youngbuck trying to start cruising

[TQA]

Hi there LOD

Good to see you are making it happen.

Here is a link to something you might like. read the bit on Shrimpy and Shane Acton. He started off with less money and less knowledge than you.

http://twin-keeler.org/newsletter/twinkeeler2_2005.pdf

The book is difficult to find but is supposed to be around in pdf form on the internet. I am sitting in St Thomas on my retirement boat in the rain on a crappy wifi connection and have not been able to find a download site that works but it could be choice internets fault.

I took a 7 year chunk of my retirement early 20 years ago and met someone not unlike you while waiting to set off from Gand Canaria to cross the Atlantic. He was a woodworker and was able to scare up enough work from fellow boaties to keep himself going. He too had a simple 26 footer.

There is work out there and if you do good work word will get around. Mind you diesel work tends to be of a distress purchase, ie nobody really enjoys buying and fitting a cylinder head while woodwork is usually something that people will see and enjoy.

[carl762]

Newbie sailboat owner here. Sundance 23, new rigging, rebuilt outboard, overall in pretty good shape, on a trailer, going to launch in May. Planning on cutting cable television out of my life and spending all my off time sailing up and down the Columbia River. This year's vacation will be a trip to Astoria, but I'm not going to hit the ocean, yet. I'm middle aged and think this hobby will help keep me young.

I hope to read more and more about your new boat. Would really like to see some pictures of both interior and exterior. Any repair tips would be greatly appreciated.

Just wish I was 30 years younger getting into this ad-venture. I think about sailing most all the time. Absorbing books, DVDs, magazines daily.

Happy Sailing.

[smackdaddy]

Hey carl - welcome to SN dude.

[carl762]

Thank you very much.

[HDChopper]

Hey Living wheres the update ? LOL good on ya man....

[Livinondreams]

Originally Posted by HDChopper

Hey Living wheres the update ? LOL good on ya man....

I now have a Westsail 28 that I am working on. Hoping to move aboard when winter passes so I can have more time to get her into shipshape. I am living back in northern va and currently keeping the boat in annapolis,a little over an hour away as long as I don't hit traffic. She is much less of a project then my previous endeavor...lesson learned:definitly worth saving up a little longer to get a boat in better shape And the roomy westsail feels like a mansion compared to the contessa. College is on hold again for now,might take a few night classes here and there. But for the time being, all my spare time goes to the boat. Getting ready to get to work rebuilding the bowspirit in my garage, I will post some pics when I get started on it. Things are going in the right direction and hopefully progress quickly.

I love looking back at this thread and seeing how much has happened since my orginal posting. I am actually somewhat close to accomplishing my orginal post,although it has taken a couple years and a couple wrong turns

[chall03]

Originally Posted by Livinondreams

I now have a Westsail 28 that I am working on. Hoping to move aboard when winter passes so I can have more time to get her into shipshape. I am living back in northern va and currently keeping the boat in annapolis,a little over an hour away as long as I don't hit traffic. She is much less of a project then my previous endeavor...lesson learned:definitly worth saving up a little longer to get a boat in better shape And the roomy westsail feels like a mansion compared to the contessa. College is on hold again for now,might take a few night classes here and there. But for the time being, all my spare time goes to the boat. Getting ready to get to work rebuilding the bowspirit in my garage, I will post some pics when I get started on it. Things are going in the right direction and hopefully progress quickly.

I love looking back at this thread and seeing how much has happened since my orginal posting. I am actually somewhat close to accomplishing my orginal post,although it has taken a couple years and a couple wrong turns

So great to hear from you again!

A couple of wrong turns and a few years is what it takes most of us to achieve our dreams. I believe it makes the sunsets prettier and more special and the places will be the little bit more magic knowing how hard you had to work to make it happen.

Continued good luck, would love to see photos!

[HDChopper]

Yes pic's !

Glad to hear from ya , Westsail 28's are great looking boats & capeable of rideing the Sea from what I read...

[jordanship]

I love looking back at this thread and seeing how much has happened since my orginal posting. I am actually somewhat close to accomplishing my orginal post,although it has taken a couple years and a couple wrong turns

Love this thread too. What a cool journey LOD!

[LakeSuperiorGeezer]

Smaller is cheaper to buy and maintain. Here are some boats from Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere:
Albin Vega 27
Folkboat 25
Contessa/J.J. Taylor 26
Pearson Triton 28
Cape Dory 25D
Bristol 27