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Retired Rob · 27-08-2022, 08:04

Hello all. I'll keep this short because intro's aren't the most exciting thing to read. I'm 51, married, and retired. My wife and I have started the journey toward life aboard a sailboat by declaring our intentions. Now to start the journey. We are fortunate enough to be able to do it today if we wanted to, but alas, we are very risk averse and have set a target of 3 to 5 years in order to not only acquire sailing certificates but to become competent and confident sailors. I found this site after countless hours on YouTube stalking amazing content from couples living abroad and crushing it. I joined because I just love the way these forums chronicle and catalog institutional knowledge. So... I'm excited to be here and hope to contribute as much as a consume. Cheers.

Robert

thesaltytar · 27-08-2022, 10:03

Welcome aboard Robert! Nothing wrong with a slow start. Are you still living ashore? Curious how you see the transition taking place and what your plan looks like.

Retired Rob · 27-08-2022, 14:27

Thank you for the reply. We are still on land here in Florida. We are recreational boaters now, but nothing other than small craft for sailing. As a military guy, they always taught us to start at Mission Success, and plan backwards. So, with that… I am really focusing right now on what type of boat we’re going to be on, and where we want to take it. That will of course drive the training requirements to start this adventure. At this point, we are leaning heavily toward the Neel 47. I think we’ll be able to make that decision during next season’s boating shows. With any luck, we’ll be able to step on board the 47 in Miami in 2023. Purchasing the boat will definitely be the last step. My wife and I plan on obtaining ASA certificates through 114 over that time over the next year and I’m sure I will have some salty sailors point me a few helpful directions along the way. We’re in no extreme hurry. I flew Blackhawks in the military, and as a result, I am very risk averse. I plan on mitigating the risks inherent in maritime activities with a whole lot of training up front, and then working our way up until we are both competent and confident in our ability to sail.