Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

I got the sailing dream. actully i am thinking of our future boat as a floating place to live and travel AT SAME TIME. I dont know anything about boats. we are 46 and 36 and have all the time in the world. but i am good a mechanic and have huge experence in anything plumbing electrical or mechanical. my wife and i want to do the carribean for a few yrs. then after gaining some experence. and if we like it. we will expand to bigger trips. QUESTIONS ARE:how big a boat do we need to sail the carribean i was thinking in the 60-80k range. 32-36 foot. hopfully can find a older gem in that price? if i am slow and methodical and pick my times. how hard and expensive will it be to hire a captian to sail us from place to place untill we are experenced. is it better to chater first? how expensive would it be to chatter a small boat withsomeone with 6 months on there hands? can i buy the boat and find a experenced person that is into getting a free ride in exchange for showing us the how to work the boat? what kind of upkeep costs will at boat have. are there many places to plug in to and have water and power that are cheap by the month? any websites or input would be awsome.
ROOKIES IN CANADA

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

rocko4904 said:

how expensive would it be to chatter a small boat withsomeone with 6 months on there hands?
ROOKIES IN CANADA

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Chartering would be the best bet, get you an experienced crew. There are allot of dangers and strategies to take on when cruising the ocean. Being mechanically inclined is a plus but you must know a boat from top to bottom end to end. There are allot of things to consider when going into something like you want to do.

Here is a similar thread that we discussed with another Iboats member.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=230692

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

Hire Capt Ron.

You might be better off being a crew member on a charter, private yacht or one of those Bare Foot cruise ships. You and your wife need to gain some experience.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

Boat topics and questions, non-engine.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

If you are to have any chance of actually realizing your dream without major problems, it is imperative that you immerse yourselves in a period of learning.

I recommend that you put up cards at all of your local marinas, advertise on Craigslist, etc., looking for opportunities to crew for other people. Be up front about your lack of experience but state that you are serious about learning and are willing to help with other chores related to the outings. Sail as often as you can, in a boat similar to what you think you might end up buying, but don't turn down opportunities to sail other boats. Its all about learning and you will do that in most any boat.

Also, enroll in marine safety courses and courses offered by your local power squadron. You need to learn everything from basic seamanship, to weather observation and forecast interpretation, to boat and engine repair, to sail maintenance, to navigation to ..... etc., etc., etc. Read every sailing and boating magazine that you can get your hands on. Also read Chapman's "Piloting, Seamanship and Small Boat Handling" from cover to cover. There is years worth of learning to be done is less than that time.

Whatever you do, DO NOT embark on this adventure until you are ready. Sorry to be direct but its the best advice that I can give you because, not only will you put yourselves, and the people who will have to go find you, in danger if you leave too soon, but you won't have a very good time anyway. Its much better to get the required experience behind you so that the days at sea are as relaxed as possible.

In my opinion, a boat of 36' to 40' is about right if you are going to stay fairly close the mainland or island areas. Part of my reasoning in this has to do with sailing qualities but, quite frankly, living in a boat any smaller than that for long periods of time is not very comfortable. If you are planning ocean crossings, I would want something in the 45' to 50' range. You also need to have much better safety gear, including a life raft that is up to the task of keeping you alive in the open sea, should you do this. I strongly recommend that you not attempt trans oceanic voyages until you have about 5 years of intensive inland sailing under your belt.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

having spent a month each year in the Fl Keys. i would suggest getting the same knowledge, as a person getting a Captains license. the water and weather in the area can change in an hours time. you will definately have to have expert navagation skills, as there are a lot of reefs, in that region.

Key West was founded basically as salvage city, salvaging wrecked boats.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

The first and most important thing you need to learn is this:

Is cruising the tropics the same experience you visualize? Or is it even close?

Charter a boat and a good crew and try it for a month or so. That "grass" isn't nearly as green as many imagine.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

While not a sailor, I have had many friends who are and almost all got there experience crewing with others. They also mentioned that when it came time for them to make there own boat purchase, they were much more aware of what they required. It would seem the prudent way to go.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

My wife and I lived aboard (27' sloop) for 3 years. We gained our experience on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. We seldom tied up, spending over 1,000 nights at anchor.

My first thought is that the Caribbean is not a 'friendly' place to sail. The trade winds howl incessantly and the seas between the islands are almost always chellenging, not to mention the crowded anchorages. Personally, we liked the Bahamas better.

My second thought is that you're in a perfect position to realize your dream, especially with your talents.

My advice - find a nice full keel +/-32 footer and spend some time in the Chesapeake, then on down the ICW and into the Keys. Maybe by then you'll be ready for the Bahamas; after that do the Caribbean if you're still inclined.

If you'd like to get some open water experience as crew, hang around Beaufort NC in November. There will be many of boats coming thru about that time heading offshore from there to the Caribbean. Many will take you along for expenses only. But 15 days or so offshore is not something to take lightly, even with an experienced captain...I'd still do the ICW/Keys/Bahamas on my own first.

Re: Can Anyone Help These Rookie's

Out of all the advice here (including my own), I like JB's the best. There is a certain romance with living aboard a boat and "saling the world" that often doesn't seem as great in real life as it does in one's imagination. That said, there really isn't any way to tell without actually experiencing it for awhile.

I think the idea of trying it for a month or so is a great idea.