Instant Cruising?

[sanjuan2R]

Why not buy the boat in CA or Mexico; sail it back to BC to complete the upgrades you intend and then set sail from Juan de Fuca knowing what the hell is planned? It will give you time to dispose of your belongings and outfit your world cruiser the way you want. Plus, it will give you plenty of time to learn the boat's systems and handling. You can always head south through Panama to enjoy the Carribean islands. That way it eliminates your shipping goods down there. Use your head ...

Randy
C&C 27
Astoria, OR

[scupper42]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

scupper-

whatever you do...make sure the mrs. can sail/handle the boat as well as you, and make sure she has input into the boat buying process. Cruising as a couple will leave you or her effectively singlehanding the boat for long periods of time...so you want to make sure that she likes the boat and can sail it.

Just as a point of reference.

I started sailing with the missus when we were 15 years old. At that point, she had 15 years more boating experience than I did. And I don't kid myself. She will have at least as much input on the boat choice as me. I will be easily impressed with tidiness behind an electrical panel and a thoughtfully prepared engine compartment; whereas she will notice important things like whether or not the galley is laid out well and if she can even reach the headboard on the main...

[scupper42]

Originally Posted by sanjuan2R

Why not buy the boat in CA or Mexico; sail it back to BC to complete the upgrades you intend and then set sail from Juan de Fuca knowing what the hell is planned? It will give you time to dispose of your belongings and outfit your world cruiser the way you want. Plus, it will give you plenty of time to learn the boat's systems and handling. You can always head south through Panama to enjoy the Carribean islands. That way it eliminates your shipping goods down there. Use your head ...

Randy
C&C 27
Astoria, OR

Two passages up and down the west coast and a canal transit to avoid shipping a pallet load of goods to BVI? I'm not sure this makes a lot of sense. The notion was to avoid the passages up and down the west coast and work on the refit in the destination cruising area...

[scupper42]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Actually I disagree on the need for the missus to be able to handle the boat under sail. Obviously, this would be a plus but I also think it is one of the things that brings a lot of fear to non-sailing spouses..."What happens if my hubby has a heart attack" or similar variation.
The only reason for a woman to NEED to be able to sail the boat alone is if the hubby is incapacitated. If he IS incapacitated...she needs HELP for him...not to continue to make the passage. So...instead of sailing skills what she needs to learn is:
1. Getting the sails DOWN.
2. How to get help: EPIRB, SSB Emergency Operation, VHF Mayday prcedures AND how to give the position of the boat from the GPS.
3. Turning the engine on and driving the boat under power.
4. In the worst case of a spouse overboard items 1 and 3 are of immediate concern.

These things are relatively easy to learn and do not require strength or skills that take time to develope.
Obviously a spouse that CAN sail and enjoys it is a huge advantage in cruising, but it is my observation that many do not enjoy the actual sailing even though they may quite enjoy the cruising life.

I dare say my wife won't be worried about sail handling and such. Her primary concern will be whether or not the body will stink before she returns to shore. She'll likely elect to toss me overboard rationalizing that I would have wanted to be buried at sea. I do hope she remembers to check for a pulse before she tosses me over...

[Bermudahigh]

I think your plan to buy in the cruising ground is a sound one. we've been on the lookout for a few years. sometimes set back by "life". we've just returned from another venture down to sea trial and step on board only to be disappointed....again.

about the boat, your catalina is a good measuring stick to see what works and what doesn't. there are big 34' and small 44'ers. not sure if the book "sensible cruising, the thoreau approach" has been mentioned in this thread. its a great read.

x charter boats are abundant, so are the horror stories of substantial items missed by surveyors, refits gone way over budget, etc. there are good boats available. a passport 40 just sold in the bvi for in the 40k range. (this is the exception rather than rule.)

when evaluating the boat, especially w/gear, look hard at the age of the gear. watermakers can be more expensive to repair than replace.

i dont know if you've set a budget. that dictates the next course of action.

as for your spouse, she will be focused on the safety of the children. its her job.

its a great plan, go get it. we started cruising the bvi with our kids when they were 5 and 8. they're 23 and 26. one ran a 65' catamaran in st thomas and the other just returned from a winter there and is heading back in the fall.
good hunting!