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I just want to sail away..

18K views 95 replies 34 participants last post by  pistonbully 
#1 ·
For awhile....

Tell me guys, I know this isn't exactly an original idea that I am having here. But I would like to know the reality of it.

Here I am a "Land Lubber", Been on a power boat a lot and even out on the peuget sound a few times in a big boat for fishing. But NEVER a S.V.

What i want to do:

Learn to sail, I live in Colorado and I plan to take the A.S.A Basic keel Boat course and Coastal cruising course to get my liscence and be able to sail up to a 30' on my own. There is a school in denver that offers the two courses at a really good price.

Next,, Sve a Ton of $$ over the next 2 years.. i'm thinking 15k at min..

Next buy a Sail boat 25 to 28 feet somewhere on the east coast or in the gulf for $5000 or less.. (I have found A LOT of good deals in this price range). Hopefully it will be fully outfitted at this price as many I hav found are.

I figure my first trip acrossed the gulf stream I will be fully loaded with enough food to see me through 3 months so i'm not waisting money in the islands,, then top off again on the way back through to the keys..


Next,, Sail away! I am looking at 1-2 years depending on how it all goes. I figure with 10k in the bank I can live pretty good as a ocean hobo for awhile. I want to explore the caribian, and Florida keys. If I get really really good at sailing I will venture to Cazumel and maybe even Jamaica before making my way back to Florida or other mainland area to work again for a year before hopefully heading for europe for a year or two..

How can I do this? I have no wife, no kids, No debt and a good job that pays well enough that I can put away desent amounts each month. Atleast $400 a month right now..

I am also in the mean time looking for that perfect girl to travel with me, but i'm not getting my hopes up on that one..

So, what do you think? Am I missing anything obvious? Does it sound like i'm covering my bases pretty well? I do understand that A boat is nothing more than a hole in the water that can only be filled with money.... But I am hoping I choose well and get a decent one that doesn't need much more than some elbow grease and TLC...


Any suggestions? Also, where are some hot spots for novice hobo boaters in the caribian that might want to just hang out on there boat and not really be bothered? I've heard Conception island is Great for this. But so far, i've just been reading and google earthing seeing if I see anything I like from afar.

Thanks, guys.

Sincerely
Guy not trying to dround...
 
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#69 ·
My advice for you:

Rather than look for a boat right now, start learning about sailing. Get a good beginners book and study it to get a foundation. Then get a really good book, like The Annapolis Book of Seamanship and study that, watch the DVD's from Netflix....etc....get Don Casey's book The Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual....the whole first section is on doing your own inspections so you can disqualify a boat before spending money on a survey. You only want to drop $$$ on a survey to "confirm" the boat you want is a good one. Nigel Calder's books, Cruising Handbook and Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Manual should also be added.

While you're developing your knowledge, MOVE! Get your butt out to the coast and get a job. By the time you get out there and settled in (rent an apartment) you should have started to develop a really good knowledge base and you can start boat shopping again. By the time you actually get in a position to buy your boat and move aboard, everything you've discussed or "decided on" in this thread is likely to be changed, because you will have studied, researched and learned. Plus, you'll have the knowledge to make your boat search more productive.
 
#71 ·
My advice for you:

Rather than look for a boat right now, start learning about sailing. Get a good beginners book and study it to get a foundation. Then get a really good book, like The Annapolis Book of Seamanship and study that, watch the DVD's from Netflix....etc....get Don Casey's book The Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual....the whole first section is on doing your own inspections so you can disqualify a boat before spending money on a survey. You only want to drop $$$ on a survey to "confirm" the boat you want is a good one. Nigel Calder's books, Cruising Handbook and Boat Owners Mechanical and Electrical Manual should also be added.
Sounds like a synopsis of what the wife and I did several years ago. The Annapolis Book of Seamanship by John Rousmaniere was s great start. He's on Netflix and you can stream one or two of his videos. We also have Don Casey's book on surveying an old boat. We used both, along with several others, to learn as much of the basics as we could before we bought. Then we bought small, learned to sail, and moved up.

Research, research, research. Visit forums and ask a lot of "dumb" questions. Better to look "dumb" here than to look dumb while being towed back to your marina so you can find out how much you need to spend to get her back out on the water! Worked for us, and buy, did we have our dumb moments, but at least none to bad or dangerous.
 
#73 · (Edited)
Dude, go for it!. I'd start moving now, to MD, buy something 30-ft or larger, move in, sail the Bay, learn, work on her, and then live the dream.

I just wish I bought my boat 20 years ago.

