Where to start (geographically) for a new cruising family?

[fursoc]

Hi, sorry for another long post. I am new to cruising, in fact I haven't even come close to starting. I posted Should I buy a trainer or a cruiser a while back to find out how to start this adventure by first looking at what boat to buy and when. Well I am now wondering if I should first be asking where is the best place to start a cruising adventure for a new cruising family? Keep in mind we will be relatively new to sailing, and very new to living aboard a boat when we do decide to leave. It’s quite possible we won’t have even owned a live aboard boat at all until we leave.

We live in Newcastle Australia and the most obvious choice is to buy a boat here in Newcastle within the next couple of years. Spend time preparing and learning the boat as much as possible until departure. When it comes time to leave we travel up the east coast and spend our first few months in the Whitsundays really getting to know the boat and each other. The problem I see with this is that I fear travelling North up the east coast would be quite difficult for a “new to cruising” family, and that the Whitsundays would be very expensive training grounds.

Part of me thinks I should be looking elsewhere. Somewhere cheaper and easier to sail. Maybe South East Asia, the Caribbean or the Med. Not only are the living expenses going to be cheaper, but the boat prices are definitely cheaper, the climate is nicer, etc, etc. Obviously this will have it’s own set of problems (difficulty in finding a boat on the other side of the world, being in a foreign land when we are probably at our most vulnerable, etc).

Please guide me oh wise and wonderful cruisers! Where is the best place to learn to cruise and is it worth starting there from the other side of the world?

[AiniA]

I think I would lean toward the eastern Caribbean although starting in Oz and heading north is not a bad option, although the boats are pricier. The Med is quite expensive and the sailing often not great (too little wind or too much). Another possibility would be to buy in the SE United States with a view to spending your first winter in the Bahamas. This is much less ambitious than going to the eastern Caribbean.

[accomplice]

Aside from weather and the cost of the boat varying from one place to another, a further consideration is availability of parts. You'd be surprised once you start how much you discover little things you might want that you cannot easily find just anywhere. Spending the first months/year in an area with cheap and fast shipping from multiple suppliers could be an important factor.

[Jim Cate]

g'day Fursoc,

Well, you will get lots of geocentric answers to that query, that's for sure!

My advice: Your plan to start out in Newcastle makes great sense. When you are just starting out, being in familiar areas is a huge consideration. You will have enough challenges related to boat life... adding language, visa worries, often difficult parts access, difficulties shopping in strange shops with different ground rules... etc is not gonna help you and the family with the transition.

It could well be that you will have to pay a bit more for a boat, but you won't have big travel costs looking, the brokers are at least somewhat bound by laws that you understand, there are non-brokerage sources for boats that you can access (local knowledge) and a good supply of (admittedly pricey) boat bits near to hand. Some of the places already suggested lack in those features!

Now, as to then beginning your cruising on the East coast of Oz: this is actually a pretty easy cruising ground. You will have the benefit of excellent weather forecasting (the much maligned Australian Met office is actually quite good, and the info is readily available on the internet, and internet coverage south of Cairns is nearly 100%). There are numerous anchorages along the coast, mostly not requiring overnight passages to reach from one to the next. There are excellent cruising guides to help you along. Boat parts are always available withing a couple of days (save exotic bits and some engine parts), and there are enough fellow cruisers to enjoy some company and to offer help if required. If you stay south of ~Brisbane in cyclone season the odds are very good for avoiding one of those beasts. Finally, if you avoid marinas, the Whitsunday Island area is no more expensive than the rest of the east coast. It is overcrowded at times, and the renta-boaters can be a nuisance (or a source of entertainment), but we have managed to enjoy our various visits there... and you can always move on if you don't like it... That's one of cruising's biggest advantages!

Anyhow, that's how I see it.

Jim

[JPA Cate]

hI fursoc,

If you want marina time, yes, the Whitsundays are dear. However, we've always anchored out, there, there are various places you can get a dinghy ashore for shopping.

Regardless of whether you buy the boat down on "the Harbor", Pittwater, or Newcastle or even Port Stevens, one of the interesting things about Newcastle is that your cruising ground is right there, just outside the entrance, and it is the Pacific Ocean. It seems wise to me to start where you are, and do some local cruising before casting off long term. It is nice to go home to a warm shower after a rough day.

I would not even consider for 2 minutes buying abroad. If you did that, you'd have to learn the boat and get moving right away. If you do it from home, you will start as you wish to continue, and will learn cruising in digestible mouthsfull*, not in an unswallowable chunk. It will also be easier on the wife and kids.

*You would be amazed what a big deal it is for some Pittwater sailors to have a "sail away" to Lake Macquarie, but it is a big deal when it's your first "foreign" port. Treasure ALL the parts of the adventure.

Ann

[MKB53]

Hi Fursoc
I have to agree with what Jim & Cate have said. I have done a number of cruises up the east coast and have just completed my first summer in the Med. If you are new to cruising I would definitely start at home for all the reasons they mentioned.

Cheers
Martin

[sapient sue]

Greetings Fursoc

Hi and welcome to a great style of life - cruising. I think Jim and Ann have given great advice. Starting in an area where you know the local area, language and have great resources is valuable advice. I am glad we did not venture off shore to foreign ports until we were comfortable with all aspects of the boat. When we did gain our confidence we started out with countries not far away - New Caledonia and Vanuatu and in time planned longer passages which took us to our farthest destination Alaska.

