[WHOOSH]

TD, we''ve known several couples who were long-term cruising sailors and also truck drivers, running large rigs all around the U.S. to fatten the cruising kitty. The small amenities, computer-linked ''navigation'', and multi-day ''watch standing'' are not without their counterparts in sailing.

Now...having said that, you''ve got a fantasy in your head and, if you''re like most folks, you''ll need more than one captain''d charter to turn you into an informed boat buyer and safe sailor. And please understand there is a huge gap - in learning, experience and perspective - between boarding a sailboat and sailing it vs. long-distance long-term cruising. There''s nothing wrong with setting ambitious goals so long as you have reasonable plans for reaching them and expend the effort it takes. So...here are a few suggestions:
1. Call around in your area to see if you can find a sailing school and/or club. Look for one-person non-ballasted daysailors, get on the water and begin learning to sail before you get to ''real'' boats (which are less responsive and will teach you other lessons but not as much about basic sailing). Consider whether your normal trucking route(s) put you near similar facilities elsewhere, allowing you to sail in different venues and with different boats.
2. Build up a small, well-targeted reading list and start studying what you''ll need to know to at least implement the first part of your plan. Consider posting requests on BB''s like this one, soliciting suggestions for your reading list. Subjects you will want to know more about might be long-distance cruising (my favorite, tho'' dated'', is Ross Norgrove''s The Cruising Life), boat design & construction (to help you when you reach the buying stage; take a look at Nigel Calder''s Cruising Handbook and/or Dave Gerr''s The Nature of Boats), and don''t overlook personal, current accounts of cruising that touch on all the dirty little frustrations and logistical hassles involved (I highly recommend you get the SSCA CD that contains their last 8 years of member letters from all around the world - www.ssca.org, Store, Pubs, order the CD for only $25, I believe - and consider joining the SSCA).
3. For ''fun'' and while initially giving up on the idea of buying a bigger boat, prowl boatyards, talk with owners, look at hull forms, rudder attachments, overall profiles, and generally get your hands on the grubby realities of boat ownership & boat design. You''ll meet some very interesting people and learn a lot without ever talking to a broker.

My basic point is that the dream can become a reality but sooner and with more satisfaction if you grab it by the throat and work at it thoughtfully. And this is especially true if you start out with a plan like yours, where your first boat is supposed to end up being your cruising boat - meaning you have to get it right the first time.

Jack