5year plan

[captwoodsie]

Hello Just looking online for way to kick start my five year plan. I'm 37yrs old and married wife and I are looking about selling our house and all our other crap and buying a large boat to live aboard and sail in the caribbean. We are just starting lists of stuff we can do before even buying a boat. ie first aid course, sailing vacation, sailing lessons. There is a boat show here in Jan we will be going of course. So what I'm really asking is how would one go about choosing a boat with so many kinds out there. We are looking for 38 to 42 foot. Willing to loose speed for something more stable. Of course this could all change as we learn more and see more.
Just taking the first step of the rest of our lives.

Thanks

Ed

[joethecobbler]

keep reading- everything.
have fun,good luck,

Oh, and welcome to sailnet, I guess !

[DRFerron]

Welcome to Sailnet. That's your first step. Lurk in the Liveaboard and Cruising forum.

Also:
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/cruisi...-part-one.html

http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-m...e-sailing.html

I suggest picking up John Vigor's The Seaworthy Offshore Sailboat as a starting point.

For your wife, she might like to read Changing Course: A Woman's Guide to Choosing the Cruising Life by Debra Ann Cantrell.

Beyond that, keep a notebook (I had/have many) and write down anything you hear/read that's important to you about the boats on your list. From there, you'll start to narrow it down and then even further when you start boarding boats.

A family I know who decided to cruise started selling their possessions and then moved everyone and what was left into one half of the house for six months prior to leaving land to get used to living in close quarters.

Googling "Sailnet offshore boats" also gets you to some other threads since the topic is recurring.

[captwoodsie]

great info thanks. I have started a note book of differet lists of stuff boat terms are killing me lol. Wife read an embassament of mango's and met the author. Before we bought our house we rented the smallest apt every and lived there for over a year so I know we'll be will be fine for space.

[emoney]

Move into your closet for a week, then you'll be better equipped for the life ahead....lol.

Ok, seriously though, take as many charters as you can afford and you'll get a really good feel for what type of boat suits you the best. You could spend the 5 years "shopping" and still be confused. By actually letting the "rubber meet the road" and spending time on various models, you'll get a much better education. Good luck.

[CalebD]

Oddly enough I thought of the book "An embarrassment of Mangoes" as I read your posts and noted your location. Amazon.com: An Embarrassment of Mangoes: A Caribbean Interlude (9780767914277): Ann Vanderhoof: Books
Nicely written book.
I would think the Ann Vanderhoof and her hubby would be a great resource for your 5 year plan.

[canadianseamonkey]

Hi and welcome aboard. We've all been where you are or are there at the present. First have you and your wife ever been sailing? If not, that would be step one before you start reading and going boat shopping.

Then, like so many suggested...read read read. Tons of good info here, great knowledgable posters on this site, many great other sites on the net and great books to read. I guarantee you it will become an obsession.

I'm not going to suggest boat size, brands or anything else at this time. You have lots of reading to do!!!!

Good luck.

[jackdale]

Before you buy, charter a number of boats that might interest you. Look at deck and interior layouts and evaluate. Living aboard for even a short time is much different than checking out boats at a boat show. A nice spacious interior may be a nightmare underway.

I have a huge list of biases / preferences.

[captwoodsie]

besides the boat show , planning about sailing classes in the spring summer. and a sailing vacation next year. How would I go about chartering different boats? There is a marina down the street from us.

[jackdale]

There are some charter companies in Georgian Bay area. If you wish to go further afield your options expand. I would try to find some companies that charter both lighter production boats as well as more robust "offshore" boats.