Thankfully none whatsoever. We are both already quite removed from family from traveling so much already.

Have been doing this 30 years, and have 52’ monohull in pacific. Most cruisers wait too long, do too much refitting, spend too much money, get too old and sick, wait until family factors will not allow them to go.....

So some observations...
Go as soon as you financially can.
Go on a safe and sound boat, but doesn’t need to be perfect.
If you are restricted for some reason, cruise on a smaller scale, coastal or islands, but GO!

And this is what I'm thinking too. I've always been a proponent of "just go". However, all the other factors and the input of my girlfriend (who is at wife level), not like a fly by night girlfriend level.

Just sayin.....cuz many cruisers have had their dreams wrecked while refitting in the boat yard.....

Yes, I've seen this time and time again. I've tried to explain to the girlfriend how brutal the 2-3 years will be doing the interior and rigging. Note: it's a new boat for those who misunderstood it to be a refit on an old one. I already suffered through building everything aside from interior and rigging and that was obviously some factor in why I have a girlfriend now and no longer a wife. Lol. But, this one really wants to give it a shot. I could go either way here.

[Breaking Waves]

Originally Posted by Chotu

ideal boat

The 'ideal boat' is an impossible dream, even with millions of dollars. You always find compromises or things you want to change. Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

did you settle for something easy and cheap?

Well, yea, not that either. It needs to be quite good.
That might be cheap and easy if you are quite skilled and very lucky, but probably not.

Do you think happiness comes more from the traveling? More from having a great boat? Or more from some combination of these? What combination do you think is right?

That is a HUGE question. I would ask a bit different one - do you want to change your life, become a seaman and live a seaman's life; or do you want to take your home with you to sea. Those are very different aspirations. They have very different implications and pros/cons.

My girlfriend is convinced

as others have said - the GF needs to be onboard.
I just let mine totally pick our first boat, because I really did not care and wanted her to be happy.

..............

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by toolbar

Does your girlfriend really want to go? Or is the imperfect boat just an excuse?

No, she's ready to go now. Just doesn't prefer the lesser boat.

Have you discussed, what the required minimum standard she wants actually is? Maybe there are just a few things she needs and they don't take 100k and multiple years of work?

Actually, no. We did not get into the nitty gritty about what makes one feel like a home (even while still incomplete) and the other not feel like a home.

I'll ask her right now...

Result: Mostly about light, quality of life aboard, being able to have a custom designed interior (for instance, she can't reach the cabinets in the galley in the adequate boat). She's spent 6 months or so living and traveling full time on each of these boats.

The weird part is, I've spent much more time than that on each of them. Obviously I want the better boat but the financial and lost years penalty is not something I'm taking lightly.

Would stink to start traveling globally on the lesser boat and end up unhappy about that boat. Also stinks to do all the work and spend all the money on the better boat. But I guess at least that's a known. It's a choice where I'll know how bad it will be and how good the end result will be.

Maybe there is merit to that?



Paul

Some text at the end to satisfy the length of post outside the quotes requirement.

[mglonnro]

I'm NOT a global cruiser but I think your challenge isn't really cruising related anyways

Don't get stuck building on the boat, if you really don't want to.

Don't "just go" straight away, if your girlfriend really doesn't want to.

Maybe find some middle ground? Has she sailed much before? Can you "just go" for a month or so and then return to figuring out what the both of you want at that time?

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by Breaking Waves

.
ideal boat

The 'ideal boat' is an impossible dream, even with millions of dollars. You always find compromises or things you want to change. Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good.

That is a HUGE question. I would ask a bit different one - do you want to change your life, become a seaman and live a seaman's life; or do you want to take your home with you to sea. Those are very different aspirations. They have very different implications and pros/cons.

Yes, I know. Lots of compromises. I'm 30 years into boats now, much of it spent cruising and living aboard from Canada to the Keys. A little time on the Caribbean. Due to work, I've never found the opportunity to "just go". Was always too scared to try to let fate take over. In those 30 years I've spent more nights sleeping at anchor than on land. I've worked out my perfect boat and completing that is the choice the girlfriend likes. The more difficult choice. But it's my (and her now as well) perfect boat.

Well, I've been a seaman most of my life already anyway so the only worry I have about that is if I'm going to miss out on anything living that life the entire time vs more conventional traveling. And of course a bit apprehensive about crossing oceans since I've never done it. I've only basically been from Venezuela to Canada.

[Chotu]

Originally Posted by mglonnro

I'm NOT a global cruiser but I think your challenge isn't really cruising related anyways

Don't get stuck building on the boat, if you really don't want to.

Don't "just go" straight away, if your girlfriend really doesn't want to.

Maybe find some middle ground? Has she sailed much before? Can you "just go" for a month or so and then return to figuring out what the both of you what at that time?

I'm sorry. I may have missed part of the story. She has lived aboard and cruised 6 months each on both of these boats. Just not internationally. She is ready. She wants the one we have to build.

[toolbar]

Easy.

Sell both boats, even if it hurts you (financially and wrt your feelings about all the work).

Go boat shopping _with her_. You will be able to buy one boat, probably smaller than both of the others, but one that will work for both of you.

Then go.

A few month ago I might have taken over your half-ready cataraman-build, but since we did buy a boat now, I have no vested interested to get your boat to the market anymore. :-)