Very New and Very Ambitious

[BathtubSailor]

Hello everyone! I started sailing through a Small Boat Sailing merit badge class about 5 years ago. It was kinda a underwhelming class with unkept Sunfish and a small man made lake to capsize in. It taught me a lot about how much a person can take and how strong we all are as people just through willpower. After the camp I never touched a halyard since... I work as a dishwasher and work long hours alone in my little dishpit. They call it the thinking man's job. One late closing night shift, I realized that now that I'm going to college I want to do a lot of things while I'm young. So I thought, well I don't want to climb Mount Everest. I don't want to go to the moon. I hate flying. Maybe backpack through Europe? No, that's too over done. Last summer as I was closing I remembered back to that summer camp. That's it! I'll sail around the world! Al through out my life so far things have been subtly drawing me back to the sea. I live far from it now, I feel like it's my home. I binge watched S/V Delos, La Vagabond, S/V Seeker, S/V Emerald Steel, and other sailing channels just trying to feed this unquenchable thirst for the sea.
I've tried to burn myself out on the idea. I usually do that with a lot of things but this one seems oddly different. I can't stop thinking about it. I daydream in my lectures about the salty stinging wind of Cape Horn, the turquoise waters of Polynesia, and the different cultures I'd come across. I live for stories and adventure.
For now, it's finish college but I've started actually planning what my friends and I call The Great Voyage. I've mapped out over 75,000 nautical miles. My excitement has seemed to have rubbed off on my close friends who want to partake in the adventure. So after college I want to set off; no matter the cost. Yea I need to get experience. Yea I need a boat. Yea it's ambitious and hard but you know, man, so is college.
I want to learn more through y'all and be part of this awesome community. So I guess I'll see you around here.
-Peace out

Oh by the way I'm reading They Took to the Sea by David Klien and I highly suggest it.

[travellerw]

I met 3 kids (3 years out of college) exactly like you. They saved for 3 years, then bought a boat, fixed/outfitted it and left the great lakes area.

They made it as far as Guatamala before running out of money. The boat is now parked while they are back in the US building the cruising kitty back up.

One piece of advice.. Don't discount the amount of money required. Also don't think you will make money along the way. Although you are young enough to get an easy working Visa in some countries, it rare for people to actually work while they are cruising.

Good luck and fair winds!

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy and Welcome Aboard CF Bathtubsailor!

I enjoyed reading your good introduction post. I also appreciate your dream, one that is shared by many of the members of this forum.

I hope you enjoy your time on the forum.

Since you are new to this forum, let me mention a few things you might miss but that could help you more enjoy your time here:

There is an amazing amount of shared knowledge found in the thousands of threads on this forum. If one has a common question, the answers are usually there, often with different possible solutions. The trick is finding those threads and answers as they can be "lost" in the many threads, which are often not titled well.

Here are my favorite Tips for newcomers to this forum:

WIKI
Take a look at the Cruising WIKI that is found via the tab up on the top menu bar of the forum. It has a LOT of information in it you might find fun, interesting, or helpful.
____________

Looking for Quick Answers?

1. Learn to use the Google Custom Search of this forum.

This is the best and fastest method I have found to the answers I seek here.
Since you are relatively new to the forum, here is my favorite friendly forum search tip: Look at the green menu bar on the forum pages for the drop down "Search" menu. Click on that to drop down a list of search functions. From that drop down menu select the GOOGLE CUSTOM search feature (the second box down) and then enter several different descriptive terms for your topic of interest. That will do a Custom google search of ONLY this site and it is likely to find answers to your questions or results for you. Note: this is VERY different from using the regular forum search box or field (which I never use because of poor search results). Also note, this is NOT found if you use the CF app. It IS found if you use a web browser such as Safari, etc.

Note: The ordinary "search" field on this forum has yielded less helpful results for me when I perform searches. That is why I prefer and suggest the use of the alternative "Google Custom Search" instead. I see a very clear difference and find the Google Custom Search much easier for scanning (with my eyes) threads for relevant comments and info. YMMV

[barnakiel]

Hey! Welcome!

Yep. As the poster above said do not discount the expense. In all its forms: money, experience, health, relationships, worldview ...

You WILL need some dough to go that 75 miles of yours. And so does everyday life. If you have a good job, you can make money as you go. If you are entrepreneurial, you can make money in-between the sailing stunts. Etc. Unfortunately, one cannot chose their vocation and so if you are very good at something globally useless then you are likely bound to make some money first, then go and sail it as long as it lasts.

But do not overweigh the money factor. Passion goes further than money.

Avoid building your vision of what it is like out there based on books and videos. They are just pictures in somebody else's stories. You are writing you own: go, do, sense and experience. It is your world that counts, not theirs, not mine, nor the pope's.

Good luck. Stay focused, learn, grow, keep the dream alive.

Cheers,
b.

[AiniA]

We met one young sailor in the South Pacific who got kicked out of his college for hacking their computer system (they should have hired him to improve the security). He bought a Bristol 27 for $3k and spent another $3k on upgrades and off he went. Seemed to be having a great time. We saw him in the Cook Islands and American Samoa. He was enjoying the same places and cultures as the people in the million dollar boats. Last we heard he was in Papua-New Guinea. Follow your dreams if they continue to call you. There are lots of people who will tell you lots of reasons why you can't do it. I find relatively little of their advice is that useful.

[Steve Olson]

Consider crewing to help gain experience. You can still get "out there" without having to buy and refit your own boat.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, BathtubSailor.