Oh, I, too, wanted to be a ski bum when I got out of the military back in 1977, actually ski patroled a season, then recreationally, until things got so darned expensive and crowded. Got bored with waiting in line for 20 minutes, 5-10 minute ride to the top, then 2.5 minutes to the bottom. :)

Then, I became a slave and worked, and still work, from paycheck to paycheck, this time with a 23-footer sailboat that I've spent thousands on, after the initial purchase. Getting ready to enjoy the inland sailing season on a very nicely upgraded boat. Just wish I was younger. I'm sure enjoying the hell out of sailing, and it scares the crap out of me too, half the time. Some mighty ugly winds on the Columbia River at times.

But, I'm learning and am fortunate to have befriended two live aboard folks, who both work at the local Chandlery, dock close to my boat, who love to sail, lots!!!!, one on a Catalina 27 tall rig, and the other a 34-foot Columbia (very sweet boat that's been to Hawaii twice).

Best of Luck!!!!! You've found a great place here to get your research done. Listen to these folks. They know their stuff. Oh, you'll want to add the latest edition of Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship to your library. A very knowledgable fellow who used to frequent this place consistently recommended The Complete Sailor, by David Seidman. Get it.
 
#74 ·
"then recreationally, until things got so darned expensive and crowded. Got bored with waiting in line for 20 minutes, 5-10 minute ride to the top, then 2.5 minutes to the bottom" Exactly!!

Thanks for all the book suggestions.. I will be starting a list tonight and start looking into them.. Some I will do PDFs of.

Yeah I would love to leave right now. But it's just not possible. In this day and age one needs to have plenty to fall back on..

I want to have some loot in the bank before I go anywhere. I doubt the economy will have bounced back so much by this time next year that I can't find what I'm looking for..

I too look forward to inward waterway sailing seasons too. i think that's when I will get the most work.. Then head off somewhere really really far away for awhile >.<
 
#75 ·
@pistonbully From your posts I read in here, NOW is the time to do what you are wanting to do. Don't wait because one day you might have a wife and kids that just won't be able to go with you. Later on you may also end up with something else anchoring you from your dreams. You are free now, do it now. Get more detail and move forward with it, make the dream a reality now while you can. Hint: You are on the right track, use the internet! ;) "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."
 
#79 ·
Thanks for the words of wisdom Chris, and I feel you on all these wonderful points..

But the fact still remains that i'm not happy.. And I see something that can make me happy. I see a lot of contradiction going on in these latest posts. And I understand the different views..

But this is how I see it..

In this life I was given nothing, A mom that hated being a mom and wanted nothing to do with me there for leaving me to defend for myself and a father who didn't show up till I was 16 and then was taken from me at 18.. My entire family except my little sister is completely useless to me and has no part of my life..

IN that,, I have always done the very best for myself and never let myself down.I have always been a dreamer and I have always seen these dreams through.. Case in point two years ago I decided I wanted to build my own chopper. I have always loved motorcycles but I never new jack about working on them I had never even removed a wheel let alone changed the tire... And yet two years later I have this (Built from a completely stock 1981 kawasaki motorcycle) Darn thing hadn't even ran in 25 years!!
Photobucket

So Have no doubt I will see this dream through to fruition and I will succeed. For the one belief that I hold fast to is that no one in my life is so close that I can't be far away. The one person who may be being my sister can come visit when ever she likes.

I believe that it is my mission in my life to propel my self as far forward as I possible can and to reach the very limits of my own abilities.. Until I have done this there will be no family for me,, no kids no wife and no one getting close enough to say "You can't" because asa soon as they say that ,,,, I'm Gone.....

as for going right now and looking at boats and getting started right now? Nah,,, it just doesn't compute. Go out to the east coast with very little savings and very little knowledge? I believe then I might just have a failure on my hands..

Yes, it may be hard to save say 10k in one year.. But I have No debt, no kids, no anything to side track my savings except for me.. I have to know what I want and thy bidding shall be done!
 
#82 ·
Case in point two years ago I decided I wanted to build my own chopper. I have always loved motorcycles but I never new jack about working on them I had never even removed a wheel let alone changed the tire... And yet two years later I have this (Built from a completely stock 1981 kawasaki motorcycle) Darn thing hadn't even ran in 25 years!!

( see pretty picture of bike above )

So Have no doubt I will see this dream through to fruition and I will succeed.
Dude your cred just went up a lot, nothing on a sailboat is any more mechanically complex than that bike. Follow Gary's advice: get yourself out to the coast, look at a lot of boats, read up all you can. Get sailing, at least on other peoples' boats. With your skills (and ability to learn new skills!) you won't have trouble finding work.

Is it the end of the world if you spend $5k on a good coastal cruiser and spend a year or two with it (especially if you're tough enough to live aboard) before you resell it for the same price, knowing exactly what you're looking for in your next boat?
 
