[mitchelljessie]

What a great place to introduce me to sailing. Currently, I have a 2000 22 ft. Regal cuddy with a 6 cylinder inboard. In season, I'm on my boat every single chance I get. I have wanted to get into sailing for a long time. I have signed up for a sailing class this spring. I'm very interested in cruising and some day soon, offshore sailing. I spend about 4 hours a day watching all of the great YouTube sailing videos. The freedom that sailing represents to me is profound. By trade, I am an RN on a psych unit in a moderately sized hospital. Because I live in southwest Ohio, I have not found anyone who shares my passion for learning to sail, but that doesn't matter to me. I'm considering trading my $15,000 cuddy in for a say a 22 foot Catalina or something similar... Man, I've got a lot to learn. I'm gonna get started promptly... Right here. I look forward to meeting all of you.

 

[bljones]

Welcome aboard. Remember, there are no stupid questions. ask lots.

There are, however, occasionally stupid answers.

 

[boatpoker]

For 15k you can get a Catalina 27 or a Canadian Sailcraft 27 on the lakes, much more liveable.

 

[mitchelljessie]

Thanks. I'm a BIG believer in "bigger is better", but I need to be conscientious about a couple of things, I think. First, is the marina I end up in capable of lifting my mast? (I assume this is going to be an issue). Second, I bet a 27 foot with what I believe would have a fixed keel would draft about 4 foot of water. These are issues that I only think would be an issue. The problem is that I don't know what I don't know...

 

[CatMan22]

Welcome to salnet, just remember that everyone was new here at one time. Lurk the threads, read, ask questions, find out what people near you sail and why. People here are great for offering assistance to other members in their areas if you let them know where you are.

 

[mitchelljessie]

Thanks, CatMan22. I've been combing these threads and as a result, I've learned quite a bit already. I know this site will be an invaluable resource for me as I take my place in the sailing community. Thanks for your response!