How did you get from house to boat?

[MJH]

Originally Posted by LF4

First time poster.

Can you layout your steps from the moment you decided to unplug from the conventional world and travel with your family to the day that you left? Please lay everything out from income while traveling, downsizing your household in preparation for departure, selecting your sailing vessel, sailing lessons and other training, and did you chose to homeschool your kids or unschool them?

Who's asking?

• Family size - four 34(m)-30(f)-5(f)-3(f)
• Occupations - Both bankers
• Sailing experience - zero, but have been on plenty of boats
• Time to departure - 5-8 years from now
• Expected budget (USD) - $250k for boat, $180k spending, $30k emergency.
• How long have we been thinking about THIS post - 5 years, we want this

Take it in phases.

With your youngest being 3(f) I would advise putting the kids into sailing classes at their earliest eligibility. We watched some kids during instruction in the San Juan Islands and they were all having a ball...kids want to be with other kids. Buy a small boat (22') for local sailing and short overnights/weekends. You will learn not only sailing but also the trials of boat ownership, very important. Continue to assess overall family desire to sail...mine didn't. Read everything sailing.

If still positive (you or family), target invest your boat money for the next 15 years (youngest now 18) while you continue to read, learn and gain experience such as coastal or perhaps crew on offshore voyage. Possibly upgrade to a larger boat (~30') to appreciate the more complicated systems and inboard diesel issues.

Develop voyage plan and buy the boat necessary to get you there; many issues to consider and boat choices (the reason for all your years of reading). You will be 49, kids in college, but still young enough yet mature and physically fit to circumnavigate if you wish with or without the kids if they are interested.

Good Luck.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[wolfgal]

Someone above mentioned the importance of the kids liking sailing and liking spending time on the boat. I cannot stress this enough. Mine had a few lumpy starts (holding the bucket), which was topped off by an instructor who screamed and got ugly. This was years ago when they were little, and since then, they refuse to even step on a sailboat. Now teens, they pat me on the back and just say that the whole boat-life thing is "my thing." and this is coming from the girl who wanted to raise the kids on the boat and home-school. So do take care to make sure that the kids have enjoyable experiences from the get-go. I'd recommend you'd book some sweet holidays in beautiful waters where the kids can jump in, discover sea life, gain confidence and really have some fun.

Another thing... the consensus is that there are not as many women who want to embark on this type of adventure longterm as men. there are loads of reasons that have been discussed in these threads...., but i do think it is important that your better half has perhaps a few hairy experiences at some moment before you two get in too deep. as you know already, it can get pretty scary and uncomfortable out there. not everyone reacts the same way: there are those girls who get white knuckled while holding on for dear life while others (on the very same boat, in the same storm) relish the adrenaline and the excitement.... and we know already which is likely to tell hubby she's "done" when they finally reach port. it happens (ask the guys here).

beyond this, even in the nicest boat, it is pretty much camping; there will probably be condensation; and there are those times when the motion, the rolling can make us feel irritable (if not sick). right now, i'm reading Sailing a Serious Ocean by John Kretchmer (well worth the read!!); and, somewhere in this book, he wrote that women seem to suffer from seasickness more than men. i've talked to lots of gals about how they feel: some say they feel better with the motion of cats, while others say they do better on monohulls, and among these, on the ones built for good motion (usually). Personally, i would take a smaller boat with good motion over a big "comfy" thing that pounds its way forward any day.

there is lots of info here on seasickness (how to prevent it, etc.), but this is a reason in itself to get on a lot of different boats before you buy. i found out from just getting on different types of boats that i am sensitive to the mouldy smell that can grow on plastic/glass surfaces below and have little of the oh-no green feeling on teak-filled boats. i also found out that i love it when the boat heels. this is the type of feedback that slowly sculpts the decision-making process.



am sending the best of luck to you and your family!

[jen1722terry]

Hello!

I'm from the Philadelphia area (Moorestown, NJ). Though we now live in New Hampshire and Nova Scotia, we live on our Cape Dory 31 in Maine all summer. I grew up sailing the bays of New Jersey and the Delaware River

Philly has some local yacht clubs. I am a (distant) past member of Riverton Yacht Club, across from Bristol in NJ. They have an active evening and weekend racing program with many kinds of cruising and racing classes. Membership is reasonable for a family and the club is casual and lots of fun. Owners are always looking for racing crew and it's a great way to learn sailing, get advice and make new friends. They have an active youth sailing program. Many members take their cruising boats down to the Chesapeake for weeks or longer and club members enjoy reciprocal privileges at many other clubs.