#84 · (Edited)
Is it the end of the world if you spend $5k on a good coastal cruiser and spend a year or two with it (especially if you're tough enough to live aboard) before you resell it for the same price, knowing exactly what you're looking for in your next boat?
No, Not at all actually.. I would be just fine with such an experience. Ideally what I would like to have happen, Buy a boat on the cheap... Fix it up while afloat and leaning for a couple years.

Get my sea knowledge down pat and then head ashore to finance something bigger for around 50k and call it home.. Maybe Then I get my lil sailin ladie,, but I doubt before that.. I'm sure it will be a lot of goodbyes till then..

Lol,, However today was funny.. I mentioned my idea in front of a buddies girl and she was all about going with me.. My buddy was getting pissed too... I had to play it all down to her so it would sound boring and dangerous and that she would never want to spend that long on a little boat with some dude.. In reality I was like ,,, Hmmm..... ((I bet she looks good in a 2 piece ...))
 
#80 ·
I'm going to contradict a little about what has been stated above. You can purchase a $5,000 boat that doesn't need $10,000 in repairs and upgrades to make it seaworthy. In today's depressed economy it's a buyers market. You would be amazed at what you can find out there for $5,999 to $10,000, especially in south Florida and Chesapeake Bay.

Much of what you will have to spend will depend upon your ability to fix things yourself. If you're one of those individuals that has a fair degree of common sense, and some electro-mechanical experience, you'll find that sailboats are fairly easy to work on. And, you can find nearly all the used parts you need to fix them online and in many of the boat yards. For example, I know a guy that purchased a nearly new boom that fit his 36 Catalina perfectly for $50. It was on a junker at a boat yard. The boat yard was happy to get the $50 and there were also happy because that was something they could get rid of that they didn't have to advertise to do so.

I do agree, however, that you will have to wander through the boat yards, talk to the boat yard and marina owners, and, shop online as well. I spent nearly a month driving from Baltimore south along the east coast, then over to Louisiana looking at Morgan 33 Out Islands. Most of them were found on line, but a few leads were sent to me by individuals on various forums that knew I was in the market for that particular boat. I ended up driving nearly 5,000 miles, and ironically, found the boat I was looking for just 90 miles from home in Rock Hall. In many instances, the boats I found on the trip south had been sold just a couple days or weeks prior to my arrival. And, of course, some were just pieces of junk that were way overpriced for the shape they were in.

If and when you find the boat you are looking for, you definitely should have it surveyed by a reputable marine surveyor. This is really important. One of the first boats I looked at looked very, very good. It was in Baltimore's Inner Harbor, it had a nearly new 56-HP diesel engine, 36 feet long, narrow beam though, new sails, and the finish looked as shiny as a brand-new penny. When I ran a hydro-meter over the foredeck I quickly discovered that the core was completely rotted out. Additionally, there was water seepage in all the exterior decks. The guy was only asking $12,000 for the boat, which would have been a great deal, but the fiberglass and recoring work would have cost an additional $20,000. A complete, marine survey is crucial when it comes to buying a used boat.

Good Luck,

Gary :cool:
 
#81 ·
Do it man! A year ago I bought a 30' boat for $4300 with plans on sailing south. I've been completely refitting everything on the boat. I'll be heading south this fall.

You definitely need to climb around on some potential boats. When I was shopping for mine, I was amazed at how much difference 1' in length or width makes in regards to a comfortable living space.
 
#83 ·
Lol,, Thanks guys.. Yeah I do fancy myself to be a lil handy and able to learn to work on new things. I hope that you are right about boats being simple.

I will be sure to have the boat I buy inspected first. How much is that on average anyway? I suppose I can just google that one.

Sailingguy,,, I knew it could be done, i'm glad you are doing it.. We will have to be sure and catch up to one another out on the blue and swap stories!

And believe you me you guys.. I will head for that water as soon as I can.. But not before I have my piggy bank filled back up.;)
 
#86 ·
Most accredited marine surveyors charge by the foot. In my case, it was $15 a foot for my 33-footer, which translated to $495. The survey checked things I never would have thought about, and he climbed into places my aging, rotund frame could never access. When he finished, he emailed by an incredibly detailed report, one that pretty much detailed everything I would have to do to get the boat back into top condition.

Good Luck,

Gary :cool:
 
#87 ·
A copy of Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual: Including Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, would be a good investment. Do your own presurvey. Lots of boats will be eliminated this way. A lot of it is not rocket science.

When you start looking seriously make up a check list and take a digital camera and photograph everything.
 
