Is it just me, or are the YT videos discouraging to beginners?

[Matt300ZXT]

Assuming Canada lets me in, I'm going to take some sailing lessons over the next few weeks from a friendly sailor up there and try to find some racers or some other people that'll teach me what I need to know that requires a hands-on approach that I can't learn from books, but with all these tons of YouTube videos I've been watching from some popular channels, they almost all seem to be subtly discouraging to anyone wanting to get into it; unless of course they spend $40,000 or more on a 25-35' boat with everything replaced or updated in the last 5 years. I hear stories of people spending $10-15k, or even less, on a sailboat and hopping in and cruising down the coastline to the tropics, or even across the ocean over into Europe somewhere but I can't seem to find many, or any videos from those people.

Are there channels that are actually geared towards people buying an affordable toy to go get wet, or are most of the popular YouTubers slightly elitist?

[Jebtrois]

It's mostly just you and where you are looking for inspiration. Lots of channels with T&A on bigger budgets. But check out windhippie or sam Holmes or James the sailor and you will see legit cruisers on limited budgets cruising around the world.
JEB

[Matt300ZXT]

Originally Posted by Jebtrois

It's mostly just you and where you are looking for inspiration. Lots of channels with T&A on bigger budgets. But check out windhippie or sam Holmes or James the sailor and you will see legit cruisers on limited budgets cruising around the world.
JEB

Awesome, I'll check 'em out, thanks!

[Reeve21]

Matt, I don't think you should be discouraged at all.

A lot of what I see on YT is geared towards making money for the owner's of the channel, and any knowledge that gets passed along is secondary and sometimes questionable.

In addition to what you are doing and what has already been suggested, the fastest way to figure out if this is the thing for you is to get yourself a good, old, solid, cheap boat and learn how to take care of it. This is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle, even for "weekend warriors" who still have to earn a living on the dirt.

I would suggest a Pearson or Catalina between 25 and 30 feet as a place to start. Parts are easily available for Catalinas, which is a big deal when many manufacturers of older boats are long gone. You should be able to find something for 10k or less that will get you in the game for local sailing. Something as simple as a Catalina 25 or Pearson 26 with an outboard motor can be had for under 5k. No need to break the bank starting out, if you stick with it this won't be your last boat.

Good luck!

[Fore and Aft]

Matt300ZXT not many people just hop on a 10-15k boat and cross an ocean. Coastal cruising for sure, but for an ocean crossing you have to decide your own risk factor and equip your boat for that. Most sailors want some safety gear, decent rigging and sails and a reliable engine. Certainly on some of the boats I have surveyed all those items can be worn out and you can still cross an ocean trouble free with your fingers crossed. Personally I like to sleep soundly without stressing about what might break.
Cheers

[leecea]

There may be great cheap boats but I think there are a lot of pretty bad cheap boats, some of which may have been disguised to look good to the untrained eye.

You also have to think about what you expect and what you will enjoy spending time in. Does everything have to work? Do you care if it leaks in the rain? What about old rigging that might be OK? How much do you care how it looks and how comfortable it is?

[Mike OReilly]

Matt, I think you're getting a sense of actual reality. It would be a rare gem of a $15k boat that would be reasonably capable of ocean crossings, or even extended coastal cruising. I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but a that is a definitely on the low end of what is reasonably possible.

I say this as a budget cruiser myself. My boat is definitely on the less-expensive side of life. I cruise on an annual budget that some here spend in months. So I approach this lifestyle from a low-cost perspective.

That said, it still costs actual money to acquire a decent boat, and to maintain and equip it so that it's capable of distance travel. I think $40k is close to the minimum threshold if you want the lifestyle to be sustainable over the medium to longer term.

For short term, you can get away with almost nothing, or anything. But if you are a normal person (i.e. not, super-human, just ... normal) then you need to invest some money if you're thinking of cruising as a lifestyle.

[Matt300ZXT]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Matt, I think you're getting a sense of actual reality. It would be a rare gem of a $15k boat that would be reasonably capable of ocean crossings, or even extended coastal cruising. I'm sure there are exceptions to this rule, but a that is a definitely on the low end of what is reasonably possible.

I say this as a budget cruiser myself. My boat is definitely on the less-expensive side of life. I cruise on an annual budget that some here spend in months. So I approach this lifestyle from a low-cost perspective.

That said, it still costs actual money to acquire a decent boat, and to maintain and equip it so that it's capable of distance travel. I think $40k is close to the minimum threshold if you want the lifestyle to be sustainable over the medium to longer term.