The local Coast Guard auxiliary probably still has their basic sailing class and some insurance companies like you to take it.

Once you get a bit of book training and experience on others' boats, the Chesapeake Bay is only a few hours away and has dozens of places where you can charter yachts of all sizes and shapes, a great way to sample boats before you buy. This 200-mile long bay is enchanting, though it can be hot in high summer. One of the world's finest sailing grounds. There is also some good sailing to be had in the Toms River area of New Jersey (the bays get quite shallow south of there.

Tom Neale's classic book "All in the Same Boat" is the best one I've read on cruising with the kids. Full of experience from a family who sold it all, moved on board and made it work. Jenn and I still keep this book on board.

A great and worthy dream you have there. Jenn and I truly hope you can make it reality.

Good Luck!

[tarian]

Originally Posted by LF4

First time poster.

Can you layout your steps from the moment you decided to unplug from the conventional world and travel with your family to the day that you left? Please lay everything out from income while traveling, downsizing your household in preparation for departure, selecting your sailing vessel, sailing lessons and other training, and did you chose to homeschool your kids or unschool them?

Who's asking?

• Family size - four 34(m)-30(f)-5(f)-3(f)
• Occupations - Both bankers
• Sailing experience - zero, but have been on plenty of boats
• Time to departure - 5-8 years from now
• Expected budget (USD) - $250k for boat, $180k spending, $30k emergency.
• How long have we been thinking about THIS post - 5 years, we want this

Hey and welcome
Just in my last 2 years of a 6 year plan to head out
Family of 2 and a 10 year old girl and 2 dogs
So first I researched every book out their that have put people on the path what I wanted to do , there are some great stories and great moments,
Next I made sure that I would be financially secure before I set out and invested in property to give a constant rental income plus I will rent out my house (1UK citizen , with 2 US citizens) I have no mortgages , so this will helps us greatly
I Have only bought my Boat last year she is 42 ft and is laid out for family cruising , i got her cheap and have spent nearly all year getting her ready for her 1 year sailing around the UK for her sea trials , then we will head South and West
We will home school and there is many god books out there that will help you as plenty of cruiser with Kids , but We will stick to a semi flexible program for our daughter , keeping up with written and spoken English, learning French and Spanish , and Arithmetic, the rest like history Geography ,art , will be a natural choice of which country we are in
Your Budget is great you will be able to get a nice ocean boat for your money and a good fall back amount, you do not need all the latest tec on your boat as long as it works and in good order keep it.
We have no plans to come home and will take our time and see were our minds and bodies take us and eventually one day circumnavigate
Get you boat as early as yu can and go out and enjoy her and feel her and understand every part of the boat , this will help you when it goes wrong , Hee Hee even in refurb stage it goes wrong
Get some holiday time on the boat with the children so they adapt and become used to the boat and start to love it , let the kids have a say in their cabin and decorating it it will give them good buy in
Do not get swayed about the nae Sayers , keep looking to your goal and start planning now
Good Luck

[Kalinowski]

Buy a 20' something and take sailing lessons. Send the kids to Camp Seagull every summer to learn how to sail and enjoy water sports. Once you're certified and comfortable, charter a larger boat for a week or two annually with the family to see if all enjoy it. Begin home schooling (Calvert is tops). Rent the house. Pick you're yacht.
Cast off.

[seaskip]

Lots of excellent advice here and good luck.
I’ll add an alternative idea to the boat purchase mix.
We bought a share in a comfy cruising cat for the price of owning our own small yacht.
I’m writing this from our cabin, and I can hear the kids drawing and chatting outside, and we’re at day 12 of a 2 week coastal cruise. Their skills and independence are growing nicely and we get a bit braver each trip.
Financially, we only pay a share of the maintenance and there isn’t a boat sitting idle and degrading for a lot of the year, and we’re learning on a boat that will do the job if we go that way. We also have ( thanks to this forums advice) a $1000 hobie cat for learning other skills. 😄. Go well.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by LF4

First time poster.

Can you layout your steps from the moment you decided to unplug from the conventional world and travel with your family to the day that you left? Please lay everything out from income while traveling, downsizing your household in preparation for departure, selecting your sailing vessel, sailing lessons and other training, and did you chose to homeschool your kids or unschool them?

Who's asking?

• Family size - four 34(m)-30(f)-5(f)-3(f)
• Occupations - Both bankers
• Sailing experience - zero, but have been on plenty of boats
• Time to departure - 5-8 years from now
• Expected budget (USD) - $250k for boat, $180k spending, $30k emergency.
• How long have we been thinking about THIS post - 5 years, we want this

We brought the boat 5 years prior to leaving. Used the boat on weekends and did some upgrades during that time. It was our second boat and we had 3 years experience prior to getting it on our first boat.

