Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

Have owned a few 26 -28 cabin cruisers
Having no trailer and lots of repairs I was stuck with marina were boat was docked.
Hated that feeling being at their mercy.
After boat had lower unit stolen along with engine parts got tired of paying dry storage for a boat not used.
Finally sold dirt cheap just too unload.
Moving too Fla 15 years ago, I enjoyed pier fishing, surf, open charter.
Going too Keys got boating bug again.
Wanted no marina, purchased a 1984 21 ft open fisherman Sea Ray on a trailer.
Has 4 cylinder mercruiser which is cheap on fuel
Owing present boat around 8 years .

Well here's the kicker
I retired,two years ago. I am a young and fit 65
I have been eye balling sail boats.
Not small starter boats 28 and larger
I thought about a larger cabin cruiser but fuel is a concern plus larger boats have twin screw
My past experience with one engine is bad enough, twin is double trouble unless a new boat.
Plus filling up is a mortage payment
I have a 4 cylinder and speed is no issue with me, just the need too be on the water.

Well I located a guy with a eighties 28 ft Hunter, in good condition wants out.
Has a diesel engine in good conditon, air conditioned, all the comforts of home
All sails in good condition
Boat on the hard only two weeks.
He cant afford the 1000 dollars a month marina fees
Have too check out, but guy is willing too barter my power 4 his sail

Really thinking about it
I located a marina that only charges 7 ft so dockage will not break the bank

Since retiring my attitude is I will learn as I go, Have all the time , can sleep aboard, room for grand kids.

I only sailed as a passenger, AM I CRAZY???
Can one person sail a 28 footer
Am I asking for more problems, ???
People live their dream, I have this desire too do this but at what price?
My wife is too ill too help with sailing,

SHould I just keep what I got, and just enjoy my day fishing boat?
I also know I will need sailing lessons, just this guy does not want too pay
next months storage and wants it gone ASAP.

Thanks
Orlando Al

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

Hi Al,
The short answer: You may be crazy, but not because of this.
Absolutely, one person can handle a 28 foot cruising sailboat. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor, and take sailing lessons from a reputable school with licensed and experienced instructors. Classes are good, and fun with others. After finishing the advanced class, hire your favorite instructor to give you a couple of lessons on your boat. Don't take any shortcuts here. Money spent will pay off in your enjoyment and safety.

Personally, I like Hunters. I don't know the 28 very well, but have sailed lots on 31's and 34's of that period.

See you out there!

--mitchell

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

Actually the very best move you could make is go crew for someone at your local yact club or sailing club,you will learn how to sail in ALL conditions and learn how to make the thing go fast,fast is safety!

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

It's no where near as tough as "they" would have you believe. I had never sailed and the wife got the wild hair we should rent a sailboat for a day with a captain. We went and she loved it so I did what any man worth his salt would do and went out and bought a sailboat. Oh, it was a little one, 22', but I sailed it 6 hours home. Now, I'm a good reader/youtuber/internet forum user and that's where I gleaned all the information. After 6 months, traded that boat for a 28' C&C. Sailed it plenty. There's really not that much to it. Read, watch videos, join sailnet, read some more and knock yourself out. You won't be sorry.

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

First off THAT is total bunk!!! You wanna' get you and yours killed listen to this guy! There are two kinds of sailors,the ones who KNOW how to sail and the ones that NEED to learn how to sail! If you want to be in the first category follow my earlier advise,racing will put you in weather conditions that you normally won't go into,add being with a competent skipper with some years under his keel and you'll become a safe competent sailor yourself. I myself started when i was 9 and have sailed everything with a mast in all conditions and after 40 odd years i'm still learning,arrogance will kill you and perhaps your crew as well. Someone once asked me to sum up sailg and told him "When is good,nothing can beat it but when it's bad it's the worse thing to have to go through,sailing safely requires a good mesure of humility.

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

Emoney, I have a buccaneer 220 22 ft sailboat for sale in GA mid 80's model for $1700 on a cradle, can be hauled on a 16 carhauler trailer. Google this boat for info on it. Why would someone suggest to a 65 year old man interested in sailing as a hobby that he needs to go sailboat racing??? That's like telling a nun who wants to learn to drive she needs to join a NASCAR team?? two kinds of sailors... what a hoot!!

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

CarlT705 said:

Emoney, I have a buccaneer 220 22 ft sailboat for sale in GA mid 80's model for $1700 on a cradle, can be hauled on a 16 carhauler trailer. Google this boat for info on it. Why would someone suggest to a 65 year old man interested in sailing as a hobby that he needs to go sailboat racing??? That's like telling a nun who wants to learn to drive she needs to join a NASCAR team?? two kinds of sailors... what a hoot!!