I am sorry we have missed the opportunity to meet - we have just traveled passed Newcastle and are heading south towards another summer season in Tasmania. We will be back in the Sydney region in April next year but are happy to answer any queries either through the forum or via the PM system.

Cheers Sue

[fursoc]

Thank you all for your great suggestions and advice. It seems the consensus is to stay where we are and learn in the local cruising grounds. In a way I am relieved as the thought of buying a boat abroad scares me.

Thanks again!

[Nikki S]

Hi Fursoc,
we are a fairly new cruising family living aboard. There is not one way to do it - just focus on the goal and allow the details in between to be flexible.
You could start by finding the best boat you can afford and start cruising from there. While Newcastle is not ideal training ground, its also an unlikely place to find your boat. We looked globally - even went to france to buy our dream boat, but walked away because it had too many problems. Ended up buying in Sydney - which was a good training ground. There's lots of boats for sale on the QLD coast from gold coast to cairns - all of which offers ideal training ground, with the exception of Mooloolaba. Whitsundays doesn't have to be expensive. MacKay is a not too expensive marina and mostly you will be at anchor, so only pay for food and fuel. There is a free public jetty at Abel Point where you can get water, and we know people who anchor at cannonvale and walk to the Caltex with a trolley of jerry cans to buy cheaper diesel than at the boat fuel dock. there is supermarkets in walking distance from both cannonvale and airlie anchorages, and don't forget your fishing rods and crab nets. we grab coconuts from a various islands also.
In the meantime crewing for others at Newcastle yacht club or doing a sailing course somewhere could help build your confidence. And talk to knowledgeable people about what parts of the boat to inspect thoroughly when buying a boat. talk to everyone!! worst thing that can happen is ending up with a boat that has costly problems that you missed. small maintenance costs are necessary with boats but best to make sure the big ticket items are in good condition before you buy. there are some great books too like Nigel Calder's Cruising handbook.

[barnakiel]

Med is an easy starting point - easy climate, easy life, good food and culture and languages to appreciate. It is worth it be it ONLY for the food (e.g. Italia por France).

Just consider your visa situation and your language skills. None of the Med countries is a UK ;-)

We live in Canary Islands when we do not sail or ski.

b.

[JPA Cate]

The thing is, fursoc has yet to buy his first boat. None in his family is a seasoned sailor, and his children are young. I think it would be a mistake for them to try and learn everything, starting in Europe. Foreign language skills are not common for Australians. This is a young family, and most likely, not wealthy. The costs of flying the family to Europe and keeping them in hostels or hotels will add considerably to the cost of "a boat." They're not really yet in a position to select a boat for a circumnavigation--if that's what they will want later on.

I'm certain the Italian and French cuisines are too yummy for words, but I'd like to see fursoc's family arrive in Europe as seasoned cruisers and sailors, not in the Caribbean, possibly terrified.

I like the "go for it" for its encouragement, and it can be argued that that's all anyone should need, but fursoc came here to hear what advice we can give him that will stand him in the best stead, and that is what I have tried to do, being familiar with the areas he will be involved in.

Ann

[barnakiel]

Yep. You are 100% right.

I would actually kill to be given another chance to cruise ... AUSTRALIA. So I think it is absolutely THE best choice of where too start! Esp. for someone who lives there.

Australia has great climate, tasteless food, outstanding landscapes and seascapes, some great boats and extremely friendly people.

My advice then: learn cooking, buy in Australia!

I mean it. Cruising-wise Australia is beyond words.

b.

[boatman61]

Yup.. a circumnavigation of Oz will see ya right mate..

[leftbrainstuff]

The med or carribean are anything but cheap in high season. We looked at purchasing a boat in the carribean. The increase in costs of everything relative to the US nixed that deal.

It's logistically much simpler to start where you reside. Most of your costs are related to living and not sailing.

We relocated to the US when we purchased our Liberty 458. It's definitely much cheaper to upgrade and enhance our vessel in the US than in Oz.

We have spent 3 years in the most expensive real estate markets in the US. Living aboard for 3 years has paid for all our boat upgrade costs relative to renting a land yacht.

We do all maintenance, fabrication, installation and commissioning work ourselves. The only reason I'd buy a boat in Honduras or Thailand is to get labour intensive work done. Like teak replacement or a full boat restoration.

You need to decide whether you want to do endless boat projects or go sailing / cruising.



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[fursoc]

It's funny isn't it that being from Aus, it is the last place on the list we want to travel. I guess there is just some thought in the back of the mind somewhere telling me that I will always have time to travel around my home country.

As for language difficulties and being foreigners, we are extremely beneficial in having very close family in Croatia, Singapore, Canada, Sweden and The Netherlands. So it wouldn't bother us too much to have to travel to one of those countries; 1. it would give us a chance to visit them, and 2. We would have access to a translator if needed.

Having said all that though, there are compelling enough reasons to stay in Australia with our training wheels on. We could buy a boat without time pressures. We could spend the time preparing it while still working and we could easily do day trips with friends and mentors without too much trouble.

Thanks again everyone. As always you have delivered

If anyone is passing through Newcastle I would love a tour of your boat and/or to hear about your adventures