[Markwesti]

I'm not, (sneekin up on 58 ) . OK when it's cold out and about to rain I'm inside fantasizing about my wasted youth . I just ran across this... #718 - W32
And got to thinking , get together a couple of buddies , finish this turkey off and head to Papeete . Don't get me wrong I'm happy with our boat and how we use it . But if I were 25 ..... How bout you ?

 

[arf145]

Why not? I guess it was someone else's dream at one time. Needs a new dreamer.

 

[tempest]

If I were to purchase a boat to finish off for @ $23,000 entry fee; I'd probably want to start with a sound hull. This one claims to be water damaged. It's in N.J. Could be a Sandy Victim.

 

[krisscross]

For 23 grand you can get a lot better Westsail. One that actually sails.
If I was young again, I would likely follow the same path I have taken.

 

[Markwesti]

If I were to purchase a boat to finish off for @ $23,000 entry fee; I'd probably want to start with a sound hull. This one claims to be water damaged. It's in N.J. Could be a Sandy Victim.

It's not about the old relic boat from yrs. gone by as much as it is if you could do it over again. Tell us your story mate .

 

[Markwesti]

For 23 grand you can get a lot better Westsail. One that actually sails.
If I was young again, I would likely follow the same path I have taken.

Actually for 23K you could only hope to get a clapped out W32 that would need everything . But it is very heart warming to hear that you would not change a thing .

 

[tempest]

It's not about the old relic boat from yrs. gone by as much as it is if you could do it over again. Tell us your story mate .

Markwesti

I've come to the conclusion that there are simply not enough lifetimes to do everything that I'd like to do.

But I'm encouraged by the fact that I've managed to wake up everyday for 63 years and try new things. I'm still looking forward. This summer, I think I'll sail up to Maine.

 

[chuck5499]

To us you are still young. We are 69 and 67 and set out 8 years ago from Miami - we sailed up the east coast 3 times, Bahamas twice, then to Mexico, down to Colombia, across to Jamaica and island hopped to Trinidad. From Trini we worked our way back up to Antigua then did a 2 person Altantic crossing to the Azores, on to Portugal, Spain, Balerics, Sardinia and down to Tunisia for the winter. From Tunisia we sailed back to Sardinia up to Corsica over to Rome and down to Messina across to Albania on to Montenegro and Croatia across to Venice and down to Malta before returning to Tunisia for another winter.

So i am wondering at your young age you can't do go? It is all in your mind. You can either do it or wish, dream and find reasons not to do it.

We simply did it and did not make excuses.

 

[krisscross]

Actually for 23K you could only hope to get a clapped out W32 that would need everything .

Here is one for $25K:
1975 Westsail 32 Sail Boat For Sale - www.yachtworld.com
And one for $15K, most likely a project:
1977 Westsail 32 sailboat for sale in Virginia

 

[TomMaine]

I'm not, (sneekin up on 58 ) . OK when it's cold out and about to rain I'm inside fantasizing about my wasted youth . I just ran across this... #718 - W32
And got to thinking , get together a couple of buddies , finish this turkey off and head to Papeete . Don't get me wrong I'm happy with our boat and how we use it . But if I were 25 ..... How bout you ?

I have become 25 again(sort of), and it's a little scary. With two kids just approaching the '25' phase of life, the opportunity to 'take off' on a boat, has never looked easier to me.

Ready boats(subjective, especially by the owners age), have never been cheaper and more plentiful. Sturdy ocean boats under 30' can be had for pennies compared to college tuition today. Plus our kids are experienced in the reality of boat restoration, they've lived that.

Our kids grew up sailing and are comfortable on the water in a sailboat so the option is not far fetched to them. I know they will have a sailing life, it's already started. I don't know what it will be.

On the other hand, I can see, today, they're experienced enough to know, that heading off into the sunset, is tricky....

 

[capta]

At 23 I sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge to begin a 9.5 year circumnavigation.
Would I do it again? In a heartbeat, but I'd do the Caribbean first as that changed much more quickly than the SoPac.
For those of you who are on the fence, you should consider the Marathon/Boot Key mooring field (condo living on your own boat!) as what you will find in EVERY anchorage in the Caribbean, soon enough.

 

[Sal Paradise]

I mostly agree Tom, but I don't know if this generation will get to the sailing life. Demographically and economically it doesn't seem so. We might be "the greatest generation" of sailing opportunity. Cheap GPS too!!!!!!!