Click to expand...

First off,if you own a Buccaneer,that should show that your experience in sailing can be stuffed into a thimble,what would posess you to buy one of those? Did you lose a bet or something or perhaps trying to get in touch with your "inner pirate maybe?" Secondly a 65 year old man is HARDLY OLD AND DECREPID and to make the OP out to be shows how out of touch with reality you really are with reality. Now all that being said you will NEVER get better FREE TRAINING on the art of SAFELY OPERATING A SAILBOAT in ALL CONDITIONS than in your local beer-can club racing,that type of sailing FORCES you to to weather ALL CONDITIONS not just the oconditions that won't swamp a silly contraption like a Buccaneer,BTW. if you want a real sailboat in that size i highly reccomend a vintage 80's Tanzer 22 fin keel and get the recent class approved rudder,i won boat of the year three years running with that boat and man,does she scream on a beam reach!!

Good luck and fair winds!

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

MPI, while it's obvious, some things are harder for you to learn how to do, that's not always the case for the rest of us. I mean what I said and I said what I mean. To the OP, don't let people like MPI here discourage you from taking up sailing. If it's something you want to do, then do it. MPI, there are tons of places to be negative on the world wide web, this place, however, isn't one of them. It's ok to have opinions, but yours isn't the only one, and more than likely not often the correct. And I'm pretty sure my C&C 28' was a bigger thimble than your little Tanzer 22.

Carl, those little 220 Buccaneers were good little sailboats. Sailed to the wind very well and a good little racer. You shouldn't have any problems selling it. Quick and very easy to learn on.

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

Alan, I'm not a sailor, but I did try it, once. I'm your age now, but back in the late 70's, my wife and I owned a 17' o/b outfitted with camper stern curtain and enjoyed exploring new waters, sleeping on sleeper seats, crammed into that little boat. See picture of my wife swimming next to our boat in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. We thought we might like to try sailing for the serenity, larger accommodations and the apparent economy. We took group lessons in little 12-14' Petrel sailboats to get the basics. We then put down a rental deposit for a week on Georgian Bay on a 26' something or other sailboat that rented out in the winter in the keys. When we got cold feet before the rental date, we took private lessons on a 27' C & C. Well, we managed for that week, but I must say, we're very glad that we rented and not purchased. I don't know if we're lazy, but we found it a real pain to zig-zag back and forth just trying to get anywhere.

What we came to realize is that what we enjoyed most was seeing the shoreline from the water as opposed to just being out on the water seeing waves, far from land. The accommodations, though larger were still not quite big enough. Maybe the 28 footer you're looking at is. Make sure you can stand up comfortably straight in the cabin and not just in one spot. Don't forget the deeper draft keeps you further away from interesting places. So now as seniors we still own an old stinkpot. But it doesn't heel and it goes where I want it to, when I want it to. I'm currently trying to refit our boat (21' runabout) with the necessary stern curtains that we can go exploring again, now that the nest is empty. Single handed sailing with an ailing wife doesn't sound like fun to me. - Grandad

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

emoney said:

MPI, while it's obvious, some things are harder for you to learn how to do, that's not always the case for the rest of us. I mean what I said and I said what I mean. To the OP, don't let people like MPI here discourage you from taking up sailing. If it's something you want to do, then do it. MPI, there are tons of places to be negative on the world wide web, this place, however, isn't one of them. It's ok to have opinions, but yours isn't the only one, and more than likely not often the correct. And I'm pretty sure my C&C 28' was a bigger thimble than your little Tanzer 22.

Carl, those little 220 Buccaneers were good little sailboats. Sailed to the wind very well and a good little racer. You shouldn't have any problems selling it. Quick and very easy to learn on.

Click to expand...

Wow!!!! Did you tear a chunk of my hull!!! Had you ACTUALLY READ MY REPLY instead of composing your scarcastic little response you would have seen that i wasn't in any way trying to discourage the OP from taking up sailing but instead was giving him good,sound,time honoured advise for someone getting into the sport of sailing and if YOU knew half of what you think you do you would agree with me but not all sailors think alike and in your case some don't even think!

