Is this even a feasible idea? living far away from your boat

[Davy J]

It's Ok.
What I find most surprising is how little value is being placed on hanging out on your boat.

I'm fairly certain most everyone can hang out on this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnIGVuZOIJ8

My point though, is why does this forum have so many "drive by" posters....
They post a question or two, never to be heard from again..?

[alansmith]

Stupid question: can we actually see who reads the threads? If not, could they just be digesting what has been written?

Nonetheless, many posters questions expose us to other CF member’s thoughts. I never cease to be surprised how many views and different ways of doing things.

[avnbuff]

When I started sailing my own boat. I bought a rather inexpensive and sturdy boat which was about 2 hours away by auto from home. It worked out well.

May I suggest, sailing is a sport and a life style. At 44, I had work, kids and wife to consider, none of them had sailed that much. I had been a 'renter' and sailed when I could from my COLLEGE YEARS... but the family, another thing.

We found that getting away, was a very good start. For me, a refreshing weekend each month was pretty good, but I wanted to do so more often. I learned much by owning a boat... just remember … sailors do MUCH MORE than SAIL... it is a craft. Having a boat that is manageable is best. Small is more manageable but less comfortable.

Perhaps getting in a club or doing charter is a better start if you don't want to WORK ON YOUR BOAT. .. If you don't like mowing the lawn you may hate cleaning the bottom.

The Aviation Buff

[barnakiel]

I think it is doable, if trouble, for somebody with relevant earlier experience in boat ownership and related management of related matters.


I believe in beginners' perspective, it is a safer bet not to have a boat that is far away from where you live.


A charter fee you pay once. And next season you can sail elsewhere. It is always less than purchase and annual regular cost of storage, repairs etc. of a boat you own.



If you own a boat that is far away, you will be stuck with this location or bound to hire expensive delivery crews.


In summary, I would not buy a boat that is far from my place.


barnakiel

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Debmar

Some info.

My Wife and myself are both going to be 50 in the next year. We have almost no sailing experience. We live far from the ocean, and far enough north that in order to sail in the winter months (which is the only time our schedule allows currently) the boat in question would have to be kept at a warm location far away from where we are.

We would be looking at buying a used but decent seaworthy sailboat in the 35-40 ish foot range we think. (remember, we don't know what we are talking about, but have tried to research this and be grounded in reality in the process)

The question....is it being realistic on our part to think owning a boat in say Florida (or other warm locale) and having it stored out of the water for a significant part of the year could work? without being anywhere near to be able to check on it? without the storage costs being so prohibitive as to make it not worth it. we would hope that each year as our schedule and experience sailing allows the time on the boat would increase (we would initially probably be able to be on her for a month (after fixing her up and getting her in the water) but hopefully that would increase by a couple weeks per year. ) we realize that we have piles to learn, but if this dream is to become reality we have to start somewhere, and sooner the better.

we have looked at charters but that appears to get really costly quickly and although a great experience that $ is just gone.

anyone doing something similar out there with any advice for us as we try to keep a dream alive? We would really appreciate any insight from those who are or who have tried such a thing.

thanks

As you can see from the replies, a good case can be made for either chartering or owning a midsize cruiser, in your situation. But here is my suggestion. Get yourself a nice trailer sailer. Make sure you have a vehicle that will tow it. Park in your driveway instead of a marina several hundred miles away. Maintenance will be WAY lower. Insurance, too. It shouldn't ever sink while it is in your driveway. If it does, you have bigger problems. When you have time, drive to the nearest large lake that has a launch ramp, and go sailing. Learn the basics on the cheap. There are quite a few boats that you can take out for overnighters in reasonable comfort, that can be towed on a trailer. Don't buy new. New boats begin to depreciate rapidly as soon as you sign. A 30yo boat has already done most of its depreciating, and chances are good that should you choose to upgrade or to get out of sailing, you can sell for what you paid, or nearly what you paid for it. Something like a MacGregor 26, for instance. McG's get a lot of disrespect but for lake sailing from a trailer they are okay. Plenty of other choices, too. You could also start out with a day sailer or even a dinghy, just to learn the mechanics of sailing, but you won't get the big boat feel, when you can't go below for a nap or a meal or whatever.



Once you start talking about a boat that lives in the water, your maintenance headaches increase by orders of magnitude. Be ready for that, or don't do it at all.



