Thank You And Hello :-)

[Adele]

Hello my name is Adele, ( time to come out of the shadows too)

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. I have been reading the posts here on and off for some time as I research and dream about cruising. I smiled when I read the earlier posts from Tim and 'Eager2earn' ; their enthusiasm is just lovely and I can relate to it so well, as I am almost jumping out of my skin as I come much closer to realising my dream of getting out into the blue . I think its great that they have started making their dreams reality early. Some days I wish I had.... ah hindsight ;-)

...... but I have waited until my sons grew up and fortunately I have now convinced my husband that selling up and living on board a yacht isnt crazy. I am at the point of breaking the news to family and friends about selling up and sailing off. But first I need to learn to sail something bigger than a pacer across a lake. It will be some time yet before we set sail out of a harbour. ( still in the process of finding the right boat)

So...in the meantime ........My thanks go to the people who take the time to answer questions and offer encouragement to others on this forum. I hope you wont mind if I toss a question in from time to time if I cant find answers elsewhere, as I fill in the myriad of blanks in my knowledge. I realise that the best teacher is experience and practice, but its great to know that many pitfalls can be avoided with some time spent learning from and with others and asking those who know.

I have also just stuck a quote from this forum on my fridge, my apologies I am not sure who to attribute it to,I have read so many posts today I forget where I read it

'fear guards the gates of freedom'

it really struck a chord with me today

Thank you again, I have really enjoyed my brief sojourn in your forum today.

happy and safe sailing to you all

cheers and here's to freedom!

Adele :-)

[Lighthouse]

Adele

Welcome aboard! Good that you have now come in from the cold. Enjoy your stay and learn as much here as I do.

[Auzzee]

Hi Adele, happy to have you within our community. I also look with awe and envy at these youngsters preparing to cast off. I always had the desire, but a false notion of security kept me predominantly landlocked past the stage in life where I started to get unexplainable aches and pains. I have a lot of sailing to do in the next 20 years!

Welcome, and we look forward to hearing more from you.

Best wishes

David.

[Harbor_Pilot]

Welcome Aboard Adele,

Anytime is the right time to take an interest in sailing and cruising.

I noticed a few things in your introduction.

* Twice you mentioned "selling up". At first I thought you meant selling your home and land based possessions. Re-reading, I wondered if you meant trading to a larger boat. I am uncertain of your intent. Not very long ago there was a good post discussing "letting go", discussing the pros and cons of selling the house. If you are interested I will find the link.

There are good points on both sides. The decision is a major one and of personal choice. Before that post, we had planned on selling the house around the time we were ready to shove off. Since that post we are re-thinking it would be better keep some real estate someplace, maybe in a smaller town, or rural area, warm climate, rather secure, with good arrangements to take care of it. I know I stated many expectations and criteria, but we think it is reasonable and attainable. We have time to solve that and adequately prepare in our time line.

Shortly after we first became interested in cruising, I read something, advice from some cruiser, on some website, (regretfully I can not quote the source), but his advice was to the effect of:

"From the time you decide to go cruising, start making plans, get rid of the junk first, sell all your land based possessions, sell your home, move into an apartment, a small apartment. Empty your closets, place the contents on you kitchen table, if it is in the way, it is in the way; get rid of it."

Another source stated: Consider living out of a back pack for weeks at a time or a small RV everyday.

Those maybe extreme, but also realistic.

...... but I have waited until my sons grew up and fortunately I have now convinced my husband that selling up and living on board a yacht isnt crazy.

That part, convincing your husband could be of concern, or troublesome, if he is reluctant. You did not go into detail about his "degree" of comittment or attitude on the matter. Ideally he would be enthusiastic; sailing, and cruising would be in his blood. If he is reluctant, dragging his feet, agreeing just to appease you, that could be a concern, and a future problem. My suggestion is to figure that out, before you get into this to deep or to far. Likely you already know, and I do not.

