Completely Overwhelmed

[Eumelia]

You can forget about the perfect boat. There is no such thing. You need to just get any (preferably small) boat and see if you even like being on the water.

[Morrissey]

I finished my refit, spent a month with sea trials and fine tuning systems and then started cruising. I have put about 130 hours on the engines in the last month. Not a lot of time by many here I'm sure, but enough to have some ideas on what works.

What is great is having enough water and battery power to not have to ration their use or be continually planning for top-up stops. In going into Desolation Sound, to the head of virtually every inlet on the way and also around the Brouhghtons we have had a great time. The family run marina's are great places to stop every other day to meet people or at some of them to get a bit more milk or something. We turned around at 51 deg N, and came back down the East side of Vancouver Island to Victoria. By luck we got a berth at a prime spot for the Victoria Symphony Orchestra event "Splash", performed on a barge in the Inner Harbour.

Throughout we had little trouble in finding moorage for 53 ft LOA. But it occurred to me that much bigger would have limited us a little.

GG needs a lot of accommodation, but I'd suggest that the smallest boat that everyone fits into is the best option. I reckon it could be done in 55 ft, a comfortable size for handling by her and family. Best to avoid the need for a licensed captain, or else your accommodation needs are even greater.

[nimblemotors]

I think the best course of action is that GG build her own boat, herself with help from her children. One made of aluminum, about 100ft. She can learn to weld and shape metal.
Should only take about 6 months to finish it with those 5 kids helping. It will bring the family together and have a shared sense of accomplishment.
She should design it too.

Hey if HotRod can do it, GG can also.

[deckofficer]

Who is HotRod?

[impi]

This is a great post. I skimmed over much of the comments as there are many pages here already so forgive me if I mention the 'already mentioned'. There are catamarans that could handle 5 kids if two were happy to use the front 'bow cabins'. Living at a marina would mean being able to use showers and ablutions and possibly have a 'storage container' somewhere on the dock? A 50 ft catamaran such as the Lagoon 500 would have ample room. Of course one would have to go for the 4 berth charter version and use the two bow cabins as sleeping quarters as well (generally used for the skipper and crew to sleep in on charters). This is VERY doable but obviously 'crowded'.

[nimblemotors]

Originally Posted by deckofficer

Who is HotRod?

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1302959

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Mary Flower

My only disappointment was that having reached the final post, there was no boat yet. I was totally vested in the outcome and felt so let down that the saga has yet to reach its final chapter.

Jim

I think she's close, Jim. Or at least currently has a very short list. See in other threads... and stay tuned

-Chris

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Mary Flower

When the alarm went off at 8am this morning my first thought was "If Galaxy Girl were here now, I would strangle her!" ...

I offer you this thought from Albert Einstein:
“I am thankful to all those who said no to me. It’s because of them that I did it myself.”

Best of luck,
Jim

Your quote is great. Consider it stolen!

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Eumelia

You can forget about the perfect boat. There is no such thing. You need to just get any (preferably small) boat and see if you even like being on the water.

AMEN!!!!!

[foggysail]

Originally Posted by Mary Flower

My only disappointment was that having reached the final post, there was no boat yet. I was totally vested in the outcome and felt so let down that the saga has yet to reach its final chapter.

Best of luck,
Jim

Chin up! This is an ongoing saga now nearing or past the one year mark. In about another year we will either have a seasoned mariner with stories or just another passing Galaxy

[deckofficer]

One more to add to the mix.

51' Powercat 2001
sleeps 10
<$250K asking
Lying BVI, perfect for starting the cruise
And GG can pilot it herself, no need for a captain.

Does need a name change though.

2001 WRIGHT YACHT CO. Wright - Boats.com

[Sandero]

The GG threads are very interesting. I appreciate many of the posts and admire her for her bravery and her thoughtfulness. But no matter how sage the advice is... you simply need the time at sea. And somehow GG will do it... in a large boat with a crew/captain or a smaller one where she runs it. But a boat with 7 is a big boat in my book. Like a car you need to kick the tires and take it for a spin. You can't as a novice buy a yacht from a brokerage listing. I am confident that GG will do the right thing for her children.

[Mary Flower]

Originally Posted by Rakuflames

Your quote is great. Consider it stolen!

Well, seeing as I already borrowed it from Albert Einstein, I would say no harm done. It is a good one, though.

“I am thankful to all those who said no to me. It’s because of them that I did it myself.”

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by Mary Flower

Well, seeing as I already borrowed it from Albert Einstein, I would say no harm done. It is a good one, though.

“I am thankful to all those who said no to me. It’s because of them that I did it myself.”

Good point!

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by Mary Flower

When the alarm went off at 8am this morning my first thought was "If Galaxy Girl were here now, I would strangle her!"

I stumbled on this thread at about midnight last night and I got so hooked on it that I stayed online until almost 5am to read every single one of the 520 some posts. I didn't get to sleep until 5:30am and I am paying the price today.

All that said, I must tell you that this has been a fascinating journey. By the end, I felt an almost personal relationship with not only Galaxy Girl but also with several of the more prolific posters; especially Deck Officer whose wise advice and counsel in his many posts were not only interesting but valuable in their own right.

My only disappointment was that having reached the final post, there was no boat yet. I was totally vested in the outcome and felt so let down that the saga has yet to reach its final chapter.

Galaxy Girl, I well recall my time spent back in the late 1970s researching the "perfect boat" for me. Although it was a long way from the sixty footers you've been looking at, the time spent was well rewarded when I finally found it.

I had never owned a boat before and my sailing experience was anything but extensive. My new wife had been aboard a sailboat (a very small one at that) only three times in her entire life. We took delivery in Rhode Island in May 1980 and embarked on a three year honeymoon cruise from the East Coast, up the Hudson River, across the Erie Canal and into and around the Great Lakes. We learned something new every single day whether we sailed or just stayed docked somewhere. By the time we went back to work in the fall of 1982, we had put in more time on our boat than most sailors do in a lifetime of weekend sailing and had developed our skills to a level that gave us the confidence that we could deal with most any situation we might encounter.

I know nothing about driving a sixty foot boat and even less about how to maintain such a beast but my instinct says you should go for it. You certainly seem bright enough and realistic enough to figure it out. And if, for some reason, it doesn't work out to your satisfaction, you can always sell the damn thing and go find another dream to chase. Chasing dreams is what life should be about.

I offer you this thought from Albert Einstein:
“I am thankful to all those who said no to me. It’s because of them that I did it myself.”

Best of luck,
Jim

Funny how this thread always seems to come back from the dead...

Jim, sorry I kept you up all night It's not over yet! You can continue to follow the story on the blog.

I'm just getting started...