Once we set a date we quit our jobs, got rid of our stuff, sold the house, sold the car and moved onto the boat. This process took 3.5 months, but mostly all happen in the last 1.5 months. Once the house was under contract we got rid of everything and 5 weeks later when it was all done we left our old homeport the next day.


Personal on your plan I think you are spending too much on the boat and that it would better to max that at $150k and have the other 100k for living.

I think most people get jammed up by thinking their "stuff" is too valuable making it too hard to get rid of.

Good luck, the sailing part is the easy part!

[LF4]

Originally Posted by jen1722terry

I'm from the Philadelphia area (Moorestown, NJ).

Wow, what a small world we live in. I am in Fishtown (It's basically the Brooklyn of Philadelphia at this point.) We almost moved to Moorestown when we relocated to the Philadelphia, Delaware, South New Jersey region for work. Its a really nice place.

Riverton Yacht Club - Adult Sailing Instruction

So I looked into the adult instruction and it appears that you can get 18 hours of instruction over 6 classes for $330. I think that is pretty reasonable. Their marina rates, and everything else, do seem rather reasonable as well. The best part, it is only a 20 min drive up I-95 for me to get there. Thanks for the direction. Turns out I may have a dad/buddy from my neighborhood joining the lessons as well. (He is originally a Southern California (Seal Beach) guy, loves the water.)


In reply to another poster that mentioned the YMCA Camp Sea Gull and YMCA Camp Seafarer. I would have NEVER thought to look for a sailing program form the YMCA. This is very intriguing. Its a bit expensive, but if we can swing it...I am sure there is a lot to be gained.


Again, I am shocked by the number of detailed posts from this community, thank you.

[Davy J]

If a Mono is the way to go as a starter boat...what is the minimum length to take out so that we can cover the 800 nautical miles to get from Philadelphia to Bermuda (and back to Philadelphia) over the course of a month?

Well, I guess I didn't read this part...................

No sailing experience, no boat, wants to sail to Bermuda.................
and back in a month...........

Please don't take your children...............

[LF4]

Originally Posted by Davy J

Well, I guess I didn't read this part...................

No sailing experience, no boat, wants to sail to Bermuda.................
and back in a month...........

Please don't take your children...............

I edited my post as you were responding. Sorry for that...

I read that a passage from NYC to Bermuda takes about 5 days, I would assume about the same coming back. Build in 2 days each way for any issues that may arise and you have about 2 weeks of time in Bermuda. Once again, Im new...can you please explain where I am messing up? You may save a child's life.

[wolfgal]

Originally Posted by LF4

I edited my post as you were responding. Sorry for that...

I read that a passage from NYC to Bermuda takes about 5 days, I would assume about the same coming back. Build in 2 days each way for any issues that may arise and you have about 2 weeks of time in Bermuda. Once again, Im new...can you please explain where I am messing up? You may save a child's life.

Do not let anyone make you doubt yourself but do know that the boat-owning-sailing-away learning curve is not only large but multi-faceted:

learning to sail: as you can deduct from the various responses here, some folks usually start with the local sailing club and/or by getting a smaller boat. some buy a portion of the boat, a time share thing (common in Oz, from what i have seen). some folks buy a larger boat (or THE boat) and hire someone to teach them how to handle it. these tend to run the risk of finding out they did not make the right choice the first time around, but they have the advantage of not pouring money into a smaller boat only just to sell it for less a few years down the road.

picking the boat: first know that not everyone has the same definition of sailing or why they own a sailboat. some like to race, some navigate from one point to another as efficiently as they can, some like to visit the places they reach, some skirt coastlines and anchor out as often as they can while others take on oceans. some are liveaboards and hardly or never leave the dock, others like to socialise in cockpits, some like to meander as loners/hermits, some like to varnish teak and makes things shine, some spend years or even a lifetime refitting boats on the hard.

it is best to know your intentions before you buy the boat

and this is because there are types of boats, different builds with different keels, ballasts, sail plans, etc., that basically correspond to different types of uses. for instance, when we refer to performance-cruisers, racer cruisers or simply cruisers, we are not referring to the same type of boats. there are those that are best for some places/conditions and not others. some boats are just perfect for shallow waters like in the Caribbean while others shine while crossing oceans. some deal with lumpy chop better than others, while others can profit if there are large tides (double keels called bilge keels - you can scrub the bottom of the boat anywhere). some protect you well in cold, drizzly climates while others are best in the tropics. people say that every boat is a compromise. soon it will be your turn to say that it is not easy to find the perfect boat.