To charter you will generally need to complete a bareback charter course from a recognized school. ASA is the most popular in our hemisphere. Chartering is IMHO somewhat better than remote owning but as you can see, opinions differ on that. The classes are not without significant cost but you will learn a lot and walk away with the certification that charterers expect to see before they turn over $200k worth of sailboat to a stranger.

[wesevans]

Many people keep boats in Florida and live a long way away. Many of these people store their boats on the hard during the time they are not using them. It takes about a week to commission and a week to prep for storage. You also save on insurance while stored out of the water. The other option is to hire a boat management company to care for your boat.

[Happ]

I think chartering is a perfect solution for you. You can pick exciting places to go that most likely you will never sail to on your own. Depending on which coast you are on you may want to experience more far away places on the other coast or dare I say even Europe. You can try out different size boats while enjoying a beautiful place. Hone your sailing skills in the process. You will experience first hand cruising without the headache of managing the boat. When your time allows to spend a significant time aboard you will know what matters to you in a boat. You will soon see the advantages and disadvantages of features or equipment you want. You may even discover an area you want to have a boat in.

[CruiserDerrick]

My experience....my wife and I lived in Calgary and wanted to sail....we did our research and realized that if we did NOT charter, how would we know that cruising was the life for us....and we were approaching retirement. So we chartered for about 5 years...it was NOT money gone, it was an investment in the future of our peace of mind. Yes we did the right thing, no we should not have bought a boat......as it turned out, purchasing a boat was the right thing....that's when the long distance "thing" happened....I was able to bank my overtime and my wife was a teacher...giving us the 2.5 months off in the summer and so we sailed from the day after school was out to the day before school was in....and Christmas and easter breaks gave us another few weeks....

Deciding on a boat also came from our charter experience...we tried out a goodly number of different boats, size, style, full keel, fin keel and so on....from that, we decided that we wanted to go offshore and so our first boat had to be a good ocean boat.....but as often happens, we chanced into a forced sail between partners and ended up with a full keeler, good ocean boat, centre cockpit, cutter rig, but no bells and whistles...that was when our navigation and boating skills were really honed..

Over the course of the years, we have now owned 7 boats and now we manage a 40ft sailboat for some doctors...we sail about the same time each year..and we now live on the coast....in fact I work for a yacht charter company....

with your lack of experience and knowledge, my recommendation is to charter for a while, develop that sense that says, yes boating/cruising is for us...and then invest in your own boat....as others on the forum have said...owning a boat can bleed you dry, so make sure you are making the right decision.....good luck

[pamellon]

I suggest you take sailing courses where you stay on a boat during the lessons. Many ASA and US Sailing courses offer this. That way you build your knowledge and experience and come away with recognized credentials. After that look into boat shares until you're in a position to get more time on the water. This will also give you time to see and try different boats before you make a full time commitment.

[Visarend]

Short story. I built my boat 30 years ago, and the only time it was flooded has been while sitting on the hard - because I was some 500 km away, and not able to visit her at least twice a month. In the meantime, maintenance issues accumulated to the point that she shall need at least a couple of months work.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Debmar

Some info.

My Wife and myself are both going to be 50 in the next year. We have almost no sailing experience. We live far from the ocean, and far enough north that in order to sail in the winter months (which is the only time our schedule allows currently) the boat in question would have to be kept at a warm location far away from where we are.

We would be looking at buying a used but decent seaworthy sailboat in the 35-40 ish foot range we think. (remember, we don't know what we are talking about, but have tried to research this and be grounded in reality in the process)

The question....is it being realistic on our part to think owning a boat in say Florida (or other warm locale) and having it stored out of the water for a significant part of the year could work? without being anywhere near to be able to check on it? without the storage costs being so prohibitive as to make it not worth it. we would hope that each year as our schedule and experience sailing allows the time on the boat would increase (we would initially probably be able to be on her for a month (after fixing her up and getting her in the water) but hopefully that would increase by a couple weeks per year. ) we realize that we have piles to learn, but if this dream is to become reality we have to start somewhere, and sooner the better.

we have looked at charters but that appears to get really costly quickly and although a great experience that $ is just gone.

anyone doing something similar out there with any advice for us as we try to keep a dream alive? We would really appreciate any insight from those who are or who have tried such a thing.

thanks

You haven't mentioned where you live up north so your post may have boxed-in suggestions that may have eliminated some alternatives.

First off, do some sailing to see if it is your and your wife's cup of tea. The usual turn-offs are fear during the boat's heeling and sea sickness...both can be reduced/overcome with more knowledge and experience; the other is if you BOTH don't continue with the dream. However, sailing is one thing and boat ownership is the flip side of the coin. Don't get me wrong, I could never get the same feeling sailing someone else's/charter boat but many people do.