For short term, you can get away with almost nothing, or anything. But if you are a normal person (i.e. not, super-human, just ... normal) then you need to invest some money if you're thinking of cruising as a lifestyle.

I don't mind spending $40k in the end, but it'd be nice to be able to find something around $15-20 or maybe a little more that's pretty much capable of safe local sailing and some coastal work. A solid, non-leaky hull, a serviceable motor, sails and lines that'll get the job done and tune it up over the course of a year or so, whilst working up the balls to sail over deeeeeep water. I may never actually get the bug to go actually over-seas, but it would be nice to have the knowledge of what to look for so I'm not over spending and can pick out a boat with good bones.

I'll be honest, there is a bit of sensory overload right now with all the information I'm taking in and trying to memorize.

[boatman61]

A nice starter boat in your area..
https://www.yachtworld.com/yacht/198...y-26d-8853591/

[GILow]

The YT guys are mostly posturing twerps.

The few I’ve seen are thinly disguised spam channels. If you believe them you need the latest folding winch handles and fancy wet weather gear and starlink and a water maker before you even THINK of leaving the dock.

The real sailors are out there doing it without any of the extraneous crap.

(And yeah, I know, there are some real low budget channels out there, but who has time to look for them. I’d rather be sailing.)

[Statistical]

Originally Posted by Matt300ZXT

I hear stories of people spending $10-15k, or even less, on a sailboat and hopping in and cruising down the coastline to the tropics, or even across the ocean over into Europe somewhere but I can't seem to find many, or any videos from those people.

Most people probably shouldn't cross oceans with a budget of $10k. There is a lot more to cruising than crossing oceans though. That being said youtube isn't reality. Artificial drama, stress, clickbait, product placements is all part of that revenue game. Oh and of course boobs. If one only watched youtube they might think bikinis is the standard uniform for diesel mechanics.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Matt300ZXT

I don't mind spending $40k in the end, but it'd be nice to be able to find something around $15-20 or maybe a little more that's pretty much capable of safe local sailing and some coastal work.

If you're talking a boat for one person, or perhaps a young couple, looking at it as a short-term adventure, then I'd say your target is reasonable. If you're considering this as a longer-term lifestyle, then your price-range is firmly in the solo category -- and even then, just barely.

There are exceptional people who will be the exception to the rule, but if you are somewhere in the normal range of the curve (like most of us), it's better to have realistic expectations up front.

That's not to say this lifestyle needs to be overly expensive. I live, and cruise, at a level below the official poverty rate (in Canada). But this did require some time, effort and financial resources, to set up.

I'm not trying to dissuade you at all. But it's best to be realistic. I've seen too many dream-cruisers crash on the rocks of reality once the real world settles in.

[clamshack]

I learn best by doing. Correct me I'm wrong OP, but I believe that is in line with your personality as well. However, first I prefer a foundation through curriculum based instruction. It greatly accelerates my personal learning curve, once I start doing.

Nothing you see on edited video tells the whole story. I'm not saying these folks are being deceptive, but they are tailoring a story to attract the most viewers. This is not new, check out Distant Shores and Lonely planet TV :-).

If you pursue this you are going to have a lot of bad days. You are going to also have a few amazing days. That's just the way of our speciates .

[OldManMirage]

I paid 13K for my 1980 Endeavour 32. By the time I'm done - which is very close now - I'll have put about another 13K into her. So I have a fairly well equipped cruising boat for about 26K.

This is in Florida, so it might be a little different up north but I wouldn't imagine much so. The thing about northern boats is a lot of times they don't get used as much and spend time under cover, so they can be in really good shape if taken care of.

I don't think you'll have too hard a time finding a good one if you take your time.

And hey, you can watch my channel ! Seriously though, another good one is Sailboat Story, especially the early seasons. I would second Wind Hippie, but remember she's a very experienced sailor, grew up on a boat. I like Beau and Brandi too. Salty Escape. Wildly Intrepid. Or try Owen Sutton who is refitting a Cape Dory 25D, a great pocket cruiser.

Just know it's totally do-able. You got this !

[mvweebles]

Budget-boat inspiration is tough to find on YT. If a channel is successful, the cruisers quickly transition to a nicer boat. Project Atticus was fun in the early years but became insufferable when they transitioned to a $200k boat (plus at least another $100k in upgrades). Sailing Yacht Florence seems to have kept the faith as traditional cruisers.

I've met quite a few budget-boat cruisers during my 3000 mile run from California to Guatemala. You won't find them on YT. Gotta get out and go where they go - anchorages some distance away from expensive destinations. To my tastes, very inspiring. Much friendlier than the folks on YT and forums like CF.