Diary of a Wannabe Sailor

[seto_beril]

Inspired by the great thread where Na Mara chronicled his journey to the water, I figured I would do something similar and scream into the void. I'm hoping this keeps me more accountable and elicits some feedback from the seasoned sailors here.


My story begins about 14 years ago when I stumbled across some of the early YouTube sailing channels (Seth Hynes is one I distinctly remember). These channels opened my eyes to a world I never knew existed, my only boating experience being a few ferry rides. The dream of following in their footsteps was put on hold until COVID-19 happened. That's when I realized that this dream could soon be within reach for me, even though I had added three more crew members to my family since I first started planning this long ago. In the past three years, I've been slowly making moves to bring me closer to sailing full time:

• Saving every penny and working as much as I can.
• Reading as many books on sailing as I could find.
• Completing the bareboat cruising and cat ASA courses.
• Chartering a cat in the USVIs with my wife and kids to get a feel of things.
• Finishing the renovation of our house.
• Downsizing our possessions.
• Putting the house on Airbnb, which now generates a stable income for us.
• Moving the family down to Panama, where we're walking distance from one of the marinas used as a jumping-off point for the Pacific crossing. This was a happy coincidence, as we wanted to move to the beach anyway, but it has also given us a lot of experience with the challenges of living in a foreign place.

Then, in November of 2023, I got laid off from my remote job. I spent the next two months hanging out with the family and recharging. The impetus for this post is the realization that the stars are aligned quite well for us, even though we're maybe a little ahead of schedule. Now, I'm debating whether to begin the search for a vessel in earnest or to get another job and save up more money. In the meantime, I've reactivated my Find a Crew profile and posted here in the crew forum, hoping to find a chance to get more time behind the helm.


As for my crew, I have my beautiful bride, who is (reluctantly?) willing to be my first mate. She loves the ocean but isn't keen on living in rolly anchorages or taking on overnight passages. She's a stoic at heart, but this is not her dream, and I doubt she'd be willing to circumnavigate on a 30' boat like the Pardeys. My sons, aged 9 and 4, are enthusiastic about embarking on this new adventure and have adjusted well to the move to Panama. Timing the trip with their ages and abilities is probably my biggest worry. I want to go before my oldest loses interest in spending time with his parents, but I also worry about keeping a 4-year-old entertained on a boat. My 9-year-old is introverted and content with reading for hours, but the younger one requires much more energy. It's tempting to say, "Let's put this off for one or two more years," so that he's a bit more self-sufficient. However, most cruisers I've talked to seem to think that time is my enemy, and that it's better to leave too early rather than risk not leaving at all.


My goal is to provide a bit of adventure for my family. Sailing seems like the last frontier of self-reliance. Ideally, I'd like to circumnavigate, but I realize that even a 1-2 month long cruise would be a wonderful adventure.


In the next few weeks or months, I'll have to weigh the pros and cons of buying either a 40'-50' monohull (perhaps a Morgan 462?), which I know my wife will be less than enthusiastic about, or settling for a shorter cruise around Panama versus going all-in and finding a 44' catamaran to move the family aboard in earnest.


Anyway, thank you for reading this stream-of-consciousness post that's been banging around in my head for a few years. There's such an amazing depth and breadth of knowledge on this forum, and I welcome any feedback.


Cheers!

[Tillikum]

A nice steel monohull would suit well IMHO. A couple of water-tight doors isn't too many either. 1/4" plating or better, preferably Corten, would offer the best peace of mind and prospect of safe return.

Probably you'd all better find out if you're prone to sea-sickness first by going for some sails in winter weather on a comparable vessel to what you're considering buying; and one crewed by competent professionals.

If seasickness is intolerable perhaps a trip in an overland camper truck would be prudent and almost as beneficial, interesting and enjoyable? Or more so??

[5BTM]

Given the reluctance of the wife and the age of the children, I feel this a selfish dream.