Even places way up north have yacht/sailing clubs and a membership may have some reciprocal privileges in warmer climates; or maybe just become a member of a club in that warmer climate that can accommodate your limited sailing to the winter months...their incentive is your 12 months of dues and you only use them three months. Obviously, some research is necessary on your part to make this happen.

Don't give up.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[RSH]

We live about 300 miles from our boat and make the round trip about 2x/month. If we couldn't get to it regularly I don't think I would own one.

I don't see chartering as "throwing away" money because you're gaining experience, and that's something intangible that is still valuable.

Don't undervalue that and overvalue "stuff" like a boat.

Plus, you never have to sell your experience at a steep discount-it's yours and nobody can take it away from you, and you can apply it to later life experiences which may include stuff like a boat.

[Wanton]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

As you can see from the replies, a good case can be made for either chartering or owning a midsize cruiser, in your situation. But here is my suggestion. Get yourself a nice trailer sailer. Make sure you have a vehicle that will tow it. Park in your driveway instead of a marina several hundred miles away. Maintenance will be WAY lower. Insurance, too. It shouldn't ever sink while it is in your driveway. If it does, you have bigger problems. When you have time, drive to the nearest large lake that has a launch ramp, and go sailing. Learn the basics on the cheap. There are quite a few boats that you can take out for overnighters in reasonable comfort, that can be towed on a trailer. Don't buy new. New boats begin to depreciate rapidly as soon as you sign. A 30yo boat has already done most of its depreciating, and chances are good that should you choose to upgrade or to get out of sailing, you can sell for what you paid, or nearly what you paid for it. Something like a MacGregor 26, for instance. McG's get a lot of disrespect but for lake sailing from a trailer they are okay. Plenty of other choices, too. You could also start out with a day sailer or even a dinghy, just to learn the mechanics of sailing, but you won't get the big boat feel, when you can't go below for a nap or a meal or whatever.



Once you start talking about a boat that lives in the water, your maintenance headaches increase by orders of magnitude. Be ready for that, or don't do it at all.



To charter you will generally need to complete a bareback charter course from a recognized school. ASA is the most popular in our hemisphere. Chartering is IMHO somewhat better than remote owning but as you can see, opinions differ on that. The classes are not without significant cost but you will learn a lot and walk away with the certification that charterers expect to see before they turn over $200k worth of sailboat to a stranger.

I agree with most of the above. Get a nice trailer sailer. Something from 22 ft to 26 ft would be nice. Try to choose a TS that has a real Keel. A Mac 26 is a nice caravan on water (very comfortable) but it is not a good example of a sailing boat. It has many benefits of course, women love them because they are rally nice and roomy, like a caravan, but I think not the best boat to learn on due to the sail configuration/power (lack of) and the fact that the big donk on the stern is very tempting to just motor about rather than sail.

A good TS is able to be towed and launched at various locations near or far. I have towed my boat as far away as 2,000 Kilometers over a few days to sail in far off tropical locations. It would take a sailing boat weeks to cover the same distance.

Having the Trailer Sailer parked at home will let you learn how to repair and fix issues. These maintenance lessons will become invaluable when you are ready to buy a larger keel boat and go off to explore the world. Sailing is magic for teaching you self reliance and self sufficiency.

Don't let go of your dream, just take a couple of small steps first. You can learn a lot on a TS and it will also permit you to hire a larger bare boat at lower cost cause you'll be able to captain the hire keeler yourself.

[sdj]

Originally Posted by Debmar

we have looked at charters but that appears to get really costly quickly and although a great experience that $ is just gone.

It will be just gone if you buy a sailboat too.

With your inexperience, and for a number of other reasons, there's no way you are going to get your money out of your "investment" when it's time to sell.

Do you have the balls to sail a big boat? Are you a pilot, cross country skier, rock climber, or any crap like that? If not, I suggest the romance of owning and operating a big sail boat will be rapidly turning to the horror of learning one terrible lesson after the other.. Sailing is not exactly a consumer environment if you get what I mean.

If you can, then do. Or else go on the charter and forget the money.

[Wanton]

As can be seen from the photo of my boat a Careel 22, a TS is not a push over.

Wanton C22/110 - Wanton sailing around Port Phillip Bay in 6 days (Jan 2019) Cruisers & Sailing Photo Gallery


Sorry I do not know how to attach photos. The above URL is pointing to a photo that I uploaded to this site.