Thoughts on Newbie 1st boat purchase

[WanderingFool]

RB-
Well you could've just read the post carefully before you jumped to conclusions, but I appreciate your response regardless.
Please tell me constructively why you think this boat would not be sufficient with a proper refitting?

[RickLaPaz]

I'm still trying to decipher what you bought.

Your move.........

[arbarnhart]

So it is one of these?





Outfitted properly and skillfully skippered, I don't think it is an unreasonable choice at all. However, my knowledge is from books and the net, not the sea; a situation I hope to remedy. When I set out, I will float my ideas and probably get some encouragement and some comments that are less than encouraging. I will look into any issues raised and I would encourage you or anyone else to do the same.

BTW - this is supposed to be one of the encouraging ones in a cautiously optimistic sort of way.

[camaraderie]

WF...welcome aboard. While I wish you well on your venture, I too think that before you tell others what you have done...who to listen to...who to discount...it might be well for you to actually have DONE something that we all can respect. It is no trick to BUY a boat you think is capable of crossing an ocean for 20K...after all Catalina 27's can be bought for $5k and some of them have crossed oceans.
Actually getting your boat outfitted and sailing say from Seattle to SanFrancisco and surviving a gale on the way would give you some cred.
In the meantime, your advice is from books and what others have told you that fits with how you think things should be.
I'm neither angry or pooh poohing your chances and I do wish you well...but forgive me if I don't consider you qualified to advise others on how to do much just yet.
I will be interested to hear your progress.

[sailingdog]

Rick-

You might want to learn to read... post #4 clearly says that he bought a Yankee 30 Mk II.

Originally Posted by RickLaPaz

I'm still trying to decipher what you bought.

Your move.........

Originally Posted by WanderingFool

Yankee 30 MKII, keep in mind that I plan to put another 10-15k into it on the refit.
I don't know why it would seem unreasonable that one could do this for much less than many people.

[RickLaPaz]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

WF...welcome aboard. While I wish you well on your venture, I too think that before you tell others what you have done...who to listen to...who to discount...it might be well for you to actually have DONE something that we all can respect. It is no trick to BUY a boat you think is capable of crossing an ocean for 20K...after all Catalina 27's can be bought for $5k and some of them have crossed oceans.
Actually getting your boat outfitted and sailing say from Seattle to SanFrancisco and surviving a gale on the way would give you some cred.
In the meantime, your advice is from books and what others have told you that fits with how you think things should be.
I'm neither angry or pooh poohing your chances and I do wish you well...but forgive me if I don't consider you qualified to advise others on how to do much just yet.
I will be interested to hear your progress.

Very well stated, Cam, and exactly what I was trying to convey, though in not quite such a Larry King kind of way...

What got me first was the statement of his distrust and poo-pooing of others opinions, but then arriving here doing the exact same. With no-(admitingly) credentials and experience. Which may have baffled some of the other listeners here. Personally, W/Fool's op-ed piece rings hollow without the requisite scars and broken bones of lessons learned---the hard way.

Anyways, Fool, I actually do wish you luck and would love to share a beer together some day in an un-named cove. But remember, Donna lange was VERY lucky and SLIGHTLY foolis. But Ken Barnes-(aka Cap't PopTart) was a complete and utter moron who should have just stayed home and kept on banging the Housewives of the OC and scrubbing algae.

Please do your homework so we don't have to see you dangling under an orange and white helo some day on Most Dangerous Videos.........

[WanderingFool]

RB-4th post on 1st page - Yankee 30 MKII

arbanhart - yes it is if thats a MkII

camaraderie- I didn't make any suggestions specifically to any boat or practice, rather I stated that one should learn what they can about any and all specific boats, their pros and cons, and then decide for themselves. I didn't offer any advice on what one should DO with their boat, simply what I encountered to help anyone trying to do the same. Nearly all people and posts here are opinions, as I could tell you I did something I didn't and who would really know. I was offering my experience and thoughts on MY boat purchase. Perhaps not everyone has read my post thoroughly. Are you suggesting that I don't post anything other than my experiences, and if so that is what I did - MY experience on buying a boat, MY thoughts and OPINIONS. Please explain how I advised anyone on anything - the title of my post was what? Thoughts on newbie 1st boat purchase. That says it all right there.

Seems to me that people are jumping on my intended use of boat rather than anything else. I've purported no great knowledge, only what I found in my experience. I don't need to prove anything to you or others, especially when I make clear from the start that this is the beginning of a process that I'm taking. It seems clear that the subject of circumnavigation is a touchy around here, and all this time wasted on the simple background of my post rather than any thoughts on my experience buying a boat. I invited comments so I guess I'm getting what I asked for!

[painters]

You touched a nerve, tough crowd.

[RickLaPaz]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Rick-

You might want to learn to read... post #4 clearly says that he bought a Yankee 30 Mk III.

Do I need to sue my optomologist?......


4. Prioritize. I decided that a strong structure was very important to me, pure comfort second, and length regardless a very distant third. I decided that I'd rather sail something easy to single-hand, VERY easy, and smaller so I'd have more time out there. This is how I see it, every day out there on a smaller boat beats the hell out of the same day working to refit a larger boat, or having to head in to make more money for the larger boat. Safety was always important to me and I always thought of it in terms of handling rather than equipment. What I mean is that I'd rather have something smaller that I could handle properly than to simply rely on the brute size to carry me through any rough weather. Keep in mind that knowing I'm in a 30' might cause me to make a different decision regarding route or window than if I were sailing 36'.

[MARRSY]

I thought you had some good points WF - good luck in your wandering