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gypsy81 · 08-07-2017, 05:45

Hi,

Our dream in a few years is to buy a 42' Catalina tri-cabin and sail 6 moths out of the year with our 2 sons, currently 5 and 7. We would be docked the rest of the time as I will be a travelling nurse.

We are looking to get some experience spending time on a boat that size. Most likely 1 week, next Spring. We are willing to pay for the experience. I am specifically posting this in with the liveaboard posts because that is our goal.

My husband has taking sailing classes. I have not. I want to make sure we both feel comfortable on a boat like this before we commit too much further.

Thanks for reading-

john61ct · 08-07-2017, 07:18

Get your income situated into the six-months pattern, then spend your off season(s) on a Caribbean island so you can volunteer-crew, ideally in racing season. Get to know the yacht club and marina people, help on deliveries, help with maintenance projects, maybe crew on charters. You will soon get "hired" as caretakers on an absentee owner boat and so no more accommodation expense (even if it was a tent on the beach).

IOW do everything you can to get dozens of weeks aboard, get to the point where you and your mate qualify as a team to crew on your own (there's an income in that too BTW)

You will by then know whether you want to commit to the life, and also be in a MUCH better position to buy and fix up a GREAT value boat.

**Don C L** · 08-07-2017, 07:20

Well welcome aboard here! It's a good dream you have there! I am guessing you live in Florida or on the Gulf Coast? 42' is a little on the large size to start on, but on the other hand, when I was learning to drive at 16 all we had was a 15 passenger van and I learned to drive that around like a sports car! As you begin this dream I'd suggest you buy 2 little boats, like Sabots or El Toros, or Lasers even better, and perhaps one for the kids to share, and then you and your husband go out and race each other just for fun to learn the basics. Or join a local club that has little boats and get the kids in a sailing program too. What you learn in a little boat, having FUN, you will learn well and it will apply to any size sailboat. Feedback in a little boat is immediate and you will see immediately the results of your actions. On a larger boat it is not always clear right away if you have sails trimmed properly. Once you feel you have mastered that you can move up to 22' or 25' for practice and then charter a few boats in the 32-36' range and then you'll more easily transition to your 42'. Bigger boats have bigger expenses, bigger problems and mistakes have bigger consequences. Better to make the mistakes on smaller boats, that belong to someone else.