From Kansas to around the world? On 150k? Which way to go?

[Joh.Ghurt]

Ivory, thank you for the detailed answer. It makes the picture a little clearer.

Originally Posted by Ivory

I've never swam in a warm ocean before, I really want to do that. And not just as a tourist on a week vacation before going back to my "normal life".

This is a very solid motivation, even if it just looks like a detail. I also take great pleasure from having the warm sea as my personal swimming pool at anchor. On you journey to your boat, this goal can be achieved a few times to give you a taste.

Originally Posted by Ivory

The thing is a boat is just the most practical way of achieving the real goals I have... Which is traveling the world without having to live out of a strange hotel (and doing it in a much more affordable way, not just going somewhere for a week and blowing through tons of money, but being able to go somewhere for a month... or more, if I feel like it).

This is somewhat true, although the "more affordable" is debatable. However, when you live on a boat you have quite a lot of upfront costs, financially and knowledge / skill. In you case, you need to acquire the skills too. And no matter what you read, you can't really skip this and it'll cost. The trick is to make the journey there as pleasurable as possible.

Originally Posted by Ivory

I'll likely get pretty seasick for a while too, and find it troublesome often (but also a change of pace, which is interesting).

So do surprisingly many sailors, myself included. There are working tablets for this. Not fun, but it can be dealt with.

Originally Posted by Ivory

Honestly, I don't REALLY want to live on a boat. That isn't my goal... rocking around in the waves and the hassle of dealing with even getting to the store and bring back groceries... it sounds like a huge pain.

You raise a very good point here and you're far ahead with this realisation compared to people who buy first. Often it's the wife hating it making for sad boats in the marinas.

You definitely should check this out. Perhaps you're imagination isn't matching reality and you like it or it turns out to be true. In this case, you should be either be looking for a different type of boat or a different way to travel to live your dream.

To get these points cleared up while investing into the knowledge part, you should book a berth for a week or two in a cruising area you want to go to. Yes, it's just like a paid holiday, but combine it with ASA-101 course and some of it will be an investment into the future. Acquire the knowledge will generate costs. Better invest a little first to prevent investing a lot in the wrong solution.

Originally Posted by Ivory

So I know whatever boat I find it needs to be a good hull without water problems, and a working engine...

Sorry, you don't know nothing yet. Those are just things that might make your life easier or things needing less investment. I once considered buying a boat without working engine. Got an reasonable estimate for repowering (I didn't consider repairing the old engine for good reasons), added that to the price and evaluated the boat at these costs. Nothing to it. It's just a matter of allocating funds.

Originally Posted by Ivory

I'm not married to the idea of a 20k boat [...]

Makes it easier, but depending on our plans for life this might change. Unmarried at 24 is different from unmarried / divorced at 54. Because of this you might go with a smaller boat.

Considering your list of ton of equipment you might or might not need. You can skip any item you want an still cruise happily. Epirb is only necessary for certain classes of boats and cruising areas. In coastal waters, it's not required. A fridge might be optional depending on your diet. Vegetarians and people living without cold beer / soda can do it easier than people depending on a freezer. It didn't stop me going out cruising with a broken fridge with the family for 3 weeks. It can be done, but do you want to?

Here are two very different Youtube channels that illustrate solo-sailors at both extremes. One without fridge and a small boat, the other on a Bavaria 50. They even know each other and appear in each other's videos:
https://www.youtube.com/c/WindHippieSailing/videos
https://www.youtube.com/c/SailingwithThomas/videos
Sailing works for both of them. Most people are in between.

You should find out quickly whether sailing is right for you at all or you're better served by the camper-bus-life many surfers adopt on nice beaches. Only after this step you should commit further resources. The boat should come only after you have your ASA 103 (or something like this) and at least 4 weeks boat life with other people. Not doing this way is a gamble with very low chances to win.

[AdamInYardley]

I'll add a few thoughts but resonate with many of the suggestions above.

