East Coastal sailing for a newbie?

[acarter92]

Hi all,

I'm new to the forum and new to the world of sailing, so take it easy on me .

So this is just a brainstorm and before I start seriously looking into it I just wanna figure out if it's even a realistic possibility.

I'm 19 years old and own my own and run my own landscaping/ hardscaping business, the winter is far from exciting for me. I usually only have snow plowing work but I don't depend on that because here in PA some years we hardly get any snow.

So here's the idea, to buy a sailboat and take a couple months off this winter and live on the boat (sail the east coast). I figure the time I would have to work with would be from early december to late february.

My sailing experience is limited. I own a small day sailer that I take out a few times a year, I feel confident on it, but obviously that's a totally different world that a 25-30ft boat. So sailing lessons and lots of reading practice ect would be expected.

I wouldn't plan on doing it alone, my girlfriend would definately go with and bringing her dad along is also a though. (he has a small amount of sailing experience on larger boats).

I'm mechanically enclined, grew up on a farm where if I didn't know how to fix it I figured out how.


I think the biggest problem, at least that I see right now is finances. I figure I could have around 5,000 to do the trip after I bought the boat. I'm figuring around 4,000-6,000 for the boat. So basically I figure right now I can have around 15,000 by the end of the summer to spend on the adventure. Obviously I would be buying the boat sooner and getting it ready and spending money and time to learn to sail it, and possibly take a few small trips before the big one to get ready.

Just looking for opinions, ideas, and advice. Is this a possible adventure if I put my mind to it? Major problems I'm not seeing ect..? I'm afraid if I put this off a few years I'll have too many responsibilities, right now my bills are low and the time is available.

Thanks in advance,
Austin

[jameswilson29]

Originally Posted by acarter92

...Just looking for opinions, ideas, and advice. Is this a possible adventure if I put my mind to it?

Yes.

Originally Posted by acarter92

...Major problems I'm not seeing ect..?

No, although half the country has less than $2K to their names, so I admire your willingness to save for a goal.

This would be a good motto for your thread: "Don't go Postal on the East Coastal"

[Spyder]

Think of it as a Florida vacation. Long Island Sound or Chesapeake Bay is way too cold to enjoy in the winter.

[safira]

Well ACARTER92 there is just a few things to say about your idea ... GO FOR IT!!!!!!! ... just be careful .... as to experience you will get that as you go ... everyboat is different in the sailing of it ... you just need the basics to start and build from there ... welcome to the world of sailing!!!!!

[Capt Len]

Gotta be prudent here,92. You try it. you like it. You tell yourself you can quit any time. Time goes by and you're hooked. Wandering the bays and inlets and maybe the world with all the other nare'do wells.Think about it. What about all those responsibilities you mentioned?

[bljones]

Oh yeah, buying an old boat is a gateway drug.

[acarter92]

Thanks for the good encouragement. The more I think about it the more excited I get.

Is there any good books or articles to start with. I'm sure there are hundreds of sailing books out there. I think I would like to start with learning to navigate and reading maps and charts, I'm sure a gps will be on the shopping list but I'm not about to use one untill I can go without it, I don't like depending on an electronic deivice. The actually sailing I'll leave to the lessons and hands on learning.

I'm not worried about looking for a boat for a while, but when I do I definately want a trailer. I'm not about to pay for a slip when I have a good truck to pull it, and after the trip it's prolly not gonna get used all summer. The more I read and learn I'm not so sure I even need a 25' boat. I would be nice to have a boat I could sail on my own eventually. And the smaller it is the easier it would be to trailer. Just thinking out loud here......

Anyways, I'm up for any decent articles or books ya'll think might help me out, and I'll keep you guys posted on my progress.

Thanks again,
Austin

[wingNwing]

Coast Guard Aux offers boating/navigation classes free or for nominal fees, check them out in your area. For books, you might start with something like Chapman's or Annapolis Book of Seamanship - like an encyclopedia, covers all topics in a general sense. And keep asking questions here.

GA and FL are your most likely options in winter on the east coast. We're in N. Florida now and the heat is running, though water temp is still in the high 50s.

[WDS123]

Do it !

Get one of the older boats in the 25 ft range - possibly a Cape Dory 26 ? I'd strongly advise against getting anything with more displacement than 6,000 lbs.

It will be a lot like car camping for 3 months, but you'll have the adventure of a lifetime.

Imagine you'll be south of Annapolis the entire winter.

[travlineasy]

DO IT! I've worked hard all my life, managed to raise a couple great kids, and have been on boats all my life. But, until 6 years ago they were all powerboats, and nearly every trip was a 1-day fishing excursion. At age 65 I purchased a 27-Catalina for $2,000, spent another couple grand fixing it up, sailed the length of Chesapeake Bay and loved every minute of the 10-day trip. You only get one shot at life, and you are young enough to have a half-century of fun in front of you. GO FOR IT!

There are loads of great books available on Amazon, and if you plan to sail down the ICW to Florida, be sure to pick up the map books for the trip--they are a must have.

Good Luck, and I sincerely hope you take the plunge--you'll never regret it.

Gary