New Member

[jwhyk]

Just wanted to say hello to the forum. I am not a sailor but have a huge desire to become one. I will retire from the US Army next summer and have already arranged for sailing lessons and certification in the Houston, TX area. I would like to buy a blue water boat and have started doing research on that very thing. Cheers!

[MMNETSEA]

Hope you enjoy your stay with us !!!!!

Richard

[Lighthouse]

Welcome aboard. Make yourself at home here.

[redbopeep]

Welcome aboard

My husband (retired Navy) says its funny that typically the Navy guys want to go camping and the Army guys want to go sailing

Enjoy your sailing lessons and enjoy the hunt for the perfect boat.

Fair winds,

[JeanneP]

I hope your search for your cruising boat is successful. *I also hope that you don't get as confused as I did when my husband and I were looking for a boat. *We had been sailing a boat we owned in partnership with a friend and it was much smaller than what we thought we needed to go cruising. *The problem came when we started looking at boats in the size range that we thought was right for us; it turned out that we didn't even get that right. *Our problem was, I think, that the difference between the 30' boat we had and the 42' to 44' boat we thought we needed, was so great that we couldn't make the leap to what we would be comfortable with. *We were lucky, though, that a friend with far more sailing experience than we had provided a lot of help and insight, and wound up buying, and being very happy with, a boat under 40'. *But it was a long and sometimes frustrating exercise.

I suggest that you find a way to sail on as many boats as you can in the size range you are considering. *Do it by chartering, crewing on boats looking for help on passages, crewing on local racing boats. *Get a feel for the way different boats move and the many ways that a boat can be laid out, to give you a better idea of how comfortable you will be. *Try boats a few feet smaller than what you consider the minimum size you would consider. *Visit cruising boats that stop in your area, ask if you could buy them a drink and ask them about their boat, how comfortable they felt it was, and all the other questions we all have when we start looking to change our lifestyle like that. *Ask them if you could look around their boat. *Most owners are quite proud of their boat and very welcoming to interested potential cruisers. *

I wish you luck in your venture.

Fair winds,

Jeanne

[jwhyk]

Originally Posted by JeanneP

I hope your search for your cruising boat is successful.

Thanks Jeanne. All good advice. I had a great conversation with an Army Colonel today. He's been sailing since he was a boy and he did his best to talk me out of an Atlantic or Pacific passage. Big ocean, waves, etc..... We discussed the ramp up in order to attain the skill set necessary to make a passage. As I will be in Texas and have the gulf of Mexico as my backyard, I probably couldn't ask for a more tame training grounds. Once comfortable there I can start extending my range and eventually go spend a winter in the carribbean! The school that I'm workng with right now offered the same advice and said to absolutely not buy a boat until I went through the course and got some experience sailing a variety of boats. I guess my biggest question still is the process of buying the boat. How do i get it inspected by someone with a certifiation, how do I check the title, history, etc.... It's a chunk of money and I want to do it right the first time. Regards, John

[JeanneP]

some of what you want to know is pretty easy. If the boat is federally documented, the information is a matter of public record. Qualified boat surveyors abound, and the only suggestion about them is that you choose one that has no relationship with the seller or the seller's broker.

Find a boat first, by then you will have developed a network of knowledgeable sailors and financial people. A lawyer recommended by a friendly boat owner will be helpful, too.

Find the boat (or boats) and then ask for advice and comments from everyone. The naysayers have valid comments, too.