#88 ·
A copy of Don Casey's Complete Illustrated Sailboat Maintenance Manual: Including Inspecting the Aging Sailboat, would be a good investment. Do your own presurvey. Lots of boats will be eliminated this way. A lot of it is not rocket science.

When you start looking seriously make up a check list and take a digital camera and photograph everything.
Yes, yes and yes. A digital camera is a must. Use it to reach behind and under places where you can't see. I use mine all the time to inspect connections for the fresh water tank, holding tank connections and mount, areas in the engine room I can't get to, the bilge, closeups of the rigging, etc. Take a tablet and write down notes on everything. Post the pics here so we can all comment. Make sure that you check all the most costly things twice.

Our list of most important items started in this order:
  • Hull integrity/condition of keel bolts/paint
  • Engine condition/hours/maintenance history
  • Packing nut assembly/prop
  • Rigging/sails
  • Electrical integrity
  • Plumbing integrity

The most important were of course those things that would sink you - literally. Then came the things that would cost the most to repair/replace, then the other pesky items that would cost money and time. The list is much longer than this, but these were at the top.

If you've taken 200+ pictures of everything and you have a few pages of notes, then you have a start.
 
#90 ·
Do your self a big favor. Don't wait two years, go out and get a boat now. Lots of 1-3K boats out there in the 25-30 LOA range that are easily sailable. Just looked at a 25' 1977 Columbia today going for $1,000. Has a working diesel and all the standing rigging is in good shape. Just needs a new main and a lot of interior wood work. I tell you if it had the standing room I need I would have bought it out right and as it stands I am seriously considering buying it anyway just for the scrap value.
What I am saying is, before you take the big plunge put your toe in the water. Bottom line, if you buy a boat that floats for under $3,000 you will always be able to get back what you paid for it in two years when your ready for big momma.
Dont let the dream fade or the time slip. IF your serious about sailing and doing what you state then take the first step and put some cash down. I know its scary looking at cheap boats.. Rot, old wiring and rustic engines with blisters on the hull... Of course thats not all on one boat, or one your seriously considering anyway, but those are the sorts of things that will be off on those kind of boats. The good news is if your willing ti put the elbow grease in your self, and you live within 25 miles of a Home Depot, then you can get everything you need for CHEAP AND learn how to do all the work yourself. Another benefit? Since your doing the work on a run down boat it doesnt matter if its perfect. The boat is the learning experience. Just make sure it has a good hull, good rigging, and sail. Blisters, rot all that stuff is easily fixed.
Also, you really dont even NEED to fix most the stuff. If you have rot in places or your port holes leak a bit so what? Its a starter boat meant only to get you on the water and with sailing experience in your belt. Now, disclaimer: You should NOT sail in the ocean with a leaky boat. However, Rivers lakes and other water body types that are more protected are not a big deal. The things that really bug you can be your projects and every thing you do will add experience to your arsenal and possibly add value to your boat come sell time.
Sorry for the tangent but I hate to read so many "I wanna..." post about far off dreams that easily slip your grasp if you dont take hold. Carpe diem friend. Besides, you got a trove of knowledge at your finger tips with this forum to guide you along the way.
One more thing, if your really nervous about all the big boat stuff or just don't have the money right now then join a local sailing or yacht club. Fees run around $100 a month most places and there you can get experience on small dinghy boats or even gain spots crewing on larger boats.
Read the books at night and hold fast by day. Ain't going to get salty just by eatin Morton's
 
#92 ·
I came across this thread on CF and thought it might help in your planning.
Cruising on $500 per Month . . . - Cruisers & Sailing Forums

Lots of good discussion on what items need to be in your budget, what is critical spending and what kind of life you'll lead at $500/mo budget. There are, of course, differing opinions throughout the thread on what is necessary, what is missing etc. So lots to help you create your own particular financial plan while you save up at your current job.
 
#94 ·
Thanks guys. I appreciate all the book suggestions. I am getting so much info together for my plan! It's looking more and more doable, and i'm beginning to get less and less intimidated by the idea of setting sail.

One thing I have already done in preparation is to order "the Wirie" for wifi for my boat. As soon as it gets here i'm canceling my internet. that's an extra $50 a month towards the kitty!!

My boss is funny too,, In the last two weeks he has asked me to fill in for two dif over time shifts. I've been like "Dude, you don't even have to ask just put me on the schedule !". He's loving the fact that I say yes to every opportunity to work extra.
 
#95 ·
Been following this thread like I follow all the ones on this subject--I like to see what the dreamers are dreaming. A lot of these just don't look like they're going to go anywhere. But you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders, pistonbully, and I have no doubt you'll do what you're dreaming. Good luck to you. I hope you stay on Sailnet as you work on it.
 
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