 

[Skipper Jer]

I thought the OP was going to be 70 or older. 58? pftttt, hes a kid.
About the boat, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I am going that route with a Nor'sea 27. Had I bought one done, I be sailing now instead of typing on this keyboard. And when I was young I didn't have enough money to fill the gas tank. As others have said, 23 grand in todays market will get you a boat that can sail now.

 

[chall03]

I'm not, (sneekin up on 58 ) . OK when it's cold out and about to rain I'm inside fantasizing about my wasted youth . I just ran across this... #718 - W32
And got to thinking , get together a couple of buddies , finish this turkey off and head to Papeete . Don't get me wrong I'm happy with our boat and how we use it . But if I were 25 ..... How bout you ?

I get where your coming from.

I spent my 20's dreaming of doing something like this, but in the end took the sensible road of building a career, buying a house etc.

Now at 35 with a family and the benefit of hindsight, even though I am much better resourced, things are also much more complicated.

We are still pursuing the dream and partly living it, but when we do start crossing oceans it won't be in a Westsail 32 with a handheld GPS.

Given the chance I would kick my 25 year old self's Butt and tell him to get out there.

 

[Markwesti]

Thanks for the stories guys . Chuck I was waiting for someone to call me the youngster . Your are right in the fact that I'm still young enough to do some cruising and I think my boat could handle it , although I think a little more water line would be a good thing . So truth be told if it were just me I'd do it . But I like being married , Ms. Westi does not want to go cruising . We do however have a great time with the boat , and our area provides us with some nice cruising grounds . Last yr. we were down in San Diego at the Police dock when all the Baja haha ers were getting ready to go , I must admit I was really stoked . Well maybe someday, I think that softened her up a bit.

 

[TomMaine]

I mostly agree Tom, but I don't know if this generation will get to the sailing life. Demographically and economically it doesn't seem so. We might be "the greatest generation" of sailing opportunity. Cheap GPS too!!!!!!!

Things are different. But I'm not so sure the life style of open ended cruising- is what many of them want, when it comes to sailing.

Growing up with kids, as you know, you grow up with a whole town of them(and then some). And you keep meeting more as they get older.

Because we live near the ocean, sailing is a part of the kid culture around here. Everybody got to sail, many learned in programs and sail with families, either their own boats or friends.

While sailing is a popular topic, the cruising life style - as I grew up with, isn't as big a part of their sailing conversation.

I suspect the trend in high schools and later in college to study and work abroad, has satisfied some wanderlust in some of these kids. Some of them have seen quite a bit of the world. And the world has shrunk as well as more people from around the world, come to them via school exchange programs.

So if they can afford to(?), how will they sail? No telling, race, sail close to home with their families? Smaller boats, less $$$?
But I think many will continue to sail in some part of their lives.

I don't think cruising as a lifestyle will grow with this generation.

 

[vega1860]

Its a big world and time is short. Best to get started as soon as possible.

 

[Bruce3966]

I'm a newbie to sailing and 54 and now 2 of 3 kids gone to college. Oh how I would do things differently if I were 25 again when I got out of the military. I would scrap all the power boats I have owned throughout my life and go with sailing. I would probably move south somewhere to enjoy more than 5 months of summer as we have in the Midwest (I am orginally from Minnesota and then stationed in Maine for 6 yrs in the military..very short summers in both areas). I would not move far south but maybe the outer banks of NC would be nice....Florida is way too hot for me.

I would also have invested more in risky stocks during the good days and reap the benefits and then.....buy a 36-40 foot sailboat and sail around the US for a year--or farther. 20/20 hindsight!

 

[capecodda]

IMHO the number of people who think they want to sail away for ever is very high amongst sailors, particularly after a winter like this one. Also, IMHO a large number of these people don't really want to sail away, they just think they do.

The idea of heading out for good appealed to me at a much younger age, so I took a summer and went cruising. After about 11 weeks, I was ready to go back to work, see my land friends, take care of family matters, not mention take a long shower, etc. Yea, sorry, I love to sail, but I like the land too. I even like work. Can you imagine

I've found an annual 3-4 week cruise, and a mess of day sailing is perfect. In fact, for the pure joy of sailing, there's nothing like a daysail with no destination.

Everyone's different, but for me, I wouldn't change a thing. No regrets.


Man, those Westsails look salty!

 

[vega1860]

IMHO the number of people who think they want to sail away for ever is very high amongst sailors, particularly after a winter like this one. Also, IMHO a large number of these people don't really want to sail away, they just think they do.

True dat. They all want to be ready to sail around the world though, just in case; much to the benefit of used boat buyers.