Intro from Central Oregon

[wcsailor]

Thought I'd take the leap and post our introduction. This site is great and is fueling our desire to return to cruising. We lived aboard our Catalina 34 '98-'99 (Long Beach, CA) while I finished school (late bloomer graduating at 38) then spent a fabulous year in Mexico before selling our boat to an Oregon-based gringo with a winter house in Mazatlan. Our original plan was to then purchase a trawler in the PNW and spend a few years in the waters between Seattle and Alaska before heading back to warmer waters. We ended up purchasing a piece of property here in Central Oregon, building a house, etc. As we say, "life took a hard right turn." But we miss cruising, and despite all the benefits of a stick house, we agree that simply living on a boat--or should I say "living simply on a boat"--even in the middle of an urban area, is the best life-style we've ever experienced. So, we're heading down to Oakland this month to the StrictlySail show to make some decisions...

I just read the thread about "age" so would like to add a little detail about us for anyone questioning their ability based on age, or other "issues". My husband uses a wheelchair and I have a strong tendancy to seasickness but we found cruising very do-able. We divided up the boat chores a little differently than most couples--he took longer watches due to my seasickness and I cleaned to bottom of the boat--it all works out when you work as a team and don't "keep score". The great things about cruising, those I miss the most, are the complete beauty of sailing, the required interdependancy we had on each other on a daily basis, and the knowledge that at the end of the day, for better or worse, we'd really LIVED and SHARED that day.

We're still in the decision stage of whether we can really go out again but whether we do or not, our three years aboard Cynosure will be three of the best years of our life.

We adopted a saying in Spanish that we carved into the cement of our garage: "Nunca se sabe" -- One never knows.

Hope to get out there again,
Lori and John

[swagman]

Hi Lori and John,
I applaud you both for overcoming those past issues and like you, hope you get out on the water again.
Good luck
JOHN

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Lori and John,
Welcome aboard!! Good to have you on the forum and I look forward to your comments when folks talk about not being able to do something.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[Hud3]

Your relationship sounds ideal for the cruising life! Good luck in making your decision--keep us posted.

[San Juan 34]

Hello,

My wife and I are also from Central Oregon. I'm originally from Rhode Island a grew up sailing. Left home (1988) traveled and ended up in Bend. 7 yrs ago I went back to R.I. and got the bug back after watching the boat tack back and forth. My wife had never sailed so we started small and I wanted to be able to trailer to the different lakes of the high desert. I didn't want to get stuck visiting the same spot over and over. In R.I. you can visit a different areea of Naraganset Bay and never see it all. So we started with a 14ft Hobie Cat, then a 16ft Hobie Cat, then a 24ft San Juan which we moored in Newport Oregon. I found the New Port Oregon pretty ironic considering that I sailed a San Juan 24 off New Port R.I. as a kid. Then I had a brain storm that I needed to sail more often than just on the weekends in Newport so I bought a Capri 14.2. At that point we have two boats, one at the coast and one in the high. In 2 years I only used the Capri 14.2 2 times, my wife hated it. Of coarse that wasn't the end, We ended up buying a San Juan 34. At one point we owned three boats. I got lucky and sold both the 24ft and the 14 ft. Our boat is presently moored in Portland Oregon and it is great. We spend every weekend we can on the boat along with some vacation time. Almost perfect we just miss the smell of the ocean.