New Beginnings!

[matthewp]

Hi All

My name is Matthew Pomfrey

I would like to introduce myself to the forum and its users.

I have 2 simple quests and they are as follows

1) Buy the biggest Oyster yacht I can afford in ten years time

2) to visit the most beautiful places in the world with my wife

I gathered it best to start early and learn as much as I can, any tips are welcome!

Regards

Matthew Pomfrey

Oldham News | News Headlines | 60 new jobs are a ray of sunshine - Chronicle Online

[Dockhead]

Welcome to CF, Matthew!

Why wait for 10 years? You might not even be alive by then. If I were you, I would buy whatever I can afford now, and start sailing now. Carpe diem!

[svmariane]

Welcome a'board CF, Mathew!

Tip #1: Get out on the water. Somehow. You'll appreciate the experience, learn, and have hip-pocket knowledge when you buy your own boat.

Suggestion: Any marinas in your area? Some places have beer-can races, where sailing rules are obeyed but the emphasis is more on camaraderie and having fun. Some of the captains willingly take on folk like yourself as added crew (after first having a personality-suitability session at the clubhouse). Even without actual races, some captains just love to teach, or occasionally want/need another warm body on deck.

Good luck!

[Adelie]

OYSTER 82?

[Seaworthy Lass]

Welcome to CF!

Best of luck building foundations under those castles in the air

PS Don't forget there are 26 foot Oysters available!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Mathew.

[boatman61]

Hi Matt.... Welcome to CF
Good luck with the Oyster...

[GrowleyMonster]

+1 on crewing for others. Way better than a class, if you ask me, particularly if you don't crew for just one person. Move around. Learn from different boats and different folks. Then get yourself an inexpensive trailer queen that doesn't need any major work, and get out on the water every weekend, rain or shine. Try to get something that you can overnight in. An old boat can usually be sold for nearly what you paid for it, so if you don't have to fix anything major, and you aren't paying for a slip, the net expense of owning your first boat can be pretty modest. Look for something 22 to 26'. There are exceptions, thouhg... a West Wight 19 would make a nice first boat, and you and your wife can overnight on it in a pinch. Just don't try to do a week long cruise together in a WW-19 or you will probably be ready to kill each other by the time it is over. A small boat is easier to manage and easier to learn on. After a year or three, if you are still gung ho about sailing, look for an upgrade. Sell the trailer sailer and get a small cruising boat. A Catalina 27 or a Cal 2-27 would be good as a minimum. Both are great boats for light cruising and both can be had pretty reasonable. This will be your intermediate boat. Do a few coastal cruises, maybe go see the Bahamas, and learn what it is you want and need in your ultimate boat. Learn how to fix things when all you got is what you got and you are three days sail from anywhere. Learn how to deal with nasty weather. Learn how to do advanced maintenance chores and modifications, and how to do all the paperwork that comes as part and parcel of cruising. Once again, if you get a boat that doesn't require major cash to get it ready to sail and keep it that way, you shouldn't be out too much when you sell and do your hopefully final upgrade to your Oyster. By then, though, you might be not quite so set on that particular builder. Experience might change your preferences.

The main thing is to get out on the water now, and not wait until you can do it full on with bells and whistles. Don't let it just be a dream. Do the thing for real.

Some folks would say add another preliminary stage in there, and buy a dinghy. Nothing wrong with that, either. A good dink will teach you a lot of the elemental basics of sailing physics at the cost of an occasional capsize and dunking. Personally I don't think it is a necessary step but you will have a lot of fun sailing around in a dinghy and even a new one doesn't have to cost a lot. Once again, though, an older one will depreciate less.

Baby steps before running marathons. Take it in bites. Commit a little bit of time and money early on. Make it part of your life and not just a plan. You know what a plan is? It is a list of events that probably ain't gonna happen LOL! Get on the water now, not ten years from now. Otherwise, it might never happen.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by matthewp

any tips are welcome!

Regards

Matthew Pomfrey

Oldham News | News Headlines | 60 new jobs are a ray of sunshine - Chronicle Online

Based on your post I recommend the following as starting points:

1 - start reading
2 - be rich

good luck!

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Adelie

OYSTER 82?

I don't actually like that one so much -- one of the more awkward Humphreys designs, IMHO.

I go much more for the Holman & Pye Oysters. My own dream Oyster would be the 61:

Oyster Yachts | 61 | Overview

Oh, yeah . . . that's floating sex . . .

There's one which lives on a mooring just a few down from mine, on the Hamble. I get an erection every time I motor past . . .

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard!
Just my advice: Find somewhere to get started with some sailing lessons and find a good library for reading about sailing.
Don't be stuck on any one individual boat or builder until you've really had a chance to see what's available for what price.
kind regards,

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum...Like others, I have some advice. look at your life 10 years ago. Is everything about your life now what you thought it would be? Most, if not all people here started out on starter boats to make sure they and their loved ones enjoyed sailing and the bills that are created from the up-keep. Maybe start with a lake/bay boat for a few years and enjoy the low-end first. 10 years is a long ways away.

[matthewp]

Hi All

Thanks for the replies some made me laugh this morning, I would love nothing more than to go now however I have young children who are still at primary school so for now will have to restrict my sailing time to weekends and whenever work creates a chance which isn't often!

Regarding learning last year we bought a place in Abersoch with full intentions of starting to learn sail out of Pwllheli yacht club and also out of Abersoch yacht club,

I will be taking lessons there and it looks like exciting times are ahead for Pwllheli please see the link below.

Pwllheli Sailing Academy and Events Centre | Substantial Economic Projects | Gwynedd Council

I'd love to be able to crew with somebody so if there is anybody in that area who needs a good pair of hands then please do message me.

Once more thanks for all replies they have brightened my first back at work up.

Regards

Matthew Pomfrey