that said, boats come in different conditions. some folks buy new and spend a lot getting everything they need afterwards. most opt for used boats (always get a survey). some folks look for a used boat that needs fixing so to redo and update everything themselves. knowing your boat inside and out has major advantages. others buy a boat that is ready to go now. others look for boats with 'good bones' but are very simple as far as systems go and update these according to their needs along the way. There is no right or wrong way, just the way that suits you and your circumstances best. For instance, you two are young, young enough and strong enough to spend time learning about your boat in a boatyard on the hard. Older folks still do this but usually tend to heed Time and how it has become their most valuable resource...

As you look at boats and begin to drool...,. keep in mind that it is very easy to be seduced by even bigger boats with more space and comfort. Big boats tend to have bigger and heavier everything. For instance, the windlass (that pulls the anchor up) can break. Pulling the big anchor up (because a big boat needs a bigger anchor) manually can be tough. Taking a huge sail down so to repair a tear can require many hands. Beyond this, sometimes a marina cannot accommodate a very long keel (not that bigger boats necessarily have longer ones, granted) or the bigger length/berth at the dock.

Someone here offered up the suggestion to spend a whole lot less on the boat and keep a lot of cash for the rest. I second this. this is a bit of an exaggeration, but if you go into this thinking that the actual boat purchase price will somehow turn out to be just an average expenditure across that boat's lifetime with you, then, in my opinion, you will be able to handle just about anything boat ownership throws at you. Personally, I'd spend 150k-ish on the boat and keep the bigger sum to lengthen and/or upgrade the journey itself.

learning to fix and maintain: The value of knowing how to fix things cannot be emphasised enough. The more you understand how boat systems work and the more you can do yourself, the better, especially if you love your independence and/or plan to go offshore.

Though i found the courses to be a bit theoretical, the Power Squadran offers Marine Electrics courses, Diesel Maintenance and Repair courses, as well as seamanship courses. Recently i learned they offered celestial nav courses as well. these courses are usually very affordable.

Also, helping folks out with their boats on the dock/on the hard is a great way to learn. doing this has taught me a whole lot from fixing broken plumbing and leaks (in the hull, in the bilge, from the water tanks, from the hawse pipe/anchor entry...) to anti-fouling to learning where my limit is (wind and weather-wise) when climbing the mast. and learning about which tools are required for which jobs and what spares to have onboard is a big plus. beyond this, volunteering has the added benefit of getting to know people and being a part of a community.

Reading is incredibly very informative too. If you know nothing of boat systems and really want a clear map of the basics, start with KNOW YOUR BOAT by David Kroene. Make sure to get your better half to read it as well (she will love it). As you can imagine, a good fixing team can make boat owning very satisfying, if not meaningful.



Planning: OK, in my quest to learn as much as i can before i take the plunge, i admit that i do not know much about passage planning, route planning yet, but i do know that there are lots of things to consider: weather is number one, always. learning about how to read into cloud formations and changes in the weather around you locally is most valuable. If you can take a weather class, do so. Also know that the knowledge and experience of those who have gone there before can be vital. one of Jimmy Cornell's books could probably help you figure out that trip to Bermuda and back.

A book that I found most helpful in lots of ways was one by Beth Leonard. Someone else here will hopefully follow up with the title...

Preparing:

Take a Safety-at-Sea class. I went to a weekend course a couple of years ago and learned so much about how to detect and treat dehydration, concussions, how to deal with major cuts, etc, how to wrap up a broken arm or leg in a splint, how to care for and especially heat the person who did fall off the boat once we recuperate him/her. i jumped into the water, felt my life jacket expand, learned to adjust its expansion, climbed into the life raft, helped others in, learned how to conserve my energy if was just me the man-over-board and differently with others in the water together. it's fantastic stuff!

as a final note on health, it is easy and worth it to take an American Red Cross class and learn CPR.

Also, about storing foods and what to take with you: you can get a lot of info from CF (there are loads of wonderful folks here who readily share their experiences and help others).

you might be picking up on how i stress the "knowing what/how to do" part. boat ownership is just that, knowing what to do when you sail, when the weather changes, when something goes wrong or needs fixing, when someone needs help or is in trouble. Learning to know what to do takes time and effort and energy, but it will give you and your family much confidence and many, many happy memories.

Keep us posted!

