The Journey Begins

[rsrguy3]

It's time to start. I'm in recovery.... from 23 years of raising children. I'm working overseas and am starting my search for the right model to set up as my new home. My wife and I are looking forward to this undertaking, and would like to make the best choices possible. I'm hoping I'll be able to get the direction I need on this forum. -Guy

[ozskipper]

Welcome along.. There is great info here. Lots of bar chatter and plenty of lively discussion. Enjoy!!

[Irish rambler]

Go for it, you have one life, live it. Don't worry about the kids, stop feeding them and they'll go away and money will keep them in touch. SKI spend the kids inheritance, what did they ever give you ? I'm not being hard but when a bird can fly it's outta the nest and gone. It's your time now to do the things you dreamed of all your life, go for some adventure before dementia.
Remember the old army 5 P's, proper planning prevents piss poor performance.

[rsrguy3]

I'm not overly concerned about the kids all 5 have good heads and of the 4 that are married, I can say the same of there spouses. The bride and I are looking for quality alone time, with minimal distractions. We'll be headed back to California in April, where we will hopefully find the right boat. I'm looking for a glass boat in the 30-43' range with a vintage from late 60's to early 80's. Any suggestions about relevant threads will be greatly appreciated.-Guy

[ozskipper]

There is a small search link on the right of the green bar at the top of this page. If you start typing in brands/models etc you will generally find there has already been a discussion of sorts. But like everyone. The best place to start is yachtworld.com

30-43 ft is a MASSIVE difference in boats. Let alone the 60s through 80s. Get to yachtworld asap and type in your budget then size range. My guess is that that information alone without a price will provide 20-30 pages.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha and welcome aboard! I like this site better than yachtworld but boat are fun.

Sailboat Listings - sailboats for sale

Check out the link after my signature. Down deep in the article is a list of boats with a very little synopsis about them. If you sail already then don't bother with this advice: if you haven't had a Basic Sailing course I do recommend one for both of you.

kind regards,

[WebWench]

It would help to know what you plan to do with the boat and where you plan to sail.....also a price range.

[rsrguy3]

Thanks guys, I've spent tons of time on yacht trader and others like it. We have lake sailed as a family since I was a scout. My employment will be taking me to SoCal in April... 29 Palms. Once there we'll be taking all the courses we can, and getting our licks in on weekend trips to Catalina. I've read several of Lynn and Larry's books. I'm hoping to get some rough weather experience as well. As far as what my intentions are, well the job should be moving to Hawaii in 14 so by then I'd like to have a boat and have it fit for big ocean sailing. I hope to live on the boat while in Hi, and use it for vacations and long weekends exploring the islands and surf breaks. As far as what I've seen in YT... Well, there is so much to choose from. I do know some things though. I know I don't want a ferro cement, steel, or wood boat. I want a decent displacement GRP boat 60'-early 80's vintage. I'm a big wood and composites guy, but I'm very adept at composite repair and FAB as well as maintenance. I plan on sailing the SP first. We are building an internet income at present and should have a consistent 3-10k income in 2 years, Which will displace my job. Once we've completed the SP, well, we'll just decide then as to where next. The goal is all over passage making and living. I need a boat that is up to the riggers and any mistakes I'm sure I'll make. I would really like a good cabin for my wife and I, not a cramped v-birth. I'll need to use the other cabin for tools, sails and a small work space. I'm thinking I need a good size beam but I don't know where the line is between a boat that will make good distance daily and one that wont. Well, there you go, I'll be making a very thorough stem to stern list of repairs, D-maint, and upgrades once it's bought, but I want it ready to go in 14 unless I find the right boat in Hi. My total budget is 60k but I'll go WAY lower if I find the right rig that I can work with. I'll be doing everything I can to keep it under 40k. -G