I sailed the C&C 28' several times and once in the Chicago/Macinaw race [we placed third] an exellent boat,presently i sail an Abbott 33 called AJA~ built in Sarnia Ontario,wicked fast but the Tanzer was a ton of fun,a terrific starter boat that you can cruise and race,i spent three weeks in the North Channel with it,best trip of my life! We have a Hunter 28 in our club and the owner loves it,very stable,very stiff,sails well to windward,put it on a run under spinnaker and she'll fly due to her flat run aft just make sure you have it thoroughly surveyed before you buy it,they had problems with the "boat pox" [blisters in the gel-coat below the water line] and that could run into a lot of trouble. I've been actively sailing now for 42+ years and seen a lot people come and go in the sport and to the OP despite all this banter and BS please consider my advise to you,i've started a lot of people off sailing this way and have seen the results,they all become "Able sailors" thats able to hand,reef and steer, when they go out to the sea in ships there ready for all conditions and situations and react with calm decision that comes with proper training,the kind you get from senior sailors who have been there and done that!

P.S Emoney,thats a real wierd looking sailboat you have in your name section,it doesn't look like you do much sailing these days,gotta' wonder what makes YOU such an expert?

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

Whoah! ... bar fight in the sailing section I think y'all scared the OP off. :facepalm:

Alan, if you're actually reading this: one of the big questions isn't necessarily "what are you sailing?" We should really start with "where are you sailing?" I'm kinda' between emoney and Mallard on the gig: if you're planning on being on the Atlantic or the gulf, then I think you might want to get your feet under you just a bit before taking the leap, or at least rent a couple of times. In weather, one guy trying to reef in the sails and get back to the marina under power can get kinda' hairy. Sailing in itself is a learning process that you can do on your own as well as anything - the experience of knowing how to sail in weather on big water doesn't come as easily and a helping hand is generally pretty welcome.

If you're going to sail protected waters or inland lakes (here in Nashville they sail 30' boats and bigger inland), buy and enjoy. The sailing is usually pretty light, and you can get yourself outta' the fray pretty easily.

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

What, now I'm supposed to feel bad because I have a Buccaneer sailboat for sale???? I see why you are a sailor, because you're a blowhard! The OP stated he's owned cabin cruisers and presently owns a powerboat, evidently he knows a little about being a waterman. Like checking the weather forecast, how to navigate, how to overtake another boat and be overtaken, etc.etc. But your SOUND ADVICE is he's going to kill everyone. You remind me of the sailor in that John Candy movie Summer Vacation, you know the one that gets beats in the race by Candy flying his pants!!
Have you actually own a sailboat or do you basically just catch rides on other people's boats, then post "I've sailed everything with a mast on it"???

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

CarlT705 said:

What, now I'm supposed to feel bad because I have a Buccaneer sailboat for sale???? I see why you are a sailor, because you're a blowhard! The OP stated he's owned cabin cruisers and presently owns a powerboat, evidently he knows a little about being a waterman. Like checking the weather forecast, how to navigate, how to overtake another boat and be overtaken, etc.etc. But your SOUND ADVICE is he's going to kill everyone. You remind me of the sailor in that John Candy movie Summer Vacation, you know the one that gets beats in the race by Candy flying his pants!!
Have you actually own a sailboat or do you basically just catch rides on other people's boats, then post "I've sailed everything with a mast on it"???

Click to expand...

Ah John Candy,,another great Canadian Actor,god rest his big hearted soul,he was hillarious in that movie just like his restauranteur turned mentor Capt. Scully [Rip Torn],,Ohh wait,,,,in the movie the novice,Jack Chester [John Candy] went to Scully to TEACH him how to sail,,how to WIN,,,,,sound familiar???? yes i do presently own,race an Abbott 33 and have several flags to AJA~ and her crews credit and due to the years iv'e been sailing iv'e had the pleasure of being invited on more sail boats than i can remember,perhaps had someone gave you the advise i'm giving the OP you might have gleaned some basic sailing knowlege to stop you from buying a boat that the only way to make it go fast is to put it on it's trailer and tow it down a highway,Bayliner can hardly build a decent stinkbote let alone a proper sail boat, several years ago i saw one in front of a Tampa Bay RV resort used as a planter in front of the office. I'm not saying the OP has any real boating skills or not however i do know he doesn't have any sailing skills and steering a powerboat and handling a sail boat are two distinct and different things that require different skill sets and i stand by my sage counsel!

This is my last word on this subject as i'll be heading south for the winter so any further flaming will go unread,to the OP,good luck and fair winds!!

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

MPI_Mallard said:

This is my last word on this subject

Click to expand...

Finally, something of value to add to this thread.

Re: Power Boater looking too get into sailing what advice can you sailors offer ?

I haven't revisited this thread lately, but I still think my response (see above) is the best of them all to this point.