[nhschneider]

I hate to be the ‘wet blanket’ but considering a cruising lifestyle without ever having spent any time on the ocean is taking a huge risk. I know personally of quite a few families who had similar aspirations but once they got out there and discovered the endless chores, the moments of sheer terror, the expensive repairs, the separation from family and friends - it was just too much. For some, it was almost a debilitating letdown as they had been planning for so long. Others just chalked it up to another experience and moved on.

I don’t suggest that you drop your idea but I would encourage you to gain some experience before committing to a plan. It’s not for everyone. That being said, if it does fit your family and you, it’s possible that it would exceed your wildest dreams.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[LF4]

I agree with you, start small and build up to what the dream might be.

[nimbex1970]

We are now one year out. Sold the house two years ago, downsized, we have minimal things, seriously, two pictures on the wall, no closet clutter. It took a year to weed through all that, back up all pictures on the cloud, saved up to buy. This year we are focused on our sailing and boat buying. Just started researching boats.

So our five year plan is almost here. Keep doing what you are doing. Stay active in forums and sail as early and as often as you can. We took ASA 101 at a local marina, and rent a boat from there twice a month. see what is near you.

[chuckr]

Interesting question the OP asked.
First I use to be a fairly competent mountain climber. When I was train a guy who had struck it rich in the stock market was there and told the group that he planned to climb Everest. He had never climbed before. During self arrest exercises that I always found a blast he panicked and slid all the way to the bottom. He came back with the fear of God in his face and the next day when we did a climb on a small 10'k plus mountain he did not go. He quit. it was just not for him.


Second when we were first out we met a couple in Maine who had an incredible new boat and had list on top of list of things to acquire as they were leaving on a circum nav and wanted us to go with them. We declined as we knew we were not ready for long distance yet nor was the boat. 18 months later and a lot of boat work we sailed into the Bay Islands of Honduras and the woman of that other boat was the net controller for an ssb net. We chatted a few minutes and said we would have to meet up but she said no they were leaving for the USA in a few days to sell the boat and quit cruising. We saw the boat on line for sale and they took a big hit on it. Cruising was just not for them.


For us we were never on a sailboat until dec 2000 when I was 55 and we took asa course as a lark when we had a long weekend and nothing to do. We lived in Dallas at the time and went to Houston. We loved it and then in March took some more classes in Fla and the instructor made us work as a team not capt and deckhand.
in 2003 we bought a new Jeanneau DS40 after chartering a few times. By now we had moved to Miami. IT turns out it was something we really liked. At 62 I quit work and headed out. That was about 12 years ago. We got rid of almost everything, just a few boxes in storage - 5-6. Our goal was to sail the Bahamas and back, not sink the boat and not kill ourselves or each other. Well things got out of hand a long time ago and we have moved way beyond the Bahamas.


Our thoughts on it would be
1. take asa sailing classes - as many as possible. you never know it may be for you and the asa works in places that requires a license.
2. charter and charter
3. someone said there is club near you - join it and sail - in Herzliya where we are there are a couple of clubs and they sail a lot and I mean a lot and people go out and learn - it is a great education
4. We bought a new boat because we knew we knew nothing about the care and feeding of a boat and boy does she like to eat. We have learned a lot as time goes by and had people come and work on the boat with one criteria I help and work as an assistance. If they do not agree to that then I find someone else.
5. Boats are not like houses. Buying a small or even medium boat now is cast outlay and boats depreciate and depreciate a lot. And small boats are sometimes hard to sell. Expect to take a big loss on the boat in terms of financial terms and time trying to get rid of it.
6. Some folks suggested getting your kids into sailing lessons. What a great idea and do it soon not later. I got my boys into skiing at 3 & 5 and wow they got great in a hurry. Some of the best sailors we have seen are young kids who really know who to sail and are a lot better than we are.
7. Take a family vacation in say the BVI or someplace like that with a charter and see if you like it and how it goes. We had a woman on board the other day and is a heck of a good sailor and her daughter and the boyfriend came along. The daughter got seasick just past the breakwater. It was not a good trip. But chartering will work some of those issues out. And when the co captain finds that cooking in cramped little galley is not like home and the reefer is not huge and meal planning can be a bit different. Along with route planning and weather planning.
8. We have made more mistakes than most and have a lot more to come but each time we learn more. We are not very good sailors but we can get there and get there safely and yes we are bit more cautious than most.
9 We were inspected by a world class racer and a world sailboat race judge. He travels all over the world for that. We were talking and he said when he tests new applicants for cert. he has one last questions - what is the most important thing in sailing and he said most would say when to go - he said no the most important thing is when not to go. a rule we have lived by for 12 years and works for us.


Good luck and welcome aboard.