It's Time to Learn to Sail!

As a long time power boater, I’ve seriously been feeling the pain at the pump every time I fill up these last few years. I’m just not having as much fun as I once did, knowing it’s costing me over a dollar per minute when at cruise power. And I don’t think fuel prices are ever going back down.

My lifelong bucket list has always included someday boating from Florida to the Caribbean. But now with my retirement assets in plain view, I will not be able to accomplish this in a power boat due to the great fuel expense, not to mention the acquisition cost and upkeep of a blue water capable, engine powered vessel.

Ah, but alas…there’s the sailboat…

There appears to be a lot of 40 ft. and larger sailing vessels out there within my grasps…well less than $75,000.00. But I have to ask myself, what kind of shape are these boats in?

But as for today, I have decided it’s time to learn to sail.

The Catalina 22 seems to be the perfect boat for me right now. It meets my specifications, which are: Low acquisition cost, can be trailered so I don’t have to pay monthly slip rental fees, gets great reviews as a first sailboat and it has sleeping quarters, although humble. And it gets really great gas milage!

I’m in Delaware and not too far from the Chesapeake Bay. Hopefully, I can find a marina nearby that will have a storage lot so I can leave the boat parked there, leaving the mast up. I would prefer keeping it in a slip through the summer months, but I’m sure there’s a big difference in costs between dry land storage or a slip. I’m saving for my retirement, so I can cruise the Carribean…so I have to be careful with expenses right now.

I hope to make some new friends here and I appreciate all of the great posts I’ve read. Very informative and It’s so nice to be here. I'm sure some of you are already living my dream...

So let the search for my Catalina 22 begin…