But first I need to learn to sail something bigger than a pacer across a lake. It will be some time yet before we set sail out of a harbor. ( still in the process of finding the right boat)

If your husband does not know how, he probably should learn the same, otherwise you are the skipper, in charge, and responsible. You mentioned time, give yourselves adequate time. Make a list of skills you think you need. I did. The more I study and learn, the more it seems I have to study and learn.

The right boat; a never ending topic. I can not answer that as I am considering and studying the same topic. There is a current post concerning keels, which only address one aspect of the right boat. It appears to me as a good summary.

So far I have formed two conclusions about boat selection:

* There is no perfect boat that meets all of the best desirable criteria and does everything.

* Considering Criteria of boat selection everything is a trade off; e.g. smooth ride verses speed, space verses cost, stability verses maneuverability.

Some criteria get even more complicated by a factor of four or more comparisons: handy gadgets verses simplicity verses cost and labor and maintenance.

My plan is to ask a lot of questions, and sail a variety of boats, with a variety of keels and rigging, in all kinds of weather, in harbors and out in the deep blue. In other words, research, read, study, ask and get first hand experiance.

Best Wishes and See Ya Dockside,

Jeff

[Swagman]

G'Day Adele,

Welcome also to the log - hope you find it useful and we'll obviously love to hear more as you achieve your goals.

Good luck

JOHN

[Adele]

Hello again,

thank you very much for the warm welcome to your space, I am sure I will learn lots Lighthouse , thank you. You know... I hadnt expected such a quick response as I realise that it isnt always easy or preferable to be online when there are so many things to do each day. Gotta love the way boats can become an obsession . Just to clarify a couple of points. I meant selling the farm, at present the only boats in our top paddock ( yard )are a couple of small boats with outboards that my husband Pete is working on , he is a whizz with fibreglass and a sanding disc.

When I showed him my post and your reply Jeff ( Harbor Master) he thought you made a very good point, but he smiled and said that I neednt worry he is 'hooked, line and sinker' and cant wait to sell the house and down tools to downsize and spend his days near water and on boats. I am pretty sure he isnt just trying to make me happy, although we are best friends as well as partners and he does usually try his best to help my dreams come true, I'm very lucky but it goes both ways. He loves being out on the water, but he is used to a motor and sticking reasonably close to shore . He is keen to go cruising, perhaps he is just more of a realist than I am at present , which is funny considering its usually me writing countless lists and looking at things from as many perspectives as possible, often finding reasons not to do things. Right now getting out onto the ocean feels like an itch I cant scratch properly, maybe that's because I haven't had a proper drenching yet. ( i meant in the water, not a farming metaphor ;-) . He was invited to be part of a crew in a local race fairly recently and said it was frantic and cold when I suggested that cruising wouldnt be like that, I think his wry grin meant that he thinks I am naive about the nature of how quickly the weather can change. I just think the hard work when things get tight must be worth it to have the peace of sailing along slowly taking the time to enjoy the sea for extended periods and getting to know yourself and lots of new people and places well.

David, ( Auzee) ... I know what mean about that sense of security and wishing I had started getting ready to live aboard a boat earlier in life too, but I wasnt ready earlier, I think sometimes you have to find out what a noose a mortgage is before you know that its a millstone .I know I certainly dont want any more. Shedding it will be easy, my book collection not so easy. I do have a sense of urgency to find out as much as I can as quickly as I can , but I am enjoying it, for me learning about new things is bliss... but I really do want to just do it ,hopefully the house will sell soon.

This forum is fantastic and like an oasis , I am sure I will learn here, it is a very useful site.. I agree with you John ( swagman), g'day to you too. Happy to share the trials and tribulations of selling up, buying a boat and trying not to drown ... Pete and I are still very much novices and I am sure we are going to have many more interesting moments , hopefully we will keep our sense of humour intact, but I dont want to take up too much space here, never good to wear out a welcome. Just looking at my response and I realise that I am rambling ... ( Pete just looked over my shoulder and suggested I tend to talk a lot and that you would all rather talk about boats ) and even suggested an appropriate ending to my post would be 'blah blah blah I just want to buy a boat and sail' Ok, time to get outside, pick up some sandpaper and help him sand his current project.

happy sailing all.

Cheers,

Adele :-)