First thing I'd do is take an ASA 101 class in Kansas. see Perry Yacht club offering in Meriden as an example, or arrange a class in Chicago on Lake Michigan. $500 plus travel, call it $1k.
https://asa.com/schools/kansas/perry-yacht-club/

Then take an ASA 103/104 course as a 5 day package liveaboard class wherever is least expensive but the school has good reviews. guessing on a great lake (e.g. Chicago on Lake Michigan), or east coast (anywhere along the Chesapeake, Newport, Long Island sound, Oriental, NC, etc). Budget $1500 for the class plus $500 for transportation and expenses, call it $2k.

see

http://www.delmarvasailingschool.com...b_site_002.htm

-101, 103, 104 combo class for $1800 in 7 days on the water....

-103/104 combo for $1260 in 5 days...

alternately, take a 103/104 combo course in Red Hook, St. Thomas on the US Virgin Islands to get a more vacation feel for your live aboard education. price probably doubles to 2.5k for course and 1.5k for expenses but the Chesapeake is not the Virginia Islands experience. this approach dovetails with my next suggestion.

see http://www.virginislandssailingacade...b_site_002.htm

-asa 101, 103, 104 in 9days for $2700
-asa 103 , 104 in 6 days for $2000 if you do ASA 101 local to home.

spend this $3k ($5k) as quickly as you can to get educated and I'll guarantee you'll be a ton more informed about how to make your dream plan come true. while doing this, I'd work harder and save more for the kitty as well.

also consider being crew on others boats doing longer passages where they cover all expenses except travel to and from. e.g., join a delivery from Newport to Bermuda or from Maine to Florida by Ocean to gain experience inexpensively at some else's expense and safely so you are not over your head.

lastly, 1st choice: I'd look to buy a boat on the east coast and shake it and yourself down on coastal waters for a few months, then consider passage making to the Caribbean and cruise there for a while before determining where next.

pacific coast would be my 2nd choice: Seattle area buy the boat, spend a few months shaking the boat and yourself down in the San Juan's, but then you've got a long passage ahead of you to Hawaii and French Polynesia which I don't think you'd be equipped for experience or boat wise.

crawl, before you walk before you jog. you won't be well equipped to run safely without spending time in the earlier phases.

a self criticism of my advice: this is a risk mitigation strategy that I've laid out. you may prefer to hold more risk and just jump, but that wouldn't be how I would go about it.

lots of criticism to be offered to this approach as well but this would be my advice to enable your dream. best of luck.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, Ivory,

Just because people have survived being seasick for thousands of years, do not take it too lightly, either. I can guarantee that you won't think it is "interesting" to be to the dry heaves stage, dehydrated, and greenish grey in appearance. On the plus side, some lucky people never suffer from it. It is easily cured by sitting under a tree. And there is effective preventive medication.

Ann

[EarlWer]

Originally Posted by Ivory

Anyhow, would love some suggestions are where the best place to go for someone in my situation.

Join a club.
The Ninnescah Sailing Association looks nice and it's not too far away.
https://www.sailninnescah.org/

Learn to sail. Looks like the members have smaller boats but the concepts are similar.

That would be a great start...

[Yellowtulip]

Not having lots of equipment aboard isn’t a “hardy” v “luxury” thing. It’s plain economics and practicality. Many, many people sail without a water maker. If you buy a boat under or about 32 feet for your 20k or near it a water maker will take up significant storage space and it’s 5k cost is equivalent to several weeks or months of cruising. You would also need to have the skills and spares to go with it and it will impact on your power budget which is one of the biggest factors. The same goes for an electric windlass. It isn’t necessary on a smaller boat assuming you’re reasonably fit.
Some people do consider these things essential but I think they would have bigger budgets than you.
Your priorities ought to be the sailing gear, navigational gear, ground tackle and the engine. The best advice you’ve been given is to sail with other people. You’ll soon know if it’s for you.