New member from Montreal, looking for first sailboat

[Severance]

Hi cruisers,

New member from Montreal, just completed my ASA (101, 103, 104) certifications in FL and I'm shopping around lake Champlain/Ontario for my first sailboat (a post in the classifieds section with more details is upcoming).

Sea you around!

[Mirage35]

Have sailed Lake Champlain numerous times and am currently at the east end of Lake Ontario - either one will give you good sailing and plenty of places to explore.

Good luck with your boat search.

[Westwind24]

If you're in Montreal there's good sailing on Lac St Louis. You're gonna sail more often if the mooring is nearby. Unless maybe you're on the south shore somewhere near the US border.

[desodave]

Welcome from the other side of the country, the (usually) wet coast. Best of luck with your boat search ... the enjoyable part before the hard costs of ownership kick in !!

[Severance]

@Mirage35 : I'm looking forward to exploring those places in between repairs and maintenance!

@Westwind24 : Indeed, I took an intro to sailing course on Lac St-Louis in 2015

@desodave : I'd love to sail the we(s)t coast one day

[Don C L]

Welcome aboard, Severance and Windward24

[Adelie]

Welcome to CruisersForum!

[boatpoker]

Originally Posted by Severance

Hi cruisers,

New member from Montreal, just completed my ASA (101, 103, 104) certifications in FL and I'm shopping around lake Champlain/Ontario for my first sailboat (a post in the classifieds section with more details is upcoming).

Sea you around!

This might help ...
Marine Survey 101, pre-survey inspection

[Severance]

Thanks for the link, it should soon come in handy (hopefully)

[Shoshana]

Welcome Severance! Are you looking for a centerboard or keel sailboat? I’m looking for a used 34’ cruiser/racer.

[Severance]

It's more about the draft (4 to 5 ft would be ideal, less if ctrb) than the type, since my cruising ground will most likely only be the Caribbean.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Severance

New member from Montreal, just completed my ASA (101, 103, 104) certifications in FL and I'm shopping around lake Champlain/Ontario for my first sailboat (a post in the classifieds section with more details is upcoming).

Bienvenue!

I don't know your age, budget or sailing goals, and this is CF which of course leans towards larger cruising boats, natch... but I wanted to make a plug for getting a smaller, trailerable cruiser as your first sailboat:

• inexpensive to buy, insure, maintain and store
• easier to sail, especially solo or as a couple. You will sail more.
• more fun to sail, more often, especially with the smaller lakes and summer winds in your areas
• acceptable, even fun accomodations for short stays, for a young family, or a fit couple of any age. If you've liked camping, small boats are a step up!
• you can easily tow the boat to visit any sailable body of water within 400 km (ie - a day's drive). Can't do that with a larger boat.
• easier to sell when you are ready to step up. Or just keep it.

We're into year 16 with a 19' trailerable microcruiser. We keep her on a slip on L. Ontario, but we've also towed her all over, including to L Champlain, Lac des Deux Montagnes, Lac-Deschênes. Big fun.

We are also frequently crew/guests on larger cruising sailboats, and we've done a bareboat charter on a 41' monohull in the BVIs, together with other small-boat-owning friends, so a smaller boat is not a dead-end by any means.

Just an option for you to consider.

[Severance]

Bonjour Lake-Effect,

Those are excellent points to be considered, for sure. As for myself, I'm looking for a liveaboard to cruise for a couple of years before I'm no longer able to, so I'll stick to my requirements as long as my plans don't change.